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"Soldier" is a song recorded by American group
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
, featuring American rappers T.I. and
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
, for the group's final studio album ''
Destiny Fulfilled ''Destiny Fulfilled'' is the fifth and final studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams ( ...
'' (2004). The artists wrote the song with Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison who produced it with the latter co-produced it with
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
. A
Southern hip hop Southern hip-hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip-hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip-hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee ...
mid-tempo song, it lyrically describes each member's favorite type of male love interest. The song was released as the second single from ''Destiny Fulfilled'' on November 8, 2004, by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
and Sony Urban Music. "Soldier" received mostly positive reviews from
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 ...
, who praised its composition and the trio's vocal performances, but criticized the lyrical content. The song received a nomination in the category for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards and won Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group, Band or Duo 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 Outstan ...
. A commercial success, "Soldier" peaked within the top five in six European countries and in Australia, being certified gold in the latter region. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and topped the
Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart, receiving a
platinum certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
from the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
directed by Ray Kay featured cameo appearances by several rappers and singers. It was nominated at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in the category of Best Group Video. The band performed "Soldier" on several televised appearances in 2004 and 2005 and included it on the set list of their final tour Destiny Fulfilled... And Lovin' It (2005). Both Beyoncé and
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 List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...
performed the song during their solo tours after Destiny's Child's disbandment. The song was sampled in many songs by different artists, most notably by
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
,
Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, or the Ice Man, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse, and has released several albums under the label and ...
and Ali & Gipp on their single "
Grillz "Grillz" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring fellow American rappers Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp, and uncredited vocals from American singer Brandi Williams (of the group Blaque). The song was written by Nelly, Jermaine Dupri, Paul Wall, A ...
" (2005).


Writing and production

Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison assisted the artists in writing the song "Soldier", with Harrison handling production alongside Destiny's Child member
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...
. It is the only song on the album to feature any guest performers. "Soldier" was recorded by Jim Caruana at
Sony Music Studios Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhat ...
in New York City in 2004, with mixing by Dexter Simmons and mastering by Tom Coyne. Garrett initially wrote "Soldier" in a taxi while going to the studio where the band worked on ''
Destiny Fulfilled ''Destiny Fulfilled'' is the fifth and final studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams ( ...
''; he sang the
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
to the members afterwards and they liked it. Garrett further revealed about his collaboration with the group, "I loved how Destiny's Child evolved and became this really incredible pop group but I wanted to introduce them to the hood from the perspective of having the world look at them in a different way... What was great about that was they all liked guys from the streets. Each verse was a representation of the guy they were actually into." During an interview with
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
, Rowland said that with "Soldier" each member wanted to talk about their preference for a man during their solo verses, the place where he lives and his physical appearance. Beyoncé stated that as the song had a " Southern feel" and beat, they wanted to collaborate with
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
and T.I. who according to her added "rawness, realness and edge to the song". During an interview in 2014, Lil Wayne discussed his contribution in the song, "That set me off. Them little eight bars right there, that got me there boy. If you ask me why, it was Beyoncé. That shit was big." "Soldier" was included on the group's
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
s '' #1's'' (2005) and '' Playlist: The Very Best of Destiny's Child'' (2012).


