For most artists, making a comeback can be a tricky move that inspires a litany of questions. Has it been too long? Has the music landscape changed too much? Will the fans still support? Will the new music be as good as the beloved hits?
Twenty years ago, following a few years of solo efforts, films, and chart-topping singles, Destiny’s Child (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams) came back with a hit single — and a question of their own — that put them back on the charts and put any questions about their ability to weather a comeback to rest: “Can you keep up?”
Released in the fall of 2004 as the lead single from the group’s fifth studio album, Destiny Fulfilled, “Lose My Breath” is a genre-blending jam that fires on all cylinders with unique elements that ensured it would ultimately go gold — a drum intro that instantly grabs you, a hook (allegedly) penned by Jay-Z, stellar production by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, immeasurable crossover appeal, and more sass than a high school step team. Not only did the song hit with major comeback energy, but it introduced us to an older, more polished Destiny’s Child ready to showcase their storytelling skills across what would become their final, and in my opinion, BEST studio album (for now).
Speaking of polish, the music video that followed gave us not one, not two, but three iterations of the girl group that ran the early aughts and seemed to be a visual manifestation of the range, versatility, style, and evolution we’d seen through the years prior.
Yes, Destiny’s Child was back — and there was no denying it. I mean, we have memorable live performances like this one, this one, and this one to prove it.
Never truly out of mind, the song has even inspired TikTok challenges that have had folks showing off their moves and strutting through airports, city streets, and events while channeling the group’s comeback era energy and attitude.
While only time will tell if we’ll hear another official Destiny’s Child effort (or if I’ll ever get that tour I’ve been waiting for), “Lose My Breath” will always be a favorite — whether I’m taking an auditory walk down memory lane or I’m, as Kelly Rowland would say, “trying to get my groove.”