Destiny's Child - Survivor"Survivor" just put the nail in rock music's coffin. For all those disenchanted with guitar music as its corpse rolls relentlessly on ripping up the same old riffs and the tired old clichés of "all is woe" - look no further than Destiny's Child "Survivor" - the most rock & roll album you'll hear this year. From beginning to end (bar a dodgy gospel medley) its full on attitude not seen since John Rotten sneered Anarchy In The Uk!!!!
Independent Women the world over are getting into the vibe, but its more than just a feminist doctrine. Its a doctrine to anyone who's felt like an outside and said "Fuck You!!!! Its me against the world". Lyrically its a gem and if you thought that the aforementioned single nailed it down then you only have to hear "Nasty Girl" to see they've taken it a step further. Its almost inappropriate for Beyonce and co to shout "don't go out the house without your clothes on" but when they take us unaware with "those guys don't want a happy meal that's been around the block" you don't know whether to laugh or to shout girl power. Its just one of those classic American sayings alongside Lil' Bow Wow's "All that and a bag of chips".
If anything its raw original R&B with only "Bootylicious" taking from a Stevie Nicks guitars riff and the much publicized cover of the Bee Gee's "Emotions". Typical Destiny's Child they make them their own. Its only really the "Gospel Medley" that lets the whole record down and likewise was the lowpoint of the recent live shows. I guess we should expect it from the yanks though and if anything after sex, drugs and rock & roll ultimately comes religion. Mary Mary made a career out of and we should all be thankful that its not too overbearing in our satanic souls.
Destiny's Child may be an R&B act, but more than that - they're musical revolutionaries. In the way that the Beatles changed music in the 60s, the Sex Pistols did in the 70s, Nirvana did in the 90s - Destiny's Child have just gone and done the same for the noughties.
Alex McCann