During Destiny’s Child run, the many line-up’s have blessed the masses with many a classic gem. This week’s From The Vault hailed by many as their defining song. Today we salute ‘Say My Name.’

Rumor has it the ladies hated the song in its initial form, saying that there was too much happening on the track. It was only after reworking by its producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins that track evolved into a favorite of theirs.

Penned by the group’s original lineup, the song was serviced as the third offering from their sophomore set ‘The Writing’s On The Wall.’ After hitting #1 in the U.S. and Australia and scoring Top 5 placing in the U.K. and Canada, ‘Say My Name’ was considered a pivotal moment for R&B music and turned the band into a household name.

But with all this success came a dose of drama…

The music video for ‘Say My Name’ featured the second incarnation of Destiny’s Child, which saw Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin replacing LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson.

According to Luckett and Roberson – who had asked for separate management because of perceived favoritism from manager and Beyonce’s dad, Mathew Knowles, they didn’t know they were out of the group. Not until ‘Say My Name’s  simultaneous premiere on MTV and BET in February 2000. A press release announcing the lineup change sealed their fate.

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Directed by Joseph Kahn, it presented the four members in color-coded moving sets. In most of the clip, the girls can be seen posing instead of dancing as a result of having no time to learn the song’s choreography.

Looking back, it’s nothing short of miraculous DC came out of this scotfree as it remains one of the most soap-opera like dramas Pop culture has witnessed. Talk about being a survivor. Still, one thing must be said about Destiny’s Child: no matter who was in the group, talent has always been its defining feature. It’s no surprise, then, why they would go on to become one of the most iconic acts of all time.

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