Discography Chat: Destiny's Child

[jarrylf]

Im sure you all know where I stand on Beyonce/Destiny's Child (OVER RATED IN EVERY MEANING OF THE WORD) but when I was a kid, I really was a fan, and really know about their music and their history and all that stuff. So I will keep this STRICTLY about the music...on my part....unless someone takes it there tehehe Anyway back to Beyonce, oops I mean Destiny's Child, without a single doubt or hesitiation, my vote 100% goes to The Writings On The Wall, VERY solid album, and had great production and lyrics (thanks to Kandi & Missy & Rodney Jerkins) but really had songs that were worth my time like OFCOURSE Bills, Bills, Bills, Say My Name, Buga Boo, Jumpin Jumpin,So Good,Stay, Hey Ladies, & She cant love you

The 1st album is a nice album, kinda Xscape-ish to me (except you know Xscape having better music and being a real group where the 4 of them shared the mic) even the NoNoNopt.1 video is very "Who Can I Run To", nothing really special or unique that set them or their music apart from the other 5 girl groups slaying at the time. And also nothing special music wise on that album except No No No pt.2, I do like With me and Illusion.

Survivor..........VERY overrated album in my opinion and always has been even when I was a fan, I LOVED & LIVED the era, but that album was so freakin weak to me, and they made the RIGHT singles choices by far, and they were everywhere, so great era to be a fan in, but I thought the album as a whole was just weak with some standouts.

8 Days of christmas, to keep it short, I'll just say, EnVogue & SWV did it better lol.

Destiny fulfilled, VERY strong era, and again like I said with Survivor, weak album, BUT I'd be lying ma fuckin ass off if I did not say, Loose My Breath SLAYYYYYYYS, the song and video (tho Kelly was the only 1 slaying them steps, the other 2 couldnt keep up, but looked good as hell trying), Loose my breath was just fuckin brilliant, and hott and epic, VERY good song and video, the only DC single that I'm upset with it not going to #1. I am not (and I've never been) a fan of Soldier, ever, the video yes, the song, hell no lol. I do love Girl and Cater 2 U and Tshirt and Free

Overall, I pretty much realized when I came out of my Beyonce fan bubble that the group was just a launching pad for Bey, and that their image and their marketting and support was bigger than their music (and in most of the people in that groups case, talent). And tho I'm not a fan of Bey anymore (thus naturally including DC, tho I love Kelly) I did have a fun ride being a fan and I do still enjoy certain songs from her/them (her). So my ranking goes

1.Writings On The Wall

2.Survivor

3.Destiny Fulfilled

4.8 Days Of Christmas

5. Destiny's Child

Poll prediction is that Writings On The Wall will slay, tho naturally I wouldnt be suprised if Survivor beat it by a little.

[bu.]

let's not diss Destiny's Child Jarryl *grabs vaseline* lol.

The thing with DC is they're always compared to En Vogue and Xscape who were strictly R&B. Destiny's Child were more of a pop group imo especially during Survivor. DC were more like the black Spice Girls. They were worldwide - not just American like En Vogue and Xscape. They had all the endorsements, book deal, pepsi (I think?), McDonalds, dolls etc.

I'll be back with my thoughts of each album. I will say that in some ways I'm glad Dictator Knowles pushed his doorta Beyonce to the front - I can't really imagine the other girls singing the verses of the songs although Kelly slayed me on Now That She's Gone. LeToya tends to screech too much. LaTavia was way too deep - we already had a T-Boz and didn't need another. Kelly can sing well in a studio and she did get a couple of verses every now and again lol. Michelle has a nice voice (ch she can do the whistle register) but her tone is just not suited for a pop group. Beyonce naturally had the best presence. Better voice? That's debateable but she sure has hell gave more energy during their performances, sounded better live and it helps that her name is somewhat unusual - an unusual name always works in Hollywood.

I will say that one of the reasons I loved Destiny Fulfilled is that Kelly & Michelle got more parts. That was nice. I think this is the first time Kelly showed that she could rival Beyonce - Kelly slayed in the videos lookwise, sexywise etc. I guess that didn't work though.

