Destiny's Child
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Template:Infobox band Destiny's Child was an American R&B group. Originally a duo and later a quartet, the group eventually became a trio, whose most enduring and famous members were Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The group has record sales of 50 million albums and singles [1] and they are the best-selling all-female group of all time, according to the World Music Awards. [2] On June 12, 2005 they announced on tour in Barcelona, Spain that they will no longer be performing together, instead pursuing individual careers in music, theater, television and film.
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Musical career
Early years
Destiny's Child was formed in Houston, Texas, in 1990, when original members Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson were just nine years old; Knowles' father, Matthew, set about developing an act based on their singing and rapping, under the name Girls Tyme. They landed an appearance on Star Search, where they performed a rap song. LaTavia Roberson's met Kelly Rowland in elementary school and introduced her to Beyoncé. [[3]] Rowland eventually moved in with the Knowles' after her mother decided to move back to Atlanta. In 1993, LeToya Luckett joined the act. The quartet's lineup was finalized (for the time being). Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, took their name from a passage in the Book of Isaiah. They spent the next few years working their way up from the Houston club scene, eventually opening for popular R&B artists like SWV, Dru Hill, and Immature. In 1995 Destiny's Child signed with Elektra Records but got dropped. In 1997, Destiny's Child was offered a recording contract by Columbia Records.
Destiny's Child
Image:Destiny's child (album).jpg The group made their recording debut with "Killing Time," which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1997 blockbuster, Men In Black. Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album to mixed reviews on February 17, 1998. The album's first single, "No, No, No" featured two completely different versions of the same song. "No, No, No Pt. 1" and "No, No, No Pt. 2" were both released simultaneously, however, Part 2 was considered a "remix" version of Part 1. "No, No, No, Pt. 2", featuring The Fugees member Wyclef Jean, quickly climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 3 on the Pop chart. The single sold over 1 million copies. However, follow-up singles "With Me Pt.1" and "Get On The Bus" failed to reproduce the success of "No, No, No". Destiny's Child eventually went Platinum after later success. Expectations were not high for the group's second album, as most industry critics considered them to be another disposable R&B girl-group with one-hit wonder status. The LP Destiny's Child eventually sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.
The Writing's on the Wall
Image:Writings on the wall.jpg Destiny's Child re-entered the studio quickly, bringing in a new lineup of producers, including Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Rodney Jerkins, Dwayne Wiggins, Chad Elliot, Daryl Simmons, and Missy Elliott. Critics were generally positive about the album; Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote "The Writing's on the Wall…an assured step forward for the girl group. Not only are they maturing as vocalists, they are fortunate to work with such skilled, talented producers…who all give the quartet rich, varied music upon which to work their charm." Lead single "Bills, Bills, Bills" became the group's first No. 1 Hot 100 hit (and second R&B No. 1) in the summer of 1999, and paced by its success, the accompanying album, The Writing's on the Wall, entered the Billboard 200 at No.6 upon its release on July 27, 1999. The second single, "Bug-a-Boo" hit the Top 40 pop charts, while its music video received heavy rotation on MTV and BET. During international promotions for the album they made the tour diary ‘ASAP’ with Burning Vision Entertainment. [4]
Image:Destiny2000.jpgBuoyed by the group's breakout success, two of its original members, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, attempted to split with manager Matthew Knowles, charging that he kept a disproportionate share of the band's profits, attempted to exert too much control, and unfairly favored his daughter. While they never intended to leave the group, relations naturally grew strained, and when the video for "Say My Name" premiered in February 2000, many fans (not to mention Roberson and Luckett) were surprised to find two new members — Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin — joining Knowles and Rowland. Infuriated, Roberson and Luckett took legal action in March, suing both Knowles and their former bandmates for breach of partnership and fiduciary duties. A war of words followed in the press; meanwhile, Destiny's Child became a pop-cultural phenomenon. "Say My Name" became the group's biggest single to date and third No. 1 single. The abrupt membership changes within the group seemed to only heighten the group's visibility, finally separating them from the endless pack of teen pop starlets.
In June 2000, the album's fourth single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'" became a Top 5 hit, however, another departure came from the ever-evolving girl-group. Farrah Franklin, who had replaced an original member just five months prior, left the group for various personal reasons. This split was less controversial, while The Writing's on the Wall would eventually be certified 8x platinum domestically and sell over 13 million copies worldwide. In the meantime, toward the end of 2000, Roberson and Luckett dropped the portion of their lawsuit aimed at Rowland and Knowles in exchange for a settlement, though they continued to pursue action against Knowles' father; as part of the agreement, both sides were prohibited from attacking each other publicly. The Writings on the Wall propelled the girls careers as it was one of the top 10 selling albums of 2000 and was the biggest selling album of the year by a female and African-American group.
