Destiny Fulfilled

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Destiny Fulfilled is the fifth and final studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on November 8, 2004, by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. Following the conclusion of promotional activities for their globally successful third studio album Survivor (2001), Destiny's Child embarked on a two-year hiatus, during which each member released solo albums to varying levels of success. They reunited in the summer of 2004 to record Destiny Fulfilled, primarily at the Sony Music Studios in New York City. Unlike the group's previous recordings, the album saw each member equally contributing to the songwriting and production, drawing inspiration from the events in their lives while being apart.

Executive producing Destiny Fulfilled alongside their manager Mathew Knowles, Destiny's Child further worked with frequent collaborators such as Rockwilder and Rodney Jerkins, as well as several new ones, including 9th Wonder, Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison. Their efforts resulted with an R&B record further exploring genres such as crunk, dance, hip hop and funk. Lyrically a concept album, each of its tracks is a continuation of its predecessor, altogether telling a complete story tracing a woman's relationship journey. The balladry and lyrical content were met with generally mixed reviews from music critics, who nevertheless praised the equality of contributions among members and their vocal performances.

A highly-anticipated comeback album, Destiny Fulfilled went through several release date alterations due to a concern over Internet leaks, ultimately being released a day earlier. Its street date violation resulted with a premature debut at number 19 on the US Billboard 200. The album's sales were principally unaffected by the unconventional release as it subsequently peaked at number two, selling 558,000 units within its first eight days of release, and went on to be certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Despite its mixed critical reception, the album garnered five Grammy Award nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album. One of the best-selling girl group albums of all time, the album has sold over seven million copies worldwide.

Destiny Fulfilled produced four singles. "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier" both peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and achieved widespread international commercial success. "Girl" peaked only at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but was a top-10 hit in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, "Cater 2 U" fared better on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 14. Destiny's Child further promoted the album with their world tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It (2005). During the tour's Palau Sant Jordi show in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, the group announced their disbandment; they formally disbanded following the release of the live album Live in Atlanta (2006).

Background and developmentEdit

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In April 2001, Destiny's Child released their highly-anticipated third studio album Survivor. Fueled by the widespread commercial success of "Independent Women Part I" and "Survivor",<ref name="hot100"/> it became their first US Billboard 200 number-one album.<ref name="bb200"/> The album sold steadily and went on to be certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).<ref name="riaasingles"/> Furthermore, it was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002),<ref name="grammy"/> and has sold over ten million copies worldwide.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While recording Survivor in December 2000, Beyoncé announced that Destiny's Child would eventually embark on a hiatus which would allow each member to release a solo album, which they hoped would further increase interest in the group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The idea of solo albums emanated from the group's manager and Beyoncé's father Mathew Knowles. Kelly Rowland further explained in an interview that Destiny's Child had been present in the media for a long time and they wanted to "give the public eye a rest from DC for a minute".<ref name="CNN" /> During that same interview, she acknowledged that the trio would reunite during the fall of 2003 to start recording a new album.<ref name="CNN">Template:Cite news</ref>

During the hiatus, Michelle Williams released two gospel studio albums–Heart to Yours (2002) and Do You Know (2004). The former peaked atop the US Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> becoming 2002's biggest selling gospel album; with over 220,000 copies sold in the US<ref name="R&R">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and 500,000 worldwide.<ref name="Cocoa Fab">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Furthermore, Williams won a British MOBO Award for "Best Gospel Act" in 2002 and made her Broadway debut, as the lead in the musical Aida on November 18, 2003.<ref name="Aida">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although Beyoncé's solo album was initially scheduled for October 2002, its release was postponed due to the success of Kelly Rowland's collaboration with Nelly, "Dilemma", which peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 for a cumulative 10 weeks<ref name="US 200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref name=Grammy2003>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Therefore, Rowland's pop rock-oriented solo debut Simply Deep was moved up to October, ahead of Beyoncé's album.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Simply Deep debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, and has gone on to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> selling over 600,000 copies in the US<ref name="Mitchell">Template:Cite news</ref> and over 2.5 million worldwide.<ref name="Music World ...">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Beyoncé, who was the last member to release an album, was regarded the most successful with Dangerously in Love (2003). The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, enjoying international commercial success and widespread critical acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Furthermore, it produced two US Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits–"Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy"<ref name="beyoncehot100"/>–and won five Grammy Awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004), causing Beyoncé to tie for winning the most Grammy Awards at a single ceremony among women.Template:Efn The members' respective solo achievements led to intense speculation over the disbandment of Destiny's Child. In July 2004, amidst the rumors, Rowland announced the group's return to the studio to record Destiny Fulfilled. The group claimed the reunion was destined to happen, and that their affinity for each other kept them together.<ref name="MossReunited">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="KaufFame">Template:Cite news</ref>

