Destiny’s Child is one of the most popular girl groups of all time. They were comparable to groups like TLC in terms of popularity and longevity. Destiny’s Child came on to the scene when there were a lot of girl groups competing in the music business. TLC, SWV, En Vogue, Xscape, Allure, Blaque, Total, etc. were all competing for the same audience. Destiny’s Child managed to dominate the charts with numerous hit songs. Let’s take it back to the beginning of Destiny’s Child’s road to success.
Destiny’s Child came together in 1990. Beyoncé and LaTavia Roberson met while they were auditioning for roles and instantly liked each other. Beyonce’s father, Matthew Knowles, wanted them to work together in a group. Kelly Rowland joined the group two years later. LaToya Luckett came on board in 1993 and the duo became a quartet. The group got their start performing in clubs. They went on to open for groups like SWV, Dru Hill and Immature. The group was offered a contract in 1997. Their first song was called “Killing Time” for the Men In Black soundtrack. Unfortunately, the single didn’t make them household names. They released their eponymous first album in 1998. Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri were among the producers on the CD. The CD was a slow build to success. Once the label released Wyclef’s remix of “No, No, No,” they became successful. They didn’t pass up an opportunity to appear at an event. The promotion might have been what they needed because it helped the CD go platinum.
The girls’ second CD became an instant hit and made them stars. Unfortunately, all that glitters wasn’t gold. During the time of this CD, there was backstage drama going on with the group. Two of the members were having issues with Matthew Knowles. When the single “Say My Name” was released, Roberson and Luckett were ready to fire Matthew Knowles as their manager. They accused him of stealing and trying to control things. They believed that Knowles was playing favoritism towards Beyoncé and Rowland. The world was shocked when the video for “Say My Name” came out because Roberson and Luckett weren’t featured in the video even though they recorded the song. They were replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. Roberson and Luckett weren’t happy about that. They wanted to sue Knowles as well as the group. The controversy may have helped the group after all because the CD ended up selling over 8 million copies.
Destiny’s Child was not in perfect harmony because they went through another roster change. Five months after replacing the original members, Franklin left the group. Franklin was fired because she kept missing too many appearances. The group went on to become a trio. Once they became a trio, they recorded the song “Independent Women Pt. 1” for the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack. This was a number one hit for them. They became megastars after this release. Despite all of the controversy surrounding the group, they released their third CD in 2001. Beyoncé had more control over this CD than she did over the previous ones. She wrote and produced on the album. This CD gave Kelly and Michelle a chance to sing more than they did in the past. This was likely done to appease the critics who claimed Beyoncé did all of the singing. At the end of 2001, they released 8 Days of Christmas. They decided to pursue solo work after this CD was released. The group reunited to release a remix of their songs to give fans a chance to hear something new from the group. They ended up dealing with more controversy around that time. Roberson and Luckett sued Beyoncé and Kelly because of the lyrics to “Survivor.” Roberson and Luckett accused Beyoncé and Kelly of singing the song about them.
Williams was the first member of the group to go solo. She released a gospel CD called Heart to Yours. Beyoncé starred in the movie Austin Powers Goldmember. She also released her first CD after she did the movie. The group reunited to record Destiny Fulfilled. After the release of this album, the group decided to part ways for good. As a group, they have sold an impressive 60 million albums. They are ranked as one of the most successful girl groups of all time. They have been nominated for Grammy Awards. They have won two Grammys. This Destiny’s Child Top 10 Song List will consist of the group’s hits. See which one their songs land in the number one spot on the list.
# 10 – Cater 2 U
We open our Top 10 Destiny’s Child Songs List with “Cater 2 U.” This is the third single from Destiny Fulfilled. This is a smooth r&b ballad. This love song is about a woman pleasing her man. Destiny’s Child wrote this song with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. He wrote songs on their previous CD. All of the members of the group get a chance to sing in this song. To the surprise of no one, Beyoncé opens the song. Kelly sings the second verse while Michelle appears in the bridge. Michelle’s part isn’t that big, but she manages to shine in her part. She sings in time with the drumbeat, which is incredible. Their vocals are soft and seductive to match the sultry music. Beyoncé closes the song by doing her runs. She also hits a couple of high notes that she didn’t do on previous albums. It was nice to finally hear all of the members sing more than a couple of lines in a song.
# 9 – Lose My Breath
Our next entry on the Top 10 Destiny’s Child Song list is “Lose My Breath” which is the lead single off of Destiny Fulfilled. This dance song is a combination of pop, r&b and dance. This song is a message to their men to step up and keep up with them. This is the group’s comeback song. It has a fast thumping drum sequence. It has choppy beats with hand clapping in the music. It sounds like a marching band song. The drums are the main focus of the music, which sells it. This is another song that features the entire trio. They follow the same vocal format where Beyoncé sings the first verse, Kelly sings the second verse and Michelle sings the bridge. They all use breathy tones in their vocals. They sing their parts very fast. It may be hard to understand what they are saying unless you read the lyrics. Despite this flaw, this song earned its spot in the top 10.
# 8 – Bills, Bills, Bills
This wonderful song is the lead single off of their smash hit The Writings on the Wall. This contagious music is a blend of pop and r&b. This song is about their man taking them for granted. It has a similar theme and sound to TLC’s “No Scrubs.” Kandi Burruss wrote both of the songs so it explains the similarities. Beyoncé mainly sings this by herself. She was only 17 when she recorded it. She sounds so professional on this track. She uses different ranges throughout the song that are perfect in the beat change. Kelly sings the pre-chorus. She sounds similar to Beyoncé . The rest of the members don’t get a chance to sing lead, but they do harmonize well in the hook and background. This song made the top 10 list because it is an earworm that will stay in your head long after you finish listening to it.
