Destiny (Zero 7 song)

Zero 7 came to public attention after creating a dub remix of "Climbing Up the Walls", a song from English rock band Radiohead's third studio album, OK Computer (1997). They followed up with another remix, this time reworking "Love Theme from Spartacus" by American singer-songwriter Terry Callier. The duo then released their first extended play, EP1, in 2000; only 1,000 copies were issued, which sold out within a few days. Afterwards, the twosome began to work on their first full album, which would include several tracks from EP1. Henry Binns explained to Helen Brown of British newspaper The Independent that after he and Zero 7 partner Sam Hardaker had composed the music for their debut studio album, Simple Things, they began to search for singers, one of whom was "Destiny" vocalist and writer Sophie Barker. She had been performing music around London during the album's creation, and after Zero 7 attended one her shows, they asked her to be a vocalist on Simple Things, to which she agreed. Afterwards, most of the album's material was complete, but Zero 7 believed that "Destiny", then an instrumental, was missing a certain quality. At the time, Hardaker played association football with Sia's manager, and although Hardaker initially reacted reluctantly to the manager's proposition to feature her on the track, he soon discovered that Sia was the vocalist for whom they had been searching. With her help, they penned the lyrics for two songs in one afternoon: "Distractions" and "Destiny". ==Composition and lyrics==

A downtempo torch song and ballad, "Destiny" is composed in C Phrygian mode, which is the third mode of the A-flat major scale. The chorus follows the chord progression of E6–dm7–Dmaj7–C. Sia sings the verses while Barker accompanies her during the choruses. Even then, she continues to draw strength from her lover, as she believes they were destined to be together. ==Critical reception==

Angelo De Robertis of Italian contemporary hit radio station Radio 105 praised the song, saying, "It's an extraordinary record," and comparing it to the works of French music duo Air. In a November 2001 review of Simple Things for Billboard magazine, Michael Paoletta said that "Destiny" (along with another album track, "In the Waiting Line") could "comfort those in need of TLC". In a later Billboard review, published in January 2002, he went on to compliment the "smoldering" vocals of Sia and Barker and wrote that the track was "chilled to perfection". Robb Patryk of American online magazine SoulTracks said of "Destiny", "The track has a swirling, trip-hoppy vibe, and Sia lays her incredibly supple and soulful voice atop it like whipped cream". Radio & Records named in their "Record of the Week" on their 1 February 2002 issue, with columnist Katy Stephan referring to the song as "more comfortable than a sofa," noting its smooth vocals, rich melody, and chilling loops. Smooth Radio writer Tom Eames ranked "Destiny" as Zero 7's best track. BBC writer Christian Hopwood called Sia's vocals "dulcet" and praised her collaboration with Barker. Reviewing the parent album for music website Sit Down/Listen Up, Thom Lieb said that "Destiny" would be a "great" song for weddings if not for the opening lines about watching pornography. Stephen Dalton of British website NME wrote that while the song was not bad, it would satisfy only a particular audience for being "too nice" and a sleep-inducing track. ==Release and promotion==

"Destiny" was included as the third track on Simple Things, released on 23 April 2001 to high anticipation, and was issued as the album's second single on 6 August 2001. The song made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number 30 on 12 August 2001. and it was Sia's second song to enter the top 40, following her debut single, "Taken for Granted", in 2000; she would not return to the top 40 until January 2012, when her collaboration with French DJ David Guetta, "Titanium", rose into the top 10. In Scotland, the song peaked at number 35 on the week of its debut and also stayed within the top 100 of the Scottish Singles Chart for three weeks. On the UK Indie Chart, which ranks songs released on independent record labels, the song attained a peak of number two. Following a large number of radio additions on the week of 11 February 2002, "Destiny" debuted at number 27 on the Radio & Records Triple A Top 30 Indicator listing on 22 February 2002. As its airplay increased, it eventually dropped out of the indicator chart and entered the main Triple A Top 30 ranking, where it debuted and peaked at number 26 on 7 June 2002. features rotoscoping, a process in which live-action footage is traced over frame-by-frame, turning it into an animated film; it was this video that received plentiful airplay. It is mostly animated in black and white, although it does feature sporadic red, orange, and yellow colouration. The video shows several downtrodden individuals travelling around a city, encountering romantic couples of all ages socialising, cuddling, kissing, or interacting with their children. The video completely colourises as it ends, showing a depressed woman staring out of a window. ==Track listings==

UK CD1 • "Destiny" (radio edit) • "Destiny" (Photek remix radio edit) • "End Theme" (Roni Size remix) UK CD2 • "Destiny" (full length version) • "Destiny" (Hefner's Destinys Chill) • "Destiny" (Simian Remix) UK and US 12-inch single :A1. "Destiny" (full length) :A2. "Destiny" (Hefner's Destinys Chill) :B1. "Destiny" (Photek remix) European maxi-CD single • "Destiny" (radio edit) • "Destiny" (Hefner's Destinys Chill) • "Destiny" (Photek remix) • "End Theme" (Roni Size remix) ==Charts==