Survivor

by

Destiny's Child

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Okay, I'm not too fond of Destiny's Child, especially having heard "Say My Name" one million times on the radio but that was a couple of years ago. The songs I've heard off "Survivor" proved to be irresistable and addictive. "Bootylicious" is what convinced me to acquire the group's 3rd album. The killer Stevie Nicks sample did me in. The lyrics are corny, if not ridiculous but overall the song is fun especially during the summer right now. "Survivor" and "Independent Women Part 1" are two other excellent summer tunes. I particularly loved "Nasty Girl". The lyrics are a real hoot and I love that bit from the group took from Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy". As far as the slower songs goes, I loved "Emotion" and "Brown Eyes" but "The Story of Beauty" was a real stinker as were the last two tracks of the cd. I do think DC's strengths lies in their more upbeat songs which really showcases the group's individual voices. Overall I love "Survivor" despite my earlier resistence to their music.

It is a mystery to me how Destiny's Child have gotten so far on so little creativity and ingenuity. Survivor, DC, million-plus selling third cd is the musical equivalent of musical tofu (except it's not good for you). The cd and Beyonce do have strengths, although they are limited. First of all, Beyonce has a gift for writing simple catchy melodies for her choruses. And on occasion, there is even a rump-shaking bass line for you to dance to--Bootylicious. However, DC's weaknesses far outweigh their strengths. Case in point, the music on this cd is boring pop-inspired drivel that would sound at home on a Britney Spears cd, not an alleged R 'n' B cd. Secondly, Beyonce has an okay two octave range voice that never soars anywhere; and her verses lack little or no melody because she rap-sings them in the formulae used in "No, No, No" (DC first cd). Thirdly, the double choruses are redundant and make me hit the fast forward button faster than it takes to the Concorde to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The vocal arrangements are so busy and blantantly feature Beyonce's limited vocabulary of vocal runs so much so that Kelly and Michelle's voices can barely be heard above the din. And the music sounds like it was cut and pasted together by person who just got Protools and wanted to try out all the weird sounds and see how they could be turned into songs.

Where are the bass lines for heaven's sake?

And Beyonce really is far too inexperienced to produce cds without the help of skilled collaborators. DC seems to lack the ability to find talented collaborators to help write decent songs. I urge them to do so immediately!

Another problem is the weak lyrics which are either spiteful ("Nasty Girl" and "Fancy.") to banal ("Brown Eyes") and limited subject matter. Beyonce seems only to have a few themes in her bag of tricks: trifling men, finding true love, being an independent woman who drives a jaguar, and wears diamonds. Clearly, she lacks the life experience to write about anything else.

I really have problem with her song "Survivor." What exactly has this pampered young woman survived? Surviving is being homeless and getting off the streets; recovering from drug or alcohol addiction; or surviving soul-destroying poverty in crime-infested neighbourhoods. That's surviving!

In closing, "Surivivor is a mediocre cd you would expect a "pop group" to release. Because make no mistake about it Destiny's Child are a "pop group." If you want excellent rhythm and blues, you're better off listening to D'Angelo, Aretha Franklin's greatest hits, James Brown's greatest hits. And leave this piece of pop tofu at the store where you found it.

It's not worth a listen! And not worth the time!