# 7 – Girl
The next entry on the Top 10 Destiny’s Child Song list is the third single off of Destiny Fulfilled. This is a serene r&b ballad. This song is a sample of “Ocean’s of Thoughts and Dreams” by the Dramatics. This ballad is about Kelly’s abusive relationship. It has a deep message because domestic abuse is a serious thing. It was great that they wanted to get the message out to their fans so they know that they aren’t alone. It was odd that Kelly didn’t sing the song by herself since it’s about her relationship, but all three singers were featured in the vocals. Beyoncé and Michelle’s vocals are impressive. It’s not a surprise that Beyoncé belted in the song because she has done it before. It was a nice surprise to hear Michelle belt in the song. Her church background was evident when she held her note in the bridge.
# 6 – No, No, No ft. Wyclef Jean
This banging track is the lead single off their debut album. This is a soul, r&b and hip hop track. In case you’re wondering why the original didn’t appear on the list, it’s because the remix is a much better track than the original. The original is good, but the remix has something extra. The original version is a ballad while this one is a faster song. This version is excellent for the club. The drumbeat drives the song. Beyoncé’s vocals blend well with the drumbeat. She sings the lyrics fast which was meant to be a joke. Wyclef liked it and kept it in. The group harmonizes well in the background. Wyclef Jean made the best decision by making it a club song. He makes an appearance in the track. His rhymes were in sync with Beyonce’s vocals. His last line said it all when he said they “went from the dreams to the young Supremes.”
# 5 – Independent Women
This heart-pounding song is the lead single off of the hit CD Survivor. It also appears on the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack. This anthem has an r&b, pop and dance sound. The theme is self-explanatory. It is simply about women depending on themselves to get what they want. Their vocals are pretty good. They use falsetto in the bridge. It makes it sound angelic. They are all in tune with each other. Beyoncé and Kelly are the only ones singing lead in the song. Their voices are layered in the background because it sounds as if a lot of people are in it. Some of the lyrics are a little hard to understand, but you can ignore it and enjoy the beat. Here’s a little trivia: Farrah Franklin was fired from the group when they recorded this song.
# 4 – Bootylicious
This hit single was te third one released from their CD entiteld Survivor. This is an r&b, dance and pop sound. This is a sample of “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks. This song is about a woman celebrating her curvaceous body. It was very different at the time because people weren’t singing songs about accepting curves. This song also coined a new catchphrase with bootylicious. It was used in Snoop Dogg’s song “F With Dr. Dre,” but Destiny’s Child made it famous. Beyoncé wrote this song because the media talked about her weight. Beyonce doesn’t sing lead on this. Kelly does the majority of the singing. It was a different change to hear Kelly singing lead instead of Beyoncé . Beyoncé should have been the one who sang lead since it’s about her. She probably would have sang the song with more passion. Kelly does a good job with what she does, but Beyoncé would have tore it up. Beyoncé does lead the fascinating chorus. Michelle does her normal role of singing the bridge. Beyoncé does her famous runs towards the last chorus and the fade out.
# 3 – Emotion
“Emotion” is the fourth track off the successful Survivor cd. This is a remake. This is an r&b ballad. This song was originally written for a singer named Samantha Sang. This is her only hit single. The Bee Gees also recorded this song. This is an acoustic version of the song. The group changed up the vocal format. Kelly starts the song. Beyoncé sings the second verse while Michelle has the bridge again. Kelly and Michelle sing the song softly to match the acoustic sound. Beyoncé chose a different route. She sings the song in falsetto and hits the high notes. She could have been sharp since the music is soft, but she did a great job. Beyoncé is the true star of the song. She proved why she was the lead singer of the group.
# 2 – Survivor
This is the second hit from the Survivor album. This outstanding song has an r&b, dance and pop sound. The title was inspired by the reality show of the same name. It is also about surviving different situations. Beyoncé co-wrote the song with her father. She considers it an inspirational song and she’s right. It teaches you that you can survivor despite naysayers. The music is intoxicating. Once the violin and base begins, you can be completely engrossed. Beyoncé starts the song with a lot of passion. She is clearly singing this to someone in particular. Fans of Destiny’s Child are familiar with whom these lyrics are pointed to. Kelly appears in the third verse. She doesn’t do any vocal tricks, but she is good with what she does. She doesn’t have the same passion as Beyoncé. Michelle appears in the bridge as usual. She has a little passion in her voice even though her part wasn’t that big. Their harmonies in the unforgettable hook are on point.
# 1 – Say My Name
We finished out our Top 10 Destiny’s Child Song List with “Say My Name.” This magnificent r&b, pop and dance song is the third single off of the hit CD The Writings on the Wall This song is about a woman suspecting her man of cheating on her. This is the first collaboration the group had with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. He wrote an incredible song for the group. Beyoncé didn’t like the song at first. She thought there was a lot going on. It’s hard to believe that she didn’t like the song at first because it is incredible. She sings the lyrics in time with the fast beat. She is in time with the beat drops. You would have to practice in order to sing the lyrics with her, but it would be worth it. The music is exemplary and is a perfect marriage with Beyonce’s vocals. The controversy surrounding the song could have taken away from it, but it doesn’t. This is one of the best choices to finish out the top 10 list.