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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Survivor

Destiny's Child

2001

Buy At Rough Trade
Survivor
Album Summary

Survivor is the third studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on May 1st, 2001, by Columbia Records. The album features production by lead singer Beyoncé Knowles and J.R. Rotem, with additional production from Poke & Tone, Cory Rooney and Mark J. Feist. Four singles were released from the album: "Survivor", "Bootylicious", a cover of Samantha Sang's "Emotion", and "Nasty Girl". The album was a massive commercial success, debuting at number one in over fifteen countries across Europe, North America and other continents. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 663,000 copies, the highest first-week sales figures of any female group in the SoundScan era, and stayed at number one for two consecutive weeks. It earned Destiny's Child two Grammy Award nominations for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Best R&B Album. Survivor was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 7, 2002. Billboard ranked Survivor at number 70 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade. The album has sold over 4.7 million copies in the United States[*] and over 10 million copies worldwide.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.9

Votes

9444
Genres
Pop

Reviews

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Wed May 03 2023
2

This is a weird one. Obviously it was a big album at the time, and Destiny’s Child benefits in hindsight from Beyoncé’s place in culture, but there is some really really cringey early 2000s culture on this album. From the opening, the soundtrack tie in to Charlie’s Angels with name drops for the actresses, it seems like this is the definition of commercialized nonsense. I was kind of shocked by Nasty Girl, which weirdly embodies the early 2000s puritanical/slut-shaming culture of America and is absolute cringe, especially coming after Independent Women, Survivor, AND Bootylicious. It’s a really weird dichotomy of culture. Overall it's just incoherent as an album. There's no overarching theme or message. It bounces back and forth between female empowerment, slut-shaming/pick-me attitudes, lusting after a man ("Spotted me my baby's father" lol), and back to female independence - and that's barely even halfway through the album! I guess its an important listen for the cultural context and place in Beyonce's history, but woof, other than some catchy singles I did not like it.

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Tue Jun 21 2022
4

Like the missy elliott album I got, survivor is very emblematic of it’s time but it’s definitely much less dated than that album. Survivor still makes me feel like a bad bitch even though I’m a straight white man

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Wed Sep 14 2022
2

More sure of themselves than of their material, hence the frontloading. After the three hits, a pleasant ramble through vocal wham-bam more fleshed-out than the ideas.

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Fri Oct 27 2023
2

This is like a 2 for me. Really not a fan of any particular song, unlikely to listen to any again. However, Ani and I got a kick out of how many songs were like "man I fucking hate other women" and then the album ends with like spoken word thanking all the women who they feel close with. Hilarious energy would give it 2.5 if I could just for that.

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Sun Sep 03 2023
2

Well, I guess this is how we’re going to cap off this week of absolutely torturous records from the 1001 Albums Generator… A few years ago, in a belated review of Sonic Youth’s “Washing Machine”, Pitchfork compared Sonic Youth and Destiny’s Child - i guess in an attempt make Sonic Youth more relatable to their modern-day audience. Ironic that a website that wouldn’t have even thought about reviewing this Destiny Child record in 2001 and gave Sonic Youth’s 2002 record, Murray Street, a 9.0/10 upon release would end up making such a comparison, but we live in strange times. I’m sure Pitchfork’s corporate overlords at Condé Nast don’t mind a few more mentions of Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child than usual - it fits a bit better with the upper class hipster fashionista lifestyle they try and sell than Sonic Youth’s grimey noise rock does. Without further ado, I present to you the comparison they made, verbatim: “Skip Tracer” is a showcase for Lee Ranaldo, the band’s second guitarist, who is given a spotlight or two as lead singer on most Sonic Youth albums. He’s something like the Kelly Rowland to Moore’s Beyoncé, beloved but in the background due to the band leader’s overwhelming star power.” Until sitting down to listen to “Survivor” today, I never understood how apt that comparison was. …Just kidding, that comparison is ridiculous and doesn’t serve either party very well. Anyway, at this point, the generator has beaten me down enough this week and I’ve stopped listening to “Survivor” about 7 songs in to put on Murray Street - it’s a really great record, one of Sonic Youth’s best.

