The lovely ladies of Destiny's Child are back three years later with their highly-anticipated new album, "Destiny Fulfilled." The question is - has Destiny's Child fulfilled our musical appetites this time around?
Well, it seems as though the trio was so determined to reunite, it forgot the formula that made its three previous releases successful. Don't get me wrong: I love Destiny's Child, but I expected this album to be a lot better than it is.
What this album lacks is the ability to make listeners move and remain interested long enough to sing along. It's mostly composed of dull and slow-paced R&B songs. "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier" are the only exceptions.
"Lose My Breath," the album's first single and best song, is fast-paced and adrenaline-filled, with a beat reminiscent of a marching band.
The heavy breathing sounds fuse nicely with the vocals and the percussion. The resulting rhythm is upbeat, exhilarating and intoxicating. It definitely makes you want to rush to the club and get your dance on!
The second single, "Soldier," is an up-tempo "shout-out" to all of the fellas who 'keep it hood.' The girls glorify their need for a thug in their lives, singing, "If your status ain't hood/ I ain't checking for them/Better be street if he looking at me/ I need a soldier/ That ain't scared to stand up for me."
This rough, street-laced hook, along with verses from rappers T.I. and Lil' Wayne, makes for a hot track. The trio's harmonizing also blends in quite nicely over the grinding hip-hop beats.
Although the songs mainly go downhill from here, there are some others that are reasonably good, such as "Is She the Reason." This song about infidelity has an old-school melody and high-pitched trumpets compliment the group's high vocals. Each member alternates between verses, giving Beyonc?, Kelly and Michelle each a chance to demonstrate the maturity and range of their voices.
According to the group, all of the lyrics are based on its own experiences. However, I wonder what was going on when it decided to write, "Cater 2 U." The song is a far cry from "Independent Women," the pro-female anthem from Destiny's Child's previous album. In "Cater 2 U," Beyonc?, Kelly and Michelle sing about the ridiculous lengths they will go to in order to please their men. Beyonce claims she will brush her man's hair, put his do-rag on and give him a foot rub, while Kelly expresses how glad she'll be to roll over if she's asleep and her man comes home; all he has to do is tap her on the shoulder. Feminists will definitely be turned off by these lyrics.
However, if you are a devoted DC fan like myself, you'll continue until the very end - and jackpot! The group strikes a chord with the second-to-last song, which was produced wonderfully by Mario Winans. "Through With Love" opens with a calm piano melody. Yet, as the song continues, the beat becomes harder and louder, and the trio's vocals also increase with urgency and frustration over the men who have done its members wrong.
What I love about this song is the ironic twist at the end, when the repeated phrase, "I'm through with it (love)/ ... I'm finally giving it up," becomes, "I found a new (love) ... / I finally found it in God."
This change showcases the group's faith in God and demonstrates that although Beyonc?, Kelly and Michelle may not have the love of men in their lives, they will always have the love of God.
Overall, "Destiny Fulfilled" contains skillful harmonizing and a few good songs. However, most hard-core fans will realize that a few good songs aren't enough to fulfill our appetites. Something is still missing - I just hope they find out what it is before they decide to release another album.