For now - I'll be back.

[jarrylf]

let's not diss Destiny's Child Jarryl *grabs vaseline* lol.

The thing with DC is they're always compared to En Vogue and Xscape who were strictly R&B. Destiny's Child were more of a pop group imo especially during Survivor. DC were more like the black Spice Girls. They were worldwide - not just American like En Vogue and Xscape. They had all the endorsements, book deal, pepsi (I think?), McDonalds, dolls etc.

I'll be back with my thoughts of each album. I will say that in some ways I'm glad Dictator Knowles pushed his doorta Beyonce to the front - I can't really imagine the other girls singing the verses of the songs although Kelly slayed me on Now That She's Gone. LeToya tends to screech too much. LaTavia was way too deep - we already had a T-Boz and didn't need another. Kelly can sing well in a studio and she did get a couple of verses every now and again lol. Michelle has a nice voice (ch she can do the whistle register) but her tone is just not suited for a pop group. Beyonce naturally had the best presence. Better voice? That's debateable but she sure has hell gave more energy during their performances, sounded better live and it helps that her name is somewhat unusual - an unusual name always works in Hollywood.

I will say that one of the reasons I loved Destiny Fulfilled is that Kelly & Michelle got more parts. That was nice. I think this is the first time Kelly showed that she could rival Beyonce - Kelly slayed in the videos lookwise, sexywise etc. I guess that didn't work though.

For now - I'll be back.

LOL I tried but they make it too easy to make fun of them (thats why Mad TV tore them up lol)

Xscape and SWV were strictly R&B, EnVogue did it all (pop, rock, rap, funk) what really seperates those 3 groups from DC is that DC had the kid effect (that I and I'm assuming you and more than likely most of the people here were apart of). EnVogues audience was the grown folks (of different genre's) but DC was more of the kid-teen craze, and it's not necessarily a negative thing to say (it is if we talk about quality) but image wise, it's what every group wants. And thats how their similar to The Spice Girls, both groups catered to both adults, teens and kids, but they were biggest because of the kids. Hell When I was a DC/Bey fan I could only name 3 EnVogue songs (Dont Let Go, Hold On, & Never Gonna Get It), and can only remember 2 of their names and faces, and thats MORE than I could do with SWV or Xscape (ESPECIALLY Xscape, I only knew 1 song by them and didnt get into them until Kandi came to Real Housewives of ATL) But DC had different looks and personalities and thats what kids want in a group.

LOL I have to disagree, cause in all honesty I feel the same way about the supremes, I think a group is only a group when every member has a chance (song) to shine and a group is a group when lead singer or not, each member can take a solo and SLAY in their own way. And there is NO bias with that definition (hell even with The J5 they shared them vocals and leads). I hate (BEYOND HATE) when I have to wonder what you sound like (which I did with LaTavia & LeToya, & Farrah). The biggest complement I can give DC is that they were the PERFECT launching pad to Bey, and I ALWAYS knew they would be, since the Survivor days, I told my friends in school when 1 of the teen magazines had JUST Beyonce on the cover (with other stars) but I'll never forget under every stars pic they had their name, and under Beyonce's they had "Destiny's Child" and I SAID "You know what, when you break it down, she really is the group, if she leaves them tomorrow the group will not be heard from again, and I bet her solo CD is gonna be huge".I knew then, I couldnt predict Id out grow her/them, but I knew where she would go far (maybe not as overrated as I feel she is, but far, same with Britney).

Kelly was my fave thing about the DC fulfilled era, it's when I realized I LOVE her lol, like DAMN lol. I was still lovin Bey, but I LOVED Kelly. And yea Michelle can sang, I know, but I really cant stand her voice when she's not loud or harmonizing. Like her normal tone is just so....blah for me. I think Beyonce's voice had the most versitility but not by too much I think Kelly is really close, like I think if Kelly let LOOSE and let it out.....she might have some major pipes, but we'll have to keep waiting for that.

