The Writing's on the Wall
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| The Writing's on the Wall | |||||
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| Studio album by Destiny's Child | |||||
| Released | July 27, 1999 (U.S.) March 31, 2000 (Ireland) July 26, 1999 (UK) May 29, 1999 (Switzerland) |
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| Recorded | 1998–1999 in Canadian Music Studios Toronto, Ontario | ||||
| Genre | R&B, Pop, Soul, Hip Hop | ||||
| Length | 63:54 | ||||
| Label | Columbia (CK-69870) | ||||
| Producer | Rodney Jerkins, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Missy Elliott, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Destiny's Child chronology | |||||
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| Singles from The Writing's on the Wall | |||||
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The Writing's on the Wall is the second album released by the American R&B group Destiny's Child and their final release as a quartet. The album was released on July 27, 1999 and features the No.1 hit singles "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin' Jumpin'". The album was a huge hit, going 9x platinum in the U.S. and sold 13 million worldwide as of 2008[1]. It was the biggest selling album of 1999 and 2000 by a female group and won Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. The hit song "Say My Name" garnered the group two Grammys in 2001, one for Best R&B Song and another for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In the UK, it stayed within the album chart for more than a year and sold over 900,000 copies.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro (The Writing's on the Wall)" Writers: B. Knowles, L. Roberson, K. Rowland, L. Luckett Producers: Gerard Thomas, Donald Holmes, Anthony Hardy, Beyoncé Knowles |
2:07 |
| 2. | "So Good" Writers: K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, L. Roberson, K. Rowland Producer: Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs |
3:14 |
| 3. | "Bills, Bills, Bills" Writers: K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, K. Rowland Producer: Nealante' |
4:16 |
| 4. | "Confessions" (featuring Missy Elliott) Writers: M. Elliott, D. Holmes, G. Thomas Producer: Missy Elliott |
4:58 |
| 5. | "Bug a Boo" Writers: K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, L. Roberson, K. Rowland Producer: Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs |
3:31 |
| 6. | "Temptation" Writers: D. Wiggins, C. Wheeler, A. Ray, B. Knowles, K. Rowland, L. Luckett, L. Roberson Producer: Dwayne Wiggins |
4:06 |
| 7. | "Now That She's Gone" Writers: K. Fambro, D. Boynton, T. Geter, L. Simmons, A. Simmons Producers: Ken "K-Fam" Fambro, Donnie "D-Major" Boynton |
5:35 |
| 8. | "Where'd You Go" Writers: P. Status, C. Stokes, L. Roberson, L. Kuckett, K. Rowland, B. Knowles Producers: Platinum Status, Chris Stokes, Beyoncé Knowles |
4:15 |
| 9. | "Hey Ladies" Writers: K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, L. Roberson, K. Rowland Producer: Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs |
4:16 |
| 10. | "If You Leave" (featuring R.L. of Next) Writers: T. Turman, R. L. Hugger, C. Elliot, O. Hunter Producers: Chad "Dr. Cuess" Elliot, Oshea Hunter |
4:35 |
| 11. | "Jumpin' Jumpin'" Writers: R. Moore, C. Elliot, B. Knowles Producers: Beyoncé Knowles, Chad "Dr. Cuess" Elliot, Jovonn Alexander |
3:47 |
| 12. | "Say My Name" Writers: R. Jerkins, F. Jerkins III, L. Daniels, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, K. Rowland, L. Roberson Producers: Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins |
4:29 |
| 13. | "She Can't Love You" Writers: K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, K. Rowland, L. Roberson Producer: Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs |
4:05 |
| 14. | "Stay" (Dedicated to Andretta Tillman) Writers: D. Simmons Producer: Daryl Simmons |
4:51 |
| 15. | "Sweet Sixteen" Writers: D. Wiggins, J. Watley, B. Knowles, K. Rowland Producer: Dwayne Wiggins |
4:13 |
| 16. | "Outro" (Amazing Grace... Dedicated To Andretta Tillman) Producer: Beyoncé Knowles |
2:39 |
| 17. | "Get on the Bus" (Int. bonus track) Writers: M. Elliott, T. Mosley Producers: Missy Elliott, Timbaland |
4:44 |
[edit] Reissue bonus tracks
- "No, No, No Part 2"
- "Independent Women Part I"
- "Independent Women Part II"
- "8 Days of Christmas"
- "Say My Name" (Timbaland remix)
- "I Can't Go For That" ("Bills, Bill, Bills" remix featuring Sporty Thievz)
[edit] CD-ROM tracks
- "Say My Name" (video)
- "Jumpin', Jumpin'" (video)
- "No, No, No Part 1" (live performance)
- "No, No, No Part 2" (live performance)
- "Get on the Bus" (video)
[edit] Special Houstonian Version
In Houston, the group released a bonus track entitled "Can't Help Myself," which featured all four members singing lead vocals given equal parts. This is the only instance where all four members in the original line-up of the group had contributed solo parts together in a song.
