Destiny’s Child picked up two Grammys, earned four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and launched the career of one of the biggest musical icons of the past quarter-century (who is now the most Grammy-winning artist in history). But the fiercely independent women didn’t exactly start their career firing on all cylinders.
Released 25 years ago (Feb. 17), the group’s 1998 debut album was initially greeted with a similar response to its only hit: “No, No, No.” Peaking at a lowly No. 67 on the Billboard 200, the self-titled affair suggested that Destiny’s Child would quickly fall by the wayside a la Zhané, Allure and nearly every other R&B girl band who had a solitary top 10 Hot 100 single to their name in the 1990s.
Of course, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and (for a brief moment) LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett ended up challenging for TLC’s crown with their 1999 sophomore album, The Writing’s on the Wall. And as a result, its largely ignored predecessor enjoyed something of a second wind, with many fans who came on board thanks to “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name” hoping to discover just as many previously hidden gems. Its domestic sales have now passed the 847,000 mark, according to Luminate.
But Destiny’s Child is no doubt still regarded as the least essential part of the group’s discography. And ultimately Beyoncé’s and Kelly Rowland’s catalogs, too. So, is this reputation deserved? Here’s a ranking of its 13 offerings from worst to best.
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“My Time Has Come”
Starting a trend that would be adopted by both The Writing’s on the Wall and Survivor, Destiny’s Child concludes with a gospel-tinged dedication to the group’s late former manager Andretta Tillman. While the sentiment is in the right place, the overblown melodies and vocals suggest that the former Star Search competitors were still in the talent show mindset. With its ‘against all odds’ lyrical themes, “My Time Has Come” sounds more like one of the lesser American Idol winner’s singles than a statement of intent from the future biggest girl band in the world. Listen here.
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“Killing Time”
“Killing Time” was the first Destiny’s Child song to be officially released, appearing on the Men in Black soundtrack in the summer of 1997. Sadly, the gloopy ballad, one of many on Destiny’s Child, is nowhere near as much fun as Will Smith’s “Forget Me Nots”-sampling title track. Several years before “Cater 2 U,” the group was less than independent with a song about spending an entire day waiting patiently for the man of the house to come home. What this has to do with a pair of sharp-suited special agents investigating extra-terrestrial crimes is anyone’s guess. Listen here.
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“Tell Me”
In 2006, Beyoncé acknowledged to The Guardian that the material on Destiny’s Child’s debut was “way too mature for” for a group whose average age was 15 at its time of recording. “Tell Me” is a prime example. Had it appeared on an Angie Stone or Jill Scott record, its tale of a woman pleading with her long-term boyfriend to put their failing relationship out of its misery may well have struck a chord. But despite the group’s best efforts, attempts to play the spurned lover fail to convince.
Released six years later, studio swan song Destiny Fulfilled proved Beyoncé and Rowland could pull off the sound when older and wiser. Listen here.
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"Birthday"
“Birthday” is one of two songs on this album to feature various members of Destiny’s Child on its credits. After that initial celebratory “Happy Birthday” bit, the song quickly segues into the album’s default mode: a tastefully arranged, slickly produced and well-performed but entirely unremarkable R&B slow jam. The Destiny’s Child that gave us such club bangers as “Bootylicious,” “Lose My Breath” and “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” seems light years away. Listen here.
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"Sail On"
Another sign of how label Columbia struggled to harness the girls’ talent comes with this perfunctory cover version. While contemporaries such as 702 and Total were working with the forward-thinking Missy Elliott, Destiny’s Child were being saddled with retro hits from Commodores. Not that “Sail On,” a Hot 100 top 10 single penned by Lionel Richie, isn’t a prime slice of country-flavored soul. Or that Beyoncé and co. don’t do the track justice. But it’s the kind of offering more suited to performing in Tina Knowles’ salon than on the world stage. Listen here.
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"With Me Part II” feat. Master P
“With Me Part II” isn’t drastically different from “With Me Part I.” But it appears further down the list thanks to an additional this-will-do rap from Master P performed so lazily that we can only assume he’d just woken up. Rob Fusari and Vincent Herbert’s production isn’t quite as beefy as the single version, either. Interestingly, all four members are listed as songwriters here but don’t receive a credit for the remix, suggesting that they had a hand in terrible non-rhymes like “Put on your soldier gear, let’s ride tonight/Thug love, bubble bath, it ain’t no limit tonight.” Listen here.