Recording and productionEdit

Production of Destiny Fulfilled commenced during the summer of 2004, with Destiny's Child enlisting frequent collaborators such as Rockwilder and Rodney Jerkins, as well as new ones, including 9th Wonder, Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison. 9th Wonder initially met Beyoncé while she was in the recording studio as her now-husband, rapper Jay-Z recorded the song "Threat" for his album The Black Album (2003). After Jay-Z went through the CD of tracks 9th Wonder had handed to him, Beyoncé mentioned that she liked what she heard from him. Several months later, 9th Wonder received a call from Jay-Z, asking for him to give the CD to Destiny's Child. He was surprised at being contacted by the rapper about working with the group, as he confessed that he had never owned an album by them. He later traveled to Los Angeles to work with the trio for their next album. During the three-day session, he produced the songs "Girl", "Is She the Reason" and "Game Over".<ref name="cho">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Garrett, who co-wrote "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "T-Shirt", "Is She the Reason", "Girl" and "Through with Love", recalled working on the album: "There was so much magic going on in the studio. We probably recorded all the songs in about a month and every day it was a new song coming out. 'Lose My Breath' was towards the latter part of the album and that was an amazing song that we felt could not only be big on the radio but big with bands and marching bands. I was on a natural high after that."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Destiny's Child recorded Destiny Fulfilled within a three-week period,<ref name="MossReunited" /> mostly at the Sony Music Studios in New York City, where all tracks except "Through with Love" were recorded.<ref name="liner">Template:Cite AV media</ref> They took the role of executive producing, alongside their manager Mathew Knowles. Beyoncé, who vocally produced the songs, commented that it was important for her to make sure their voices were audible and identifiable. Taking it as one of her goals, the group decided to focus on mid-tempo songs and on few dance tracks and ballads—which they considered songs listeners cannot sing along with. Beyoncé further elaborated: "We wanted to make sure that the songs would be something that we were proud of 10 years from now, 20 years from now. We wanted it to be something that people can really feel an emotion to. Up-tempo songs can do that, but they more make you wanna dance."<ref name="MossReunited" /> Jerkins, who had worked with the group on their previous studio albums and with Beyoncé for her solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003), was concerned with how he would manage the production, saying: "How is this going to work?' Cause Beyoncé, she blew up solo, so how's it going to work in a group together?".<ref name="VineyardSplit"/> However, he stated his skepticism vanished once the recording commenced, as he saw the group's "excitement being back in the studio together", calling the process "natural".<ref name="VineyardSplit"/>

The members stated the first week of recording Destiny Fulfilled was spent solely on conversations about the events in their lives while being apart, as they hadn't spent quality time together for an extended period. This further inspired them to record the conversations and use it as the main theme of the record.<ref name="VineyardSplit"/> In most cases, producers would send the group a CD containing a track which would serve as the basis in the songwriting process; without the producers' supervision of which part to sing, a new direction of their style was formed, differing from their previous records. The traditional approach where each member sang one verse and chimed in the chorus was replaced; on some tracks from Destiny Fulfilled, their vocals alternated on every line of the lyrics, a technique similar to hip hop artists.<ref name="MossReunited" /> Differing from Survivor, on which Beyoncé had taken an active role in writing and producing, Destiny Fulfilled saw each member contributing inputs culled from personal experiences, individual opinions and points of view independent of those from the other members.<ref name="MossReunited" /> As Kelly Rowland was recently engaged during the songwriting process, her writing was further influenced by the engagement. She also cited that being apart from the group affected the lyrical themes as well: "All of us have been in three different places ... so there's a lot to talk about, a lot that's gone on, personally. I think it's important to talk about that on this new record, to put what we've been going through separately into the new record."<ref name="MossShut">Template:Cite news</ref>

