Destiny's Child(album)

Destiny's Child
Studio albumby Destiny's Child
Released	February 17, 1998(1998-02-17)
Recorded	1996–1997
Studio	House Of Music (Oakland, California) Pajama Recording Studios (Oakland, California) Digital Services (Houston, Texas) Krosswire (Atlanta, Georgia) LaCoCo (Atlanta, Georgia) Live Oak Studios (Berkeley, California) Chung King Studios(New York City) Patchwerk(Atlanta, Georgia) The Hit Factory(New York City) Castle Oaks Studio (Calabasas, California) Manhattan Ave Studio (Topanga, California)
Genre	Neo soul R&B
Length	56:09
Label	Epic 550 Music Music World
Producer	Tim & Bob Sylvia Bennett-Smith Jerry Duplessis Jermaine Dupri Rob Fusari Che Greene Vincent Herbert Wyclef Jean KLC Jay Lincoln Mark Morales O'Dell Cory Rooney Terry T Craig B Carl Washington D'Wayne Wiggins
Destiny's Childchronology
Destiny's Child (1998) The Writing's on the Wall (1999)
SinglesfromDestiny's Child
"No, No, No" Released: October 27, 1997 "With Me" Released: January 20, 1998

Destiny's Childis the debut studio album by the AmericanR&Bgroupof the same name,released by550 Music,Epic RecordsandMusic World Entertainmenton February 17, 1998. It features the singles "No, No, No"and"With Me",which preceded the album." Killing Time "was also featured in"Men in Black: The Album"and released as a promotional single in 1997. Before release, the album was set to be called" Bridges. " The album spent twenty-six weeks on the USBillboard200chart and peaked at number sixty-seven. To date, the album has sold 831,000 copies in America. It reached the top fifty in the United Kingdom, peaking at number forty-five. It was re-packaged and re-released in several countries after the success of the follow-up album,The Writing's on the Wall(1999). The album was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics, includingAllMusicandRolling Stone,and won aSoul Train Lady of Soul Awardfor Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year.

Singles

"Killing Time" was the album's first release. It was featured on the Men In Black film and its accompanying soundtrack, for which it was released as a promotional single in 1997.

The album's first official single was "No, No, No" in October 1997, when both Part 1 and Part 2 were released on the radio. It hit the top ten in 5 countries and #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Music videos were made for both song versions, directed by Darren Grant.

"With Me" was the second single in 1998 and was a moderate success, hitting the top 20 in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A radio-only single in the US, it was not eligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but it hit the top 40 in some component charts. Darren Grant created and directed a music video for Part I.

The last album release, "Illusion," was released as a promotional single. Maurice Joshua remixes were commissioned for this release, and the group re-recorded their vocals exclusively for these remixes.

Commercial performance

Destiny's Childwas a moderate chart success. It debuted at number sixty-nine on the USBillboard200during the week of March 7, 1998.The album peaked at number sixty-seven in its fifth week and spent 26 weeks on the chart.The album peaked at number fourteen on theBillboardTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albumschart.In July 1998, the album was certifiedgoldby theRecording Industry Association of America(RIAA) and later earned a platinum certification on July 11, 2000, for 1 million shipped units. Internationally, the album achieved more tremendous success; it reached number twenty-nine on theCanadian Albums Chart,thirty on the DutchMegaChartsalbums chart, and forty-five on theUK Albums Chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Music Week
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

John Bush of the websiteAllMusicfelt that "Destiny's Child isn't quite just another debut album from an R&B girl group [...] Their voices sound beautiful together. Still, much of the album sounds indistinguishable from all the other female groups out there."The Rolling Stone Album Guidegave the album a mixed review.

Legacy

While not a massive commercial success, the album has been retrospectively regarded as "a solid introduction to their twin strengths of sweeping ballads and tight harmonies."Jon O'Brien ofBillboardrecognized "No, No, No" as "one of the top-tier uptempos in Destiny’s Child’s catalog," further remarking that "[h]ad the rest of their debut album reached the same heights, their world domination would no doubt have come a little sooner."

