“My perfect 10 album is ‘Destiny Fulfilled’ by Destiny's Child.” —Sam Smith for Pitchfork
“As an album, for me, it's the perfect blend of pop and R&B and soul. When the first single for it, which was Lose My Breath, came out, I was in school and I was like 12 years old. It was just, the video is just so insane and the music is unbelievable to that song. I was immediately hooked. It completely changed my life seeing Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle battle themselves in the video.
The artwork and the whole visual creative alongside the music was just so perfect and cohesive. And then all of the videos just felt like they were in this world where I just was seeing like Black female strength and beauty and vulnerability and togetherness and girl power.
‘Soldier’ came and then ‘Cater 2 U’ and then ‘Girl’. There's so many insane songs on that album. I also just loved on the record that I feel like all three of the girls got their chance to really, really sing their song on it. There's a song on the album called ‘Bad Habit’ that Kelly sings, which is I think it's my favorite song on the album. It's just incredible. And there's also a song on the record called ‘Free’, which I think is the best harmonies I've ever heard ever. It just sounds like angels singing.
There's an attitude and energy to the singing and the performance that I think I'll always be inspired by. There's a song called ‘Through With Love’, which has this incredible choir part. With the girls and I definitely feel like that's inspired some of my music. I feel like ‘Cater 2 U’, the song on the record as well, is for me just the perfect melody. The speed of the singing and the melody and the lyrics, the way that Beyoncé just takes you to the heights.
And I feel like Destiny's Fulfilled, the album, is kind of, it's like the end of an incredible time and journey for that band. I want more, I want more, I want more. I want a stadium tour now. The album has just got better and better and better for me as I've got older. It's constantly a reference for me and just something I hold as the highest, one of the highest pieces of pop music in the history of music to me.”