21 April 2001
Drama! Yes, about Destiny’s Child’s immediate past—three departed members in acrimonious circumstances, plus “You thought I wouldn’t sell without you, sold nine million”—but also their immediate future. Much like George Michael as Wham!’s want-away star in the ’80s, Beyoncé’s solo superstardom was in 2001 a matter of when, not if. This phase of Destiny’s Child has an incredible air of laser-focused will-to-power. It reminds me of Madonna’s brilliant performative-speech rap in ‘Vogue’, where her act of naming old-school icons is also her act of positioning herself with them. In the case of Destiny’s Child, only one of the three would make that sort of leap, but we knew that then. Beyoncé is still iconic and having Irish number ones in 2022, a survivor and more. But for the meantime, back to Destiny’s Child.
Okay, so ‘Survivor’ is as polished and risk-free as any hit single by a nine-million-selling act positioning themselves for global conquest. You couldn’t say it has a catchy tune or groove, and I’m not one for inspirational songs or memes either. However, you can’t deny its fist-in-the-air, kick-in-the-crotch energy. And yes, the drama of the lyrics and the music are a huge part of its appeal. We’ll see plenty more of Queen Bey here, with better tracks than ‘Survivor’, and their next single ‘Bootylicious’ goes back to the sort of pop fun I prefer. Still, for the group and for brand Beyoncé it serves a purpose. And don’t worry: Kelly and Michelle do okay for themselves too.