[TwistedElegance™]

I enjoyed DC in all its forms, but it's hardly coincidence that they hit their stride when they became a three-piece. Their debut obviously showed they had talent and class, but melody and personality were severely lacking. Everything was as safe and calculated as that boring album cover. Had it not been for Wyclef's midas touch on the 'No No No' remix I wouldn't have batted an eyelid during that period.

By sophomore standards, The Writing's On The Wall is almost as good as it gets. While it's by no means my favourite DC album, its timing and execution were just about perfect. Goodbye boring perfection, hello choruses! The girls showed sass, the style turned heads, and the songs were on trend. Their videos made a respectable impact considering they never broke much ground. The hits were just that big they warranted 'round-the-clock saturation. The biggest debt of gratitude owed to that era is the smartass production from Rodney Jerkins and She'kspere. The stop/start flow of the songs would wear thin pretty quickly (the fad also abused by the likes of 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys and Vitamin C, to name a few), but for a while there it was genuinely fun. 'Say My Name' is still fantastic and can lay claim to breaking the group internationally, at the same time proving the girls were real contenders. Of course it also reminds people of when things started to get a little shaky. Looking back, though, Destiny's Child didn't suffer. For as much publicity as the musical chairs within the group received, it also didn't. I think they rode that wave as they rode any other; with poise and professionalism. Maybe they knew what we know now; that bigger and better things were yet to come. It's interesting to wonder if they held back intentionally, given that only one year stands between Writing's and their debut. Whatever the reason, the group should be commended for the chronological release of their albums. They didn't necessarily get better with every record, but it served their career immensely well. And as luck or ridiculously perfect timing would have it, Charlie's Angels came knocking. 'Independent Women' might be the most vital record in DC's catalog. Three women kicking ass in a big budget action flick touted by three women kicking ass on the charts. It couldn't fail.

Survivor kept the momentum and is my favourite album from the group. Pairing the lead single and video with the biggest show on television at the time was a stroke of genius, albeit very cheesy. Following things up with 'Bootylicious' was again another step in the right direction. The Stevie Nicks sample is superb and fits like a glove. I also loved the video. I remember hanging around the TV waiting for it to come on because I was infatuated by the image, the colours, the dancing, and by how stunning Beyoncé looked. I don't think she's ever looked as fierce or as pretty as she did in that video. But for all the album's attitude and ferocity, they had for the first time matched it perfectly with a handful of ballads which stand among their best work. 'Dangerously In Love' is so good Beyoncé used it twice, and their gorgeous cover of 'Emotion' is a personal highlight of the group for me. Other parts of the album highlighted a newfound sophistication and playfulness ('Fancy', 'Apple Pie à la Mode'), however others drew attention to some cringeworthy flaws ('Nasty Girl' and the dreadful 'Happy Face'). As a whole, though, the album represents a group in control. They didn't feel guided by pressure or the early '00s trend of securing the hottest producers. It felt like a natural progression with the added bonus of hit singles. The only real disappointment or frustration is that they didn't pull another couple of singles from the album.

Destiny Fulfilled was grown and sexy but never forced like some of their peers. Their comeback singles rank alongside the best of their career. 'Lose My Breath' was a great way to come back into the fray. I remember people talking like, "They're back!" and I was one of them. Darkchild's drumline production provided amazing intensity and they did well to match it with the video. 'Soldier' didn't grab me at first but the video won me over. The two tracks together are almost a misrepresentation of Destiny Fulfilled, but they made it work. Having them open the album was the right thing to do. 'Cater 2 U' is good for what it is, but when you compare its lyrics to those of 'Independent Women' you can't help but wonder if the contradiction ever crossed their mind. Elsewhere, 'T-Shirt', 'Is She The Reason' and 'Girl' had me loving their mature makeover. As a full set, I think the album plays beautifully.

Much has been said over the years about Destiny's Child only acting as a platform to launch Beyoncé's solo career but I won't hear it. Yes, it was always going to happen, but nobody said it had to be preceded like that. If Beyoncé never went solo and the group still disbanded, they could look back then and now and be proud of a solid, if not outstanding, body of work.