[edit] Commandments
The Writing's on the Wall ends each track with a "commandment" on relationships. Each commandment is further elaborated on the track after it is heard. Taking turns in reciting, Beyoncé, Kelly, LeToya and LaTavia, enumerate fourteen commandments.
- Thou shall not hate. (Intro to "So Good")
- Thou shall pay bills. (Intro to "Bills, Bills, Bills")
- Thou shall confess. (Intro to "Confessions")
- Thou shall not bug. (Intro to "Bug A Boo")
- Thou shall not give in to temptation. (Intro to "Temptations")
- Thou shall not think you got it like that. (Intro to "Now That She's Gone")
- Thou shall not leave me wondering. (Intro to "Where'd You Go")
- Thou shall know when he's got to go. (Intro to "Hey Ladies")
- Thou shall move on to the next. (Intro to "If You Leave")
- Thou shall get your party on. (Intro to "Jumpin' Jumpin'")
- Thou shall say my name. (Intro to "Say My Name")
- Thou shall know she can't love you. (Intro to "She Can't Love You")
- If thou can wait, then thou shall stay. (Intro to "Stay")
- Thou shall cherish life. (Intro to "Sweet Sixteen")
[edit] Chart performance
In the United States the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 on August 14, 1999 selling over 132,000 copies in its first week. It remained in the Top 20 for most of 1999 and had sold over 1.6 million copies by the end of the year according to Nielsen SoundScan and was certified 2x platinum in January, 2000. Nine months after its release The Writing's on the Wall following the huge success of its third single, the Billboard Hot 100 number one "Say My Name", returned to the top ten peaking at #5 on May 5, 2000. During its first year on the chart it spent 47 out of 52 weeks in the Top 40 or better and was the tenth best-selling album of the year 2000 selling 3.8 million copies during the year. The Writing's on the Wall spent 99 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 (from the summer of 1999 to the spring of 2001) and was certified 9x platinum by the RIAA on November 8, 2001 and has sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Worldwide The Writing's on the Wall was a similarly huge hit and became one of the best-selling R&B albums of all-time. It achieved gold, platinum and multi-platinum status across Europe and was certified 2x platinum by the IFPI in early 2001 in recognition of 2 million albums sold. In Canada the album peaked within the top and was certified 5x platinum (500,000 sales), it was certified 3x platinum in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
In The Netherlands "The Writing's On The Wall" showed lengthy staying power spenting over 90 weeks on the albums chart and was certified double platinum (160.000 shipments) in early 2001.
[edit] Promotion
In summer 2000 Beyoncé, Kelly, Michelle and former member Farrah hit the road with fellow pop songstress Christina Aguilera on her tour which helped expose them to an even wider pop fan base. During the fall they also toured Europe where The Writing's on the Wall was re-issued with four bonus tracks including their hit single "Independent Women Part 1".
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 1 |
| Canada Top 50 Albums | 2 |
| Swedish Album Charts | 21 |
| UK Top 75 Albums | 10 |
[edit] Personnel
- Bill Ortiz – trumpet
- Daryl Simmons – drum programming, keyboard programming
- D'Wayne Wiggins – guitar, producer
- Rodney Jerkins – producer
- Claudine Pontier – assistant engineer
- James Hoover – engineer
- Steve Baughman – mixing assistant
- Missy Elliott – performer
- Jimmy Douglas – engineer
- Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander – mixing
- Vince Lars – saxophone
- Albert Sanchez – photography
- Blake Eiseman – engineer
- Dexter Simmons – mixing
- Brian Springer – engineer
- Joey Swails – engineer
- Destiny's Child – main performer
- Dan Workman – engineer
- LaShawn Daniels – vocal producer
- Anthony Hardy – producer
- Beyoncé Knowles – lead vocals, background vocals
- LeToya Luckett – background vocals (lead vocals on "Can't Help Myself")
- LaTavia Roberson – background vocals (lead vocals on "Sweet Sixteen" and "Can't Help Myself")
- Mathew Knowles – executive producer, mixing
- Kelly Rowland – lead vocals, background vocals
- Farrah Franklin – background vocals (re-issued version only)
- Michelle Williams – background vocals (re-issued version only)
- Kenny Stallworth – assistant engineer
- Donald "Lenny" Holmes – producer
- Gerard Thomas – producer
- Chris Bell – engineer
- Brad Gildem – engineer
- Jean Marie Hurout – engineer, mixing
- Kevin "Shekspere" Briggs – producer
- Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing
- Tara Geter Tillman – background vocals
- Mike Calderon – engineer
- Jon Gass – engineer
- Thom "TK" Kidd – engineer
- Tony Williams – drum programming
[edit] References
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