It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Destiny’s Child released their iconic 'Survivor' album.
Destiny’s Child were omnipresent for more than two years at that time. Their second album, 'The Writing’s on the Wall', spawned four hit singles and was quickly followed up with the Charlie’s Angels theme 'Independent Women Part I.' Without a moment’s break the girls came back with their new hit, 'Survivor,' and its accompanying album.
Destiny’s Child weren’t willing to take a chance only on fate; in fact, they created their own destiny before the music climate changed.
'Independent Women' and 'Survivor' weren’t the only songs on Survivor with huge hit potential. The light and airy pop/dance number 'Happy Face' is crammed with an ineffable amount of cheer, bursting at the seams with an infectious optimism. 'Bootylicious' boldly samples Stevie Nicks’s staple-song 'Edge of Seventeen,' stamping it with Destiny’s Child trademark attitude and Michael Jackson-inspired vocal stylings.
Other ‘80s throw-downs can be found in 'Nasty Girl' and 'Sexy Daddy,' the latter borrowing from Gloria Estefan’s 'Conga.' 'Nasty Girl' features undeniably contagious hooks, breaking out into Baltimora’s 'Tarzan Boy.'
Survivor was first released by Columbia Records on May 1, 2001, in the United States. The album features production by lead singer Beyoncé Knowles and J.R. Rotem, with additional production from Poke & Tone, Cory Rooney and Mark J. Feist. Five singles were released from the album: 'Independent Women Part I', 'Survivor', 'Bootylicious', a cover of Samantha Sang's 'Emotion', and 'Nasty Girl'.
'Survivor' was certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA on January 7, 2002. Billboard ranked Survivor at number 70 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade. The album went on to sell over 4.7 million copies in the United States. With sales over 12 million copies worldwide, it became the biggest-selling album in the 21st century by a girl group, and one of the most successful albums of all time by a girl group.
Listen to 'Survivor' below.