''Destiny Fulfilled'' is the fifth and final
studio album by American
R&B trio
Destiny's Child. It was released on November 16, 2004, by
Columbia Records and
Sony Urban Music
Sony Urban Music was a division of Sony BMG, active from 2004 to 2006, The division handled R&B, soul, and hip hop releases by artists nominally signed to Sony's Columbia and Epic labels. During its existence, Sony Urban managed releases by ar ...
. A comeback release, it marked the return of Destiny's Child after the group went into hiatus, which allowed each member to release solo albums. Unlike their previous material, this record saw each member equally contributing to the songwriting and production. Destiny's Child further worked with frequent collaborators such as
Rockwilder
Dana Stinson (born February 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Rockwilder, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper.
A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast hip hop artist ...
,
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
and
Rodney Jerkins as well as several new producers.
For the album's theme, the members drew inspiration from the conversations they had during the first week of recording when they discussed about the happenings in their lives while being apart. Composed mostly of mid-tempo songs and
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s that are subsequent continuations of each other, altogether telling one complete story, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' is an
R&B album. It was released to generally mixed reviews among
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
who criticized its mid-tempo ballads and lyrical content. The album was commercially successful; it reached number two on the US
''Billboard'' 200, and has since been certified triple Platinum in that region. It was also successful in different countries worldwide receiving certifications in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom among others.
As part of the album's promotion, the group performed songs from it on numerous award ceremonies and televised appearances in the US and Europe. They further embarked on the tour
Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It in 2005 with 67 dates across four continents worldwide. ''Destiny Fulfilled'' spawned four singles—the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
"
Lose My Breath
"Lose My Breath" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their fourth and last studio album '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004). It was written by Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jer ...
", "
Soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
", "
Girl
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
" and "
Cater 2 U
"Cater 2 U" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their fifth and final studio album '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004). The song was written by group members Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams along with Rodney "Dark ...
". After the tour, the group disbanded.
Background
While recording their third studio album ''
Survivor'' in late 2000,
Beyoncé announced that Destiny's Child would eventually go on a hiatus that would allow each member to release a solo album, which they hoped would further increase interest in the group. The idea of solo releases emanated from the group's manager, Beyoncé's father,
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyonc ...
.
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
further explained in an interview that Destiny's Child has been present in the media for a long time and they wanted to "give the public eye a rest from DC for a minute".
During that same interview, she acknowledged that the trio would return to the studio in fall 2003 to start with the work on a new album.
Two members of the group, Beyoncé and Rowland each released one album, while
Michelle Williams released two. While each member achieved domestic success, Beyoncé's had been regarded as the most successful with the release of ''
Dangerously in Love'' (2003), which enjoyed international commercial success and acclaim. This, along with their other ongoing projects, led to speculation over the disbandment of Destiny's Child. Amidst rumors and speculations, Rowland announced in 2004 their return to the studio to record what would become their fourth and final album. The group claimed that the reunion was destined to happen, and that their affinity to each other kept them together.
After this album, the group planned to part ways after their fourteen-year career to facilitate their solo careers. Beyoncé has noted that their destinies were already fulfilled; however, Destiny's Child claimed that naming the album ''Destiny Fulfilled'' was not a coincidence.
Beyoncé has said that "the group felt it still had something to offer musically" with the album before adding: "We did this record for ourselves, not to sell a million the first week out... That doesn't mean as much to us as just the fact that three friends got back together to do another record. That was our destiny.".
Rowland commented: "We were like, 'You know what, we're getting older and we want to end on a high note.' We want to give our fans a great final record".
Beyoncé, also commented regarding the finality of their career: "Who knows what will happen in three, five or 10 years? The main thing is that we maintain our friendship and that we do it because we want to – not because it's a good business move."
Production and recording
Production of the album began in summer of 2004 with Destiny's Child taking help from frequent collaborators including
Rockwilder
Dana Stinson (born February 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Rockwilder, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper.
A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast hip hop artist ...
,
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
and
Rodney Jerkins. The group worked on the album within a period of three weeks.
