The Writing's on the Wall

Infobox Album
Name = The Writing's on the Wall
Type = studio
Artist = Destiny's Child


Released = July 27, 1999 (U.S.)
March 31, 2000 (Ireland)
July 26, 1999 (UK)
May 29, 1999 (Switzerland)
Recorded = 1998–1999 in Canadian Music Studios Toronto, Ontario
Genre = R&B, pop, dance-pop
Length = 63:54
Label = Columbia
Producer = Jovonn Alexander, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, D-Major, Chad "Dr. Cuess" Elliot, Missy Elliott, Donald Holmes, Anthony Hardy, Oshea Hunter, Rodney Jerkins, F-Fam, Beyoncé Knowles, Daryl Simmons, Platinum Status, Chris Stokes, Gerard Thomas, Dwayne Wiggins
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4ekqoa9alijn link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,272373,00.html link]
Last album = "Destiny's Child"
(1998)
This album = "The Writing's on the Wall"
(1999)
Next album = "Survivor"
(2001)
Misc =Singles
Name = The Writing's on the Wall
Type = studio
Single 1 = Bills, Bills, Bills
Single 1 date = June 15, 1999
Single 2 = Bug a Boo
Single 2 date = December 21, 1999
Single 3 = Say My Name
Single 3 date = February 29, 2000
Single 4 = Jumpin' Jumpin'
Single 4 date = July 18, 2000

"The Writing's on the Wall" is the second album released by the American R&B group Destiny's Child and their final release as a quartet. It was released by Columbia Records on July 27, 1999 in North America and features the number-one hit singles "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin' Jumpin'."

The album was a huge hit, going 8x platinum in the U.S., eventually selling 13 million copies worldwide as of 2008 [ [http://www.ticketnest.com/concert-tickets/Beyonce/index.php TicketNest: Biography on Beyonce] ] . It was the biggest selling album of 2000 by a female group and won Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. The hit song "Say My Name" garnered the group two Grammys in 2001, one for Best R&B Song and another for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Track listing

# "Intro (The Writing's on the Wall)" (Beyoncé Knowles, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett) – 2:07
# "So Good" (Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Kandi Burruss, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, L. Roberson, K. Rowland) – 3:14
# "Bills, Bills, Bills" (E. Phillips, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, K. Rowland) – 4:16
# "Confessions" (featuring Missy Elliott) (M. Elliott, D. Holmes, G. Thomas) – 4:58
# "Bug a Boo" (K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, L. Roberson, K. Rowland) – 3:31
# "Temptation" (Dwayne Wiggins, C. Wheeler, A. Ray, B. Knowles, K. Rowland, L. Luckett, L. Roberson) – 4:06
# "Now That She's Gone" (K. Fambro, D. Boynton, T. Geter, L. Simmons, A. Simmons) – 5:35
# "Where'd You Go" (P. Status, C. Stokes, L. Roberson, L. Kuckett, K. Rowland, B. Knowles) – 4:15
# "Hey Ladies" (K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, L. Roberson, K. Rowland) – 4:16
# "If You Leave" (featuring R. L. of Next) (T. Turman, R. L. Hugger, C. Elliot, O. Hunter) – 4:35
# "Jumpin' Jumpin'" (R. Moore, Chad Elliot, B. Knowles) – 3:47
# "Say My Name" (Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, K. Rowland, L. Roberson) – 4:29
# "She Can't Love You" (K. Briggs, Kandi, B. Knowles, L. Luckett, K. Rowland, L. Roberson) – 4:05
# "Stay" (Dedicated to Andretta Tillman) (Darryl Simmons) – 4:51
# "Sweet Sixteen" D. Wiggins, J. Watley, B. Knowles, K. Rowland) – 4:13
# "Outro" ("Amazing Grace") – 2:39
# "Get on the Bus" [International bonus track] (M. Elliott, Tim Mosley) – 4:44
# "Can't Help Myself" [Special edition bonus track] ; Bonus Tracks
#

"No, No, No Part 2"
# "Independent Women Part I"
# "Independent Women Part II"
# "8 Days of Christmas"
# "Say My Name" (Timbaland remix)
# "I Can't Go for That" ("Bills, Bill, Bills" remix featuring Sporty Thievz)

Chart performance

In the United States the album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 on August 14, 1999 selling over 132,000 copies in its first week. It remained in the Top 20 for most of 1999 and had sold over 1.6 million copies by the end of the year according to Nielsen SoundScan and was certified 2x platinum in January, 2000. Nine months after its release "The Writing's on the Wall" following the huge success of its third single, the Billboard Hot 100 number one "Say My Name", returned to the top ten peaking at #5 on May 5, 2000. During its first year on the chart it spent 47 out of 52 weeks in the Top 40 or better and was the tenth best-selling album of the year 2000 selling 3.8 million copies during the year."The Writing's on the Wall" spent 99 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 (from the summer of 1999 to the spring of 2001) and was certified 8x platinum by the RIAA on November 8, 2001 and has sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Worldwide "The Writing's on the Wall" was a similarly huge hit and became one of the best-selling R&B albums of all-time. It achieved gold, platinum and multi-platinum status across Europe and was certified 2x platinum by the IFPI in early 2001 in recognition of 2 million albums sold. In Canada the album peaked within the top and was certified 5x platinum (500,000 sales), it was certified 3x platinum in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

Credits and personnel

*Bill Ortiz – trumpet
*Daryl Simmons – drum programming, keyboard programming
*D'Wayne Wiggins – guitar, producer
*Rodney Jerkins – producer
*Claudine Pontier – assistant engineer
*James Hoover – engineer
*Steve Baughman – mixing assistant
*Missy Elliott – performer
*Jimmy Douglas – engineer
*Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander – mixing
*Vince Lars – saxophone
*Albert Sanchez – photography
*Blake Eiseman – engineer
*Dexter Simmons – mixing
*Brian Springer – engineer
*Joey Swails – engineer
*Destiny's Child – main performer
*Dan Workman – engineer
*LaShawn Daniels – vocal producer
*Anthony Hardy – producer
*Beyoncé Knowles – lead vocals, background vocals
*LeToya Luckett – background vocals
*LaTavia Roberson – background vocals
*Mathew Knowles – executive producer, mixing
*Kelly Rowland – lead vocals, background vocals
*Farrah Franklin – background vocals (re-issued version only)
*Michelle Williams – background vocals (re-issued version only)
*Kenny Stallworth – assistant engineer
*Donald "Lenny" Holmes – producer
*Gerard Thomas – producer
*Chris Bell – engineer
*Brad Gildem – engineer
*Jean Marie Hurout – engineer, mixing
*Kevin "Shekspere" Briggs – producer
*Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing
*Tara Geter Tillman – background vocals
*Mike Calderon – engineer
*Jon Gass – engineer
*Thom "TK" Kidd – engineer
*Tony Williams – drum programming

Charts

References