In 2022, Destiny's Child memberBeyoncérecreated and interpolated their 1998 harmonies from opening track "Second Nature" on a duet version of "Make Me Say It Again, Girl"with original sampled actThe Isley Brothers,peaking at number nine on the USR&B/Hip-Hop Airplaychart, twenty on the USHot R&B Songschart, and number one on the USAdult R&B Songschart, remaining on the chart for 37 weeks.

In a 2023 article celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the album's release on theRecording Academywebsite, writer Sope Soetan remarked that the album "generally [held] up well... despite its middling commercial success."However, when discussing the overall impact of the album, he lauded the project as "an artifact of the elements central to Destiny's Child's musical persona: The syncopated, rapid vocal style that Beyoncé innovated on" No, No, No Pt 2, "and lyrical themes of romantic equity, mutual respect, self-confidence and autonomy, [which] would govern the band's career-defining hits and influence many of their contemporaries."

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album'sliner notes

Destiny's Child– Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Second Nature"	Marvin Isley Ronald Isley Rudolph Isley Ernie Isley O'Kelly Isley Chris Jasper Terry T Kymberli Armstrong	Dwayne Wiggins Terry T[a] Jay Lincoln[a]	5:09
2.	"No, No, No Part 2"(featuringWyclef Jean)	Mary Brown Jamshied Sharifi Mandy Moore Rob Fusari Vincent Herbert Calvin Gaines Barry White	Wyclef Jerry Duplessis[a] Che Greene[a]	3:27
3.	"With Me Part I"(featuringJermaine Dupri)	Master P Jermaine Dupri Manuel Seal	Dupri Seal[a]	3:26
4.	"Tell Me"	Bob Robinson Tim Kelley	Robinson Kelley	4:48
5.	"Bridges"	Michelle Hailey Wiggins Al Green	Wiggins	4:02
6.	"No, No, No Part 1"	Brown Herbert Fusari Gaines	Herbert Fusari	4:07
7.	"With Me Part II"(featuringMaster P)	Beyoncé Knowles Kelly Rowland LaTavia Roberson LeToya Luckett Dupri Master P Seal	Craig Bazile KLC Odell	4:14
8.	"Show Me the Way"	Darcy Aldridge Carl Breeding Jeffrey Bowden	Carl Washington	4:19
9.	"Killing Time"	Wiggins Taura Stinson	Wiggins	5:09
10.	"Illusion"(featuringWyclef Jean&Pras)	Isaac Hayes Tony Swain Steve Jolley Ashley Ingram Leslie John	Jean Pras[a] Duplessis[a]	3:52
11.	"Birthday"	Knowles Rowland Roberson Wiggins	Wiggins	5:15
12.	"Sail On"	Lionel Richie	Mark Morales Cory Rooney	4:04
13.	"My Time Has Come" (dedicated to Andretta Tillman)	Reed Vertelney Sylvia Bennett-Smith	Bennett-Smith	4:25
Total length:				56:09

Destiny's Child– International edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"Know That"	Rachel Oden Andre Robinson	Father Shaheed	4:24
Total length:				60:33

Destiny's Child– Japanese edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
15.	"Amazing Grace"	John Newton	2:39
Total length:			65:15

Destiny's Child– 2001 European reissue edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"You're the Only One"	Wiggins Stinson	Mark Wilson Herbert Gaines Fusari[a]	3:23
16.	"No, No, No" (Camdino Soul extended remix)	Brown Herbert Fusari Gaines	Wyclef Katt[b] Jazzie[b]	6:34
17.	"DubiLLusions" (dub mix of "Illusions" )	Hayes Swain Jolley Ingram John	Maurice Joshua	7:33
Total length:				78:03

Destiny's Child– US enhanced edition (bonus video)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Video Interviews with the Group and Each Member"

Notes

• ^{^a}signifies a co-producer
• ^{^b}signifies an additionalproducer
• Some copies of the album credit no writers for "Illusion."
• A pre-release promotional version of the album was issued in 1997, when it was still called "Bridges", with a different tracklist. It included songs "Show Me" and "Never Had A Love" and omitted tracks "No, No, No Part 2", "Illusion" and "Sail On". "You're The Only One", a bonus track in the European 2001 reissue of the album, was also present in this version. Additionally, "No, No, No Part 1" was simply titled "No, No, No".