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Wed Jun 22 2022
1

I know Beyonce is a big deal but I never actually heard her music. I guess it's the generation gap or maybe the younger generation has been dumbed down by technology, but there is not a lot of depth here. Apparently many people feel encouraged by the song Survivor, cancer survivors, etc. I am glad they have found some comfort with this. But the video is appalling, using sex to sell music. I wish that would go away!

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Wed Oct 25 2023
1

"Is my vibe too vibealacious for you, babe" Fuck this album, even the popular songs (all three were back to back at the very beginning) weren't very good. Afterwards, I felt like I was being tortured during a Crimean underground waterboarding. I would've given them the nuclear launch codes. The album was 1hr and 10min, which is 20 minutes longer than the average album, which was just fantastic. Not only was the music headache-inducing, it was also contradictory, with the girls bragging about being so "Bootylicious" and then going on to bash other women for being sluts in the very next song- "Nasty girl." this shit sucks. T6 - Apple pie a la mode is going on the playlist solely because it's the shortest song on the album. 1/5

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Sun Jan 29 2023
1

First I looked to see if it was possible to give an album zero stars, but you can't. This along with Taylor Smith (I know it's Swift) and countless others is what's wrong with the music of today

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Wed Dec 28 2022
5

Le R'n'B est ce qui est arrivé de mieux aux États-unis depuis l'arrivée des conquistadors au XVIème siècle. Robert refuse toutefois de reconnaître ce genre de musique et préfère classer ces albums dans la pile Pop ou Hip-hop. Quelle honte... Vous commencez à en avoir l'habitude, chaque nouvel album de R'n'B est l'occasion pour moi de m'enquérir de la santé mentale des fans de métal. Aux dernières nouvelles, ces derniers suent toujours autant dans leur T-shirt tête de mort et grattouillent régulièrement le dos de leurs innombrables clébards couverts de puces porteuses de maladies que l'on pense disparues. N'hésitez pas à me dire si la situation a évolué.

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Thu Jun 09 2022
3

Ehh it's pretty generic pop RnB. You get the gist pretty much halfway through. Probably about 20 minutes too long. 2.5/5

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Fri Jun 10 2022
3

Turn of the century pop classic this has one of the best three song starts of any pop album. Obviously the trio of ladies are fantastic singers belting out iconic track after iconic track.

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Thu Dec 15 2022
5

A modern classic - very enjoyable listen

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Fri Jan 20 2023
5

Feel like it gets a bit lost by the end but such a strong start with a LOT of big tunes.

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Fri Feb 17 2023
5

Really fun and easy to listen to

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Wed Apr 05 2023
5

I love this album. So glad that Beyoncé was in a girl group. Independent women Is an absolute bop.

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Fri May 19 2023
5

Quality stuff here, R&B royalty in the making. 5 stars.

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Fri Jun 02 2023
5

You can take beyoncé out of destiny's child but you can't take destiny's child away from me

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Tue Jul 04 2023
5

Good god. I did not remember how jam-packed this thing was with hits. And to think that this DC3 unit only had been forged a mere month before recording - ridiculous talents. Of course Beyoncé is the star here but the production was top-notch for its age (maybe a bit dated right now) and the songs hold up (despite the passé Charlie’s Angels movie references). Still, can’t fault this turn of the century gem.

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Wed Jul 05 2023
5

A low 5, but it is mostly due to the off-balance elements off the group, the production, and the album. Otherwise, vital music for the beginning of the 21st century.

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Sat Jul 08 2023
5

i have already listened so many times...