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"No, No, No, Pt. 1”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Destiny’s Child sure liked recycling material on their debut. You may remember they also pulled a similar trick on Survivor, although at least “Independent Women Pt. II” sounded like a completely different song from the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack cut. The original “No, No, No,” written about a man who appears to prefer spending more time with his homies than his girl, boasts the same winning melody as the hit remix. But its slowed-down production, which also came with an accompanying promo, wouldn’t have wowed enough to propel the group to the upper reaches of the chart alone.
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“Illusion” feat. Wyclef Jean and Pras
Arriving several months before monster hit “Ghetto Supastar,” “Illusion” is perhaps most notable for being the first post-Fugees credit for Pras Michel as well as a mini-Fugees reunion thanks to the presence of co-producer Wyclef Jean. The pair provide some much-needed oomph on a slinky funk number which draws on the “oohs” and “aahs” from British trio Imagination’s 1982 single “Just an Illusion.” But we’re less sure about the Pras verse in which he rhymes “High side, Korneesh Style, joy ride” with – less than a year after the royal’s death – the slightly tasteless “Blowin’ candles in the wind like Princess Di.” Listen here.
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"Bridges"
Providing even more evidence that Destiny’s Child was being steered more toward their parents’ record collections than their own, the motivational offering “Bridges” borrows the supremely sensual acoustic hook from Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful,” one of the standouts from the soul legend’s 1972 album I’m Still In Love With You. Nevertheless, the fact that everyone from Mary J. Blige and Talib Kweli to G-Unit and Kid Cudi have since relied on the same sample shows that the group were ahead of the game in some ways. Listen here.
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“With Me Part I” feat. Jermaine Dupri
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo The superior “With Me” failed to sustain the success of Destiny’s Child’s debut single, with its airplay-only release hampering Hot 100 action. As a result, it can be filed alongside “Get on the Bus” in the category of their most underrated singles. “Part I” retains the sampled twinkling keys from hip-hop outfit TRU’s “Freak Hoes” (another Master P connection) and serves as an answer song to Usher’s “You Make Me Wanna…”. But producer Jermaine Dupri also toughens up the beats and the squelchy bassline for a much punchier dancefloor-ready listen.
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"Second Nature"
The finest of four tracks produced by Tony! Toni! Toné! founding member Dwayne Wiggins, opening number “Second Nature” is also the album’s best attempt to join the burgeoning neo-soul movement. Once again, another ‘70s R&B favorite lays the foundation: on this occasion, it’s The Isley Brothers’ “Make Me Say It Again, Girl.” (Beyoncé brought things full circle in 2022 by recording that exact song with Ronald Isley.) But this time around, the girls stamp their own mark on a classic with some of the most impressive harmonies of their career as a quartet. Listen here.
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"Show Me the Way"
Bizarrely, Carl Washington would go on to act in such straight-to-video ‘classics’ as Wild Things 2 and zombie movie Hood of the Living Dead. But his greatest contribution to pop culture must surely be as the producer of this classy throwback to the slick R&B funk of the early 1980s. There are definite shades of Rick James proteges Mary Jane Girls, particularly their signature hit “All Night Long,” in its sensual beats, synthesized strings and cooing melodies. As she does throughout the album, Beyoncé marks her territory as the group’s de facto leader with some powerhouse ad-libs, too. Listen here.
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“No, No, No, Pt. 2” feat. Wyclef Jean
As Wyclef helpfully points out in the intro, “This is the remix” of the more traditional R&B song. His greater rhythmic punch, crashing hi-hats and staccato snare beats lend “No, No, No, Pt. 2” a spirited attitude that’s sorely lacking elsewhere. Lifting the bleeps and bass from Love Unlimited Orchestra’s “Strange Games and Things,” this Hot 100 No. 3 hit remains one of the top-tier uptempos in Destiny’s Child’s catalog. Had the rest of their debut album reached the same heights, their world domination would no doubt have come a little sooner. Listen here.