On Nov. 15, fans of Destiny’s Child, one of the biggest selling female groups of all time, were able to pick up the latest release by the newly re-united trio. After deciding to take some time apart in Dec. 2001, the three divas went their separate ways, each pursuing different paths in the entertainment industry. Now, nearly three years later, Destiny Fulfilled has finally brought them back together. To fully appreciate their latest release, fans should remember the separate paths of these women and what led to their recent collaboration.Michelle Williams was the first member of the group to release a solo project and topped the Christian and Gospel Album charts with Heart to Yours in 2002 and Do You Know in 2004. She also replaced Toni Braxton in the lead role of “Aida” on Broadway in 2003. Kelly Rowland made her solo debut in 2003 with Simply Deep, and earned a Grammy for her hit duet “Dilemma” with rapstar Nelly.
As for Beyonce, the most well-known songstress of the group, she explored the genres of film and television, appearing in MTV’s “Carmen: A Hip Hopera,” “Austin Powers: Gold Member,” “The Fighting Temptations” and the upcoming prequel to “The Pink Panther.” Beyonce also released her own solo album, Dangerously In Love, which earned her five 2004 Grammy Awards.
According to the group’s official Web site, www.destinyschild. com, “Working apart from each other gave the members of Destiny’s Child a newfound appreciation of what each of them brings to the group and that support, love, confidence and maturity are clearly evident throughout Destiny Fulfilled’s moving and soulful songs.”
Unlike past releases, the group decided to abandon their typical approaches to recording and booked only three weeks of studio time. Then they banned everyone from the studio except those who were necessities to their creative process, making Destiny Fulfilled their deepest and most personal-reflective album to date.
“You hear our vulnerability,” Beyonce comments on their Web site. “We’ve always had strong songs that encouraged women and you still hear that this time, but you will also hear our weaknesses: the crying, the laughter, the friendship. The songs on this album are far more layered and involved because we have the tools to talk about a lot more, because we’re older and have experienced a lot more than we did when we were teenagers.”
The sixth album released by Destiny’s Child, Destiny Ful- filled is essentially a diary of the soulful journey taken in a relationship, marking the highs and lows of being in love. The album’s first tracks, “Lose My Breath” and “Soldier,” speak to the exhilarating feeling of meeting the right person and those first few days of flirting with desire. “Cater 2 U” and “T-Shirt” are about the reality of true love and one’s total devotion to another.
In “Is She the Reason” and “Girl,” revelations are made about the truth and scandals behind relationships. These songs are followed by “Bad Habit” and “If,” in which the very last strings of attachment are being broken, producing lyrics and rhythms loaded with vulnerability.
The album starts to wrap up with “Free” and “Through With Love,” which both speak to the themes of independence found in their earlier albums. Lastly, Destiny Fulfilled concludes with “Love,” an appropriate ending to the inner-journey within the album. According to Beyonce (as quoted on their Web site),”Love’ concludes the story, because we find the love we’ve always had with God. That’s the destiny that’s been fulfilled because the woman is searching for love and eventually she finds it in God and herself and because of that she can eventually find love with a man.”
Altogether, Destiny Child’s newest release definitely tops the rest in overall thematic relevance and emotional depth. The group succeeds in its exploration of the circular realm of emotions that everyone has felt at some time or another within a relationship.
While rumors still circulate about the status of the group, how long their reunion will last, and presumed hostility over Destiny Fulfilled, Beyonce asserts (according to their Web site), “We want this album to be timeless and set a new standard. Even though it would be great to sell a lot of records, our goal is already accomplished by making this album. Hopefully coming back together again will inspire other groups to support each other, be happy for each other, and to let people know it’s all right to go out on your own but it’s also all right to come back together.