My ranking:

1. Survivor

2. Destiny Fulfilled

3. The Writing's On The Wall

4. Destiny's Child

[bu.]

It definitely is easy to make fun of them .

I'm still like that with En Vogue - I could only name you 3 songs...couldn't name a member though. I found it cute how much Kelly was name dropping them in X Factor when she was giving criticism to one of the girl group contestants. She was like 'I want and know yall can be like En Vogue' or 'Yall need to harmonise better! Seriously if you harmonise better than you can be the best vocal girl group ever like En Vogue' etc .

I do agree Jarryl...Destiny's Child does seem like it was Beyonce's launch pad. When your dad is your manager then you just know he has a conflict of interest. He didn't care about the others and LeToya and LaTavia knew that all too well and suffered as a result. People like to liken him to Joseph but at least Joseph never picked favourites and never took money from his kids. I think Bey gets unfairly criticised for 'taking over' when tbh that was all Matthews doings. It's not her fault the other two don't have enough star power. Kelly IS a great singer but she falls short 9 out of 10 times when singing live. Live performances matter a lot when promoting stuff. She's definitely the best actress out of the three - I wish she'd done more movies around the Freddy vs Jason time. As for Michelle, like you said...Michelle has a very...distinct voice lol. it gets annoying after a while. Her voice just isn't cut out for pop music imo. She has been really successful on Broadway though - I think she should stick to that.

[jarrylf]

It definitely is easy to make fun of them .

I'm still like that with En Vogue - I could only name you 3 songs...couldn't name a member though. I found it cute how much Kelly was name dropping them in X Factor when she was giving criticism to one of the girl group contestants. She was like 'I want and know yall can be like En Vogue' or 'Yall need to harmonise better! Seriously if you harmonise better than you can be the best vocal girl group ever like En Vogue' etc .

I do agree Jarryl...Destiny's Child does seem like it was Beyonce's launch pad. When your dad is your manager then you just know he has a conflict of interest. He didn't care about the others and LeToya and LaTavia knew that all too well and suffered as a result. People like to liken him to Joseph but at least Joseph never picked favourites and never took money from his kids. I think Bey gets unfairly criticised for 'taking over' when tbh that was all Matthews doings. It's not her fault the other two don't have enough star power. Kelly IS a great singer but she falls short 9 out of 10 times when singing live. Live performances matter a lot when promoting stuff. She's definitely the best actress out of the three - I wish she'd done more movies around the Freddy vs Jason time. As for Michelle, like you said...Michelle has a very...distinct voice lol. it gets annoying after a while. Her voice just isn't cut out for pop music imo. She has been really successful on Broadway though - I think she should stick to that.

Our girl Debra DID the motha fuckin thing with both of these LOFL (NOTICE Debra's head when she says (and repeats) "Spotlight" THAT IS SOOOO BEY. Like Debra didnt look or vocally sound like her but she WAS her as far as the movements and looks and stares)

("cant hit a note like that can you? of course not")

YEA I saw that in the clips, Im like shit, she betta know, them bitches ma fave group for a reason, all 4 members of EV were lead singers from other groups who were plucked and pulled together and had harmonies that just....their the fuckin Boyz II Men of girl groups lol. In all honesty once I got hooked on EnVogues music (around...2008ish) I couldnt really take DC seriously anymore (which was around the time I also hopped off the Bey bus), because at that point I was looking for more variety and meaning with my music (like Bey wasnt the only 1 I grew out of, but she was the biggest 1), but I REALLY got into EnVogue and those 1st 3 albums (all pure perfection to me) and its like......"THIS IS WHAT I WANT IN A GROUP IN EVERY WAY", if they JUST had what DC had with their image and the kid/teen market....they'd be looked at completely different, but damn I just fuckin love those girls so fuckin much just.....ok well you can guess who my next discog chat will be about (heads up to do ya homework if any of you dont know enough about EnVogue, give your ears a treat, and listen to at least those 1st 4 albums)