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Wed Nov 15 2023
5

I mean what can you say, I don’t want no scrubs

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Sun Jan 21 2024
5

Who’d a thought an album with the Charlie’s Angels theme would appear on this list? Sure, it isn’t the original series theme, it’s still a pretty great song and even though I might be reviewing with the benefit of foresight - these women are national treasures. There’s a few songs I don’t exactly love (i.e. “Nasty Girl” seemed a bit shamey), but still a great album.

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Sun Jan 21 2024
5

Wow! Why have I waited so long?

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Sun Jan 21 2024
5

All the women who independent…ABSOLUTELY!

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Wed Feb 14 2024
5

Classic turn of the century R&B sound. I knew a few of the songs in the beginning; the end got odd, with some Christian themes. Some of the lyrics wouldn’t fly today.

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Sun Feb 25 2024
5

The harmonies, the vocal runs, the chaotic beats mixed with smooth melodies all result in one of the most enjoyable albums ever made. 5 stars for sure.

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Wed Mar 06 2024
5

Fun album. I'd forgotten just how good it is.

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Sat Jun 11 2022
4

Great and enjoyable pop/r&b album. Couple of big hits, couple of other higher tempo songs, albeit a bit too long

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Sat Jun 11 2022
4

The entire album is produced to perfection, the best sounding R&B with infectious rhythms and top class vocal performances by Beyonce and the entire group’s harmonies. The quality of the songs significantly dips in the second half, but overall, great album!

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Fri Jul 01 2022
4

Now here are the kind of albums I’m wanting to see on this list! Three bangers right out the gate and then a bunch of R/B greatness. Awesome album.

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Wed Jul 06 2022
4

Bangers off the top. The later songs get a bit much but still a great listen

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Fri Jul 22 2022
4

First 3 songs are all A* pop songs. Expected the rest of the album to drop off a cliff but surprisingly it didn't and had some actually good tunes. It's a collection of individual songs rather than an album but on the other hand I feel this is where Beyonce's superstardom started and it does have a star is born feeling. I'm waffling as i'm hesitant to give this a 4 but on the power of the first 3 songs I'm gonna do it.

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Wed Aug 10 2022
4

Snitched idyls to make an album with powerful track, and the music is pretty good too

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Thu Sep 22 2022
4

Some hits. Some cheesys. Fairly good. Would listen again

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Fri Sep 23 2022
4

Pretty middle of the road, nice if you like this kind of pop

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Wed Oct 05 2022
4

Pretty classic album with some bangers from the 00s - most of album isn't my flavour but can't deny they are excellent

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Wed Oct 19 2022
4

Good album, famous tracks, nothing quite like it. Very typical late 90s, early noughties R&B partly because it's so influential. Loose in some areas and very much targeted towards a listener other than myself but nevertheless an icon of the genre.

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Thu Oct 27 2022
4

What a lot of fun. Hit after hit

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Wed Nov 16 2022
4

Some real chart topping bangers. What a fun time for early 2000s pop & interesting to see the start of Beyoncé & Kelly's career. And let's not forget Charlie's Angels - good times.

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Wed Dec 07 2022
4

This album is certainly a time capsule. R&B has changed a lot since this album was popular, and it's neat to go back and listen to stuff from that era that helped define a sound that has long since passed. At least, it's neat to go back and listen to the good stuff from that era (I'm still angry that I had to listen to that Limp Bizkit album). This album really holds up, both in terms of its music and its messaging. It's packed full of monster hits, but there's also really no filler on the album 4/5

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Wed Dec 28 2022
4

Une équipe de professionnels surentraînés vient d'être envoyée par mes soins au domicile de mon affreux camarade d'écoute robespierre afin d'éliminer ce dernier. Ses avis désastreux sur la rnb ont en effet dépassé les bornes avec le 5 accordé à cet album, auquel j'accorde un minuscule 4/5.

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Fri Dec 30 2022
4

I obviously owned (and maybe still own?) this CD. The music videos for these are ingrained in my brain. It’s funny listening to this realizing it’s basically a Beyoncé album when I did not even realize that when it came out. The repetition in these songs can get annoying at some points. However according to my rating scale it gets a 4 because Bootylicious and Emotion are songs I could listen to once a week for the rest of my life

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Fri Dec 30 2022
4

So many great pop songs on here. Super fun listen.