Now a trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, Destiny's Child were tapped to record the theme song for the film version of Charlie's Angels; released as a single in October 2000, "Independent Women, Pt. 1" raced up the charts and spent an astounding 11 consecutive weeks at No.1 (the longest running of 2000 and by a female group). They quickly began work on a new album to capitalize on their success. In the meantime, Destiny's Child won 2 Grammy awards for "Say My Name", including Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Song. While speaking with MTV.com, Rowland had this to say about the upcoming album: "I know everybody can relate to this album it's very diverse and inspiring. The year 2000 was very challenging, and I know that gave Beyoncé a lot of inspiration to write songs for the album. We cannot wait for everybody to hear it. It's so empowering for a lot of people who have already heard a little bit of it."
Survivor
Image:Survivor Cd.jpg Beyoncé had long since emerged as the group's focal point, and on the third Destiny's Child album, she assumed more control than ever before, taking a greater hand in co-producing and co-writing the entire album. "We're excited about the album," Knowles told MTV News shortly before the album's release. She adds, "…I got a chance to co-write and produce all of the songs." "And she did an incredible job," the group's Kelly Rowland added. "But everybody is a part of the music," Knowles said. "Everybody is singing lead on every song, and it's so great — because now Destiny's Child is at the point vocally and mentally that it should be at. It's just great to be a part of this group." Survivor - whose title was reportedly inspired by a DJ's crack about Destiny's Child members voting one another off the island, much like the popular CBS reality series Survivor - hit stores in the spring of 2001, and entered the Billboard 200 at number one, selling over 663,000 copies in its first week sales (the highest ever for a girl-group.) The first three singles, "Independent Women Part 1", "Survivor" and "Bootylicious", were predictably huge hits, with the latter becoming the group's fourth No.1 Hot 100 single. An über-melismatic cover of the Bee Gees' "Emotion" was also successful, becoming a Top 10 pop hit. Survivor sold well - certified 4x platinum domestically and going on to sell a total over 11 million worldwide. In the UK, Destiny's Child had two consecutive hit singles at number one which were "Independent Women Part 1" and "Survivor". The LP was the seventh highest selling album of the year and the best by female group selling over 3.8 million copies in the U.S.
Toward the end of the year, the group released a holiday album, 8 Days of Christmas, and announced plans for a series of side projects, including solo albums from all three members (to be staggered over the next year and a half, so as to avoid competition). In early 2002, a remix compilation titled This Is the Remix was released to tide fans over.
Solo projects after Survivor
Michelle Williams Williams became the first member of Destiny's Child to have a solo project released. Heart To Yours, a contemporary gospel collection, reached No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart and sold 300,000 copies in the U.S.. Her second gospel album, Do You Know reached the No. 2 slot on the Top Christian Album chart and No. 3 on the Top Gospel Albums chart shortly after its release in January 2004. Williams also received rave reviews after replacing Toni Braxton in the lead role of Aida on Broadway in November 2003. To date this album has sold just over 100,000 copies in the U.S..
Kelly Rowland
In October 2002, Rowland’s solo debut, Simply Deep featured the No.1 Hot 100 smash hit, "Dilemma", a Grammy-winning (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration) duet with hip-hop superstar Nelly, the debut album did achieve moderate success. With "Dilemma" Rowland became the first member of Destiny's Child to hit No. 1 outside of the group. Internationally, Kelly was on a roll, hitting the No. 1 slot on the U.K. and several other countries' album charts while peaking in the U.S. at No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200. The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States and 2.5 million worldwide. In 2003, Rowland made her feature film debut in the horror flick "Freddy Vs. Jason".
Beyoncé Knowles
In 2001, Knowles co-starred with Mekhi Phifer in MTV's remake of Bizet's Carmen, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2002, Knowles co-starred with Mike Myers in the box-office blockbuster Austin Powers in Goldmember. She recorded a single for its soundtrack called "Work It Out", it was a different style for Knowles and the song flopped in the US (although it was successful overseas), which led her to scrap most of the 45 songs recorded for her solo debut.
Her breakout solo success has far eclipsed the other two Destiny's Child members. Her 2003 solo debut, Dangerously In Love, debuted at No. 1 and sold over four million copies in the United States and eight million worldwide. It yielded the No. 1 hits "Crazy In Love" featuring hip hop superstar Jay-Z (certified 2x platinum), and "Baby Boy" featuring Sean Paul (certified platinum). Top 5 songs "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", the latter also certified gold, followed.
