| Destiny's Child | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 17, 1998 (1998-02-17) | |||
| Recorded | 1996–1997 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:09 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer |
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| Destiny's Child chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Destiny's Child | ||||
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Destiny's Child is the debut studio album by American girl groupDestiny's Child. It was released on February 17, 1998, byColumbia Records. Predominantly anR&B andneo soul album, it was recorded over a two-year period, predominantly withD'Wayne Wiggins. Wiggins and the group's managerMathew Knowles enlisted 16 producers for the album, includingJermaine Dupri,Rob Fusari,Vincent Herbert, andWyclef Jean. Consequently, the record draws on a variety of genres, including 1960s and 1970ssoul,hip-hop, andpop. Lyrically, it explores themes of love, romantic equity, self-confidence, and autonomy.
On release,Destiny's Child received mixed to positive reviews frommusic critics, who praised the group's vocal harmony but dismissed the record's musical style as indistinguishable and overly mature for the group's then-teenaged members. At the1998 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, it won Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo. Commercially asleeper hit, the album initially reached number 67 on the USBillboard 200, but went on to receive aplatinum certification from theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping one million units in the US. It produced two singles—"No, No, No" and "With Me"—with the former reaching number three on the USBillboard Hot 100.
In 1990,Beyoncé andLaTavia Roberson, both aged nine, met at an audition for the Houston-based girl groupGirl's Tyme, of which they soon became members.[1][2]Kelly Rowland joined the group the following year, and they unsuccessfully auditioned forStar Search in 1992.[1][3] In 1993, Beyoncé's fatherMathew Knowles became the group's manager, alongside its founder Andretta Tillman. Knowles restructured the group from a sextet to a quartet, and recruitingLeToya Luckett.[4] After numerous name changes, the group was renamed Destiny.[5] After eliciting interest from bothElektra Records andColumbia Records, the group signed a record deal with the former in 1995.[6] However, the label terminated their contract the same year, without the group having recorded a debut album.[5] Inspired by a passage in theBook of Isaiah, the group renamed themselves Destiny's Child, and began touring with groupsImmature,Dru Hill,Das EFX, andSWV as an opening act on their respective tours.[7][8] After a second audition for Columbia'sTeresa LaBarbera Whites in 1996, Whites signed them to the label.[9] Immediately afterwards, Destiny's Child commenced work on their debut album,[10] having been signed toD'Wayne Wiggins' production company Grass Roots Entertainment.[11]
Destiny's Child began recording material for their first album in early 1996.[12] D'Wayne Wiggins and Mathew Knowles enlisted 16 producers forDestiny's Child, which would be recorded until late 1997.[11] LaTavia Roberson reflected: "Mathew always just made us listen to the tracks, emphasizing it shouldn't matter if the producer has a name. What was most important is that we felt the music."[13] A key contributor toDestiny's Child, Wiggins produced "Second Nature", and co-wrote and produced "Bridges", "Killing Time", and "Birthday", with the tracks recorded at his recording studio House of Music inOakland.[14]Tim & Bob wrote and produced "Tell Me", which was recorded atL.A. Reid's Studio LaCoCo in Atlanta, whileCarl Washington produced "Show Me the Way".[14] In May 1997, Andretta Tillman died oflupus, aged 39.[12][15]Destiny's Child and its closing track "My Time Has Come" were consequently dedicated to her.[14] In July, Destiny's Child made their debut as "Killing Time" was included onthe soundtrack for the 1997 filmMen in Black; the soundtrack peaked atop the USBillboard 200.[12][16]Mark Morales andCory Rooney produced Destiny's Child's cover of theLionel Richie-writtenCommodores' 1979 song "Sail On"; the cover was recorded atThe Hit Factory in New York City. In New York, Destiny's Child also recorded "No, No, No Part 1", written and produced byRob Fusari andVincent Herbert, at theChung King Studios.[14] With the album, then titledBridges, slated for an October 1997 release,[17] "No, No, No" was selected as itslead single.[18] A promotionalcassette forBridges was issued, including all aforementioned tracks alongside "You're the Only One", "Never Had a Love", and "Show Me", which would ultimately fail to make the final track listing of the retitledDestiny's Child.[19][a]