Jerkins, who had worked with Beyoncé for her solo album ''Dangerously in Love'', concerned how he would manage the production, saying, "How is this going to work?' Cause Beyoncé, she blew up solo, so how's it going to work in a group together?".
He stated that once he got inside the studio, however, his skepticism vanished as he saw the group's "excitement being back in the studio together", calling the process "natural".
The members of the group stated that the first week of recording was spent solely on conversations about the happenings in their lives while being apart from each other as they hadn't spent quality time for a long period. This further inspired them to record the conversations and use it as the main theme of the record.
Differing from ''Survivor'' in that previously Beyoncé had taken an active role in writing and producing, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' saw each member contributing inputs culled from personal experiences and individual opinions and points of view not dependent from the others'.
In most cases, producers of the album would send them a CD containing a track that would be the group's basis in the songwriting process; without the producer's supervision of which part to sing, that formed a new direction of their style different from their previous records. The traditional approach where each member sang one verse and chimed in the chorus was replaced; in some songs in ''Destiny Fulfilled'', their vocals were alternated in every line of the lyrics, a technique similar to hip hop artists.
Destiny's Child took the role of executive producing alongside their manager, Mathew Knowles. Beyoncé, who vocally produced the songs, commented that it was important for her to make sure their voices were audible and identifiable. Taking it as one of her goals, the group decided to focus on mid-tempo songs and on few dance numbers and ballads—which they considered people cannot sing with. Beyoncé elaborated "We wanted to make sure that the songs would be something that we were proud of 10 years from now, 20 years from now. We wanted it to be something that people can really feel an emotion to. Up-tempo songs can do that, but they more make you wanna dance."
As Rowland was recently engaged in the time of the writing of the album, it further influenced her songwriting. She also cited that being apart from the group affected the album as well: "All of us have been in three different places ... so there's a lot to talk about, a lot that's gone on, personally. I think it's important to talk about that on this new record, to put what we've been going through separately into the new record."
Composition
During an interview with
MTV, Beyoncé stated that the songs put altogether tell a complete story and noted that each song was a subsequent continuation to the next one. She concluded, "
he album continues withthis whole journey of this group of women trying to find love. And truly they find it because they love themselves and find it in themselves. It's friendship, it's love, it's maturity and growth, and it's everything that we wanted it to be."
For the music of the album, the group tried challenging themselves, working with different arrangements, trying to create an original sound; to succeed in this, they were influenced by
The Emotions
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
,
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their musical careers as two duos of brothers and, after years of limi ...
and
SWV
SWV (Sisters with Voices) is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson, and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. Formed in 1988 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B g ...
mixing elements of their music. ''Destiny Fulfilled'' is predominantly an
R&B concept album tracing a woman's relationship journey.
Critics further found elements of
soul music
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...
,
dance and
hip-hop.
The album is mostly composed of mid and slowtempo balladry following the opening two songs;
Caroline Sullivan of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt that the ballads showcased "the girliness in the trio, musically and lyrically".
Eric Henderson of
Slant Magazine found elements of
middle of the road music
Middle of the road (also known by its acronym MOR) is a commercial radio format and popular music genre. Music associated with this term is strongly melodic and uses techniques of vocal harmony and light orchestral arrangements. The format was even ...
in the ballads.
The album opens with the up-tempo dance song "
Lose My Breath
"Lose My Breath" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their fourth and last studio album '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004). It was written by Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jer ...
", a track detailing a man full of empty promises to a woman.
It is musically complete with military, marching-band drums and keyboard stabs and the
backing track
A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live musi ...
contains various sound effects.
"
Soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
", the second track with
T.I. and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
, the only featured artists on the album, contains elements from Southern hip hop and
Crunk&B
Crunk is a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the mid 2000s. Crunk is often up-tempo and one of Southern hip hop's more dance and club oriented subgenres. An archetypal crunk track fre ...
.
Unsatisfied and unfulfilled with the lover from the opening song, the protagonists ask for a decent soldier, further singing about finding a
gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
.
