“Independent Women, Pt. 1” by Destiny’s Child
“Independent Women, Pt. 1” is based on, shall we say the feminist sentiment whereas a woman idealizes financial independence. Sometimes in a romantic relationship, when one party is financing the other – in this hypothetical case a man sponsoring a woman – perhaps he may feel that he can exert additional control over her, or something like that.
But the vocalist is here to let such dudes know that she is in fact “independent”. In other words, she makes enough money to cover her own financial needs and wants, despite said expenditures being lofty. It is moreover implied that perhaps a man should not come asking her for money either.
But the conclusive message, reading in between the lines, is that the only thing an ‘independent woman’ may actually need a man for is sex. And once she’s satisfied, he can go about doing his thing, while she attends to her own affairs.
When did Destiny’s Child release “Independent Women, Pt. 1”?
The official date that this song came out was 14th of September, 2000. This song appears in multiple albums, including:
- The Charlie’s Angels soundtrack album of 2000
- Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” album of 20001
“Independent Women” is actually one of the songs featured in the 2000 action film titled “Charlie’s Angels“.
Writing Credits
The names credited with writing “Independent Women, Pt. 1” are as follows:
- Beyoncé Knowles
- Poke & Tone (Samuel Barnes and Jean-Claude Olivier)
- Cory Rooney
Chart Performance
“Independent Women, Pt. 1” experienced remarkable success in America. For instance, it made its way all the way to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100. But this wasn’t the only Billboard singles chart that it topped. It replicated this same success on the following Billboard charts too:
- Dance Club Songs
- Dance Singles Sales
- Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
- Mainstream Top 40
Outside of America, it also experienced great success too. On the UK Singles Chart, for example, this tune also hit the number 1 spot. It went on to achieve the same success in New Zealand.
- Australia (#3)
- Canada (#3)
- Croatia (#7)
- Denmark (#3)
- Finland (#5)
- Germany (#10)
- Greece (#6)
- Hungary (#5)
- Iceland (#2)
- Ireland (#2)
- Netherlands (#2)
- Norway (#2)
- Poland (#10)
- Scotland (#3)
- Spain (#5)
- Sweden (#6)
- Switzerland (#2)
FYI: In the United States, “Independent Women, Pt. 1” currently has sold well beyond a million copies. As of 2022, it possesses a Platinum certification from the RIAA.
Grammy Nomination
At the 2001 Grammys, this hit received a nomination in the “Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media” category. Another notable nominee from that album was Bob Dylan’s “Things Have Changed“.
The “Survivor” Album
Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” album was officially released on the 1st of May, 2001 as the group’s third studio album. It was released through Sony Music’s Columbia Records.
The album’s potentials were clearly evident as early as the first week of its release. It sold almost 700,000 copies within that week and debuted at No.1 in the United States. It made it atop the charts in the UK, Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Belgium, Canada and many other countries.
With sales of more than 4.7 million copies in the United States and over 12 million copies globally, the album, without any doubt, is one of the most economically successful albums of all time. It was certified 4× Platinum in the US, 3× Platinum in the UK, Gold in Spain, Poland and Denmark.
At the 44th annual Grammy Awards in 2002, “Survivor” got nominated for “Best R&B Album”. At the same event, the album won the girl group the award, “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals” for one of the album’s singles, “Survivor”.
