Survivor (Destiny's Child album)

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Chase (Atlanta)
Chung King (New York)
Digital Services (Houston)
The Enterprise (Burbank)
The Hit Factory (New York)
House of Music (Oakland)
Lobo (Babylon)
Signet Sound (Los Angeles)
Sony (New York)
Sound on Sound (New York)
Soundtrack (New York)
Stay Tuned (Atlanta)
SugarHill (Houston)
TK (Honolulu)
WallyWorld (Marin County)*R&B
pop59:37Columbia Template:Flatlistx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}

Survivor is the third studio album by American pop group Destiny's Child. It was released on April 25, 2001, by Columbia Records. As their breakthrough second studio album The Writing's on the Wall (1999) became a rising commercial success, Destiny's Child faced the controversial departure of original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who were replaced with Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams, in February 2000. Soon afterwards, they commenced production of their third studio album, tentatively titled Independent Women.

Mere five months after joining, Franklin departed from the group in July 2000, and "Independent Women Part I" was subsequently released as a single from the accompanying soundtrack for the film Charlie's Angels (2000). The song became a global commercial success and the group's third US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. Retitling the album Survivor in reference to the turmoil surrounding their line-up alterations, Destiny's Child enlisted producers such as Anthony Dent, Damon Elliott, Mark J. Feist, Rob Fusari and Keybeats alongside Beyoncé Knowles, who produced all and co-wrote nearly all of the album's tracks. Their final product was an R&B and pop record incorporating genres such as dance, funk and hip hop. Its lyrical themes explore dynamics between women, self-esteem, independence and romantic relationships.

Upon its release, Survivor received generally positive reviews, mostly aimed at its production, while its balladry, length and lyrical content ignited criticism. Retrospective critical commentaries have credited the record for its impact on mainstream music of the 2000s and for serving as foundation for Knowles' eventual solo career. A global commercial success, the album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 663,000 units, becoming Destiny's Child's first and only number-one studio album on the chart. It has gone on to be certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). At the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), the album was nominated for Best R&B Album. By 2004, it had sold over 10 million copies worldwide, being among the best-selling girl group albums of all time.

Survivor produced four singles. Its title track peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top ten in 18 additional countries. In 2002, it won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. "Bootylicious" became Destiny's Child's fourth US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single and attained international success. "Emotion" became a US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit in the wake of the September 11 attacks, while "Nasty Girl" was released only overseas and achieved moderate success. The album was further promoted with the co-headlining Total Request Live Tour (2001) and the Destiny's Child World Tour (2002). After the latter's conclusion, the group embarked on a two-year hiatus, during which each member released a solo studio album to varying levels of success.

Background and development

In July 1999, Destiny's Child released their second studio album The Writing's on the Wall. Their breakthrough record, it debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 133,000 units.<ref name="twotw">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In December, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson tried to split with Destiny's Child's manager Mathew Knowles, claiming that he was keeping too much of the group's profits and that he favored his daughter Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland.<ref name="Kaufman">Template:Cite news</ref> When the accompanying music video for "Say My Name" premiered in February 2000, Roberson and Luckett found out that they were being replaced with Michelle Williams, a former backing vocalist for Monica, and Farrah Franklin, an aspiring singer-actress.<ref name="Kaufman"/> On March 15, Roberson and Luckett filed a lawsuit against Mathew Knowles and their former bandmates for breach of partnership and fiduciary duties.<ref name="easlea1">Template:Harvnb</ref> Following the lawsuit, both sides were disparaging towards each other in the media.<ref name="Kaufman"/> However, the group's prominence and commercial success burgeoned, aided by "Say My Name", which peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100. The Writing's on the Wall subsequently registered a significant rise in sales,<ref name="twotw"/> ascending towards a new peak at number five on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In July 2000, it was announced that Franklin had departed Destiny's Child a mere five months after joining. According to the group, Franklin missed a handful of promotional appearances and concerts and was asked to leave the group. However, Franklin stated that she quit because of negative energy within the group and her inability to assert any control in decision-making.<ref name="Kaufman"/> The group had already begun recording material for their third studio album, with Franklin performing backing vocals on several tracks. Among those was "Independent Women Part I", which was recorded for the accompanying soundtrack for the 2000 film Charlie's Angels.<ref name="mckinney">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song was released as a single on August 29.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A global commercial success, it became the group's third US Billboard Hot 100 and first UK Singles Chart number-one single.<ref name="hot100">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="uksingles">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.<ref name="grammy"/> Towards the end of 2000, Roberson and Luckett dropped the portion of their lawsuit aimed at Beyoncé and Rowland in exchange for a settlement, though they continued the action against Mathew Knowles. As part of the agreement, both sides were prohibited from speaking about each other publicly.<ref name="Kaufman"/>

