Survivor became Destiny’s Child’s first Billboard 200 number-one album.
Released on May 1, 2001, Survivor was the group’s third studio album and the first Destiny’s Child album recorded after the departure of original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. The group’s lineup on the album was Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.
The title track “Survivor” became one of the group’s signature songs, while “Bootylicious” and “Emotion” also performed strongly on the charts. The album’s themes of resilience and independence were frequently linked to the public changes in the group’s membership.
The Writing’s on the Wall had been a major commercial success, but it did not reach number one on the Billboard 200. Destiny Fulfilled came later, after the trio reunited for another studio album. Those timeline differences are why Survivor is the specific answer to the group’s first number-one album question.