Music and lyrics

"Soldier" is a mid-tempo Southern hip hop song; Alex MacPherson of ''Stylus Magazine'' further found elements of Crunk&B music while Kelefa Sanneh of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' noted
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
elements in its composition. Discussing the song musically, Kitty Empire from ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' classified it as a "ghetto anthem-in-waiting that echoes the Southern bent of much contemporary
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
". According to the sheet music published on the website Musicnotes.com by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing LLC (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is an American music publisher. Responsible for publishing the largest quantity of music, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021, it is part of Sony ...
, "Soldier" was composed using
common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
in the key of
C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: Cha ...
with a pulsing hip hop tempo of 75
beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
. The vocal elements span from the low note of G3 to the high note of F5. The song is instrumentally complete with ticking
staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of Articulation (music), musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and ...
synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s, fractured,
syncopated In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
keyboard instrument A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard, a row of levers that are pressed by the fingers. The most common of these are the piano, organ, and various electronic keyboards, including synthesizers and digital piano ...
s,
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...
stabs, and off-kilter kick
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
s. ''Pitchfork Media'''s Tom Breihan felt that its beat was similar to materials by Dr. Dre. Dimitri Ehrlich from '' Vibe'' found major influence of
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
in "Soldier" further saying that "T.I. and Lil Wayne... seem like stand-ins for Hova". Lyrically, "Soldier" is a continuation of the previous song on ''Destiny Fulfilled'', " Lose My Breath". As the singers feel that their man does not fulfill them in the way they want, they tell him "I need a soldier", further "upping their standards". They request their man to be a " thug", proclaiming their love for "country boys"; their preference include a "soldier" who is "street" and "hood". MacPherson further felt that the trio cruised the
ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...
for suitable men with "Soldier", an "ode to gangsta love". Corey Moss of
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
felt that the song was one of the most personal moments on ''Destiny Fulfilled'' in the sense that Beyoncé's then-relatively secret relationship with rapper Jay-Z was acknowledged "on record for the first time". Moss further elaborated, "Albeit minor, her eyoncé'sverse (about falling for a guy from the BK, as in Jay's
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
stomping grounds) offers a rare moment of commentary on the couple, which has thus far only been chronicled by tabloid photographers." The song opens with T.I. rhyming lines and glorifying the profound love "between a thug and a thugette". As the song progresses, each member of Destiny's Child describes their own favorite type of man, later harmonizing together for the chorus. Midway through the song, Lil Wayne's verse contains a reference to rapper B.G.
Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...
is the last artist to sing her solo lines, which were described as "the sexiest" by Rashod Ollisong of ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
''.


Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
from the website
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described "Soldier" as one of the "hard-driving
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
cuts" of ''Destiny Fulfilled'' further choosing it as a highlight. Similarly, Alex MacPherson of ''Stylus Magazine'' wrote in his review that " he albumshoots its load quickly, although just as effectively: 'Lose My Breath' and 'Soldier' are stunning, both displaying the Beyoncé trademark of creepily submissive lyrics matched with
dominatrix A dominatrix ( ; or dominatrices ), or domme, is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. The BDSM practice is called female dominance, or femdom. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily l ...
vocals and arrangements to superb effect." MacPherson continued praising the song's slow "contemptuous grind" and the singers' vocal delivery further concluding that T.I. and Wayne "get comprehensively owned". ''The New York Times'' writer Kelefa Sanneh described the track as part of the album's "lovable" material and went on saying, " ttakes a ludicrous premise... and turns it into sharp, coldblooded electro-pop". Andy Battaglia writing for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an 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 created in ...
'' felt that the song and " Cater 2 U" "make sassy end-runs around notions of womanly subservience, but their best musical moments hide in tiny melismatic twirls instead of hooks". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' writer Caroline Sullivan described the track as "juddering" while
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's Nick Reynolds called it "good fun". In a review of the song, Tom Breihan, an editor of ''Pitchfork Media,'' wrote that "Soldier" would have been a "perfectly acceptable album track" on '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999), but noted that its sound was different from the songs played on mainstream pop radio. Praising the trio for their vocal performances, he continued:
"'Soldier' might not carry with it the shock of the new, but it's still a nice little single... The women of Destiny's Child don't sound the slightest bit convincing singing about how they need thug boyfriends, but they wind their voices around a gorgeous hook exactly as well as they always have. T.I. and Lil Wayne stop by, not saying anything but sounding cool and tough and unflappable doing it. It's pretty good, but don't expect it to set your world on fire."
Barbara Ellen of ''The Observer'' said the song was "of the exemplary standard" of the band's previous albums, ''
Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...
'' (2001) and ''The Writing's on the Wall''. Describing it as an "overt bid for street cred", ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
''s Tom Sinclair felt that T.I and Lil Wayne "bring little to the party" with their contribution to the song. Erika Ramirez and Jason Lipshutz writing for ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine felt that the group "cemented their street and chart credibility" with the song. Another reviewer from the same magazine felt that the band's "personal transition from teen-dom to womanhood" was most evident on "Soldier" and two other songs from the album. Jenny Eliscu from ''
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. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' wrote in her review, "It's a hot track, even if the message feels affected coming from these church girls." For the same reason, ''Vibe'' writer Dimitri Ehrlich described it as a Broadway show tune about thug life. Gil Kaufman from MTV News described the song as a "bouncy homage to thug love that featured the signature DC mix of urban grit and slick production". Rashod Ollisong writing for ''The Baltimore Sun'' gave a more mixed review for the song, writing "It is catchy, but the beat is trite, and the lyrical message is downright trifling" before adding that it glorifies a "warped" image of black
masculinity Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as Social construction of gender, socially constructed, and there i ...
which he heavily criticized. He further argued that the group "should put more thought into their lyrics" due to the background and image each member created throughout their career.


