At the turn of the century, Y2K pop artists helped define the music of the new millennium. Boy bands, girl groups, and chart-topping solo artists dominated in 2001. These three defining Y2K pop albums are turning 25 this year, yet that may be hard to accept.
‘survivor’ by destiny’s child
Girl group Destiny’s Child released their third studio album on April 25, 2001. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and featured two new members. Following their sophomore album, The Writing’s On The Wall, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett left the group and were replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. Ultimately, Franklin left shortly after the group contributed the song “Independent Women 1” to the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack in 2000.
For the third album, Survivor, the group continued as a trio featuring Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The album’s lead single, “Survivor”, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US Dance Singles chart.
‘all for you’ by janet jackson
By the early 2000s, Janet Jackson had firmly established herself as the next member of the Jackson family to become a chart-topping star. From 1986 to 2001, Jackson had penned 10 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Inspired by her 2001 divorce, “All For You” became Jackson’s tenth No. 1 hit. Additionally, Jackson’s seventh studio album, All For You, became Jackson’s fifth consecutive album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. During this time, MTV recognized Jackson as a cultural icon with a televised special titled MTV Icon: Janet Jackson.
‘celebrity’ by nsync
On July 24, 2001, NSYNC released their fourth and final album, Celebrity. With this, the boy band earned their second No. 1 album, which became the third best-selling album of 2001. Of the singles released, “Pop” peaked at No. 5 on the US Pop Airplay chart. Next, “Gone” peaked at No. 7 on the Pop Airplay chart. Their final single, “Girlfriend”, became the group’s last to chart in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. On Celebrity, NSYNC incorporated elements of hip-hop and two-step to alter their image to be taken more seriously. In 2002, the group went on hiatus as Justin Timberlake’s solo debut album became a massive success. They permanently broke up in 2004 as Timberlake felt he had outgrown the others creatively.
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