Destiny Fulfilled

This Destiny's Child release contains a bonus DVD.

Destiny's Child has been no stranger to controversy, and with three years of silence and three solo records following 2001's SURVIVOR, one might infer that the act was on the fast track to dissolution. The group's fourth record, 2004's DESTINY FULFILLED, put to rest any such ideas, as the now-solid three-woman lineup of Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams offers up another helping of winsome R&B songs marked by a pop sensibility.

DESTINY FULFILLED opens on an energetic, adventurous note with the speedy drums and vocal acrobatics of "Lose My Breath," followed closely by "Soldier," a hip-hop ode to thugs, featuring T.I. & Lil Wayne. From there, the trio shifts gears to a more traditional R&B album with a slew of ballads, many in an old-school 1970s vein. Destiny's Child finishes the record on a high note with the balanced near-suite of "Through with Love" and "Love," the former quirkily captivating, the latter sweet and breathy. Knowles has been hitting the notes since she was a kid, and after four records with Destiny's Child and one on her own, she can inject sultry beauty into a song in her sleep. Although Knowles gets a bit more of the spotlight, Rowland and Williams also shine on DESTINY FULFILLED, a gratifying pop-laden R&B record.

What the critics say...

Vibe (p.81) - 4 discs out of 5 - "[E]motionally inspiring....DESTINY FULFILLED offers divine satisfaction."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.97) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Destiny pulls it off, mainly through muscular production and stunning vocal interplay. This is the sound of a girl group growing up."