After finding the soldier, the third song, the R&B number "
Cater 2 U
"Cater 2 U" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their fifth and final studio album '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004). The song was written by group members Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams along with Rodney "Dark ...
", lyrically is about submissively serving the man considered as such.
Inspired by him, the protagonists sing about doing various things to make him happy musically accompanied by synthesizer as the song builds a
crescendo
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
.
The fourth song "T-Shirt" is complete with inorganic drum sounds, guitar and backwards
loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
as the trio sings about sleeping in bed with their man's T-shirt, "craving his presence, and inhailing his scent".
"Is She the Reason" is an R&B ballad which was noted to have a similar chord progression to materials by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
, which lyrically speaks on being in competition with another woman for her mans love & attention.
It contains a
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
-laden sample from
Melba Moore
Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.
Biography Early life and education
Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...
's song "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To".
The next song, "Girl" was noted for its
Motown influence and a theme talking about friendship.
"If", complete with
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
, lyrically talks about men who don't appreciate their female lovers until their relationship ends and they realize their mistakes.
"Free" was described as a "soul classic from 1975"
with critics also noting elements of 1970s
funk music, as the trio speaks on being "set free" after being in a relationship where her lover never tending to her desires like she does for him.
The midtempo number "Through with Love" was noted for having an "angry" nature as it talks about a break-up.
It contains an undulating piano line as the members of the group sing with restrained vocals and later religious redemption with elements of
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
.
In "Love", "capital ''L'' kicks the daylights out of the forces of fear, doubt and disappointment", as the group "thank
God for love".
They further sing about how people "can't truly love another until
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
love God and then
hemselves.
They further proclaim that they have found love and are "madly in it".
Release and promotion
The track listing of ''Destiny Fulfilled'' was revealed on October 15, 2004.
The album was first released in Japan on November 10, 2004.
It was released on November 16, 2004, in North America via
Columbia Records. Although the original release was intended to be one day earlier, Columbia Records was concerned about "potential for Internet leaks and
'burned' CD counterfeits" that could "lead consumers to experience inferior and incomplete versions of the album" which led to the postponement of ''Destiny Fulfilled''.
The group performed "Lose My Breath" on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's
2004 National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
"Opening Kickoff" special after its online release on September 9, 2004, to break their yearlong hiatus.
On October 25, 2004, they appeared at the
Radio Music Awards The Radio Music Awards was an annual U.S. award show that honored the year's most successful songs on mainstream radio. Nominations were based on the amount of airplay recording artists receive on radio stations in various formats using chart inform ...
in Las Vegas performing the song with an
a cappella jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
opening. The following month they performed three songs from their previous albums and finished with "Lose My Breath" on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'' where they also sat down for an interview with
Oprah Winfrey. On November 8, 2004, the trio appeared on ''
Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' (''TRL'') and performed the song along with "
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins ...
".
They went to the German entertainment TV show ''
Wetten, dass..?'' on November 13, 2004, and performed "Lose My Breath". At
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
's ''
106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rate ...
'' Destiny's Child performed "Soldier" on November 15, 2004. They also performed the song on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
s ''
The Early Show
''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
'' on December 8, 2004. In early February 2005 they gave another performance of "Soldier" at the British show ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
''. At the
2005 NBA All-Star Game
The 2005 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game which was played on February 20, 2005, at Pepsi Center in Denver, home of the Denver Nuggets. This game was the 54th edition of the North American National Basketball Association ...
on February 20, 2005, they sang both "Soldier" and "Lose My Breath". They performed the latter song again at the
2005 ESPY Awards The 2005 ESPY Awards (for the Olympic year 2004 and the year 2005) were announced from Kodak Theatre on July 13, 2005 and showed during the telecast on ESPN, July 17, 2005. ESPY Award is short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award.
The ...
on July 13 with the ceremony being aired on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
four days later. "Cater 2 U" was performed on June 28 during the
2005 BET Awards in Los Angeles.
When the advanced release date of the album was announced, the group confirmed the initial dates of their worldwide tour
Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It in connection with ''Destiny Fulfilled''s promotion. Promotions of the tour were aired over the radio and television across the United States and the group further collaborated with
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
, which served as its sponsor.