You know what tho, honest to god truth, I dont blame Bey for the decisions of DC, thats all on Matthew from me, I think he knew EXACTLY what he was doing, and it was a business wise smart thing to do. Like I can pick Beyonce apart all day and night easily over alot of things, but I do think she honestly cared/cares about those other 5(/4 forgot nobody checkin for Farrah lol)girls. But Matthew was bossman, and she was the bosses daughter, she did her part she sang what they told her to sing and smiled for the cameras. Yea I agree on Kelly, Kelly does fall short ALOT with them live performances. And she is the better more natural actress of the 3, like she can just convey emotions better at the very least. And I did wish she did more on screen, and still do, OH SHE KILLLED in Girlfriends when she was the bitch who set Toni up to get car jacked, OMG THAT made me forget she was fucking Kelly Rowland lol. Yea I hear Michelle's great in musicals, especially The Color Purple.

[*~WhitePicketDreams~*]

Writings on the Wall and Destiny Fufilled >>>>>>

I love all there albums but....WOTW is queen and DF comes in second for me cuz Michelle finally got to sing.

[janetDAYZ]

WOTW -is my fucking ALBUM. Talk about an album that can take you back into time. I can never get bored with it.Its just an HOTT album,period.

Destiny Fulfilled - Even tho WOTW is their best album (as a whole).. I've always felt DF was their most CLASSIC album...it does have a certain "timeless" sound to it. Certinly their most mature without a question.

Destiny's Child - I know their debut gets a lot of flack and I must say I actually like the album. The sound on this album is a representation of a female group who hadn't found their singature sound yet..but it was delightful nonetheless. I like the "beginners" sound that this album carries. The ballads are beautiful and flawless. Then you got "Tell Me" and "Show Me The Way" that are very reminiscent of En Vogue. I think it was decent first effort -slightly underrated.

Survivor - UGH..EW...and more EW. I'm sorry I think its by far their WORST fuck album ever. It was not cohesive...it was all over the place. all these weird strange sounds and ....ugh....I just cant. The only songs listenable on it are

""Dangerously in Love" and "Bootylicious". "Survivor" (the song) was okay when it came out but got repetitive quickly. That album is just not that impressive outside the singles. The rest of that album was FILLERS-ville.

[hotboy06]

The Writings On The Wall

Destiny Fulfilled

Survivor

Destiny's Child

She Can't Love You>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Beyonce/Latavia killed that alto in this song. The vocals>>>>>>>

[CK1Czar]

Destiny Fulfilled is the album of theirs I listen to. I think the rest are garbage

[Kishi]

"Writing On The Wall" was THE R&B/Pop album of 1999/2000. The others were okay, but I never got into them like I was into WOTW.

[jarrylf]

"Writing On The Wall" was THE R&B/Pop album of 1999/2000. The others were okay, but I never got into them like I was into WOTW.

I gotta agree, alot of artist I love had hit songs of 99/00 but DC had the better album. Like alot less substance than Fanmail but catchier songs and videos than most artist or group in that era (and it was ALOT of others.)

[Illi]

"Writing On The Wall" was THE R&B/Pop album of 1999/2000. The others were okay, but I never got into them like I was into WOTW.

[Escapade]

I kinda only use them for Destiny Fulfilled.

[henrietta.]

I only know the Survivor gals.

[Mr. Wonder]

"The 1st album is a nice album, kinda Xscape-ish to me (except you know Xscape having better music and being a real group where the 4 of them shared the mic) even the NoNoNopt.1 video is very "Who Can I Run To""

I mean really.....

[Mr. Wonder]

And the majority of your post is just pressedT. Get over the fact that Destiny's Child eclipsed the other girl groups of the time and did what they couldn't do. In global popularity and record sales, DC only trails behind the Spice Girls. They've surpassed their R&B contemporaries in just about every field from vocals, to popularity, to impact. The lead singer sang the songs just like The Supremes, Mary Jane Girls, The Emotions, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and countless other girl groups. And there's no point in going in to who sang what because all of them sang lead/first on many occasions. The matter of them changing members is relevant seeing how The Supremes, The Emotions, Mary Jane Girls, TLC, and plenty others changed members. So get over this ridiculous hate for Destiny's Child/Beyonce. They had what all of the other girls groups of the time had and more. There's a reason why Destiny's Child eclipsed all their R&B contemporaries and remain the last great girl group standing.

