Survivor (Destiny's Child song)

Background and development

"Survivor" was written by Anthony Dent, Destiny's Child band member Beyoncé Knowles and her father Mathew, while production was helmed by Dent and Beyoncé. The lyrics address the hardships that the band experienced in 2000, when original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett split from Knowles and Kelly Rowland, and were replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. Soon afterwards Franklin was also dismissed from the group, leading to more well-publicized personnel changes. According to Knowles, the group was publicly compared to the reality series Survivor, which inspired her to "write us out of all that negativity."

Dent initially envisioned his instrumental track to be recorded by rapper Lil' Kim, before Beyoncé used it to pen the lyrics, melody and vocal arrangement for "Survivor." Much of the song was written during a flight to the next city while Destiny's Child was opening for singer Christina Aguilera during her Christina Aguilera in Concert tour. Knowles later elaborated on the process: "I wrote it quickly because I was frustrated. For me, it was all about what survival means for women, and how hard it is to be one when there are people out there who are trying to bring you down." She further commented on its concept in an interview with MTV in which she stated that "Survivor" was "basically about surviving different situations. Everyone in this world that I know, they've survived something, and I know the song is definitely inspirational. It really makes you feel strong, and it really makes you feel like you can survive anything."

Recording of the song took place at the SugarHill Studios in Houston, Texas in late 2000. "Survivor" was the first song from its parent album Survivor to be recorded. In a promotional 2001 interview with Billboard, Williams commented on the recording process: "Words can't describe how we felt when we recorded that song. Some of us were crying, others were jumping up and down [...] We prayed before that session, and the energy in that session was so high –— the room was heated." The chanting of the word "what!" in the chorus was Mathew Knowles' contribution to the song and added late into the recording of the "Survivor" after he had walked into the session while the band was recording and felt that a chanting part would suggest audience participation. The group debuted the song live during their RodeoHouston concert on February 18, 2001.

Composition

The song is performed in the key of G minor, with a tempo of 81 beats per minute in common time. In the harmonic minor scale, it follows a chord progression of Gm–Cm7–D, and the group's vocals span an octave and a half, from G3 to C5.

Critical reception

Billboard critic Chuck Taylor noted that "Survivor" was "careful not to stray from the well-established formula that has made Destiny's Child the pop act du jour – a skittish stop- and-start beat, the puissant vocals of co-songwriter/producer Beyoncé Knowles, and a lyric about life in the victory lane when mankind does you wrong." In 2017, Billboard also ranked the song at number 40 on their list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time". AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that "Survivor" was "painfully labored, stuttering over a halting melody that Beyoncé Knowles breathlessly pushes to absolutely nowhere, working it so hard that it's difficult to listen."

Commercial performance

"Survivor" debuted at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the group's second highest-debuting single to date, behind 2004's "Lose My Breath" at number 30. It quickly ascended through the chart, reaching its peak of number two within a month, remaining at the position for seven consecutive weeks. The song was not released on physical formats until after its airplay had peaked; it topped the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart for eight weeks. It also peaked at number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Its DVD edition peaked at number nine on the US Top Music Videos chart.

In the United Kingdom, "Survivor" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, selling 104,000 copies in its first week. It had sold 260,000 copies by the end of 2001, and has sold over 832,000 copies as of April 2021. It also topped the charts in Ireland and Norway, while peaking at number two in Canada and number three in New Zealand.

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Survivor" was directed by Darren Grant and filmed in various locations throughout Los Angeles County, California on January 27–29, 2001. The clip is styled in the sense of three survivors living on an uninhabited island. It also shows a brief prelude to how the trio got shipwrecked. Following their shipwreck, they uncover an island where they change clothes and walk into a waterfall leading to a deserted temple where it transforms into a dance break. It storms on through the dance bridge and the prelude of the shipwreck. After this, a helicopter starts buzzing leading to where the members are racing out of the island for their escape. External shots in the video were filmed at Point Dume State Beach on the coast of Malibu as well as the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, with the rest of the sequences being filmed at the Los Angeles Center Studios.