The tour's set list included songs from ''Destiny Fulfilled'' as well as Destiny's Child's previous albums and songs from the solo albums of each member performed individually. Numerous costume changes occurred throughout the show; the concert exhibited products from Beyoncé's clothing line from the
House of Deréon
House of Deréon was a ready-to-wear fashion line introduced by singer and actress Beyoncé and her mother/stylist Tina Lawson. The style and concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name "Deréon" paying tribut ...
, a company she co-founded with her mother
Tina Knowles
Tina may refer to:
People
* Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina''
Places
*Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran
*Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia
*Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomon ...
.
A performance from the tour was filmed in Atlanta on July 15, 2005, and the DVD ''
Live in Atlanta
''Live in Atlanta'' features Destiny's Child performing live in Atlanta, Georgia at Philips Arena on July 15, 2005 during their Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It which sponsored by McDonald's, it is also known as the last tour of Destiny's Ch ...
'' chronicling the concert was released on March 28, 2006.
Singles
The album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
, "Lose My Breath", premiered on
AOL Music
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
on September 9, 2004, and it was released on September 21. Its high-mark debut at number 30 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 prior to its release gave the album an early boost.
The single peaked at number three on the chart for the week ending November 6, 2004 giving the group their ninth top ten single. "Lose My Breath" topped the
Hot Dance Club Songs chart for the week ending January 8, 2005 and was later certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 28, 2005, selling 500,000 copies in the US.
It was also successful across Europe, peaking at number one on the
European Hot 100 Singles chart for the week ending December 4, 2004 spending four consecutive weeks on top. It managed to top the charts in Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland and it further appeared in the top ten in almost every other chart. The
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
(ABC) used the song as the music for their introductory montage at the
2004 NBA Playoffs and through the first few weeks of the
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pi ...
.
"Soldier", released on November 9, 2004, peaked at the third position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart becoming the band's tenth top ten single on that chart.
It further became the second single from the album to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart for the week ending February 26, 2005. The RIAA gave it a gold certification for selling 500,000 digital copies in the US.
"Soldier" further peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, number 3 on the
ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
in Australia and appeared in the top 20 in many European countries.
The third single from the album, "Girl" was sent to radio on March 15, 2005 and later released commercially on May 2, 2005, in the UK and on May 17 in the US.
It was successful on the ARIA Chart peaking at number five and number six both on the UK Singles Chart and the New Zealand Singles Chart in addition to appearing in other European charts.
In the US, it peaked at number 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart becoming the lowest charting single there from the album.
The fourth and final single from ''Destiny Fulfilled'' was "Cater 2 U" released in the US and Italy only beginning on June 7, 2005. It peaked at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number three on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
further being certified gold by the RIAA.
Other songs
"
Got's My Own" was released a promotional single on May 3, 2005.
Critical reception
''Destiny Fulfilled'' received mixed reviews from music critics. At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a
weighted mean
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 52 based on 17 reviews.
Dimitri Ehrlich of ''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' magazine complimented the production of the album, saying that it "showcases advanced production values" with "impressive" songwriting and vocal abilities and concluded that it "offers divine satisfaction".
A writer of ''Billboard'' felt that ''Destiny Fulfilled'' worked as "a testament to Beyoncé's evolving multiple talents".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
praised Rowland's and Williams' abilities as vocalists and their contributions to the choruses, but felt that Beyoncé "steals every song on Destiny Fulfilled" further commending her for sounding "larger than life even when she's quiet"; however he concluded, "as a whole, the album winds up sounding too reserved and heavy-handed, which makes it a disappointment".
Andy Battaglia of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' wrote in his review that "''Destiny Fulfilled'' sounds distant and detached" further criticizing its mid-tempo ballads for sounding "uninterrupted at best, uninspired at worst".
Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorke ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' commented that it is "a surprisingly perfunctory disc that never quite justifies its existence".