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Thu Jan 12 2023
4

Another banger of an album that was a re-listen.

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Sun Jan 15 2023
4

Really brings me back to middle school. I'm enjoying how wholesome the themes are, how unwavering in their conviction. Respect. The cheesy orchestral synth sounds don't hold up in my opinion, but beyond that I thought it held up pretty well.

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Fri Jan 27 2023
4

Pretty great harmonies and rhythms. Gets a little repetitive, but enjoyable overall.

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Wed Feb 22 2023
4

It is a delicious pop R&B tour. Lots of catchy melodies and beats, with some clear highlights with Survivor, Bootylicious and Dangerously in Love. However, i have no idea what to make of Outra Thank You. I could tolerate maybe 30 seconds of them doting on their bandmates, but holy god... 4 minutes?!??! I'm giving them a pass on this, pretending it wasn't added to the album.

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Thu Mar 09 2023
4

Mooi album, wordt wat veel van hetzelfde na een tijd

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Thu Mar 30 2023
4

Best Song: Survivor. The perfect head bobbing tempo. The righteousness. The motivation. This is also one of the tracks that takes most advantage of the trio, layering their vocals beautifully. Cut that last 10 seconds though, goddamn. Worst Song: Brown Eyes. Every other track on the album is so uplifting, and then there's this mundane love song in the middle. It's a sweet song, but it doesn't belong at this spot of this album. Overall: This is so good. The three all sound fantastic, even when Beyonce stands out as something else entirely. Listening to this album feels having a squad of ladies behind you reminding you not to take no shit. The beats are early 2000s gold. A beautiful time capsule.

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Wed Apr 05 2023
4

sexy daddy a banger indep woman pt II has a not fun intro beat but after that the song HIIIIIIITS

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Mon Apr 10 2023
4

Einn stór banger frá upphafi til enda, í raun og veru. Ég kom seint á Destiny's Child vagninn en mun seint fara af honum.

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Fri Apr 14 2023
4

Such a great album. I knew some of the songs from airplay back when it was released, but I hadn't heard the whole album before. This group is fantastic, and Beyoncé is, well...Beyoncé. She is truly in a league by herself.

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Sun Jun 04 2023
4

This was really fun and really bounced.

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Mon Jun 05 2023
4

What’s the opposite of poptimism? Cause I’m seeing a lot of it in these reviews. Listen, I was a fifteen year-old boy when this came out: I scoffed at it. But it’d be stupid to deny this after a listen. It’s just so smooth.

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Mon Jun 05 2023
4

Add one star for Brown Eyes...

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Sat Jun 10 2023
4

first time listening have heard independent woman pt 1 survivor bootylicious

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Wed Jun 28 2023
4

Obviously iconic and era defining, but I’m still not sure about the message. I remember mocking the idea of boasting about “buying my own shoes” back in the day. Listening now the slut shaming of Nasty Gurl caught my attention. Some weird disconnects and/or hypocrisy in play here.

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Wed Jun 28 2023
4

Wow! This was so much better than j remember. This definitely shaped the genre in the early 2000s

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Tue Jul 04 2023
4

Heel erg pop. Maar fantastisch gezongen allemaal.

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Tue Jul 11 2023
4

If this doesn't get you boppin' at least a little you may not actually like music.