The final video premiered on MTV's making of documentary series Making the Video on March 6, 2001. One of Destiny's Child's "most difficult videos" to film due to the unseasonal weather conditions in California in late January 2001, the band was reportedly "sick for days" after shooting beach scenes in their skimpy outfits. The "Survivor" music video was later released on DVD with a live performance of "Independent Women Part I" at the 2001 Brit Awards on May 15, 2001. The release was a standard full-frame transfer that preserved the original aspect ratio of the video, with an English soundtrack rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. It was featured on the DualDisc edition of their greatest hits album #1's (2005), on the international edition of Survivor (2001) as an enhanced video, on the Walmart-exclusive DVD titled Fan Pack (2004), and on Video Anthology (2013). Director Cary Joji Fukunaga got his start in the film industry as a camera production assistant on the video.

Controversy

Former group members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson filed a lawsuit against Knowles, Rowland, and former manager Mathew Knowles; they claimed some of the lyrics in "Survivor", such as "You thought I wouldn't sell without you/sold nine million", violated a previous agreement that prevented either party from insulting the other.

Track listings

• US and Canadian CD single

1. "Survivor" (remix extended version featuring Da Brat) – 4:24
2. "Survivor" (Calderone club mix) – 9:26
3. "Survivor" (Calderone Drum Dub mix) – 6:45
4. "Survivor" (CB200 Club Anthem mix) – 6:20
5. "Survivor" (Azza'z soul remix) – 4:30

• US 7-inch single :A. "Survivor – 4:14 :B. "Survivor" (featuring Da Brat) – 4:24

• US 12-inch single :A1. "Survivor" (Calderone club mix) – 9:26 :A2. "Survivor" (Calderone Drum Dub mix) – 6:45 :B1. "Survivor" (CB200 Club Anthem mix) – 6:20 :B2. "Survivor" (remix extended version featuring Da Brat) – 4:24 :B3. "Survivor" (Azza'z soul remix) – 4:30

• US DVD single

1. "Survivor"
2. "Independent Women Part I" (live at The Brits 2001)

• European CD single

1. "Survivor" (album version)
2. "Survivor" (Azza'z soul remix radio edit)

• UK CD1

1. "Survivor" (album version) – 4:14
2. "Survivor" (Azza'z soul remix radio edit) – 3:56
3. "Survivor" (Victor Calderone club mix) – 9:26

• UK CD2

1. "Survivor" (Jaimeson full vocal remix) – 6:19
2. "Independent Women Part I" (live at The Brits 2001) – 3:52
3. "So Good" (Maurice's soul remix) – 7:35
4. "Independent Women Part I" (live at The Brits 2001 video version)

• UK cassette single

1. "Survivor" (album version) – 4:14
2. "Survivor" (Maurice's Soul Survivor mix) – 7:51

• Australian CD single

1. "Survivor" (album version)
2. "So Good" (Maurice's soul remix)
3. "So Good" (Digital Black-N-Groove club mix)
4. "Independent Women Part I" (Joe Smooth 200 Proof 2 Step Mix)

Personnel

Personnel are adapted from the liner notes of Survivor.

• Rich Balmer – assistant engineering
• Kerren Berz – strings
• Orlando Calzada – engineering
• Anthony Dent – engineering, production, writing
• Beyoncé Knowles – production, vocals, writing
• Mathew Knowles – executive production, writing
• Redd – keyboards
• Kelly Rowland – vocals
• Brian Springer – engineering
• Michelle Williams – vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions

In 2023, the film Migration was released, in which Mon Laferte sang a Spanglish cover of the song.