Recording and production

Template:Quote box The recording sessions for Survivor commenced in May 2000 at the SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston, where most of the album was recorded. "Gospel Medley", which Destiny's Child had previewed during several public appearances throughout 2000,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was also recorded there;<ref name="sugarhill239">Template:Harvnb</ref> the group decided to record it due to their longtime affinity for gospel.<ref name="michelle"/> As on the group's previous records, their manager Mathew Knowles served as the executive producer.<ref name="ukcd"/> Initial tracks recorded for the album were in the vein of "Jumpin', Jumpin'", which was released as the fourth and final single from The Writing's on the Wall within that period, to tremendous commercial success. However, as the recording progressed, the group gradually added more depth to their work as there were "so many people copping [their] sound, it was necessary to change things up a bit."<ref name="us"/> After emerging as the focal point of Destiny's Child, Knowles assumed more control by taking a greater hand in songwriting and even producing some of the album herself.<ref name="DCBio">Template:Cite news</ref> Knowles' intention was not to monopolize the spotlight; however, she did co-write 17 and produce all of the album's 18 tracks. She explained: "I only wanted to do like three songs... The label kept saying "Do another song, do another song, do another song". It wasn't planned. It wasn't like I said, OK, I'm going to take charge."<ref name="Vh1DC">Template:Cite news</ref> However, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams co-wrote only one track–"Outro (DC-3) Thank You".<ref name="michelle">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On July 20, Farrah Franklin departed from Destiny's Child,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> having already recorded backing vocals for several tracks, including "Independent Women Part I".<ref name="sgiw"/> The group embarked on Christina Aguilera's tour Christina Aguilera in Concert as an opening act on July 31, touring until October and simultaneously recording the album.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Six songs, including both parts to "Independent Women", "Nasty Girl" and the unreleased "I Tried", had been recorded by September.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Originally, the Keybeats-produced "Independent Women Part II" was recorded first as the song's album version, while the track which would become "Independent Women Part I" served as a remix.<ref name="mckinney"/> However, their roles were reversed as the group was offered to record material for the accompanying soundtrack to Charlie's Angels (2000), a film adaption of the 1976–1981 television series of the same title. They re-recorded "Independent Women" and enlisted first-time collaborators Trackmasters to produce the track, altering the original's lyrics to suit the Charlie's Angels theme.<ref name="sgiw"/> Cory Rooney, who co-wrote and produced the re-recording, said it took only 15 minutes for him and the Trackmasters to create the instrumental track.<ref name="oral"/> Aside from the SugarHill Recording Studios, part one was recorded at the Lobo Studios in Deer Park, New York and the TK Studios in Honolulu, while part two was recorded at the Chung King Studios in New York City and the 24/7 Studios in Houston.<ref name="ukcd"/> The Anthony Dent-produced title track was inspired by a pun a radio station had made about the fact that three members had already left Destiny's Child, comparing the group to the reality competition television series Survivor. Knowles felt inspired to use the negative comment and turn its context positive by writing a song out of it.<ref name="DCSurvivor">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to Williams, the song was recorded from September to November.<ref name="us"/> It was recorded at the Chase Studios in Atlanta–where fellow Dent production was also recorded–and, alongside numerous other tracks, at the Enterprise Studios in Burbank, California.<ref name="ukcd"/>