Music and lyricsEdit

Template:Multiple image During an interview with MTV, Beyoncé stated that the songs from Destiny Fulfilled put altogether tell a complete story and noted that each track was a subsequent continuation of its predecessor. She concluded: "[The album continues with] this whole journey of this group of women trying to find love. And truly they find it because they love themselves and find it in themselves. It's friendship, it's love, it's maturity and growth, and it's everything that we wanted it to be."<ref name="VineyardSplit">Template:Cite news</ref> Musically, Destiny's Child tried challenging themselves, as they worked with different arrangements while trying to create an original sound; to succeed in this, they were influenced by The Emotions, Jodeci and SWV mixing elements of their music.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Their final product was a predominantly R&B record, which further incorporated soul, dance and hip hop.<ref name="nichols">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="multiple">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album is mostly composed of mid-tempo tracks, following the up-tempo first two tracks;<ref name="Erlewine" /> Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian felt the balladry showcased "the girliness in the trio, musically and lyrically".<ref name="Sullivan" /> Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine found elements of middle of the road music in the ballads.<ref name="HendersonSlant" />

Destiny Fulfilled opens with the up-tempo dance track "Lose My Breath", which details a man full of empty promises to a woman.<ref name="MossReunited" /><ref name="Erlewine" /> It is musically complete with military, marching-band drums, keyboard stabs, and the backing track contains various sound effects.<ref name="bbc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="pitch">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Soldier", featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne, contains elements of Southern hip hop and crunk.<ref name="MossReunited" /><ref name="stylus" /> Unsatisfied and unfulfilled with the lover from "Lose My Breath", the protagonists ask for a decent "soldier", further singing about finding a gangster.<ref name="Eliscu" /> After finding him, the R&B ballad "Cater 2 U" lyrically details submissively serving the man.<ref name="Vibe" /> Inspired by him, the protagonists sing about doing various things to make him happy, musically accompanied by synthesizer as the song builds a crescendo.<ref name="MossReunited" /><ref name="Vibe" /> The fourth track "T-Shirt" is complete with inorganic drum sounds, guitar and backwards loop as the trio sings about sleeping in bed with their lover's T-shirt, "craving his presence, and inhailing his scent".<ref name="bbc" /><ref name="Vibe" /> "Is She the Reason" is an R&B ballad noted to have a similar chord progression to works of The Beatles. It lyrically follows a protagonist competing with another woman for her lover's love and attention.<ref name="Vibe" /> The song contains a trumpet-laden sample from Melba Moore's song "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To".<ref name="Eliscu" />

"Girl" was noted for its Motown influence and friendship-themed lyrics.<ref name="nichols" /><ref name="Vibe" /> It features Beyoncé and Williams concerned about the relationship Rowland is in, trying to comfort her and persuade her to leave her partner.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rowland lyrically responds to them by ending the relationship on the following track "Bad Habit", on which she solely sings lead vocals.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "If", complete with strings, lyrically talks about men who don't appreciate their girlfriends until their relationship ends and they realize their mistakes.<ref name="nichols" /><ref name="Vibe" /> "Free" was described as a "soul classic from 1975",<ref name="Sinclair" /> with critics also noting elements of 1970s funk music, as the trio speaks on being "set free" after being in a relationship in which their efforts were never reciprocated.<ref name="bbc" /> The mid-tempo track "Through with Love" was noted for its "angry" nature as it addresses a break-up.<ref name="bbc" /><ref name="saneh" /> It features an undulating piano line as the members sing with restrained vocals and later religious redemption with elements of gospel.<ref name="stylus" /> On the closing track "Love", "capital L kicks the daylights out of the forces of fear, doubt and disappointment", as the group "thank[s] God for love".<ref name="Vibe" /> They further sing about how people "can't truly love another until [they] love God and then [themselves]",<ref name="nichols" /> proclaiming that they have found love and are "madly in it".<ref name="tiny" />

Release and promotionEdit

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File:Destiny's Child Tour.jpg

Destiny's Child performing "Say My Name" during the Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It tour in May 2005

