Unlike the group's previous recordings, the album saw each member equally contributing to the songwriting and production, drawing inspiration from the events in their lives while being apart.

Lyrically a concept album, each of its tracks is a continuation of its predecessor, altogether telling a complete story tracing a woman's relationship journey.

The balladry and lyrical content were met with generally mixed reviews from music critics, who nevertheless praised the equality of contributions among members and their vocal performances.

[6] While recording Survivor in December 2000, Beyoncé announced that Destiny's Child would eventually embark on a hiatus which would allow each member to release a solo album, which they hoped would further increase interest in the group.

Kelly Rowland further explained in an interview that Destiny's Child had been present in the media for a long time and they wanted to "give the public eye a rest from DC for a minute".

[15] Simply Deep debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, and has gone on to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[16][17] selling over 600,000 copies in the US[18] and over 2.5 million worldwide.

[24] Garrett, who co-wrote "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "T-Shirt", "Is She the Reason", "Girl" and "Through with Love", recalled working on the album: "There was so much magic going on in the studio.

The traditional approach where each member sang one verse and chimed in the chorus was replaced; on some tracks from Destiny Fulfilled, their vocals alternated on every line of the lyrics, a technique similar to hip hop artists.

"[28] During an interview with MTV, Beyoncé stated that the songs from Destiny Fulfilled put altogether tell a complete story and noted that each track was a subsequent continuation of its predecessor.

[34] Destiny Fulfilled opens with the up-tempo dance track "Lose My Breath", which details a man full of empty promises to a woman.

[51] Originally slated for November 16, Destiny Fulfilled was released a day earlier due to Columbia Records' concern over "potential for Internet leaks and 'burned' CD counterfeits" which could "lead consumers to experience inferior and incomplete versions of the album".

Promotions of the tour aired over radio stations and television channels across the United States, with the group further collaborating with McDonald's, which served as its sponsor.

Numerous costume changes occurred throughout the show; the concerts exhibited products from Beyoncé's clothing line from House of Deréon, the company she co-founded with her mother Tina Knowles.

[65] During a concert at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on June 11, Rowland announced before 16,000 spectators that Destiny's Child would disband following the end of the tour.

[68][69] The album's lead single "Lose My Breath" first appeared as a streaming track on September 9, 2004, exclusively from AOL Music,[45] following which it was available as a digital download only from Walmart, then on October 5 it was made widely available.

[5] Its accompanying music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld and shows the group members involved in an alleyway dance battle against their own duplicates.

[4] Internationally, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

and Lil Wayne, Beyoncé's sister Solange, singers Lloyd and Ginuwine, and rappers Bow Wow, Ice Cube, WC and Jeezy.

[83] It failed to replicate the success of its predecessors as it peaked only at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ending Destiny's Child's streak of top-ten singles on the chart.

[31] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised Rowland's and Williams' abilities as vocalists and their contributions to the choruses, but felt that Beyoncé "steals every song", further commending her for sounding "larger than life even when she's quiet".

"[44] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian commented that the lead vocals on Destiny Fulfilled were likely to be sung by each member equally, noting that it made the album a "democratic" one.

[33] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly also noticed its "overall air of democracy at work" and noted that the album "often moves at a molasses-like pace, weighted down with a preponderance of exquisitely executed but ultimately dull ballads".

[42] Jenny Eliscu of Rolling Stone echoed Sinclair's comments, saying: "In all but a couple of songs, the verses are divided into three sections, with Beyonce leading things off, followed by Rowland, then Williams".

[38] She noted that after a couple of upbeat songs, "the album slumps into an endless string of overwrought R&B ballads where the only saving grace is ... these ladies can harmonize like nobody's business.

"[38] Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine commented that the album's ballads build into "the same sort of standoffish sexual supply-and-demand bartering that has marred their worst tracks".

[34] Sarah Godfrey from The Washington Post also criticized the balladry, alongside the absence of women's empowerment-themed lyrical content present on the group's previous recordings, but noted each member's individuality and praised their vocal performances.

[115][116][117] Furthermore, it peaked at number five on the European Top 100 Albums,[118] and was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in December 2004 for sales of one million copies across Europe.

[1] Writing for The Recording Academy, Dontaira Terrell retrospectively claimed Destiny Fulfilled "peeled back the layers of the pop phenom girl group we once knew and re-introduced us to a trio of fully evolved, self-realized women", further describing it as "an ode to the life lessons of friendship, spiritual enlightenment, personal growth and transformation.

Following the disbandment, Beyoncé recorded and released her second solo studio album B'Day (2006) to widespread critical and commercial success, while starring in the Academy Award-winning musical drama Dreamgirls.

[138][139] Michelle Williams released her third studio album Unexpected, which showcased a drastic change in her musical style from gospel to dance-pop, in October 2008.