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| Destiny's Child: Survivors They've survived two lineup changes, hundreds of tour dates, injuries, in-stores, movie roles and more drama than Broadway on matinee day. However, for Destiny's Child, nothing could be tougher than surviving their own grueling schedules and finding time to record Survivor, the follow-up to their nine-times-platinum The Writing's on the Wall. But somehow these ladies have more than survived; they have thrived, scoring a total of five Grammy nominations for their previous efforts. The Children recently sat down with MTV News' John Norris to talk about that success, the pressure to follow it and all the drama that came up along the way... John Norris: Where did the title Survivor come from? Beyonc� Knowles: 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.' Norris: The Vibe article quoted one of you guys as saying that the songs on the new album would be "easier on men" in general. Would you agree with that? Are there some tracks where the guys are actually the good guys in it? Beyonc�: Yeah, there were some songs on the last album where the guys were the good guys, just not singles. That's what people wanted to hear. This album, I know the first single, "Survivor," is basically talking about anybody that's been in any situation where someone was telling them that they weren't going to make it, and we've definitely have been in that situation. People thought that we were not going to make it, and people thought we were crazy. I know last Grammy [Awards], we had no idea what was going to happen. We were scared out of our minds. It was the worst thing in life. But this [time], we're nominated for five, thank you Lord, and we're performing, and God is good. Norris: Well, Beyonc�, you're up for five, and you're all up for four. Beyonc�: Well, yeah, but I just say all of us. It's all the same thing. Michelle Williams: But it's your nomination! Norris: With "Survivor" the song, though, it could be taken a number of ways. In one way, there's a lyric in it, I believe, that goes, "You thought I wouldn't sell without you." I mean, that could be taken to maybe refer to someone you once worked with, a former bandmate or something like that. Is that all in there, in terms of the inspiration? Beyonc�: The song "Survivor" is basically written for anybody that thought we weren't gonna make it. I mean, we had a deal before, with other labels, got dropped. We had a lot of people that thought that once they left us or were no longer with us anymore that we weren't gonna make it, and people automatically assume that it's about former members, and it's not. And it has that to do with it, but the song's not directed toward anybody. Norris: So, in terms of following up The Writing's on the Wall, what kind of pressure are you guys feeling with Survivor? Kelly Rowland: I think the greatest accomplishment that we did with this album is the fact that we put our heart and our soul into it � when it comes to Beyonc� doing the writing and producing; when it comes to me and Michelle delivering vocally � but more than anything, being there as a support system, as a group, and we put our heart into [it]. That's basically the same thing we did with The Writing's On The Wall. We've got new producers. The lyrics are hot. I know it's going to be a great album. [RealVideo] Beyonc�: We used the same formula, the same conceptual songs, the new producers and the hot tracks. With this album, we're coming even harder with the tracks, and we're trying to do something a little different, not like every other group. Every other song now is [about] being independent women, not caring about money, whatever. Kelly: Glad we're trendsetters. |
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