Destiny Fulfilled [CD]

Destiny Fulfilled reunites the wayward solo members of R'n'B trio Destiny's Child, bringing Knowles, Rowland and Williams back together for another long overdue outing as the hyper-successful female group. While the R'n'B scene seems to have stagnated since they solo-ed out, the girls themselves were plenty busy, no more so than the ubiquitous global brand that is now Beyonce, now famously more dangerously in love with herself than anything else. This reunion can't have been easy, but things get off to a more than promising start with the harsh and immediate "Lose My Breath", which comes across as a battle cry to their contemporaries (watch out, Christina Milian) and a rousing call to arms to their legions of fans, which is continued by 'Soldier."

However, the album takes a different path at this point, opting for a sweeter contemporary sound that mimics their current peers. The vocals on these smoother, more sedate numbers stagger – aided by clean production, the harmonies interact with each other in a way that demonstrates the blissful chemistry between the girls, transcending all egos. The only letdown is "Cater 2 U", in which the girls muse about all the things they will do to please their men and continue to slush about the virtues of wearing his T-shirt in bed ("T-Shirt"). Are these really the same independent women that brought feminism to twelve year olds? Still, it seems they're growing up and calming down – which might be a good thing for the men of the world. --Ben Johncock

In five years Destiny's Child have conquered R&B and pop like an army of Amazon warriors. They are now a global brand with MacDonald's sponsorship and perfume spin-offs. They've produced a string of classic hit singles, combining edgy ideas from rap with classic female vocal harmonies. This album contains yet another example: "Lose My Breath". But one great single does not a great album make.

"Lose My Breath" has exciting military drumming and nasty keyboard stabs. It name checks Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise". It sounds like Missy Elliot's "Pass the Dutch" pumped up with oestrogen. It sounds like The Supremes having sex with a robot in a dark alley. It's fantastic.

But after this, the rest of the album seems tame. "Soldier" with rappers T.I. and Lil Wayne is good fun, but the rest is a series of slow grooves. The best of them is "T shirt" which uses a backwards loop to conjure up a dreamy atmosphere of 3 a.m. pillow talk. The angry "Through with Love" adds a rough edge, and "Free" has a mid seventies funk vibe and a good hook, and is reminiscent of Denise Williams' classic hit of the same name.

On "Cater 2 You" they reinvent themselves as domestic goddesses for some lucky man. They sing lines like "I got your slippers, your dinner, your dessert and so much more..." It's not a good track, or very convincing. I thought they were supposed to be independent women?!

They sing immaculately, with Michelle Williams' vocals sounding particularly strong. But compared to "Lose My Breath", "Crazy in Love" or "Bootilicious", most of the album seems routine.

The title 'Destiny Fulfilled' hints that they have no more fields left to conquer. But when you're number one you have to try harder. This album is pleasant but not a triumph. But that 'Greatest Hits' album will be amazing... --Nick Reynolds

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After massive solo success, and gritty partnerships with the likes of Jay-Z and Nelly, the Destiny's Child girls reunite for the studio album, Destiny Fulfilled. Their respective prodigious talents combine to give us more top-of-the-line funky hip-hop inflected R&B cuts.

DESTINYS CHILD Destiny Fulfilled (2004 UK edition 12-track CD album including the singles Lose My Breath and Soldier plus International bonus recording Game Over)