Destiny?s Child has been pegged as the best-selling female group of all time and their greatest hits compilation certainly hints why.

The trio, made of Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, released #1?s on October 25. It shot to number one on U.S. Billboard charts in the first week.

The disc opens with the unreleased track “Stand Up For Love”. It?s being toted as the group?s last single and is the theme for the 2005 World Children?s Day. But all sentiment aside, the track is too mellow to lead a best of album from a trio who are known for thumping party songs like “Lose My Breath” and “Bootylicious”.

“Check On It”, a Knowles and Slim Thug duet, is another unreleased track. It?s featured on the upcoming Pink Panther soundtrack, in which Knowles co-stars. “Feel the Same Way I Do”, about trying to figure out if your guy loves you like you love him, is the third new track.

The thirteen other songs on the album span the career of Destiny?s Child from 1998?s self-titled debut to 2004?s Destiny Fulfilled.

Perhaps their longevity stems from girl power. Female listeners no doubt love the reassurance that they can make it through a break-up on top from “Survivor” or dare a cheating boyfriend to “Say My Name”.

Destiny?s Child?s specialty is serving these female anthems up with club beats. Take 2000?s number one “Independent Women Part 1″ from the Charlie?s Angels soundtrack. “Tell me how you feel about this/ Try to control me boy you get dismissed/ Pay my own fun, oh and I pay my own bills/ Always 50/50 in relationships.”

Or what about just those songs with club beats? “Jumpin?, Jumpin?” was such a hit in 2000 that I even remember dancing to it at the Grade 11 Valentine?s dance. But I digress.

And then, among all these songs about powerful women, we are hit with “Cater 2 U”, a misplaced ditty about serving your man. “Let me help you/ take off your shoes/ Untie your shoestrings/ Take off your cufflinks/ What you want to eat boo?/ Let me feed you,” the girls coo. Ladies, I think we were just knocked back to the Leave It To Beaver era.

So while Destiny?s should have stayed with what they knew all along, you?re still getting the best from the best here. The girls announced in June that the group would split after the “Destiny Fulfilled … and Lovin? It” tour, but I would still count on the possibility of a reunion.

4*/5*

Destiny?s Child: #1?s
Release date: Oct. 25, 2005
Track listing:
1. Stand Up For Love
2. Independent Women Part I
3. Survivor
4. Soldier (featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne)
5. Check On It (Beyonc? featuring Slim Thug)
6. Jumpin?, Jumpin?
7. Lose My Breath
8. Say My Name
9. Emotion
10. Bug A Boo
11. Bootylicious
12. Bills, Bills, Bill
13. Girl
14. No, No, No Part 2 (featuring Wyclef Jean)
15. Cater 2 U
16. Feel The Same Way I Do






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