Spanning
the soulful gap between R&B's historic past, prolific present and platinum
future, is DESTINY'S CHILD, the self-titled debut CD from Columbia Records
phenomenal new female vocal quartet. A remarkable achievement by the talented
Houston, Texas-based foursome -- Beyonci, Kelly, LaTavia, and LeToya --
the album reflects a melodic mosaic of youthful exuberance and mature romantic
awakenings.
Case
in point: the downright delicious lead single "No No No," which elicits
a resounding YES! for its scintillating lyrics, potent harmony and luscious
leads courtesy of Beyonc@. Produced by Vincent Herbert and Rob Fusari (3
Boyz From Newark Entertainment), "No No No" is guaranteed to get your best
satin & soul groove moving. As an added bonus, DESTINYS CHILD features
another version of "No No No" produced by the Fugees' Wyclef jean, who
also appears on the track.
The
four voices of Destiny's Child cohesively embrace the senses, often touching
the very heart of timeless soul. In addition to "No No No," other outstanding
future hits include: "Illusion" -- a dazzling interpretation of the Imaginations'
classic "Just An Illusion" -- produced by Wyclef jean and featuring Wyclef
and Pras; "With Me, Part l," produced by and featuring So So Def hit-machine
jermaine Dupri and "With Me, Part 2," produced by and featuring Master
P.; "My Time Has Come," a spiritually uplifting anthem produced by Sylvia
Bennett
Smith and sung with tour-de-force D.C. conviction; "Tell Me," a Tim &
Bob (Boyz 11 Men) -produced gem; and "Second Nature," second to none in
its pulsating, daringly delivered presentation as produced by Tony Toni
Ton6's Dwayne Wiggins, who also contributed the pop/R&B classic in
the making "Bridges," " Killing Time" (also featured on Men In Black: The
Album) and "Birthday," a sizzling sequel -- co-written by LaTavia, Kelly,
and Beyonci -- to the Tony Times Three's classic R&B ballad 'Anniversary.'
The album also includes "Sail On," a remake of the Commodores' classic
produced by Corey Rooney.
An
uplifting labor of love, cleclication and hard work, the group's debut
album has been the shared dream of Destiny's Child for roughly eight years.
We're young but we're surely not new to the game," says Beyonce (rhymes
with fiance) -- a stunning, honey-complexioned beauty with a big powerful
lead voice. "Yes," adds pretty Kelly, also an outstanding lead singer,
"we've been singing together for so long and know each other's voices so
well, we just naturally bring out the best in each other when we're in
the studio or on stage. Personally, we're closer than most real sisters."
Managed
by Music World Management's Mathew Knowles, who's predominately responsible
for putting them on the fast track to stardom, the down-to-earth members
of Destiny's Child have come a long way since forming the group in their
pre-teens. "Our music has changed since the early days, when I was the
group's rapper," reports the sassy LaTavia. She and Beyonci have been with
the group since its 1990 inception. Kelly joined the group in 1992 and
LeToya completed the line-up in 1993.
Although
they were merely nine and ten years-old at the time, amazing things began
happening for Destiny's Child once the line-up was in-place. Among them
was the fledging foursome's 1992 appearance on "Star Search.' "We were
kind of nervous about it," LaTavia remembers. "They made us to do a rap
song, although we wanted to sing. They even made a new hip-hop category
for us. Looking back on it now though, it was a learning experience we'll
never forget."
As
the group progressed, voices were honed and stage presence and style were
developed, leading up to the consummate, very feminine, tastefully sensual
image they project today. Back then, as they do now, Destiny's Child displayed
amazing talent that was advanced far beyond their still tender years. They
often performed for young as well as older audiences in and around Houston,
amassing a large, cross-generation fan base in the process. However, things
didn't always run smooth. Indeed, working their way to the top has had
its set-backs. "We had some major disappointments,' Kelly admits, "but
they only made us stronger and more determined than ever to make it. Plus
we all believe in God, and know that He's always been on our side."
One
of Houston's hottest home town attractions, Destiny's Child eventually
found themselves sharing stages with some of the biggest acts in the business.
Kelly confirms: "When they came to Houston to perform, we opened for people
like Immature, Dru Hill, Das EFX, and SWV, who gave us nothing but love,
hope and encouragement.'
It
was just about a year ago that Destiny's Child signed with Columbia Records.
'That was our turning point and we all knew it," Beyonce says. "So when
it was time to make our album, we never looked back. We were so glad to
finally have the opportunity that all of the problems of the past seemed
to disappear."
Destiny's
Child encompasses four distinct voices seamlessly blending to make the
whole seem greater than its extremely gifted individual parts. Kelly's
vocal diversity and broad range serves best on the up-tempo front, although
she can throw down with the best of them on ballads. LaTavia holds down
the bottom, with her rich, deep sassy tones. LeToya's crystal shattering
soprano is awesome and soars over several tracks. And Beyonce, who sings
most of the leads, owns one of her gencration's strongest, most distinctively
memorable voices, which by all accounts is saturated in silk, satin and
serious soul.
It's
obvious that DESTINYS CHILD is a well-crafted collaborative effort, with
an inspired, totally committed group at its passionate center. Already
being compared to classic groups like the Supremes and the Emotions, from
this point on, beginning with the chart ascension of "No No No," the success
forecast for Destiny's Child is undeniably "Yes, Yes, YES!
