Students, can you handle this? A la Destiny’s Child reference, it seemed appropriate to begin with paying homage to the group after the Internet was abuzz this morning with reports of a new album, “Love Songs,” from the R&B girl group.
Former group member Beyonce Knowles, who goes by mono-name Beyonce, will headline this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, so with new music in the works, it’s possible that fellow groupmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams may make an appearance as well.
Though Beyonce ultra-fans and Rihanna cheerleaders may be at odds over her presence in the media, I’m all for new music from the popular girl group and the benefits it could bring for Beyonce’s music. Since the success of her first solo album in 2003, “Dangerously In Love,” Beyonce’s musical style has undertaken a wave of change as it slowly crept from the sound of R&B to pop. It’s not to say that it’s nessecarily a bad thing that Beyonce was slowly molded into a mainstream artist who could appeal to a mass audience. Her transformation, starting with her song “Sweet Dreams” from her third solo album, “I am Sasha Fierce,” had some believing it was R&B, but not everyone can be fooled. It was a pop anthem.
In a microwave society where the majority of music is generated by a computer, no artist is truly safe from a dubstep or dance remix (Sorry Kendrick Lamar. They got you too). The issue here is when the artist is controlled by the trends and watches on the sidelines as their identity is thrown around to varying musical genres.
Rowland, also a former group member, is a prime example of this. She was a talented woman who had a great voice, yet she never really managed to break through the glass ceiling of mega-stardom in the States. Even after her top-charting single with Lil Wayne, “Motivation,” only garnered her so much attention in the public eye before she returned back into the unfortunate stagnation of a pop artist who never quite made it. Rowland is hitting 30 pretty soon, and to be honest, listeners just don’t want to hear about a woman in her late 20s having sexy enncounters in crowded clubs with strange people. Yes, the single is a hit for a moment, but once the music stops and the lights turn on, people want to identify with an artist personally, and that musician needs to be genuine enough to reach listeners on the dance floor.
But Williams, on the other hand, is the old newbie of Destiny’s Child — she’s seemed to find a niche in the gospel music realm. Though the singer’s distinct and raspy voice always carried the hooks in Destiny’s Child songs, she has found her niche in this genre. She’s even managed to garner success in Broadway, most notably for her performace in “Aida.” Is Williams destined for superstardom? That’s a pretty subjective question depending on how you consider the hierarchy of entertainment realms. But when it comes to producing Billboard chart-topping singles, Williams doesn’t quite fit. She’s reached fame in gospel music and theatre, but many who never stray from listening to anything besides the mainstream would squint their eyes, crinkle their noses, and say “who?” at the mention of her name.
I’m sure many would agree that solo Beyonce is a go, but group dynamics can keep an artist’s aesthtic capabilities in check. Competition is one of the main driving forces behind this, especially after fresh new faces emerge to take over the charts. After marriage and a baby, the public is ready for a new, more nostalgic sound from Ms. Knowles, and what better way to accomplish that than getting together with a couple of old friends?
— Victoria Wright is a senior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at [email protected].
