Love Songs
Compilation album by
Destiny's Child
ReleasedJanuary 25, 2013 (2013-01-25)
GenreR&B
LabelColumbia
Destiny's Child chronology
Playlist: The Very Best of Destiny's Child
(2012)		 Love Songs
(2013)		 Destiny's Child Video Anthology
(2013)

Love Songs is the third compilation album by American R&B girl group Destiny's Child, released on January 25, 2013 through Columbia Records.[1][2] The album differs from their first two compilations in that it features mostly album-only selections as well as the newly recorded song "Nuclear", the first original song from Destiny's Child since the group disbanded in 2005. The album cover is based on the single artwork from the group's 2004 single "Lose My Breath".

Development

Sometimes you get songs where the verse is already written or the chorus is already written, so when I came in the chorus wasn't written so Bey was like "Girl, you gone have to write a bridge!" I was like "Okay!", so that's fun where you can have a contribution...[3]

Michelle Williams talking to MalcolmMusic about the conception of "Nuclear"[3]

Destiny's Child was formed in Houston, Texas in 1990, and its final line-up consisting of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams dismantled in 2005.[4] Their reunion was rumored over the years.[5] In July 2012, Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and the group's manager, confirmed that Destiny's Child still have their joint venture with Sony Music and would be releasing two "records with new material".[6][7] The first was Playlist: The Very Best of Destiny's Child, which was released in October 2012. Knowles announced via her official website on January 10, 2013, that a compilation featuring new music entitled Love Songs, which would be the group's first album in over eight years, would be released.[8] She posted its official artwork, "I am so proud to announce the first original Destiny's Child music in eight years." It contains one new song entitled "Nuclear", which was produced by Pharrell Williams.

Pharrell Williams (pictured) produced "Nuclear"

Apart from "Nuclear", the rest of the album consists of assorted previously recorded music, which Knowles, Rowland and Williams handpicked.[8][9] Williams said that Love Songs was made "for the fans", and told MTV News about recording the "Nuclear" track, "It was a bunch of fun. It was just picking up right where we left off. The harmonies and just us stacking [vocals] ... Beyoncé laid hers first, then I'd go and lay another note to the bottom, and I'm like, 'Wow, this is dope.' I literally got goose bumps."[9] In an interview with German web show MalcolmMusic, commenting her contribution to the song as a songwriter, Michelle Williams revealed that Pharrell had already written the verses for Rowland and Knowles, and that Knowles urged Michelle to write her own bridge.[3]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[10]
Consequence of Sound[11]
New York Daily News[12]

Upon its release, the public reaction to "Nuclear" was mixed. According to MTV News, "Those saying "no, no, no" called it too mid-tempo, underwhelming even, for an act that built its catalog on power anthems like "Survivor." But supporters fell hard for the drum-heavy Pharrell production."[13] Consequence of Sound's Amanda Koellner gave Love Songs a mixed review, noting that its material highlights "the group’s knack for harmony and emotion" and it is "a shot of nostalgia", but isn't an "essential collection".[11] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe was displeased with the lack of new material, calling the album "unnecessary" in the "digital world of playlist-making". Although, Rodman did praise "Nuclear" as a "modestly appealing trifle that features quasi-scientific nonsense about 'when two become one on a quantum level' and benefits from all the slow jam somnambulance preceding it by being slightly more alert."[14]

Jim Farber of the New York Daily News said the album's ballads which "didn't flatter Destiny's core persona" sounded like "extended runs rather than fully honed tunes." Farber, who had given the album an overall score of three out of five stars, went on to praise their "rich" vocal performances, writing "the way the voices of Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams wrap around Beyoncé’s — encouraging ever higher flights, while jazzing up each other’s runs — proves this wasn’t just a one-woman show".[12]

Andy Kellman of Allmusic described the collection as "a sharp selection of deep album cuts, including one from Kelly Rowland's Simply Deep ("Heaven"), that demonstrates the group's depth behind the hits". Kellman gave particular praise to "Nuclear", calling it a "knockout" and writing, "it sounds more like something released in 1990 by the Chimes, Soul II Soul, or the Family Stand than any pop-R&B circa 2013".[10]

Chart performance

In the United States, the album debuted at number seventy-two on the Billboard 200 the chart issue dated February 16, 2013.[15] The album sold 6,000 copies in the first week of release.[16] In its second week the album dropped to number one-hundred and twenty-two.[17] In its third week the album dropped to one-hundred and fifty-one.[18] The album spent a total of four weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart with its final chart at number one-hundred and sixty-six.[19] The album also debuted at number seven on the R&B Albums chart[20] and number fourteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[21]

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number forty-four on the UK Albums Chart[22] and number three on the UK R&B Albums Chart on February 10, 2013.[23] In Ireland, the compilation debuted at number twenty-seven on the Irish Albums Chart for the week ending February 7, 2013.[24] Across other European countries, the album peaked within the top one-hundred in Italy and Switzerland.[25][26] The album charted at number one-hundred and forty-nine in France.[27]