Promotion of Destiny Fulfilled commenced when Destiny's Child performed "Lose My Breath" on September 9, 2004, on ABC's 2004 NFL season "Opening Kickoff" special, to break their two-year hiatus.<ref name="CohenBreath"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The album's track listing was revealed on October 15.<ref name="tracklist"/> On October 25, they appeared at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, performing the song with an a cappella, jazz-styled opening.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The following month, they performed a medley composed of "Say My Name", "Independent Women Part I" and "Survivor" and finished with "Lose My Breath" on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where they also sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On November 8, 2004, the trio appeared on Total Request Live and performed "Lose My Breath" along with "Say My Name".<ref name="MossReunited" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They additionally appeared on the German entertainment television show Wetten, dass..? on November 13, and performed "Lose My Breath".<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> Originally slated for November 16, Destiny Fulfilled was released a day earlier due to Columbia Records' concern over "potential for Internet leaks and 'burned' CD counterfeits" which could "lead consumers to experience inferior and incomplete versions of the album".<ref name="horwitz">Template:Cite magazine</ref> MTV had already made it available for streaming as part of its program "The Leak" on November 8, while Trans World Entertainment and Walmart began selling the album on November 12.<ref name="mitchell"/><ref name="christman"/> Although the album's format was originally announced to be the then-new DualDisc, it was released on an audio-only CD;<ref name="mitchell"/> however, it was released on DualDisc on February 8, 2005.<ref name="dual"/> On BET's 106 & Park, Destiny's Child performed "Soldier" on November 15, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Dead link</ref> They also performed the song on CBS Template:'s The Early Show on December 8.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In February 2005, they gave another performance of "Soldier" on the British television show Top of the Pops.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> At the 2005 NBA All-Star Game on February 20, they performed both "Soldier" and "Lose My Breath".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They performed the latter again at the 2005 ESPY Awards on July 13.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Cater 2 U" was performed on June 28 at the 2005 BET Awards in Los Angeles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

When the advanced release date of Destiny Fulfilled was announced, Destiny's Child confirmed the initial dates of their world tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It, which visited Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America from April to September 2005. Promotions of the tour aired over radio stations and television channels across the United States, with the group further collaborating with McDonald's, which served as its sponsor.<ref name="tracklist">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="ReidRise">Template:Cite news</ref> Outside North America, it was promoted with a CD+DVD tour edition of the album, which included music videos and live performances.<ref name="touredition"/> The tour's set list included tracks from Destiny Fulfilled alongside Destiny's Child's previous work and each member's individual songs. Numerous costume changes occurred throughout the show; the concerts exhibited products from Beyoncé's clothing line from House of Deréon, the company she co-founded with her mother Tina Knowles.<ref name="Adenitire">Template:Cite news</ref> During a concert at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on June 11, Rowland announced before 16,000 spectators that Destiny's Child would disband following the end of the tour.<ref name="KaufSplit">Template:Cite news</ref> In a statement released to MTV, the group said the tour had provided them the opportunity to depart from Destiny's Child on a "high note". They also talked about the moment when the group started their musical endeavor and their realizations of pursuing individual careers after working together for several years. Destiny's Child thanked fans for their support while not closing the chance of seeing them continue supporting each member's goals in music, film and television.<ref name="KaufSplit"/> The July 15 show in Atlanta was filmed for the video album Live in Atlanta, which was released on March 28, 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A commercial success, the video debuted atop the US Top Music Videos and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SinglesEdit

The album's lead single "Lose My Breath" first appeared as a streaming track on September 9, 2004, exclusively from AOL Music,<ref name="CohenBreath">Template:Cite magazine</ref> following which it was available as a digital download only from Walmart, then on October 5 it was made widely available.<ref name=Walmart>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="digital">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It hit the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 30 on October 2, rising to number 3 a month later, becoming the group's seventh consecutive top-ten single on the chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Furthermore, it became their second Dance Club Songs number-one single.<ref name="dcs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The digital single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 2020.<ref name="riaasingles">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Internationally, the song peaked atop the European Hot 100 Singles,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> as well as charts in Belgium, Ireland and Switzerland, further peaking within the top ten in almost every other country.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) used the song as the music for their introductory montage during the 2004 NBA Playoffs and through the first few weeks of the 2005 NBA Playoffs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005).<ref name="grammy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its accompanying music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld and shows the group members involved in an alleyway dance battle against their own duplicates.<ref name="dcva">Template:Cite AV media</ref> At the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for Best Dance Video.<ref name="vma05">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