Sample Credits

• "Second Nature" contains replayed elements from "Make Me Say It Again, Girl (Part 1 & 2)",performed bythe Isley Brothers,written byMarvin Isley,Ronald Isley,Rudolph Isley,Ernie IsleyandO'Kelly Isley.
• "No, No, No Part 2"contains elements from" Strange Games & Things ", performed and written byBarry White.
• "With Me Parts I & II"contain a sample of"Freak Hoes",performed byTRU,written byMaster P.
• "Bridges" contains replayed elements from "Simply Beautiful",performed and written byAl Green.

Personnel

Credits are taken fromDestiny's Childliner notes.

• Mark Morales – producer
• Bill Ortiz – trumpet
• Darin Prindle – mixing
• Warren Riker – engineer, mixing
• Bob Robinson – arranger, producer, multi instruments
• Tim Kelley – arranger, producer, multi instruments
• Carl Washington – producer
• Carl Wheeler – keyboards
• D'Wayne Wiggins– bass, producer, guitar, multi instruments
• Benjamin Wright – arranger, conductor
• Eric Fischer – engineer
• Jay Lincoln – drums, producer, mixing, keyboards
• James Hoover – engineer
• Erwin Gorostiza – art direction, design
• Wyclef Jean – producer, performer
• Rawle Gittens – engineer
• Vince Lars – saxophone
• Cory Rooney– programming, producer, mixing
• Craig B – producer, mixing
• KLC– producer
• Sylvia Bennett-Smith – arranger, producer
• Jerry Duplessis – producer
• Joey Swails – engineer, mixing
• Ian Dalsemer – assistant engineer
• Rob Fusari– producer
• Anthony Papa Michael – acoustic guitar
• Beyoncé Knowles– lead vocals, background vocals
• LeToya Luckett– background vocals
• LaTavia Roberson– background vocals, rap vocals on "Illusion"
• Kelly Rowland– lead vocals, background vocals
• Lee Neal – drums
• O'Dell – producer
• Mathew Knowles– executive producer
• Tina Knowles– hair stylist
• Storm Jefferson – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
• Mean Green – production coordination
• Che Greene – producer
• Darcy Aldridge – arranger
• Mike Arnold – engineer
• Charles Brackins – engineer
• Johnny Buick – make-up and hair stylist
• Kenny Demery – guitar
• Paul Empson – photography
• Eric Ferrell – make-up
• Pras – performer
• Debra Ginyard – stylist
• Mike Scott – mixing
• Booker T. Jones III – mixing
• Master P – performer
• Terry T – producer
• Bill McKinley – bass
• Paul Arnold – engineer
• Preston Crump – bass
• Jermaine Dupri – producer, performer
• Dale Everingham
• Steve Foreman – percussion
• David Frank – piano
• John Frye – engineer
• Kevin W. – second engineer
• Brian Gardner – mastering
• Jamie Hawkins – keyboards
• Vincent Herbert – producer
• Jon Jubu Smith – guitar
• Marc M2E Smith – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance forDestiny's Child

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)	29
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	30
UK Albums(OCC)	45
UK R&B Albums(OCC)	6
USBillboard200	67
USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums(Billboard)	14

Year-end charts

1998 year-end chart performance forDestiny's Child

Chart (1998)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	93

2001 year-end chart performance forDestiny's Child

Chart (2001)	Position
Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)	146

Certifications

Certifications forDestiny's Child

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)	2× Platinum	200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	847,000
^Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats forDestiny's Child

Region	Date	Edition(s)	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	February 17, 1998	Standard	CD	Epic Records
Japan	March 1, 1998			Sony Music Japan
United Kingdom	March 2, 1998		CD Mini-Cassette vinyl	Epic Records