Alan Ranta of
Tiny Mix Tapes
''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...
doubted Beyoncé's lyrical sincerity, saying, "the success of this album depends once again on the complete suspension of die-hard fans' disbelief that Beyoncé 'Your Ad Here' Knowles could ever actually truly love another human being as much as she loves herself and her possessions."
Caroline Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' commented that the lead vocals of the songs were likely to be sung by each member equally, noting that it made the album a "democratic" one; however she criticized them for squandering "the extent of their talents" on the album.
Tom Sinclair of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' also noticed its "overall air of democracy at work" and noted that ''Destiny Fulfilled'' "often moves at a molasses-like pace, weighted down with a preponderance of exquisitely executed but ultimately dull ballads".
Jenny Eliscu
Jenny Eliscu is a radio host for Sirius XM and a contributing editor for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. She also had a recurring presence on the TV program ''I'm from Rolling Stone'' and has been on other music programs, including ''Behind the Music' ...
of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine echoed his comments, saying, "In all but a couple of songs, the verses are divided into three sections, with Beyonce leading things off, followed by Rowland, then Williams".
She noted that after a couple of upbeat songs, "the album slumps into an endless string of overwrought R&B ballads where the only saving grace is ... these ladies can harmonize like nobody's business."
Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine has commented that the ballads of the album build into "the same sort of standoffish sexual supply-and-demand bartering that has marred their worst tracks".
Most of the critics questioned why Beyoncé had to return to Destiny's Child after achieving the most success among the members of the group.
Henderson lambasted Beyoncé to performing again with the group with the "full intention" of taking advantage to bolster her "divette" status to superstardom.
In May 2006, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' was listed at number 24 on a list titled "The 50 Worst Albums Ever!" compiled by ''
Q'' magazine.
Accolades
The album won in the category for Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the
2005 American Music Awards
The 33rd Annual American Music Awards were held on November 22, 2005. They were hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The awards recognized the most popular albums and artists from the year 2005.
Performances
Notes
* Broadcast live from the Delta ...
where Destiny's Child also won the Favorite Soul/R&B Band award. At the
2005 Soul Train Music Awards
The 2005 Soul Train Music Awards were held on March 12, 2005 at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Brian McKnight, Fantasia, Nick Cannon and Nicole Richie.
Special awards Quincy Jones Award for Outstanding ...
''Destiny Fulfilled'' received an award for Best R&B/Soul Album while "Soldier" received Best R&B/Soul Single. The album was nominated in the category for
Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...
at the
48th Grammy Awards in 2006 but it lost to
Mariah Carey's ''
The Emancipation of Mimi
''The Emancipation of Mimi'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released through Island Records on April 12, 2005. The album was considered Carey's "comeback album" by critics and became her highest-selling release in t ...
''. Its singles "Soldier" and "Cater 2 U" further received nominations in three different categories at the same ceremony. The previous year, "Lose My Breath" was nominated in the category for
Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo Or Group at the
47th Annual Grammy Awards
The 47th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004. They were hosted by Queen Lati ...
.
Commercial performance
![Destiny's Child tour 2005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Destiny%27s_Child_tour_2005.jpg)
In the United States, the album debuted at number 19 on the
''Billboard'' 200 for the week ending November 27, 2004 for amassing sales of 61,000 copies prior to a whole tracking week. In its first official week of sales, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' sold over 497,000 copies, with an increase of 713% compared to its early sales; the album's chart position rocketed to number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 for the week ending December 4, 2004.
In the same week, it debuted at number one on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
chart becoming the group's second chart topper following ''Survivor'' in 2001.
After being removed from the top position for three consecutive weeks, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' returned to number one for the week ending January 1, 2005.
On January 14, 2005, it was certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 3,000,000 copies.
It emerged as the seventh best-selling album and third best-selling R&B album in 2005.
As of October 2009, the album has sold 3.1 million copies in the US according to
Nielsen SoundScan. It was ranked at number 133 on the decade-end chart of the best-selling albums in that country for the period between 2000 and 2009.