Beyoncé claimed to have written "Bootylicious" on a plane flight to London while listening to the song "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks, when the word "bootylicious" popped into her head.<ref name="Vh1DC"/> Rob Fusari disputed the claim in 2010, stating he himself had the idea for the song and had wanted to use a guitar riff from Survivor's 1982 song "Eye of the Tiger" but, after not being able to find it, used a similar riff from "Edge of Seventeen".<ref name="fusari">Template:Cite magazine</ref> However, in 2016, he revealed that after the "Edge of Seventeen" sample was approved, he conceived the song with Beyoncé over the phone, adding: "She was out of the country at that point, but she had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."<ref name="blew"/> Once the group decided to record "Bootylicious", Fusari wanted to remove the sample, explaining: "I figured I'd put the guitar loop on there temporarily, and later go into the studio with a guitar and replay it, because I'd learned, after sampling Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" for Will Smith's "Wild Wild West," that I didn't want to lose 50% of the publishing. I vividly remember telling Mathew Knowles, "Mathew, you got to book me into your studio and let me replay that riff." It was Guitar 101! One note!"; however, Knowles refused.<ref name="fusari"/> Dan Workman, who engineered several tracks from Survivor, commented on the recording sessions: "Beyoncé would be driving over to the studio listening to all these tracks that had been sent to her, and she would pick out her favorite. When she got here, she would immediately start writing lyrics for the song and finish it right there in front of me. For the song "Bootylicious" she wrote all the lyrics for it right in [SugarHill Recording Studios'] Studio A. Then she taught the song to Kelly and Michelle, and all three of them worked on the vocals together."<ref name="sugarhill239"/>

D'wayne Wiggins, who wrote "Fancy" with Beyoncé and J. R. Rotem, said Destiny's Child would carefully select lyrics for the songs, adjusting them to suit the group. According to Wiggins, they would "just take a song and dissect it and put it back together again. For "Fancy," it took [only] about 30 or 45 minutes to change the hook."<ref name="oral"/> Rotem reflected on the song's simple instrumentation, revealing he created beats solely using a keyboard and a drum machine.<ref name="oral"/> The song was recorded at the Digital Services in Houston, with additional recording at the House of Music in Oakland, California.<ref name="ukcd"/> Mark J. Feist, who produced "Emotion", changed the arrangement and production of Samantha Sang's disco-soul 1977 original version into a contemporary ballad.<ref name="oral"/> Beyoncé would re-record "Dangerously in Love" with a modified arrangement for her 2003 debut solo studio album of the same title.<ref name="sugarhill241">Template:Harvnb</ref> Both versions were recorded at the SugarHill Recording Studios, and were written and produced by Beyoncé and Errol McCalla Jr.<ref name="ukcd"/><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> As Survivor neared its completion in December 2000, Destiny's Child referred to their hectic schedule while recording the album, revealing they took time off recording solely on Christmas Day. While they intended to complete the album soon afterwards, the recording continued into early 2001, causing the album's release date to be postponed and its lead single "Survivor" to be delayed from January to March.<ref name="VanHornCDs"/> During the album's production, Rowland recorded her debut solo recording "Angel".<ref name="DCBio"/> Produced by Beyoncé, Fusari and Falonte Moore–who wrote and produced "Bootylicious", "Apple Pie à la Mode" and "Happy Face"–the track appeared on the accompanying soundtrack for the 2001 film Down to Earth.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Previous collaborator Rodney Jerkins, whose production "Say My Name" became one of Destiny's Child's biggest hits, had also returned to work on Survivor. He produced two tracks, including the "street-edgy", up-tempo "Girl Like Me", but neither made the final track listing.<ref name="hiatt"/>