However, Teresa LaBarbera Whites was adamant that a track more distinguishable than "No, No, No" be the lead single.[18] Destiny's Child fortuitously metWyclef Jean atSony Music's headquarters in New York, and performed "No, No, No"a cappella for him. Impressed, he asked the group to contribute to the remix of his 1997 single "We Trying to Stay Alive".[18] He subsequently produced "No, No, No Part 2" by accelerating the original version around a sample ofBarry White's "Strange Games & Things". After Beyoncé jokingly sang the song's lyrics in a fast,staccato manner, Wyclef Jean encouraged her to incorporate the style into the recording; the rap-sung staccato would be incorporated into Destiny's Child's subsequent albums and become their signature singing style.[18][22] Rowland reflected on the sessions by saying: "There was never a dull moment in the studio working with Wyclef".[18] "No, No, No Part 2" was recorded at the Digital Services Recording Studios in Houston, where a substantial portion ofDestiny's Child was recorded. Wyclef Jean also produced "Illusion", on which he made a guest appearance alongside his fellowFugees memberPras; the track is a cover ofImagination's 1982 song "Just an Illusion".[14]Jermaine Dupri andManuel Seal wrote and produced "With Me Part I". They co-wrote the song's "Part II" with Destiny's Child; alongside "Birthday", it was the album's sole track written by the group. Produced bythe Medicine Men'sKLC, Odell, and Craig B, "With Me Part II" features a rap performed byMaster P; "Freak Hoes", recorded by Master P's groupTRU, was sampled on both parts of "With Me".[14] Both parts of "With Me" were recorded at the KrossWire Studios in Atlanta. Other recording locations forDestiny's Child included Castle Oak Studios inCalabasas, Live Oak Studios inBerkeley, Manhattan Ave. Studios inTopanga, Pajama Recording Studios in Oakland, andPatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta.[14]
Destiny's Child is predominantly classified as anR&B andneo soul record,[b] drawing influences fromquiet storm,[13] 1960s and 1970ssoul,hip-hop,pop,[25] andgospel.[22] Its musical style is largely defined by the utilization of live instruments, with tracks such as "Second Nature" and "Bridges" heavily driven byRhodes piano, bass, trumpets, and saxophone. The album's lyrics focus on themes of love, romantic equity, self-confidence, andautonomy.[13]Destiny's Child opens with "Second Nature", a neo soul track starting with ablues-influencedelectric guitar solo, which transitions into a sample ofthe Isley Brothers' 1975 song "Make Me Say It Again, Girl".[22][26] While "No, No, No Part 1" is anew jack swing-influenced down-tempo R&B track, its counterpart is an up-tempo, hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B track.[18][25][22] The song's lyrical content centers on a man forsaking his partner in favor of his friends.[22] "With Me" is lyrically ananswer song toUsher's 1997 song "You Make Me Wanna..." and depicts a mistress taunting her lover's partner: "'Cause I know what you didn't do to make him stay / See, a bad-performing, unfulfilling woman drives a man away".[22][25]
"Tell Me" is a "soporific, sophisticated late-night" ballad which follows a woman pleading with her long-term partner to end their failing relationship.[27][22] Writing forTidal, Kristin Corry compared Beyoncé'smezzo-soprano vocal performance on the track toDiana Ross.[25] Motivationally themed "Bridges" samples thehook fromAl Green's 1972 song "Simply Beautiful".[22] "Show Me the Way" is ajazz-funk track heavily influenced by early-1980s R&B, and defined by "sensual" beats, synthesized strings, and "cooing" melodies.[27][22] Jazz and funk influences are also prevalent on the hip-hop track "Illusion".[13][22] "Killing Time" is a ballad driven by metronomic percussion, acoustic guitar, andBenjamin Wright's understated string arrangement.[12] Its lyrics focus on a woman spending a day waiting for her partner to return home.[22]Slow jam "Birthday" andcountry-influenced soul track "Sail On" follow,[22] beforeDestiny's Child concludes with "My Time Has Come", an emotional gospel-styled dedication to Andretta Tillman.[22][28]