In Australia the album charted at number sixty-nine on the Australian Albums Chart[28] and number fourteen on the Australian Urban Albums Chart.[29]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Cater 2 U"
Destiny Fulfilled, 20044:05
2."Killing Time"
Destiny's Child, 19985:07
3."Second Nature"
Destiny's Child5:08
4."Heaven" (performed by Kelly Rowland)
  • Rowland
  • Alonzo Jackson
  • Taura Jackson
  • Todd Mushaw
Simply Deep, 20023:59
5."Now That She's Gone"
The Writing's on the Wall, 19995:33
6."Brown Eyes"
Survivor, 20014:33
7."If"
Destiny Fulfilled4:15
8."Emotion"
Survivor3:55
9."If You Leave" (featuring Next)
The Writing's on the Wall4:33
10."T-Shirt"
Destiny Fulfilled4:39
11."Temptation"
The Writing's on the Wall4:03
12."Say My Name" (Timbaland remix)
This Is the Remix, 20025:01
13."Love"
  • Knowles
  • Rowland
  • M. Williams
  • Erron Williams
  • Beyince
Destiny Fulfilled4:29
14."Nuclear"
 3:56
Total length:63:15

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[28] 69
Australian Urban Albums Chart[29] 14
French Albums Chart[27] 149
Greek Albums Chart (IFPI)[30] 44
Irish Albums Chart[24] 27
Italian Albums Chart[25] 69
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[31] 84
Swiss Albums Chart[26] 89
UK Albums Chart[22] 44
UK R&B Albums Chart[23] 3
US Billboard 200[15] 72
US R&B Albums (Billboard)[20] 7
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 14

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States January 25, 2013
Columbia Records [1]
United Kingdom [2]
Australia [32]
France [33]
Italy [34]
Switzerland [35]

References

  1. 1 2 "Love Songs by Destiny's Child". iTunes, Apple, Inc. 25 January 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Love Songs by Destiny's Child". iTunes, Apple, Inc. 25 January 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Ohanwe, Malcolm (February 14, 2016). "Michelle Williams talks Writing with Pharrell, Balancing Sexappeal & Gospel". MalcolmMusic. YouTube. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  4. ↑ Devenish, Colin (June 13, 2005). "Destiny's Child to Split". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Rumor Of Destiny's Child Reunion Was False". RTTNews. August 6, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ Williams, Brennan (July 6, 2012). "Mathew Knowles Talks New Destiny's Child Album, Blue Ivy, Reality Television". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  7. ↑ Dinh, James (July 6, 2012). "New Destiny's Child Albums On The Way, Beyonce's Dad Says". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Miller, Julie (January 10, 2013). "A Close Reading of Destiny Child's New Album Cover". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  9. 1 2 Alexis, Nadeska (January 25, 2013). "Destiny's Child Proving They've 'Still Got It,' Michelle Williams Says". MTV News. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  10. 1 2 Kellman, Andy (January 29, 2013). "Love Songs – Destiny's Child". Allmusic. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Koellner, Amanda (February 1, 2013). "Album Review: Destiny's Child – Love Songs". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Farber, Jim (January 27, 2013). "Album review: Destiny's Child, 'Love Songs'". New York Daily News. Daily News, L.P. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  13. ↑ Thomas, Rebecca (January 29, 2013). "Destiny's Child Love Songs: Four Key Tracks!". MTV News. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  14. ↑ Rodman, Sarah (January 28, 2013). "Not much new on Destiny's Child's 'Love Songs'". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Billboard Top 200 Albums February 16, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  16. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (February 6, 2013). "Beyoncé, Destiny's Child Album Sales Up 197% After Super Bowl". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Billboard Top 200 Albums February 23, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  18. ↑ "Billboard Top 200 Albums March 2, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  19. ↑ "Billboard Top 200 Albums March 9, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Billboard R&B Albums February 16, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums February 16, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  22. 1 2 "Archive Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  23. 1 2 "Archive Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  24. 1 2 "Top 100 Artist Albums, Week Ending February 7, 2013". Chart-Track. GfK. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  25. 1 2 "Albums – Classifica settimanale Week 6 (dal 04/02/2013 al 10/02/2013)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  26. 1 2 "Destiny's Child – Love Songs" (in German). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  27. 1 2 "Ultratop.be Destiny's Child - Love Songs". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  28. 1 2 Ryan, Gavin (February 10, 2013). "Of Monsters And Men Top ARIA Chart". Noise11. Noise Network. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  29. 1 2 "ARIA Australian Top 40 Urban Albums Chart – February 11, 2013". ARIA Charts. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  30. ↑ "IFPI Charts". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  31. ↑ "デスティニーズ・チャイルドのアルバム売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Love Songs by Destiny's Child". iTunes, Apple, Inc. 25 January 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  33. ↑ "Love Songs by Destiny's Child". iTunes, Apple, Inc. 25 January 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Love Songs by Destiny's Child". iTunes, Apple, Inc. 25 January 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Love Songs by Destiny's Child". iTunes, Apple, Inc. 25 January 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
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