[Mr. Wonder]

Oh yeah "Second Nature" is my favorite DC song, and their first album is my favorite.

[jarrylf]

"The 1st album is a nice album, kinda Xscape-ish to me (except you know Xscape having better music and being a real group where the 4 of them shared the mic) even the NoNoNopt.1 video is very "Who Can I Run To""

I mean really.....

"even the NoNoNopt.1 video is very "Who Can I Run To""

I mean really....

[jarrylf]

And the majority of your post is just pressedT. Get over the fact that Destiny's Child eclipsed the other girl groups of the time and did what they couldn't do. In global popularity and record sales, DC only trails behind the Spice Girls. They've surpassed their R&B contemporaries in just about every field from vocals, to popularity, to impact. The lead singer sang the songs just like The Supremes, Mary Jane Girls, The Emotions, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and countless other girl groups. And there's no point in going in to who sang what because all of them sang lead/first on many occasions. The matter of them changing members is relevant seeing how The Supremes, The Emotions, Mary Jane Girls, TLC, and plenty others changed members. So get over this ridiculous hate for Destiny's Child/Beyonce. They had what all of the other girls groups of the time had and more. There's a reason why Destiny's Child eclipsed all their R&B contemporaries and remain the last great girl group standing.

Only trails behind Spice Girls because of sales and popularity and kid/teen marketting. They were far behind majority of their peer girl groups in the rome of telent, there are and were plenty of groups who could sing and dance better than them and just didnt have the crossover appeal, or the kid audience to over hype them or Matthew Knowles as their manager &father. I will NEVER deny that they worked hard to get noticed and success, as a former fan I know that very well, but I will NEVER say they had more vocal talent, because its far from true. And again, I dont like groups with the lead singer doing 98% of the leads, the groups you listed included, and always have been, it's a preference, I've said that on this thread repeatedly, very clearly. I have not now nor have I said or implied in this entire post or ever that Destiny's child is the only group with a lead singer that I dont like having a lead singer. I'll give you that Michelle & Kelly have sang 1st on a nice hand full of songs, but I can only think of 1 song where LaTavia or LeToya even had a solo, compared to other groups. And where did I mention anything about the lineup change in my analysis of their music, and when did I even mention it in a negative way? I'm completely aware that majority of groups go through lineup changes (tho ofcourse alot of them arent as shady or public). LOL I said EXACTLY the reason DC eclipsed their R&B contemporaries, because they were the only 1's with the kid appeal that they did, thats undenyable. NO other R&B group were on the cover for as many teeny bop pop crap magazines as DC was, I remember that VERY well, the only other group who did to a closer extent was TLC. Thats all there is to it.

You go on about this hate but I'm pretty positive this is the least amount of shade I've ever thrown at Bey or DC on a subject about them that I was apart of, and believe it took alot of holding back for even that shade. But it should be noted I was completely shade free on my critique on their music, and theres no "hate" there it's just dislike because I've outgrown them, and looking back I dont like their style and what I was a fan of.

[jarrylf]

Oh yeah "Second Nature" is my favorite DC song, and their first album is my favorite.

Well alright, how do you rank the others? This thread and these lines of threads for of your thoughts on your faves by them but also their catalog as a whole and your personal thoughts on it

[EphraimAdamz]

It begins and ends with Destiny Fulfilled. Not even remixes can save those other albums.

I might bump that Christmas CD once every 5 years or so

[EphraimAdamz]

I just always hated how Beyonce stole the Fugees cover

[bu.]

I just always hated how Beyonce stole the Fugees cover

So did TLC - twice

Darn those floating heads!!

[jarrylf]

It begins and ends with Destiny Fulfilled. Not even remixes can save those other albums.

I might bump that Christmas CD once every 5 years or so

LOL no lie, I only got that album for the Proud Family Theme song. But I really wasnt into them doing a Christmas album.