Critically, Knowles has been well-received by many, even netting 5 Grammy awards for Dangerously In Love, a level reached only by a select few others, including Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Santana and Norah Jones.
Knowles is dating rapper Jay-Z, although their much talked about romance remains a mystery to most. Both Knowles and Jay-Z refuse to comment on the relationship. In September 2003, Knowles co-starred in her second feature film, The Fighting Temptations alongside Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. In 2006 she starred alongside Steve Martin in the movie The Pink Panther.
Destiny Fulfilled
Image:DestinyFulfilled.jpg After three years apart, achieving individual success in movies, on Broadway, endorsements and with solo albums, the three women of Destiny's Child reunited with a new album, Destiny Fulfilled. A world tour, sponsored by McDonald's, "Destiny Fulfilled ...and Lovin' It", hit 16 countries and over 75 cities worldwide, kicking off in Hiroshima, Japan on April 9, 2005, and ending in Vancouver, Canada; stops included Australia, Europe, and the U.S. and Canada. "Lose My Breath" the album's first single, produced by Rodney Jerkins, became the group's ninth Top 10 Hot 100 hit. The album saw the trio shift to a harder, 'urban' sound and was released in November 2004. The second single, "Soldier" featuring rappers T.I. and Lil Wayne quickly entered the Top 10, peaking at No.3 in February 2005 becoming the groups tenth Top 10 hit. "Lose My Breath" was certified 2x platinum and "Soldier" was certified platinum by the RIAA. Despite receiving worldwide mixed reviews, Destiny Fulfilled was certified 3x Platinum in early 2005 and has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. The album's third and fourth singles were "Girl" and "Cater 2 U," both of which went Gold by the RIAA respectively. Destiny Fulfilled was one of the best selling albums of 2005 and it pushed the ladies back into the position of the best selling female group and African-American group of the year.
The album did not win any of the Grammy awards for which it was nominated. During this time, Destiny's Child was named the Best Selling Female Group of All Time by the World Music Awards.
Final destiny and the future
On June 13, 2005, it was announced the group will disband after their world tour ends in the fall of 2005. [5] It was decided that the split would occur after the very last concert in Vancouver, Canada. The group first appeared on MTV's Total Request Live on June 21, 2005 to officially confirm their split. Their management decided to document their final tour for a special farewell DVD to be released March 28, 2006. It must be noted that Beyoncé herself has been quoted as saying that the breakup of the group is not permanent and she would not rule out any future Destiny's Child projects.
The group released their greatest hits album, # 1's on October 25, 2005, [6][7], which includes three new songs. One of the new songs is titled Stand Up For Love [8]. Lyrically the song is the anthem for World Children's Day, but relates to troubled times such as third world poverty, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the late 2004 tsunami. "Stand Up For Love" was Destiny's Child's last single. Number 1's charted at #6 on the official UK album top 40 with first week sales over 30,000 and #1 on U.S. Billboard 200 Album chart with sales of 113,000.
Mattel released Destiny's Child Barbie Collector Dolls in August 2005. With Destiny’s Child’s recent breakup announcement, this trio of dolls is expected to become a major collector's item. In November 2005, Destiny's Child helped Wal-Mart kick off an intensive holiday campaign with television ads with the group celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Destiny's Child's last televised performance was at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game on February 19 in Houston, Tx. Beyoncé told MTV News, "Every time we go on someone's television show, they want to be the person to say it's the last show. But we've said a million times, 'It's not the last show!' Because we're gonna sing together again, again and again. We love each other and we're friends. It's the last album, but it's not the last show." [9] On March 28th, 2006, Destiny's Child received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé has several individual projects lined up, including her role in the movie Dreamgirls, as well as music for the soundtrack of that movie. In the meantime she released a solo #1 single, "Check on It" as the theme song for the 2006 #1 Pink Panther movie. Pink Panther was released February 10, 2006, whilst Dreamgirls is due for release December 22 2006. [10] Beyoncé also launched her own clothing line, House of Dereon, with her mother, Tina Knowles. Michelle and Kelly modeled her clothing, when they first premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Show. They also modeled the line during the Fashion Rocks concert, which took place September 9. Beyoncé will begin recording her second solo album sometime in May 2006 after she finishes shooting Dreamgirls and it is expected to be released in September 2006 [11], before the album's release she will be featured on a duet with Pharrell Williams on his debut solo album due for release in February 2006. Beyoncé won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Group or Duo Performance with Vocals, with Stevie Wonder for So Amazing.