Accolades

"Soldier" won in the category for Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group, Band or Duo during 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 Outstan ...
. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the song received a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration but lost to " Numb/Encore" (2004) by Jay-Z and
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
. At the 23rd Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards, "Soldier" was recognized as one of the Most Performed Songs in 2005 along with the group's other song "Lose My Breath". The following year it was one of the Award Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at the 2006 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. In 2013, Lindsey Weber from ''Vulture'' put "Soldier" at number nine on her list of the top 25 songs by Destiny's Child. ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
''s Joey Guerra also included the song in his 2013 list of the band's best songs. The same year it was ranked at number 64 on a list compiled by Andrew Noz from ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine of Lil Wayne's 100 best songs. Similarly, Emily Exton from
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
listed "Soldier" at the 19th position of T.I.'s 20 best songs praising his "hot intro verse". On the occasion of Beyoncé's 32nd birthday, Erika Ramirez and Jason Lipshutz from ''Billboard'' included "Soldier" at number 15 on the list of "Beyonce's 30 Biggest ''Billboard'' Hits".


Commercial performance

After debuting on the chart for the week ending November 20, 2004, "Soldier" moved to number 41 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the following week. For the week ending December 10, the single moved from number 14 to number ten, becoming the group's tenth and last top-ten single on the chart. It peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the week ending February 12, 2005, becoming the second single from ''Destiny Fulfilled'' to peak at that position and was group last top-ten single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It fell from the top ten of the chart for the issue dated March 5, 2005, after its position of number eight the previous week, thus spending a total of nine weeks within the top ten. Having spent a total of 23 weeks on the chart, "Soldier" was last seen at number 32. The single was also successful on several other ''Billboard'' charts; on the
Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
, it debuted at number 51 on the issue dated January 15, 2005, and managed to peak at number one in its sixth week for the issue dated February 26, 2005. "Soldier" further peaked at numbers three and four on the US
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 ...
and
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
charts dated January 1, 2005, and February 12, 2005, respectively. On May 18, 2005, the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) certified the single gold for selling 500,000 digital copies in the United States. Its ringtone was further certified platinum on June 14, 2006 for shipments of one million copies. "Soldier" was commercially successful in countries across Europe, peaking within the top ten in six countries. On the Danish Singles Chart, it debuted and peaked at number five on March 4, 2005. Having spent a total of ten weeks on the chart, of which four were in the top ten, it fell off on May 13. In Finland, the song debuted and peaked at number seven. In Switzerland, "Soldier" debuted at number 15 on February 20, 2004, and peaked at number ten after two weeks. It spent an additional week at that position and fell off the chart after 12 weeks. In the United Kingdom, the single debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart on the issue dated February 19, 2005. It gradually descended the chart, spending a total of seven weeks. On the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...
, the single debuted and peaked at number six on February 10, 2005. It also peaked at numbers 12 and 28 in Spain and France, respectively. In Australia, "Soldier" debuted and peaked at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart on February 20, 2005. It fell to numbers seven and eight, respectively, in the following two weeks and descended the chart for ten additional weeks before falling off on May 15, 2005. 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 Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) awarded the single with a gold certification in 2005 for shipments of 35,000 copies in the country. "Soldier" had similar success on the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The M ...
, where it peaked at number four on February 21, 2005, and remained at that position for the following three weeks. It further spent the following four weeks within the top ten and fell off on May 23, 2005. In 2005, the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RIANZ) certified it gold for selling 5,000 copies in the country.