The album peaked at number 3 on the
Canadian Albums Chart and was awarded Platinum certification by
Music Canada selling 100,000 copies.
In the UK, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' debuted at number five on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
on November 27, 2004, which also became its peak position in that country. Having spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart, it became the group's third album to enter the top ten in the UK until 2005 and the fourth one in their entire career.
On November 19, 2004, the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI) certified it Platinum for selling 300,000 copies.
On the
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). The charts were previously compiled on behalf of IRMA by Chart-Track, and have been compiled by the ...
, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' debuted and peaked at number 6 on November 18, 2004, becoming Destiny's Child third consecutive top ten album in Ireland. It was also successful in other European countries, peaking at number 3 on the German Albums Chart, further being certified Platinum in that region.
In France, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' peaked at number nine in its first week on November 14, 2004. It was last seen on the country's albums chart at number 163 on September 3, 2005.
On the
Australian ARIA Albums Chart, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' debuted at number 11 on November 28, 2004, a position which later became its peak. Spending a total of 31 weeks through 2004 and 2005 ascending and descending the chart, the album was certified Platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...
(ARIA) for shipment of 70,000 copies in that region.
In New Zealand, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' peaked at number 21 on April 25, 2005, and the
Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) awarded it with a gold certification for 7,500 copies sold. In Japan, the album debuted and peaked at number four on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
chart due to the success of "Lose My Breath" which reached number one on the singles chart there.
The album has sold over 625,000 copies there and was certified double Platinum by
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
making it Destiny's Child's biggest success there to date. It won in the category Rock/Pop Album of the Year International at the 19th
Japan Gold Disc Award in 2005 organized by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ).
''Destiny Fulfilled'' was named the eighth best-selling album of 2004 worldwide by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
The album has sold over 7,000,000 copies worldwide.
Disbandment
In a visit at the
Palau Sant Jordi
Palau Sant Jordi (, en, St. George's Palace) is an indoor sporting arena and multi-purpose installation that is part of the Olympic Ring complex located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, it was ...
in Barcelona, Spain on July 11, 2005, Rowland announced before 16,000 spectators that Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It would be Destiny's Child last tour together, revealing their formal disbandment.
After their final North American leg, the group parted ways.
In a statement released to
MTV, the band said that the tour had provided them the opportunity to depart from Destiny's Child on a "high note".
They also talked about the moment when the group started their musical endeavor and their realizations of pursuing individual careers after working together for several years. Destiny's Child thanked fans for their support while not closing the chance of seeing them continuing each member's goals in music, film, and television.
In another interview they explained that their disbandment was planned during the making of the album. While in the studio, they discussed individual aspirations and realized that remaining as a group would prevent them in pursuing those interests. Rowland revealed that they wanted to break up while they were still successful and "friends
ith each other.
Beyoncé, however, emphasized that ''Destiny Fulfilled'' would not be their last album and disclosed the idea of a possible reunion.
Track listing
Credits adapted from the album's
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desc ...
Notes
* signifies a producer and vocal producer
* signifies a vocal producer
* signifies a co-producer
* signifies an additional vocal producer
Sample Credits
* "Is She the Reason" contains excerpts from "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To", performed by
Melba Moore
Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.
Biography Early life and education
Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...
, written by Victor Carstarphen,
Gene McFadden
Gene McFadden (January 28, 1949 – January 27, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International record label, and was one-half of the successful team o ...
and
John Whitehead.
* "Girl" contains sampled elements from the composition "Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams", performed by
the Dramatics
The Dramatics are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1964. They are best known for their 1970s hit songs " In the Rain" and "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get", both of which were Top 10 Pop hits, as well as their late ...
, written by
Don Davis and Eddie Robinson.
* "If" contains excerpts from "
Inseparable", performed by
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...
, written by Charles Jackson and
Marvin Yancy
Marvin Jerome Yancy (May 31, 1950 – March 22, 1985) was an American gospel musician, pastor and Grammy-winning record producer, and former pastor of Fountain of Life Baptist Church. He started his music career, in 1971, with The Independents, w ...
.