In 1997, Destiny's Child performed as an opening act on SWV andthe O'Jays' respective concert tours, in order to promoteDestiny's Child.[13] "No, No, No" was subsequently released as their debut single, and thelead single fromDestiny's Child, on October 27.[29] The song's two versions were strategically given a dual release, to ensure chart success.[13] "No, No, No" eventually reached its peak at number three on the USBillboard Hot 100,[30] and became the ninth best-selling single of 1998 in the US.[31]Destiny's Child was released on February 17, 1998.[22] It was initially promoted with an appearance at the1998 Soul Train Music Awards on February 27,[22] and a performance onLive with Regis and Kathie Lee on April 20; the latter was their debut televised performance.[32] The album debuted at number 69 on the USBillboard 200 chart dated March 7, 1998,[33] peaking at number 67 four weeks later.[34] Meanwhile, it debuted and peaked at number 14 on the USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[35] In the UK, where the album debuted and peaked at number 45 on theUK Albums Chart,[36] Destiny's Child performed "No, No, No" on theTop of the Pops episode dated March 27, 1998,[37] and "With Me" on the episode dated July 10.[38] "With Me" was released as the album's second single on April 20,[39] but failed to enter theBillboard Hot 100 due to its airplay-only release.[c] Unlike "No, No, No", only part one of "With Me" was accompanied by amusic video, to which Beyoncé later attributed the single's underperformance, as the song's part two was deemed more marketable due to Master P's appearance.[27]
The group embarked on a national summer 1998 tour withBoyz II Men,K-Ci & JoJo, andUncle Sam, which commenced inNashville on April 29.[28][41] Destiny's Child subsequently joinedJon B. andJagged Edge on their fall 1998 tour, which commenced inOmaha on September 16.[42] "Illusion" was scheduled for release as the third single fromDestiny's Child, with Columbia Records commissioning aMaurice Joshua-produced dance remix with re-recorded vocals, in an attempt to market the two versions simultaneously, as was done with the album's first two singles. However, the single was canceled as the group's management was eager for the recording of a second studio effort to begin. LaTavia Roberson retrospectively stated: "It's not that we didn't love 'Illusion', but we were minors and it's the executives who make the decisions. The label wanted us to move on and create more age-appropriate music."[13] The club mix of "Illusion" was instead released as theB-side to Destiny's Child's single "Get on the Bus", from the soundtrack to the 1998 filmWhy Do Fools Fall in Love.[43] In the aftermath of the success of Destiny's Child's second albumThe Writing's on the Wall,Destiny's Child became asleeper hit,[22] proceeding to be certifiedplatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 2000, for shipments of one million units in the US.[44] In August 2001, the album was reissued outside North America, including the bonus tracks "You're the Only One", a remix of "No, No, No", and Joshua's remix of "Illusion"—retitled "DubiLLusions".[45]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [46] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [47] |
| The Great Rock Discography | [48] |
| Music Week | [49] |
| Q | [50] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [51] |
| Tom Hull | B+[52] |
Destiny's Child received mixed to positive reviews frommusic critics. John Bush ofAllMusic and a critic fromQ directed predominant praise towards the group'svocal harmony.[46][50] However, Bush also wrote that, while the album differed from other R&B girl groups' debut efforts, its sound was largely indistinguishable.[46] Similarly, Jess Harvell ofPitchfork remarked that it "could be the work of any freshly scrubbed African-American teenagers from the mid-90s".[53] An editor ofVibe called it "more earnest thanAllure, but less inspiring than702", adding that the "urban-chic" record possessed the ability to "entice listeners with sultry vocals and apple-pie innocence".[54] British magazineMusic Week described the album as a "mixture of soulful grooves and kickin' dancefloor tracks."[49] At the1998 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, Destiny's Child won three awards, including Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo forDestiny's Child.[55]
In retrospective commentaries regardingDestiny's Child,Q and criticPiero Scaruffi both credited the record's mainstream quality with helping to establish Destiny's Child as a viable act.[50][56] Conversely, Paul Flynn ofThe Guardian reflected on the album being a "relative misfire", negatively comparing its musical style toTLC,Jill Scott, andAngie Stone.[23] InThe Rolling Stone New Album Guide (2004),Rob Sheffield declared it inferior to Destiny's Child's subsequent albumsThe Writing's on the Wall (1999) andSurvivor (2001).[51]The Recording Academy's Sope Soetan opined thatDestiny's Child had aged well by its 25th anniversary, adding that tracks such as "Show Me the Way", "Birthday", and "You're the Only One" merited contemporary reappraisal.[13] Meanwhile, Jon O'Brien ofBillboard described it as infused with "tastefully arranged, slickly produced and well-performed but entirely unremarkable R&B slow jam[s]", further criticizing its lyrical themes.[22]