Music video

The
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "Soldier" was filmed by Norwegian director Ray Kay and was shot in
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
, becoming the band's first clip using that technique. It marked the first time the group worked with Kay. During an interview, they praised him for shooting the scenes in a fast and convenient way, further describing the experience as "wonderful". The video features cameo appearances by seven singers and rappers: Beyoncé's sister
Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She expressed an interest in music from an early age and had temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her older sister ...
, Luke James, Lloyd, Bow Wow,
Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine ( ), is an American R&B singer. He began his career as a member of the musical collective Swing Mob in the early 1990s. As a solo act, he signed with Epic R ...
,
Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
, WC and
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...
. The video opens with Destiny's Child walking between two rows of males intertwined with close-up shots of each member's face. T.I. appears rapping his part wearing a hat, sunglasses and chains. As the song progresses, the members are seen dancing along with the males in the background who also pose for the camera. During the middle of the video, the girls are seen walking with leashed dogs in their hands and Lil Wayne appears rapping his part afterwards. The camera focuses on each member during their solo part in the song as they perform a dance choreography and lip-sync the lyrics. During the end of the video, as the group sings the lines "known to carry big things", they rub the belly of Solange Knowles, who was pregnant at the time of shooting. The clip ends with the girls holding the previously seen dogs in their hands. Throughout the visual, shots of three cars with different registrations are shown – a
Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...
from Georgia with the words "Da Durty", another car from New York City with the words "BK Style" and a third car from California with the word " Crenshaw". The music video was released on MTV on November 8, 2004. It is also featured on the
DualDisc The DualDisc is a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including MJJ Productions Inc., EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5.1 Entertainment Group ...
editions of the albums '' #1's'' and ''Destiny Fulfilled'' as well as on the bonus DVD of the ''Destiny Fulfilled'' Tour edition. VH1 aired the video during the program '' Pop-Up Video'' on November 11, 2011 along with
trivia Trivia is information and data that are considered to be of little value. Modern usage of the term ''trivia'' dates to the 1960s, when college students introduced question-and-answer contests to their universities. A board game, ''Trivial Purs ...
l commentary. In 2013 it was included on the album '' Video Anthology'' which contained nearly every music video the group had filmed during their career. ''Vulture'''s Lindsay Weber described the clip as "camouflage-heavy". The video was nominated at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards under the category of Best Group Video but lost to
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
's " Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (2004).


Live performances

In late 2004, the group performed "Soldier" with T.I. during MTV's ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (commonly abbreviated as ''TRL'') is an American television program that premiered on MTV on September 14, 1998. The early version of ''TRL'' featured popular music videos played during its countdown and was also used as ...
'' (''TRL''). At BET's '' 106 & Park'' Destiny's Child performed "Soldier" on November 15, 2004. At the beginning of the performance, Michelle Williams fell onstage during the group's entrance. Williams addressed the incident during an interview in 2014, saying, "I had no choice but to get up and act like it didn't happen. Because of
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
– 10 years later, at least once a week, somebody brings it to my attention." She added that it would be the last time she discussed the incident and acknowledged that although "it lives on forever" a lot of "great things" have happened to her since then. On November 16, 2004, another performance of the song was during the television show ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
''. Destiny's Child appeared on CBS ''
The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999, to January 7, 2012, replacing the original incarnation of '' CBS This Morning'', and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the n ...
'' on December 8, 2004, and sang "Soldier". The group performed the song again in early February 2005 at the British show ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
''. At the 2005 NBA All-Star Game on February 20, 2005, they sang "Soldier" and "Lose My Breath". Destiny's Child also performed "Soldier" during the concert ''Rockin' the Corps'' in April 2005 with the performance being featured on a DVD. In 2005, "Soldier" was added to the set list of Destiny's Child's final tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It. The group performed it against a backdrop of the American flag dressed in leather clothes taken from Beyoncé's clothing line House of Deréon. The live rendition contained a sample from the song "Shout It Out" by
Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...
and Bun B from the soundtrack of the 2002 film '' Drumline''. Denise Sheppard writing for ''Rolling Stone'' felt that the drumline-affected version performed during the concert was "for the delighted, largely female crowd". While reviewing a concert in the UK, Adenike Adenitire of MTV News praised the group's surprising look inspired by ''
Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centres on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ...
'' noting that they proved "that you don't need baggy jeans and a bandanna to be street". Similarly, Barbara Ellen from ''The Observer'' felt that the look was emulating "all the ''Mad Max'' movies at once". The song was included on the track listing of the group's
live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...
'' Live in Atlanta'' (2006) chronicling a concert from the tour in that city for which T.I. and Wayne joined the band onstage performing their parts. It was also sung during Beyoncé's
Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
2018 performance. Following the group's disbandment, both Beyoncé and Rowland included "Soldier" in the set list of their respective solo tours. The former performed it with her male background dancers during a Destiny's Child medley at The Beyoncé Experience (2007) along with a snippet of
Soulja Boy DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That ...
's "
Crank That (Soulja Boy) "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. It served as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) and accompanies the Soulja Boy dance. The song is recognized by its ...
" (2007). It was subsequently included on the singer's live
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
'' The Beyoncé Experience Live'' (2007) dubbed as "Soldier Boy Crank Mix". Rowland performed "Soldier" during her headlining concert tour Ms. Kelly Tour (2007), on several dates during
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
's F.A.M.E. Tour (2011) where she appeared as a supporting act and during the co-headlining Lights Out Tour (2013) with The-Dream. She also performed "Soldier" on August 26, 2010 during a promotional concert in New York City and at the Australian Supafest festival in April 2012 backed by male dancers.