Music and lyrics

Survivor is predominantly an R&B and pop record exploring genres such as hip hop, funk and dance.<ref name="Patterson"/><ref name="cinquemani">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Browne"/><ref name="rabin">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its lyrical themes include dynamics between women, self-esteem, independence and romantic relationships.<ref name="anthony">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="simon">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link Template:Cbignore</ref> The album opens with the uptempo club track "Independent Women Part I", which encourages female empowerment and financial independence. As it was recorded for the accompanying soundtrack for Charlie's Angels (2000), it makes numerous lyrical references to the film.<ref name="sgiw">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album's title track features looped strings built around an "abrasive" hip hop instrumental.<ref name="hiatt"/><ref name="simon"/> Lyrically, it's considered a "prolonged and rather vindictive attack" on the former members of Destiny's Child–LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson and Farrah Franklin.<ref name="petridis"/> The "blinding Prince-like R&B-jazz odyssey" "Bootylicious" features a lyrical response to those who had criticized Beyoncé's weight gain, against a prominent guitar riff sample from Stevie Nicks' 1981 song "Edge of Seventeen".<ref name="Patterson"/><ref name="sgbl">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Nasty Girl" features the group "hurling insults at a hip-hop harlot",<ref name="rabin"/> while dismissing "classless" women altogether.<ref name="sg20">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It features an uncredited interpolation of Salt-N-Pepa's 1986 song "Push It".<ref name="Allmusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Pizzicato string-driven "Fancy" is seen as another diss track directed towards the group's former members.<ref name="petridis"/><ref name="Browne"/>

Avant-funk track "Apple Pie à la Mode" features "percolating" beats and harmonies,<ref name="rabin"/><ref name="Browne"/> while the dance track "Sexy Daddy" is infused with discordant harmonies and "thundering" ragga beats.<ref name="Browne"/><ref name="petridis"/> "Independent Women Part II" sonically differs from its counterpart, featuring modified lyrics against a cartoonish bounce background.<ref name="sgiw"/> The "sunny day" pop track "Happy Face" promotes self-esteem; Sylvia Patterson from NME classified its genre as "cajun-R&B-yodel-pop".<ref name="Browne"/><ref name="anthony"/> A string of ballads subsequently appears, including a "slow jam" cover version of Samantha Sang's 1977 song "Emotion",<ref name="Browne"/> as well as the "soft" "Dangerously in Love" and the easy listening love song "Brown Eyes".<ref name="simon"/><ref name="rabin"/> Brian Hiatt from MTV described the latter as "a gently harmonized love song, with production reminiscent of the Janet Jackson hit "Again.""<ref name="hiatt"/> "The Story of Beauty" lyrically differs from the rest of Survivor, telling a story about a victim of sexual abuse; it was based on a fan who wrote a letter to the group.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Beyoncé described it as "a pretty controversial yet realistic song that deals with something that happens in most families that no one wants to talk about."<ref name="hiatt"/> A cappella gospel track "Gospel Medley" comprises the Beyoncé-written "You've Been So Good", Kirk Franklin's "Now Behold the Lamb", the Christian hymn "Jesus Loves Me", and Richard Smallwood's "Total Praise".<ref name="rabin"/><ref name="leach">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="basham">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album closes with "Outro (DC-3) Thank You", on which the members congratulate, praise and thank each other.<ref name="Browne"/><ref name="petridis"/>

Title and packaging

Originally titled Independent Women after "Independent Women Part I", the album was later retitled Survivors, as Destiny's Child branded themselves "survivors" in reference to the turmoil that had coincided with the group throughout 2000.<ref name="VanHornCDs">Template:Cite news</ref> The title was later altered to Survivor. Beyoncé further explained: "I thought about this joke that this radio station had, and they were saying, 'Oh, Destiny's Child is like "Survivor," trying to see which member is going to last the longest on the island,' and everyone laughed. I was like, 'Ah, that's cute, but you know what? I'm going to use that negative thing and turn it into a positive thing and try to write a great song out of it.'"<ref name="DCSurvivor"/>

