Songoftheday 8/28/22 - Now that you're out of my life I'm so much better, you thought that I'd be weak without you but I'm stronger...

 

 

"Survivor" - Destiny's Child

from the album Survivor (2001)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (seven weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 15

 

Today's song comes from Destiny's Child, who after going through switching out half their lineup during the promotion of their second album The Writing's On The Wall, then booted Farrah Franklin even after her vocals were on their single for the Charlie's Angels reboot movie, the #1 pop hit "Independent Women Part 1".  This revolving door of singers seen in full daylight by the public inspired many a joke about how they were like the reality competition show Survivor (well, for good reason). In response, Beyonce' Knowles took a beat track made by producer Anthony Dent and did a full clapback in song form, though a thinly veiled attack on the former members, especially with the "You thought I wouldn't sell without you, sold 9 million" line (um, they were singing on the records too, boo). Supposedly grifter dad Matthew contributed a word to the lyrics giving him writing credit, but that doesn't detract from Beyonce's full command of the record. She may have been an "Independent Woman", but this is the time when her fury truly comes out for the world to see, and it's a good thing. It drives the record beyond being a petty answer-track, and into a more vague anthem people came use for their own haters. For the first record having just the Beyonce-Kelly-Michelle trio on vocals, this was probably necessary to move on, and it worked. If it wasn't for Janet (with an arguably more fun party song) they would've commanded the charts completely. The music video riffs on the Survivor meme by stranding the women on the beach. All three have a chance to sing lead, but there's no question, especially in the fashion color choices, that Beyonce assumed the Diana Ross role in this Supremes...

"Survivor" racked up seven weeks in the runner-up position on the pop Hot 100 in Billboard magazine starting in April of 2001. The song did better there than on the R&B Singles chart, where it stopped at #6. On the radio, "Survivor" spent two weeks at #1 on the dance-oriented Rhythmic format and hit #2 on the Mainstream Top-40 and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay lists. The dance remixes of the track, done by tribal house DJ Victor Calderone among others, helped "Survivor" reach #3 on the Dance Club Play chart. Internationally, the single topped the charts in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Ireland, and made the top ten in Canada (#2), the Netherlands (#2), Sweden (#3), New Zealand (#3), Greece (#3), Denmark (#4), Finland (#4), Romania (#4), Belgium (#5F/#6W), Switzerland (#5), Italy (#6), Australia (#7), Germany (#8), Poland (#8), and Austria (#10), while almost making it in Spain (#11) and France (#12). The Survivor album, released in April as the single was cresting, topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks (their sole studio album to hit #1), going on to sell over four million records. At the Grammy Awards in 2002, the song "Survivor" won the prize for Best Duo/Group R&B Performance with Vocals, while the Survivor album was up for Best R&B Album, which ingenue Alicia Keys took home for her Songs In A Minor. Both Destiny's Child and the album will be back to the series.

 

(9/10)

 

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The trio took "Survivor" to the home of Survivor, CBS, on the Late Show With Letterman...

 

 Next up, the remix from Victor Calderone that got the song to the top three on the dance chart...

 

 Up next, in a televised concert...

and lastly, at the Live 8 charity concert in 2005...

Up tomorrow: Harmonious neo-soul singer has fallen.