Legacy

In 2005, American rapper
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
sampled "Soldier" for his song "
Grillz "Grillz" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring fellow American rappers Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp, and uncredited vocals from American singer Brandi Williams (of the group Blaque). The song was written by Nelly, Jermaine Dupri, Paul Wall, A ...
" (2005) featuring
Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, or the Ice Man, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse, and has released several albums under the label and ...
, and Ali & Gipp from the album '' Sweatsuit'' (2005). Mike Schiller from ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' wrote that
Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music at the age of nine. He discovered th ...
's production on the song was "uncharacteristically fantastic, finding a down 'n' dirty groove in the unlikely source material of Destiny's Child's 'Soldier'". The following year, "Only God" from JME's instrumental
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
''Boy Better Know – Edition 4: Tropical'' (2006) sampled the song. Hip hop artist
DJ Drama Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), known professionally as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter. He initially gained recognition as the DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I., and continued to gai ...
used a sample of the song in "Grillz Gleamin'", featuring Lil' Scrappy, Bohagon,
Diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...
and Princess, from his album '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' (2007). "Soldier" was also sampled for "Body Marked Up" (2009) by Willy Northpole, the first single from his debut album '' Tha Connect''.


Track listing and formats

* Australian and New Zealand single * European single * French single * German "Pock It!" single (3 inch) * UK CD single 1 * UK CD single 2 * US single EP * US 2-track single


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of the album ''
Destiny Fulfilled ''Destiny Fulfilled'' is the fifth and final studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams ( ...
''. *
Lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
:
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...
,
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 List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...
and
Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...
* Vocal production: Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland * Recording: Jim Caruna at
Sony Music Studios Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhat ...
, New York City * Additional vocals: Tom Tapley and Fabian Marasciullo *
Audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more audio channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aest ...
: Dexter Simmons * Additional Pro Tools Editing: Rommel Nino Villanueva *
Audio mastering Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source from which all copies will ...
: Tom Coyne


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2005 * List of number-one dance singles of 2005 (U.S.) * New Zealand Top 50 singles of 2005


References


Notes


Citations

{{Authority control 2004 songs 2005 singles Destiny's Child songs T.I. songs Lil Wayne songs Music videos directed by Ray Kay Song recordings produced by Beyoncé Song recordings produced by Rich Harrison Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by Michelle Williams (singer) Songs written by Kelly Rowland Songs written by Lil Wayne Songs written by Rich Harrison Songs written by Sean Garrett Songs written by T.I. Southern hip-hop songs Columbia Records singles Sony Music singles