The cover artwork for Survivor was photographed by Rod Spicer, with the group styled by Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles.<ref name="ukcd"/> Biographer Daryl Easlea noted the cover "showing the group now as women rather than the girls of the previous sleeves".<ref name="easlea2"/> The album's booklet included a photograph of the members looking "triumphal" standing on rocks on a desert island, inspired by the reality television series Survivor, as a reference to the album's title and title track.<ref name="easlea2">Template:Harvnb</ref>

Release and promotion

Survivor was originally slated for February 13, 2001,<ref name="individual">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> before being postponed to April,<ref name="hiatt">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and afterwards to its ultimate release date of May 1.<ref name="us"/> Its promotional activities commenced on February 28, when Destiny's Child performed the lead single "Survivor" for the first time at the 2001 Soul Train Music Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song was subsequently performed on the April 6 episode of Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom,<ref name="totp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with "Emotion" on Saturday Night Live on May 5,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> on Late Show with David Letterman on May 10,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and with "Bootylicious" on Today on May 11.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The group additionally performed the album's first three singles "Survivor", "Bootylicious" and "Emotion" on The Early Show on June 6.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They subsequently opened the inaugural BET Awards with "Bootylicious" on June 19,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> later performing the song on the August 3 episode of Top of the Pops and the September 7 Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration show.<ref name="totp"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the meantime, the group had embarked on the co-headlining Total Request Live Tour with 3LW, Dream, Eve and Nelly with the St. Lunatics, which ran throughout North America from July 18 until September 21.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Afterwards, their own European tour was scheduled to run from October 24 to November 20, but was postponed in the wake of the September 11 attacks.<ref name="eutour">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Following the tour's postponement, Destiny's Child performed "Survivor", "Emotion" and "Gospel Medley" during the benefit concert United We Stand: What More Can I Give, led by Michael Jackson in tribute to victims of the September 11 attacks, on October 21.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Within subsequent months, the group focused on the overseas promotion of Survivor, performing "Emotion" on the November 23 episode of Top of the Pops in the UK and the December 15 episode of Wetten, dass..? in Germany,<ref name="totp"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Survivor" during the Sanremo Music Festival 2002 in Italy on March 8,<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> and "Bootylicious" at the Logie Awards of 2002 in Australia on April 28.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Also, their first remix album, titled This Is the Remix, was released on March 12 and included remixes of several tracks from Survivor among other tracks;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> it debuted at number 29 on the US Billboard 200.<ref name="bb200"/> The postponed Destiny's Child World Tour commenced on April 29, being expanded from solely Europe to Oceania and Japan as well, and finished on June 24.<ref name="eutour"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its Rotterdam show was filmed and released via video album Destiny's Child World Tour on July 8, 2003.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Singles

"Survivor" was released as the lead single from Survivor on March 6, 2001, to mixed critical reception.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A commercial success, it became Destiny's Child's fourth consecutive US Billboard Hot 100 top-three single, peaking at number two.<ref name="hot100"/> The digital single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 2020.<ref name="riaasingles">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Internationally, the song reached the summit in Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom, and the top ten in 15 additional countries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite a mixed critical response, it won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), marking Destiny's Child's third and final Grammy Award win as a group.<ref name="grammy"/> Its Darren Grant-directed accompanying music video depicts the members as shipwreck survivors on a desert island.<ref name="dcva">Template:Cite AV media</ref> The video was released as the group's first DVD single, which peaked at number nine on the US Top Music Videos and was certified gold by the RIAA.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="riaasingles"/> At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won Best R&B Video,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> also being nominated for Best Pop Video and Best Group Video.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} The nominee for Best Pop Video is mistakenly listed as "Independent Women Part I" instead of "Survivor".</ref>

