Destiny’s Child – ‘Lose My Breath’

18 November 2004

I’m surprised to see Destiny’s Child here again at number one in 2004. That’s not me being pass-remarkable on their chart-topping power, by the way. I’d simply forgotten they got back together again after their first solo forays. Also, I had misremembered ‘Lose My Breath’ as a Beyoncé single, perhaps because that military beat feels more of a piece with her mighty ‘Run the World (Girls)’, which I’ve just realised is from seven years later. Or was I mixing it up with the similar chorus lyric of her 2003 hit ‘Baby Boy’? Anyway, all cleared up now.

The steel-drum synth and propulsive rhythm of ‘Lose My Breath’ are not dissimilar to 50 Cent’s ‘In Da Club’. However, ‘Lose My Breath’ adds an impressive piledriver chorus on top: that much I remembered alright. Also, Destiny’s Child clear the fairly low hurdle of being more engaging and likeable than dour, musclebound Fiddy. Parity of esteem ensures Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle each get a verse, although the verses here aren’t particularly strong to begin with. That chorus does feel like Beyoncé front and centre, though – or is that just confirmation bias on my part? Perhaps let’s not overthink or misremember any further about a perfectly good single by an A-list group making a successful return.