Just Beyonce taking them over? (Destiny Fulfilled - Destiny's Child)

Member Name: Jark

Product:	Destiny Fulfilled - Destiny's Child
Date:	14/04/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some of DC's best singles and album tracks can be found on here.

Disadvantages: Too much balladry for many listeners / Too much of Beyonce!

Rarely has anybody returned to the music scene with a greater bang than Destiny's Child on 'Lose My Breath', the girls' late 2004 smash single. Produced by Darkchild and abundant in marching band beats, it's a dirty sweatfest on which each of the girls gets a chance to do their thing - although, naturally, it's Beyonce who dominates. That's what you get when your father doubles as your manager it seems! The track is an easy highlight of the girls' (impressively long-lasting) career; is the rest of Destiny Fulfilled as relentlessly addictive?

The Rich Harrison-produced 'Soldier' follows. Arguably it was the success of this ice-cool club joint which paved the way for the tens of R&B singles since which have featured the acid-mouthed rapper Lil' Wayne on a guest verse. Here he and other current hot-property rapper T.I. spout more suitably dirty rhymes, but the song would be perfectly enjoyable without it, Beyonce and Kelly's effortless swagga providing more than enough for fans of the urban scene to relish. Michelle sounds a little less at home but it's an appealing sort of discomfort. 'Cater 2 U' was the record's fourth and final single and is the first of the many midtempos present. It's also probably the best, and it's a big shame that the song went unreleased in the UK, where we would undoubtedly have lapped up the glossy beat and sleek, expensive accompanying music video.

'T-Shirt' is a bittersweet downtempo number about the misery of a partner's absence. It's fairly typical stuff; no non-R&B fan will be converted by the hazy vocals or soft beat but it's a nice jam nonetheless. 'Is She The Reason' has a little more life as Bey, on chorus as ever, poses the question 'Is she the reason you don't call like you used to? / Roll through my hood like you used to?'. The lightly paranoid sentiment behind the song is a pleasing change from the rest of the album's content. 'Girl', the record's third single, sports a lovely summery feel and tells a tale of friendship and support. Whilst not ground-breaking it's highly infectious and superbly feel-good. Again, it's worth checking out the Sex and the City-inspired music video which has an especially amusing conclusion.

Surprisingly it's my favourite member, Kelly, who gets her own solo track on the album. 'Bad Habit', a chirpy Bryan-Michael Cox (the man behind Mary J Blige's 'Be Without You' and Mariah's 'We Belong Together') midtempo sees K-Ro decide to sweep aside a dead-end relationship; 'I gotta break this bad habit / Can't take this bad habit no more'. It definitely ranks amongst the best of Rowland's swash of solo material. Back to B with the simply-titled 'If', a cool, Christmassy kiss-off which sets the record straight; 'If you think I caught a feeling when I heard about that other chick / I already knew about it'. 'Aint no feeling like being Free' coos Knowles on the song of the same name, but it's Michelle's wonderfully, slightly old-school-soul vocal which proves the highlight of the song, bringing an honesty that Beyonce's bigger lungs could never muster up. 'Through With Love' provides a rare and welcome change of tempo, a slightly frantic and angered dark hip-hop number whose subject is easily-guessed. 'Love' is another midtempo, though it veers wildly into bland; not one anybody's likely to remember with any affection. Finally there's the international bonus track 'Game Over', which is more of the same, if perhaps slightly more pleasing, boasting an '80s-infused Tokyo nights vibe.

Nobody should purchase this album under the impression that it's bursting with club numbers along the lines of the first two singles. There are only three uptempos in total, and the vast majority is downbeat and mellow. But it's rarely dull, just subtle, and if R&B which reminisces of eras gone by and never drifts from the topic of love is your thing, then Destiny Fulfilled may well be for you.

Summary: For a taster, download 'Girl', 'Bad Habit' and 'Through With Love'. DC's best album.