Kelly Rowland
Kelly has some individual TV and music projects lined up. She is to appear in three upcoming episodes of UPN sitcom Girlfriends in February 2006. Rowland has a three-episode role in another U.S. sitcom Girlfriends, where she plays the character of Tammy Hamilton, an ambitious 21 year old who convinces real estate queen Toni Childs (played by actress Jill Marie Jones) to take her own as an intern [12]. She is featured on the upcoming new album Illumination by soul greats Earth, Wind & Fire. Kelly's singing can be heard on their song "This Is How I Feel" also featuring singer Sleepy Brown. She is also a featured artist on a song called "Here We Go", which impacted radio in September 2005 eventually peaking at #8 and #17 on Billboard's R&B and Pop charts respectively.This is the second single from rapper Trina's new album Glamorest Life, which released in October 2005. Kelly has been working on her second album on and off since 2004. The album is entitled "My Story" and it will be released on [13]July 11 [14]. Kelly initiated a poll on her fanclub site on April 10, 2006. The poll is asking the members to vote for their favorite song clip that will become Kelly's first single. Currently, a upper mid-tempo female anthem, "Gotsta Go", is in the lead. [15]The poll is asking the members to vote for their favorite song clip that will become Kelly's first single. Currently, a upper mid-tempo female anthem, "Gotsta Go", is in the lead [16]. Perhaps worryingly for Rowland, early reviews by some critics who had the chance to hear her second album exclusively at her listining party in New York on April 6 have been nagative, declaring the album as "nothing spectacular" and claiming that Rowland is copying fellow R&B singer Brandy's vocal style on many of the album's songs[17][18]. It is speculative as to whether Rowland previewed a demo or final version of her new album and wthether she will be re-recording some of the songs before it is released. Rowland will begin to begin promote her new single and album when she hosts the 5th annual MTV Asia Awards 2006 which will be available to over 400 million households via 43 channels as well as through syndication worldwide and will take place at Siam Paragon in Bangkok on May 6[19].
Michelle Williams
Michelle is a spokeperson for The Gap, and she sings her cover of soul legend Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" in their commercial for Fall 2005. Her cover version of this song is also featured on the soundtrack to film Roll Bounce. She is to begin recording the album in January 2006 and is expected to release her third solo album in mid-2006 [20]. Unlike her first two albums, her third may veer away from Gospel to mainstream R&B. She is to appear in three upcoming episodes of UPN sitcom Half and Half in February 2006. In August, band-mate Kelly stated she was aware that Michelle was definitely in talks with Broadway again, so there may be more to come on the big stage from Michelle.
On April 2, 2006, Michelle Williams performed "America the Beautiful" on WWE's WrestleMania 22 in Chicago, Illinois.
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Luckett has decided to pursue a solo career and signed with Capitol Records. Her self-titled debut album is due to be released on July 18 2006[21] [22]. "Torn" a ballad produced by Teddy Bishop is the first single. The track is now charted #24 on the Billboard [23] and her video directed by Chris Robinson debuted April 19, 2006 on BET's 106 & Park [24]. Producers for her forthcoming album are Jermaine Dupri, Scott Storch, Jazze Pha and Just Blaze. She already had some tracks playing on the radio, such as "All Eyes on Me" and "You Got What I Need". Some of her songs and freestyles have been leaked on the internet such "I'm Good", "Hey Fella", "Tear Da Club up", "No More", "Imma Queen", "Play", "Outta Control", and "Gangsta Grillz". Luckett also released a song titled "What Love Can Do", which is featured on Coach Carter's soundtrack. The "H-Town Chick" - like she is called now - is featured on Houston's song, "My Promise" and her boyfriend, Slim Thug's "This is My Life".
Philanthropy
David Foster, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies, and Beyoncé Knowles wrote Destiny's Child's last single Stand Up For Love for World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Over the past three years, more than $50 million has been raised to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's organizations. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 program.
Beyoncé Knowles, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, along with Matthew Knowles, Tina Knowles and Solange Knowles-Smith recently announced the formation of the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.
Discography
For a detailed look at the group's discography, see Destiny's Child discography.
Awards
For a detailed look at the group's other awards, see Destiny's Child Awards.
Miscellaneous
Tours
- "Boyz 2 Men Tour" as opening act: 1998
- "Fanmail Tour" as opening act: 1999
- "Christina Aguilera Tour" as opening act: 1999
- "European Tour": 2000
- "TRL Tour": 2001
- "World Tour" : 2002
- "Destiny Fulfilled… and Lovin' It" (sponsored by McDonald's) Tour: 2005
Books
- Soul Survivors: 2002
DVDs
- The Platinum's on The Wall: 2001
- Destiny's Child World Tour: 2003
- Beyoncé Live At Wembley (Beyoncé): 2004
- Destiny's Child: Destiny Fulfilled CD/DVD 2005 Tour Edition: 2005
- #1's: 2005
- Destiny's Child Live In Atlanta: 2006 debuted at #1(2 weeks)
Records and facts
- Destiny's Child ~ Live In Atlanta~ DVD debut at #1(2 weeks) on the Billboard Music Video Charts. The DVD broke record sales of about 500,000 copies in its first week.
