This song was inspired by the reality TV series of the same name where contestants vote each other off an island. It is a play on what happened to the group when they lost three members in one year, and their associated drama was being compared to the show - wondering what group member would be the last one voted off. Group leader Beyoncé Knowles wrote it after reading a review comparing the member changes to the TV series Survivor, which debuted in 2000 and was a sensation when this song was written.
Beyoncé says that this song was a defining moment in the career of Destiny's Child, as with their success also came a great deal of negativity. The criticism encouraged her to "write them out of the negativity," which is how she came up with this song.
Beyoncé explained on MTV's Behind The Video: "'Survivor is basically about surviving different situations. Everyone in this world that I know, they've survived something, and I know the song is definitely inspirational. It really makes you feel strong and it really makes you feel like you can survive anything."
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