Date: Mar 18, 2000
Weeks: 3
Destiny's Child is probably best known today for being the group that introduced the world to Beyonce. Actually, even at the time I think it was best known as the group backing up Beyonce. Maybe some big fans of the group would find more nuance to that position, but as a general music fan whose preferred genre this wasn't, that was my awareness of the group at the time.
The vocal harmonies are the most obvious feature of this song, and they're quite good. The backing music is generally soft and fairly inconsequential, so it's up to the vocals to carry the song. And this group of singers does a great job of it. Although Beyonce stands out as the lead singer, the rest of the group provides a great foundation, as well. There is a lot going on vocally during the chorus, and it's all very appealing. The verses are a little monotonous, but there is sufficient variety to remain entertaining. There are some poor harmonic choices in the little transition section between the verse and the chorus, especially on the lyric "Cause I know how you usually do." The voices go a little high there in a way that doesn't work for me. Otherwise, I think the vocals are very good. They're light and pleasant but combine in a strong way.
The backing track to this song is generally enjoyable, but this song feels like it's been overproduced. The bass and drum line is really good, and perfectly matched to the vocals. The lead synthesizer track during the chorus is also very good. The chorus is generally very appealing all around. The verses sort of fall apart musically, though. The song feels like it has been overproduced, with synthesizer stings and weird spring sound effects for no reason. Those noises were a serious miscalculation. The song would have been stronger without them. They very nearly ruin the song for me. There are also some vocal echoes that are there to spice up the verses that initially bugged me, but after listening to it for a while, I found those vocal echoes actually spiced up the otherwise pretty monotonous verses. The bridge doesn't include much of the usual variety that one expects from a bridge, although there is an unnecessary male voice that should have been left out. Also, the "yeah yeah yeah yeah" from Beyonce is weirdly enunciated, to the point where I thought she was saying something else.
Lyrically, the song is clearly about a women who thinks her significant other is cheating on her because he's acting oddly when she's talking to him over the phone. "If no one is around you, say 'baby I love you'." She's confident, she's self-assertive, and she's not going to put up with him if he's cheating. But I like that she's also not throwing around the accusation wildly and jumping to conclusions. She just wants him to pass the simple test of talking to her like she's his girlfriend and flushing out the other woman if there is one. I like the delicate balance that is struck in these lyrics, and I especially like the self-assertion.
My verdict: Like it. It's overproduced and I think a good remix would be better. But overall it's an enjoyable song, especially in the chorus where it counts.
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