“Independent Women Part 1,” was originally released in 2000 on the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels and later included on the group’s 2001 album Survivor.
When Beyonce’s father and manager at the time, Mathew Knowles heard that first version of “Independent Women,” he had bigger plans for the song. According to Fred Bronson’s Billboard Book Of Number 1 Hits, Beyonce says, “My dad heard it, and he let the label hear it, and they said, ‘That’s the soundtrack to Charlie’s Angels.That’s the first single.’
So we went back in and changed some of the words and made it fit the movie.”
Beyonce ended up change a lot of the words. A song about standing on your own two feet economically ended up as a pure Hollywood movie promo. At the time the song was being released, Destiny’s Child were in the process of changing from a four member group to three.
As there were also three Charlie’s Angels in the film the producers of the film thought it would be a great opportunity for Destinys Child to come on strong with their new lineup and mirror the film. That’s exactly what they did.
In as 2018, when Destiny’s Child reunited during Beyoncé’s astonishing Coachella set, they made their grand entrance via stage elevator, doing the Charlie’s Angels silhouette pose.
“Independent Women” became Destiny’s Child’s longest-reigning #1 hit holding the #1 spot for longer than any song in the first few years of the twentieth century. Destiny’s Child used “Independent Women Part 1” as the opening track on Survivor, the album that they released in April of 2001. At an Atlanta show in June 2022, Coldplay brought out Kelly Rowland and covered “Independent Women Part 1.”
