| Updated 1/12/2019.
 image from genius.com |
| Independent Women – Part 1
Destiny’s Child |
Writer(s): Beyoncé Knowles/Cory Rooney/Samuel Barnes/Jean-Claude Olivier (see lyrics here) Released: 9/4/2000 First Charted: 9/16/2000 Peak: 111 US, 13 RB, 11 UK, 7 CN, 3 AU (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales *: -- US, 0.6 UK, 0.74 world (includes US + UK) Radio Airplay *: -- Video Airplay *: 38.94 Streaming *: -- * in millions |
Review: Destiny’s Child, “a Supremes for the 21st century,” TB-291 ironically had their greatest success at the time of their greatest upheaval. With Beyoncé Knowles becoming the obvious Diana Ross-style leader, the rotating cast behind her mattered little. This was the group’s first single to feature new member Michelle Williams on vocals. It also was the first appearance on a single for Farrah Franklin, but she had been jettisoned from the group by the time the video was filmed. WK The song was the biggest of Destiny Child’s career and spent more weeks atop the Billboard charts than any other soundtrack song in history up to that point. SF The song was also listed in the 2001 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running song by a female group. WK “Women” began life as a solo recording from Beyoncé. After an argument with her boyfriend, she recorded this declaration of female independence. She re-recorded it with her bandmates when Columbia Studios asked for the song’s inclusion in a new Charlie’s Angels movie. They changed some words, even mentioning the film’s stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu in the lyrics. SFIn the video, the band members took on the roles of the three Charlie’s Angels. SF “Part 1” was added in brackets to distinguish this version from the different version (that became “Part 2”) that appeared on the group’s album Survivor. SF “Part 2” was a bit slower and sported some different lyrics as well as “space-age sound effects.” TB-291 “Part 2” was the original song and then the Pasadena remix became the single version and got moved to “Part 1” status. WK Resources and Related Links:
Note: Footnotes (raised letter codes) refer to sources frequently cited on the blog. Numbers following the letter code indicate page numbers. If the raised letter code is a link, it will go directly to the correct page instead of the home page of a website. You can find the sources and corresponding footnotes on the “Lists” page in the “Song Resources” section. |