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Wed Jul 12 2023
4

Catchy as hell. I mean, the first three tracks were massive hits and that's because they took/sampled the right beats, put them on repeat, and combined them with some of the best pipes in the business at the time. I love meaningful lyrics and this ain't that (Independent Women and Survivor are well-meaning but a little drivel-y) but you have to tip your hat when Bootylicious and its lyric "I don't think you're ready for this jelly" are now both pop culture mainstays. That's kind of this album in a nutshell - trying to empower women and be some new age feminism, sometimes doing that (The Story of Beauty) and sometimes sounding like juvenile schlock (Apple Pie a la Mode, Sexy Daddy) or even taking down other women (Nasty Girl, Fancy). But the beats are tough to resist. Rock is my thing, and there are rock albums out there that are 5-start despite throwaway lyrics because the music slays. This is close to that. The first third is banger and the middle third holds strong (with a different feel in the upbeat Happy Face and sorrowful Emotion) but the songs dip slightly in the last third. A strong 4, maybe it deserves more.

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Thu Jul 20 2023
4

albeit a little long, this album makes me feel like a bad bitch

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Thu Jul 27 2023
4

These three were R&B in the early ‘00’s. Enjoyed listening to the album in its entirety.

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Sat Jul 29 2023
4

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Independent women, Survivor, Bootylicious

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Mon Jul 31 2023
4

3 chansons que j'ai entendu beaucoup dans ma vie . Je crois que le reste suis la vague en baissant le niveau un peu. Cependant, c'était vraiment un hit à la sortie et je crois que ça.fittait très bien avec l'époque car on l'écoutait tout le temps à la garderie . 4 très bon r&b et en plus je suis pas le.plus grand fan de ce genre et encore moins de ce.trio.

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Fri Aug 18 2023
4

Standouts: Independent Women Part I, Survivor, Bootylicious, Emotion, Nasty Girl. 4/5

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Mon Aug 28 2023
4

Pop perfection. Intricate rhythms. Enough variation in chord progressions and melodies. Too many ad libs for my taste, but I can live with it. Favorite song: fancy.

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Thu Sep 07 2023
4

good album. beyonce def did her thing and its impressive. it could be easily 14 tracks than 18. the highs are high and the lows are low. 3.5!

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Fri Sep 08 2023
4

I was taken back to being 11 years old and jamming out to this cd on my Walkman, I still love it after all these years

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Thu Sep 14 2023
4

I’m not going to dispute this albums place on the greatest list. I was there, this thing was huge. All the videos were on all the time. This is the lasting legacy from the Charlie’s Angels movie. 3 incredible bangers right off the top that no one is going to miss off biggest songs of the 2000s. Who among us can claim that? No one. I was ready to hand out a 5 on this one but after Bootylicious the rest of the record is so aggressively mid it’s wild. Also weirdly the next song is Nasty Girl which is hating on other women not wearing a lot of clothes. Such a bizarre heel turn.

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Mon Sep 25 2023
4

Good album with some great songs

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Sat Oct 28 2023
4

Yes. it's good. Let's move on.

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Wed Nov 01 2023
4

8 did not know I can enjoy pop music so much. Very pleasant album with a few absolutely hit songs

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Mon Nov 13 2023
4

Strong first half of the album, the soulful ballads in the second half kind of dragged on and didn't innovate very much (each sounded pretty repetitive). Funny to hear about 20-year-old Beyonce's beef with the previous members of Destiny's Child, resulting in this album.

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Wed Nov 15 2023
4

Pretty good pop/R&B album. Not much lyrical content through most of the album. Great vocals. Favorite track: Apple Pie À La Mode

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Sun Nov 26 2023
4

It personifies the struggles of an early 2000s black woman - being independent but still looking for a daddy while still hating on his other woman. I was debating 3 or 4 but then the dangerously in love put it over the edge and the shade of the last song to the two former members of Destinys Child is amazing and makes me laugh.

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Mon Nov 27 2023
4

Zamn… this bumps. Very well produces and performed

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Thu Nov 30 2023
4

good r&b album, definitely defining the genre during this time.

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Mon Dec 18 2023
4

So much more enjoyable than a Queen B album. Don't be jelly Beyonce!

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Sat Dec 23 2023
4

Malgré quelques passages sirupeux, arrangements pop convaincants, paroles assertives et interprétation convaincue

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