- #1's debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with over 113,000 units sold in its first week of release. #1's is the group's second #1 album since Survivor in 2001 that sold over 663,000 units in its first week of release. #1's also debuted on Japan's Oricon album chart at #1, selling 154,859 units in it's first week of release.
- #1's set a record as the lowest-selling #1 debut in Billboard history, selling 113,000 copies in it's first week of release.
- Cater 2 U peaked at #16 on BET's Notarized: Top 100 videos of 2005.
- The Writing's on the Wall debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Nine months after its release, the album was #5 on the chart, having just experienced its best sales week ever. More than a year after the album's release, The Writing's on the Wall was still in the Top 20 (#11), selling upwards of 70,000 units per week. In the first year of its release, The Writing's on the Wall spent 47 out of 52 weeks in the Top 40 or better of the Billboard 200 Album chart.
- The week of October 24, 2000, Destiny's Child had two singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart: "Independent Women Part I" at #9, reaching 65 million listeners & "Jumpin Jumpin" at #5, reaching 75 million listeners.
- Destiny's Child had four #1 records on the Billboard Hot 100: "Bills, Bills, Bills" "Say My Name," "Independent Women Part I", and "Bootylicious".
- At the end of November 2000, during its fourth straight week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I" reached the largest audience (140.4 million listeners over a week) in the history of monitored airplay, breaking the record set in May 1999 by TLC's "No Scrubs". The record has since been broken most recently by Mariah Carey, with her hit "We Belong Together" which reached 223 million impressions.
- When "Independent Women Part I" hit #1 on the UK charts, Destiny's Child became the first American all-female group to hold that position since 1989, when the Bangles hit it with "Eternal Flame".
- With "Independent Women Part I," Destiny's Child became the first American all-female group ever to debut at #1 on the U.K. charts.
- The song appearing on the Survivor album titled "Independent Women Part 2" was actually written first by Beyoncé Knowles. The song was re-written and re-arranged, with the references to Charlies Angels added, and the new version was called "Part 1." Beyoncé's original version then became "Part 2."
- When "Survivor" hit #1 on the UK charts, Destiny's Child became the first American all-female group to score more than one UK #1 single.
- Kelly and Michelle are not the real names of Beyoncé's fellow group members. Kelly's birth name was Kelendria Trene Rowland and Michelle's birth name was Tenitra Michelle Williams. Kelly's name was always abbreviated from a young age, and so it felt natural to use the abbreviation for the group. Michelle was forced to use her middle name as her adopted first name in the group, as the Knowles' considered Tenitra to be too "ethnic". However it is interesting to point out that Beyoncé has an arguably "ethnic" tone and connotation.
- It should also be noted that the song "So Amazing" was also covered by Beyoncé's sister Solange, back in 2002, on her duet with Lil Romeo on the song "Tru Love".
- Beyoncé's clothing line, House of Dereon, is sold in LeToya Luckett's (a former member of Destiny's Child) boutique, Lady Elle in Houston, TX.
- Farah Franklin's background vocals features on the tracks "Dance With Me" ["Survivor" album - International Edition]" and "Jumpin Jumpin - Azza's Remix". She also was in the studio to record "Independent women - Part 2" but at the end Sony Music decided to not use her voice for the final version of the track.
- R&B singer, Keke Wyatt, was a member of the earlier version of Destiny's Child- Girlz Tyme.
- Between Beyonce and Kelly, they collectively have attained three #1 movies, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Freddy Vs. Jason, and The Pink Panther, grossing over $563,246,542 worldwide.
- In the U.S. Destiny's Child has 15 Gold Certifications, 8 Platinum Certifications, and 13 Multi-Platinum Certifications.
- Their hits "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Independent Women Part I" were the victim of a rebuttal record by Sporty Thievz (who famously parodied TLC's hit "No Scrubs") entitled "No Billz (Why, Why, Why)" and "Independent Men".
- Between Destiny's Child, Kelly, and Beyoncé the three artist collectively scored four consecutive #1 singles in the U.K. by year 2000-2003: 2000-"Independent Woman Part 1", 2001-"Survivor", 2002- "Dilemma", 2003- "Crazy in Love".
See also
- List of best selling music artists
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
- List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
- Gemini's Twin
External links
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