In October 1998, Destiny's Child began recording their second albumThe Writing's on the Wall. Partly dissatisfied withDestiny's Child, the group asserted more creative control overThe Writing's on the Wall.[57][58]The Writing's on the Wall was released in July 1999, preceded by their first USBillboard Hot 100 number-one hit "Bills, Bills, Bills".[59] Its musical style was a distinct departure from the neo soul quality ofDestiny's Child, exploring a futuristic pop-R&B sound constructed through unconventional production methods.[24] The album was a commercial success, reaching number five on the USBillboard 200, and is widely regarded as the group's breakthrough record.[59][60] In 2006, Beyoncé reflected onDestiny's Child being largely overshadowed by its successor, which she attributed to the former's neo soul style, perceived as too mature for then-teenaged group members.[23] Meanwhile, Mathew Knowles commented: "We wanted to brand these girls as fresh hot teenagers. Though the album had some phenomenal songs, it didn't fit into the direction we were heading into".[13]
Upon the 20th anniversary of its release,Destiny's Child became subject to critical reappraisal.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Amanda Parris reflected on the album's singles highlighting Destiny's Child as a "worthy (if not yet distinct) contender in the competitive landscape of R&B girl groups" of the late 1990s.[61] Kristin Corry of Tidal regarded the album as a "solid" introduction to the group's "twin strengths of sweeping ballads and tight harmonies".[25] Jon O'Brien ofBillboard remarked that, had the rest of the record been in the vein of "No, No, No Part 2", the group's "world domination would no doubt have come a little sooner".[22] Writing for the Recording Academy, Sope Soetan stated thatDestiny's Child "heralded the beginning of an R&B supergroup" and remained an "artifact of the elements central to Destiny's Child's musical persona", concluding: "Achieving a level of international and cross-cultural appeal as Black women that eluded their competitors and some of their forebears,Destiny's Child is demonstrative of the axiom that it's not about how you start, but how you finish."[13] In 2022, Beyoncé and the Isley Brothers re-recorded "Make Me Say It Again, Girl", which had been sampled on "Second Nature".[22] The re-recording peaked atop the USAdult R&B Songs.[62]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Second Nature" |
|
| 5:09 |
| 2. | "No, No, No Part 2" (featuringWyclef Jean) |
|
| 3:27 |
| 3. | "With Me Part I" (featuringJermaine Dupri) |
| 3:26 | |
| 4. | "Tell Me" |
| 4:48 | |
| 5. | "Bridges" |
| Wiggins | 4:02 |
| 6. | "No, No, No Part 1" |
|
| 4:07 |
| 7. | "With Me Part II" (featuringMaster P) |
| 4:14 | |
| 8. | "Show Me the Way" |
| Carl Washington | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Killing Time" |
| Wiggins | 5:09 |
| 10. | "Illusion" (featuringWyclef Jean andPras) | 3:52 | ||
| 11. | "Birthday" |
| Wiggins | 5:15 |
| 12. | "Sail On" | Lionel Richie | 4:04 | |
| 13. | "My Time Has Come" (Dedicated to Andretta Tillman) |
| Bennett-Smith | 4:25 |
| Total length: | 56:09 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Know That" |
| Father Shaheed | 4:24 |
| Total length: | 60:33 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Amazing Grace" | John Newton | 2:39 |
| Total length: | 65:15 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "You're the Only One" |
|
| 3:23 |
| 16. | "No, No, No" (Camdino Soul Extended Remix) |
| 6:34 | |
| 17. | "DubiLLusions" |
| Maurice Joshua | 7:33 |
| Total length: | 78:03 | |||
Notes
Sample credits
Credits are adapted from theliner notes ofDestiny's Child.[14]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[74] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[75] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[44] | Platinum | 847,000[76] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Edition(s) | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | February 17, 1998 | Standard | Columbia | ||
| Japan | March 1, 1998 | CD | Sony Music Japan | ||
| United Kingdom | March 2, 1998 |
| Columbia | ||
| Australia | May 15, 1998 | CD | Sony Music | ||
| United Kingdom | August 20, 2001 | Expanded | Columbia | ||
| Germany | September 3, 2001 | Sony Music |
The result was something of a baby neo-soul album that even Beyoncé admitted was an awkward fit for the then-teens
...the labelmates' new albums, all slated for Feb. 17.