"Soldier" was released as the second single from Destiny Fulfilled on November 9, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Repeating the success of its predecessor, it peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and atop the Dance Club Songs.<ref name="hot100" /><ref name="dcs"/> The digital single was certified platinum by the RIAA in July 2020.<ref name="riaasingles" /> Internationally, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.<ref name="occ">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006).<ref name="grammy"/> The black and white accompanying music video for the song was directed by Ray Kay and features appearances from featured artists T.I. and Lil Wayne, Beyoncé's sister Solange, singers Lloyd and Ginuwine, and rappers Bow Wow, Ice Cube, WC and Jeezy.<ref name="dcva"/> At the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for Best Group Video.<ref name="vma05"/>

"Girl" was released as the third single from Destiny Fulfilled on March 15, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It failed to replicate the success of its predecessors as it peaked only at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ending Destiny's Child's streak of top-ten singles on the chart.<ref name="hot100">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The digital single was certified gold by the RIAA in October 2005.<ref name="riaasingles"/> Internationally, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK.<ref name="occ" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its Sex and the City-inspired accompanying music video was directed by Bryan Barber and follows the song's lyrical theme, with Rowland ending the video by leaving her deceitful lover.<ref name="dcva"/>

"Cater 2 U" was released as the fourth and final single from Destiny Fulfilled on June 7, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A moderate commercial success, it peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="hot100"/> The digital single was certified platinum by the RIAA in July 2020.<ref name="riaasingles"/> Internationally, the song failed to chart in most countries due to its digital-only release, but peaked at number seven in New Zealand.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite causing polarity among critics due to its lyrics, the song was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song in 2006.<ref name="grammy"/> Its Jake Nava-directed accompanying music video depicts the group in various settings at the Red Rock Canyon State Park.<ref name="dcva"/>

"Got's My Own", which originally appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of Destiny Fulfilled, was released as a promotional single on May 3, 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Critical receptionEdit

Template:Music ratings Destiny Fulfilled received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 52 based on 17 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref name="Meta">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dimitri Ehrlich of Vibe complimented the production, saying that it "showcases advanced production values" with "impressive" songwriting and vocal abilities, concluding that it "offers divine satisfaction".<ref name="Vibe">Template:Cite news</ref> A writer for Billboard felt the album worked as "a testament to Beyoncé's evolving multiple talents".<ref name="multiple" /> Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised Rowland's and Williams' abilities as vocalists and their contributions to the choruses, but felt that Beyoncé "steals every song", further commending her for sounding "larger than life even when she's quiet". However, he concluded: "as a whole, the album winds up sounding too reserved and heavy-handed, which makes it a disappointment".<ref name="Erlewine">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Andy Battaglia of The A.V. Club wrote in his review that "Destiny Fulfilled sounds distant and detached", further criticizing its mid-tempo balladry for sounding "uninterrupted at best, uninspired at worst".<ref name="avclub">Template:Cite news</ref> Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times commented that the album is "a surprisingly perfunctory disc that never quite justifies its existence".<ref name="saneh">Template:Cite news</ref> Alan Ranta of Tiny Mix Tapes doubted Beyoncé's lyrical sincerity, saying: "the success of this album depends once again on the complete suspension of die-hard fans' disbelief that Beyoncé 'Your Ad Here' Knowles could ever actually truly love another human being as much as she loves herself and her possessions."<ref name="tiny">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian commented that the lead vocals on Destiny Fulfilled were likely to be sung by each member equally, noting that it made the album a "democratic" one. However, she criticized Destiny's Child for squandering "the extent of their talents" on the album.<ref name="Sullivan">Template:Cite news</ref> Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly also noticed its "overall air of democracy at work" and noted that the album "often moves at a molasses-like pace, weighted down with a preponderance of exquisitely executed but ultimately dull ballads".<ref name="Sinclair">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Jenny Eliscu of Rolling Stone echoed Sinclair's comments, saying: "In all but a couple of songs, the verses are divided into three sections, with Beyonce leading things off, followed by Rowland, then Williams".<ref name="Eliscu">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She noted that after a couple of upbeat songs, "the album slumps into an endless string of overwrought R&B ballads where the only saving grace is ... these ladies can harmonize like nobody's business."<ref name="Eliscu" /> Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine commented that the album's ballads build into "the same sort of standoffish sexual supply-and-demand bartering that has marred their worst tracks".<ref name="HendersonSlant">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Sarah Godfrey from The Washington Post also criticized the balladry, alongside the absence of women's empowerment-themed lyrical content present on the group's previous recordings, but noted each member's individuality and praised their vocal performances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>