"Bootylicious" was released as the second single from Survivor on May 22, 2001.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Commercially, it fared similarly to its predecessor, becoming Destiny's Child's fourth and final US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single.<ref name="hot100"/> The digital single was certified platinum by the RIAA in July 2020.<ref name="riaasingles"/> Internationally, the song reached the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="cansingles">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="uksingles"/> Its Matthew Rolston-directed accompanying music video showcases the group performing numerous of Michael Jackson's choreographies and features Stevie Nicks playing the guitar riff sampled from her song "Edge of Seventeen".<ref name="dcva"/>

"Emotion" was released as the third single from Survivor on September 4, 2001.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A commercial success, it continued Destiny's Child's streak of US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles by peaking at number ten after being fueled by post-September 11 attacks airplay.<ref name="hot100"/><ref name="oral">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Internationally, it peaked within the top ten in Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa and the UK.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="uksingles"/> Its Francis Lawrence-directed accompanying music video features the members' respective situations through a triple-split screen; Beyoncé deals with an adulterous boyfriend, Kelly Rowland deals with separation from her boyfriend, while Michelle Williams deals with the death of her grandmother.<ref name="dcva"/>

"Nasty Girl" was released as the fourth and final single from Survivor outside North America on March 4, 2002,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to negative critical reception.<ref name="rabin"/><ref name="cinquemani"/> A moderate commercial success, it peaked at number ten in Australia and within the top 40 in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its Sanaa Hamri-directed accompanying music video depicts women perceived as "nasty girls" receiving transformations.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> In 2016, Rob Fusari, who produced several tracks from Survivor, revealed "Happy Face" was originally slated as the album's final single, but those plans were scrapped due to the song's lyrical content being deemed inappropriate in the wake of the September 11 attacks.<ref name="oral"/>

Critical reception

Template:Music ratings

Survivor received generally favorable reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="Metacritic" /> Writing for Entertainment Weekly, David Browne praised the record, calling it "the divas' premature, but inevitable growing pains album."<ref name="Browne" /> Spin commented that "Survivor is relentlessly inventive in its recombinations."<ref name="Clover" /> Ethan Brown from New York was less impressed, writing: "All fifteen tracks are one-dimensional disses and dismissals of scantily clad women, vengeful boyfriends, and the group's assorted doubters."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sylvia Patterson from NME summarized the album as "Multi-platinum booty-shakers in boundary-pushing nil-shit-taking exercise", while highlighting "Independent Women Part I".<ref name="Patterson"/> Natalie Nichols from Los Angeles Times described it as a "generic hip-hop music box of ticking percussion, pulsing bass and uninspiring samples [which] barely allows [Destiny's Child] a moment to breathe, let alone stretch out".<ref name="nichols"/>

Despite criticizing its length, lyrical content and balladry, Alexis Petridis from The Guardian wrote that Survivor "has a rare individuality, and a hint of genius, hidden in its grooves".<ref name="petridis"/> Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club shared Petridis' negative sentiments, concluding his review by saying: "if the group wants to survive the stormy seas of the pop world for more than a few years, it should call its stable of songwriting wizards ASAP".<ref name="rabin"/> In a positive review, Cristín Leach from RTÉ highlighted "The Story of Beauty" while dismissing the album's closing tracks "Gospel Medley" and "Outro (DC-3) Thank You".<ref name="leach"/> Laura Sinagra from Blender wrote: "Aside from disposable ballads and the sappy "Perfect Man," Survivor blasts haters, child molesters and "been-around-the-block-females," keeping the blood up as they whup ass."<ref name="sinagra"/> Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine expressed that "for the most part Survivor rises to the occasion, and while the album isn't groundbreaking, it at least shows the new trio breaking out on their own."<ref name="cinquemani"/> Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone praised the album but singled "the self-righteous tone creeping into the songs" out as its sole weakness.<ref name="sheffield"/>

Accolades

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