* "Free" contains excerpts from "Night Whistler", performed by
Donald Byrd, written by Larry Mizell, Fonce Mizell and James Carter.
* "Game Over" contains excerpts from "Flashback", performed by
Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp (born Dione LaRue; September 9, 1945, in Philadelphia) is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.
Career
Although Sharp had been playing the piano from an early age and directed chur ...
, written by Michael Burton and Phil Terry.
* "
What's It Gonna Be" contains replayed elements of "Do It Roger", performed by
Roger
Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...
, written by
Roger Troutman
Roger Troutman (November 29, 1951 – April 25, 1999), also known as Roger, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and the founder of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the funk movement and heavily influence ...
and
Larry Troutman
Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names.
Larry may refer to the following:
People Arts and entertainment
*Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer
*Larry Boone ...
.
* "
Independent Women Part II" contains elements of "Peabody's Improbable History", performed and written by
Frank Comstock
Frank G. Comstock (September 20, 1922 – May 21, 2013) was an American composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist. For television, Comstock wrote and arranged music for major situation comedies and variety shows; his theme and incidental mus ...
.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the ''Destiny Fulfilled'' liner notes.
*Noemi Bonazzi – prop stylist
*Jim Caruana – recording engineer (tracks 1, 3–9, 11), engineering (2)
*Candice Childress – production coordination (track 7)
*
Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...
– keyboards (track 7), drum machine (7)
*Tom Coyne – mastering
*Kendrick Dean – keyboards (track 7)
*Vincent Dilorenzo – recording engineer (track 4)
*
Andre Harris
Andre "Dre" Harris is an American songwriter and record producer.
Biography
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Harris grew up in a city known for its contributions to Black American music, namely the sub-genre of Philly soul. De ...
– mixing
*Eric Hunter – recording engineer (track 10)
*Ty Hunter – stylist
*Rodney Jerkins – instrumentation (tracks 1, 3)
*Kimberly Kimble – hair stylist
*Fabian Marasciullo – additional vocal engineering (track 2)
*Mally Roncal – make-up
*Ric Rude – instrumentation (track 3)
*
Tim "Timmy Shakes" Stewart – guitar (track 3)
*Tom Tapley – additional vocal engineering (track 2)
*Sam Thomas – digital editing, additional Pro-Tools editing (7)
*Jeff Villanueva – recording engineer (tracks 1, 3)
*Rommel Nino Villanueva – digital editing, additional Pro-Tools Editing (tracks 2, 8)
Production
*
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
- producer
*
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
– vocal producer
*
Michelle Williams – vocal producer
*Sam Thomas – vocal editing
*Rommel Nino Villanueva – vocal editing
*Andrew Dawson –
mixing (5)
*Vincent Dilorenzo – mixing (4)
*
Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal is a songwriting and production duo consisting of Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, who are best known as the main producers for Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis. Alumni of DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team, Dre & Vidal were also ...
– mixing (4)
*
Tony Maserati
Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen ...
– mixing (tracks: 1, 3, 9, 11)
*
Dave Pensado
Dave Pensado is a Grammy Award-winning mix engineer. His career began in Atlanta in the 1970s and 1980s doing live and studio sound engineering. He has lived in Los Angeles since 1990.
He mixes between 200 and 250 songs a year at Larrabee Studios ...
– mixing (tracks: 5, 6, 8)
*
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer.
Early life and education
Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atla ...
– mixing (7)
*Dexter Simmons – mixing (2, 10)
*Theresa LaBarbera Whites –
A&R
*Huy Nguyen – A&R
*Alice Butts – design,
art direction
*
Ian Cuttler – design, art direction
*Fabrizio Ferri – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
See also
*
List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B albums of 2004
*
List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B albums of 2005
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2004 albums
Albums produced by 9th Wonder
Albums produced by Bryan-Michael Cox
Albums produced by Dre & Vidal
Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins
Albums produced by Sean Garrett
Albums produced by Rich Harrison
Albums produced by Rockwilder
Destiny's Child albums
Columbia Records albums
Sony Urban Music albums
Albums produced by Beyoncé