References

References

1. "Suit claims Beyonce stole 'Survivor' song". Madmax.lmtonline.com.
2. (December 11, 2000). "Destiny's Child Pursue Individual Destinies". MTV.com.
3. (September 1, 2000). "Destiny's Child: Someday We'll Be Together".
4. "Destiny's Child: Survivors". MTV.
5. (July 10, 2017). "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks".
6. (July 2024). "Best Songs of the 2000s". [[Black Entertainment Television]]}}{{dead link.
7. (May 1, 2001). "Destiny's Child Cast As 'Survivor'".
8. Dunn, Jancee. (June 10, 2001). "Date with destiny". [[Guardian Media Group]].
9. (November 23, 2009). "[[I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas]]". [[Columbia Records]].
10. (January 21, 2011). "Anthony Dent speaks on producing "Survivor" for Beyonce". HBCUmix.com.
11. Taraborrelli, J. Randy. (October 29, 2015). "Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story". Pan Macmillan.
12. Clark, Michael D.. (February 19, 2001). "Destiny's Child puts RodeoHouston on cutting edge".
13. Knowles, Mathew. (July 10, 2001). "Destiny's Child "Survivor" Sheet Music in B Major (transposable) - Download & Print".
14. Taylor, Chuck. (March 10, 2001). "Reviews & Previews – Singles (Spotlight)".
15. (July 10, 2017). "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks".
16. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Survivor – Destiny's Child".
17. Myers, Justin. (April 22, 2021). "Official Chart Flashback 2001: Destiny's Child - Survivor". [[Official Charts Company]].
18. (July 2013). "Destiny's Child Making Of Survivor Video Part 1". [[Making the Video]].
19. (October 7, 2013). "Destiny's Child Making Of Survivor Video Part 1". [[Making the Video]].
20. Reilly, Nick. (May 21, 2021). "Destiny's Child were "sick for days" after 'Survivor' video shoot". [[NME]].
21. Bhattacharji, Alex. (October 10, 2020). "Director Cary Joji Fukunaga on Directing the Delayed James Bond Film 'No Time to Die'". Wall Street Journal.
22. (February 28, 2002). "Ex-Destiny's Child Members Sue Over 'Survivor'".
23. (2001). "Survivor". [[Columbia Records]].
24. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
25. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
26. Seibert, Perry. "Survivor Review by Perry Seibert". [[AllMusic]].
27. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
28. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
29. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
30. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
31. "Cassette Single-Destiny's Child – Survivor (Album Version) / Survivor (Maurice's Soul Survivor Mix) – Columbia – UK – 671173 4".
32. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
33. (2001). "Survivor". Columbia Records.
34. (2001). "Survivor". [[Columbia Records]].
35. "Destiny's Child Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)".
36. "Canadian Top 20 in 2001".
37. (May 5, 2001). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
38. (May 26, 2001). "Top National Sellers".
39. (May 26, 2001). "Major Market Airplay – Week 22/2001".
40. "Top of the Year 2001". [[Romanian Top 100]].
41. (5 May 2001). "Top 50 Airplay Chart".
42. "Destiny's Child Chart History: Music Video Sales".
43. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
44. "Jaaroverzichten 2001". Ultratop.
45. "Rapports Annuels 2001". Ultratop.
46. "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001". [[Jam!]].
47. "BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001". [[Jam!]].
48. (December 22, 2001). "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2001".
49. "Tops de L'année {{!}} Top Singles 2001". [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
50. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2001". [[GfK Entertainment]].
51. "Ireland – Top Singles for 2001". Allcharts.
52. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2001". Top 40.
53. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2001". [[MegaCharts]].
54. "End of Year Charts 2001". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
55. "Årslista Singlar, 2001". [[Sverigetopplistan]].
56. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2001".
57. "2001 UK Singles Chart". [[UKChartsPlus]].
58. (19 January 2002). "Most Broadcast of 2001: Airplay Top 50".
59. "2001 Year-End Chart". Longbored Surfer.
60. (December 29, 2001). "The Year in Music 2001: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks".
61. (December 21, 2001). "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001".
62. (December 29, 2001). "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales".
63. (December 21, 2001). "Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2001".
64. (January 14, 2003). "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002 (Part 2)". Jam!.
65. (March 2, 2001). "Going for Adds / AddVance Notice".
66. (April 9, 2001). "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th April 2001". ARIA.
67. (April 9, 2001). "Survivor – Destiny's Child – CD maxi single". [[Fnac]].
68. "Destiny's Child".
69. (April 14, 2001). "New Releases – For Week Starting April 16, 2001: Singles".
70. (May 2, 2001). "Survivor – Destiny's Child – CD single". [[Fnac]].
71. Pietroluongo, Silvio. (May 19, 2001). "Hot 100 Spotlight".
72. (May 15, 2001). "Destiny's Child – Survivor / Independent Women Part I (Live at the Brits 2001) (DVD Single)". [[Amazon Music]].
73. "Survivor (Film Version) - John Powell & Mon Laferte: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts".
74. "Survivor (Full Version) - Mon Laferte: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts".