Music / Survivor

I will survive being fine
I will survive being sexy
I will survive being bootylicious!

— Michelle, "Survivor" outro

Survivor is the third studio album from the musical group Destiny's Child.

The album was released on May 1, 2001 after the turmoil the group went through during their second album's promotional cycle. Group members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson were replaced with two new members amidst their dispute with the group's manager, Mathew Knowles (who was also the father/caretaker of group members Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland). Five months later, one of the new members Farrah Franklin quit/was asked to leave Destiny's Child due to clashes with Mathew Knowles and missing appearances. It was then decided that Destiny's Child would continue as a trio, with Beyoncé, Kelly, and new member Michelle Williams. While Destiny's Child was riding high from the breakout success of The Writing's on the Wall, the lineup changes and drama caused a lot of people to doubt their long-term success. A radio DJ compared the group to the reality show Survivor, stating that the ousted members were being voted off just like the contestants.

What he didn't know was that the group would then take that comment and turn it around in their favor.

Survivor continues the R&B/Pop sound of Destiny's Child previous album and paired it with the theme of thriving through adversity. Beyoncé took a greater role in the writing and production of the album; the criticism that Beyoncé dominated the songs as lead singer was also addressed, as the vocals were split evenly between the three women. Their number one hit song "Independent Women Part I" from the Charlie's Angels (2000) soundtrack was also placed on this album. When released, Survivor hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Destiny's Child's first album to ever do so and it spawned several hit singles.

---

Track listing (Standard edition)

1. "Independent Women Part I" (3:42)
2. "Survivor" (includes "Bootylicious" prelude) (4:14)
3. "Bootylicious" (3:28)
4. "Nasty Girl" (4:18)
5. "Fancy" (4:13)
6. "Apple Pie à la Mode" (2:59)
7. "Sexy Daddy" (4:07)
8. "Independent Women Part II" (3:46)
9. "Happy Face" (includes "Emotion" prelude) (4:32)
10. "Emotion" (3:56)
11. "Dangerously in Love" (4:53)
12. "Brown Eyes" (includes "The Story of Beauty" prelude) (4:47)
13. "The Story of Beauty" (3:32)
14. "Gospel Medley" (3:25)
15. "Outro (DC-3) Thank You" (4:03)

This album contains the following tropes:

• Be Yourself: “The Story of Beauty”.
• Bonus Material: The international edition of the album features three more songs: "Perfect Man" (from Romeo Must Die), "Dance with Me," and "My Heart Still Beats."
• Cover Version: "Emotion," originally recorded by The Bee Gees and Samantha Sang.
• The Diss Track: "Fancy" serves as this towards a fake friend.
  • "Survivor" is this towards the press.
  • "Nasty Girl" is this towards "loose" women.
• Eating the Eye Candy: "Apple Pie à la Mode" is Female Gaze in song form.
• Female Empowerment Song: "Independent Women Part I" and "Independent Women Part II".
• Madonna-Whore Complex: The core of "Nasty Girl"'s narrative in both the song and the video. In the latter, women can be seen going into the Nasty Zapper: a machine that turns them from hoochies into respectable ladies.
• Mood Whiplash: The album transitions from the mushy and romantic "Brown Eyes" to "The Story of Beauty," a song detailing the story of a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.
• No Name Given: The group purposely leaves the subject of "Fancy" ambiguous.
  Beyoncé: "I won't say no names..."
• Obsession Song: "Dangerously in Love", about being hopelessly devoted to your partner.
• Re-release the Song: Two songs from Survivor would find new life on the group's solo releases.
  • Michelle would borrow "Gospel Medley" for her 2002 debut album, Heart To Yours.
  • "Dangerously in Love" later ended up on Beyoncé's debut album of the same name in 2003, re-arranged and with just Beyoncé on vocals.
• Sampling:
  • "Bootylicious" contains the guitar riff from "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks.
  • "Nasty Girl" contains elements from "Tarzan Boy", performed by Baltimora.
  • "Independent Women Part II" samples the theme song to the Peabody's Improbable History segments from Rocky and Bullwinkle.
• Silly Love Songs: "Brown Eyes."
• Slut-Shaming: "Nasty Girl," a song admonishing women who dress provocatively. The song get some flack when released as a single due to Destiny's Child preaching about modesty and looking classy but at the same performing in skin-showing tight outfits. The song now falls under Values Dissonance with them and their fanbase due to feminism catching on throughout the Turn of the Millennium and The New '10s. Beyoncé and Kelly's music and visuals since this album would only grow more and more sexual, ironically.
  You make it hard
  For women like me
  Who try to have some integrity!
• Split Screen: The video for "Emotion" was filmed like this; split three ways to showcase each girl's video storyline before they join in the end. Also combined with The Oner for each split.
• Stuffy Old Songs About the Buttocks: "Bootylicious", natch.
• Take That!: "Survivor" is directed at the press who ridiculed the lineup changes the group experienced as well as created rumors of Beyoncé being a tyrant behind the scenes.
  • It has also been theorized that the song was directed to LeToya and LaTavia who were previously dismissed. The pair sued the group and later came to a settlement.
• Wicked Stepfather: Beauty from "The Story of Beauty" had been molested by her stepfather. Unfortunately, nobody—not even her own mother—believes her when she tells of what he had done to her.

---