Paul Goldsmith talks to three young women from Houston
Who are all business being fabulous.

Beyonce` Knowles takes five minute showers. I know this because she told me. I know I shouldn’t care about this, but I do. Knowles, the defacto leader of Destiny’s Child , at the moment the biggest R&B group in the world, and probably one of the most beautiful women in pop music, mentions this in the course of playfully ripping her assistant for spending an indulgent 25 minutes in the shower. But before I can start drifting off into my own little fantasy world at the mention of Beyonce` and showering, I come to the realization that five minute showers aren’t about indulgence. They’re business. And Beyonce` Knowles is all business.

Considering Destiny’s Child’s schedule, it is surprising any of them have time to shower at all. Radio, TV magazines. You name the award show in the past year, they’ve been there. The Grammy. You bet’cha. The MTV music awards. Uh-huh. The Billboards. Been there and took home artist of the year honors to boot. And if you know any women between the ages of 15 and 35, they’ve been force fed “Independent Women, Part 1”their dangerously infectious sisters-doin’-it-for-themselves party anthem and theme from the recent Charlie’s Angels movie. Their songs were probably blasting out of that car next to you on the way to work this morning. Beyonce`(pronounced bee~on~say) Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, three young ladies with big dreams and bigger work ethics, whose combined age barely qualifies them for social security, are on top of the world. It’s something they always dreamed of and worked for. But it hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride to the top, and they don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Five minute shower or not, Knowles is striking but nothing like I expected. Dressed in simple sweats and a sleeveless black T-shirt that shows off her perfect stomach, with her golden tresses tucked under a bandana, this isn’t the goddess I know from TV, the one that keeps telling me over and over to say her name, say her name. She’s simply a girl. A girl that, granted, would deserve a second glance if passed her on the street, but nothing more. The same goes for Rowland in her jeans and a pink baby T, recovering form a broken toe with the help of a rhinestoned orthopedic shoe, and Williams also in sweats, who is nursing a cold. It’s only after meeting Destiny’s Child in person that I realize how young they actually are. Rowland and Knowles are both 19. Williams, the senior citizen of the group is just 20 and incidentally, called me sir throughout our interview, making me feel ancient at 26. Just girls. They talk about the mall. They talk about not having boyfriends. Just three girls, barely out of high school, that happen to be sitting at the top of the pop world. Catching up with Destiny’s Child isn’t easy. Although all three members of Destiny’s Child call Houston home, the word downtime doesn’t reside in their vocabulary, so they are hardly ever there.

“We’re home maybe four days a month, and those days aren’t consecutive,” says Knowles. I finally managed to catch up with Destiny’s Child at the Houston Center of Dance where in between recording their new album and doing voice-overs for MTV, they are in the midst of rehearsing for their appearance at the Christmas tree lighting in New York’s Rockefeller Center. In 24 hours they’ll perform four songs in front of hundreds of thousands of cold wet New Yorkers, not to mention several million more TV viewers. But right now they’re still learning the songs, working out their routine, and waiting to get fitted for their outfits. But no one’s concerned. This is all par for the course. “Even when we’re home though, we’re usually rehearsing,” says Knowles.

Knowles’ energy is boundless. Over the course of our interview, she never once actually sits in the chair across from me. Instead she sits and bounces on her haunches, with her feet on the chair or pulls her legs up in front of her, almost hiding her face behind her knees. “When I get the chance I usually just chill out at home. It’s nice just to not have to dial ‘9’ before I call out. If I go anywhere it’s usually just the mall.” I’m immediately surprised, assuming that once you’re a famous pop star, you stop shopping with the rest of humanity. I always assumed pop stars had their own mall, where they can buy those great pop star clothes the rest of us would never get away with wearing. Then I remember I’m talking to a girl, a young lady really, but someone who can’t even buy beer legally. The mall makes perfect sense. “Oh the Galleria,” says Rowland, Knowles’ singing partner and best friend. “I love going to the Galleria. Sometimes it can get a little crazy, because people recognize you, but usually they just leave us alone. But I would rather be recognized than not be.” I haven’t gotten through my second question and we’ve already moved from the mall to the next topic---Rowland’s new ride. “I just bought a truck,” says Rowland. “You know us Texas girls and trucks. I love driving around all day. We have so much space down here.” She tells me this after I spent the last hour stuck in Houston traffic.

Knowles and Rowland both grew up in South Houston sharing a love of music and dreaming about recording contracts. “When we were nine, Kelly and I started dreaming of a record deal,” says Knowles. Knowles and Rowland started performing together, along with original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, by the time they were ten. “At the time, it was all guy groups, Boyz II Men, Jodeci. We wanted to be something different.” But the world wasn’t clamoring for pre-pubescent pop in those days, especially R&B.

“When me and Beyonce` first started out, it was hard being from Texas,” says Rowland, who is worried more about her Christmas shopping , than tomorrow nights performance. When the girls got together , the Houston sound of the time was best exemplified by the blood ‘n’ gutter rhymes of the Geto Boys. “Our manager, Mathew Knowles, worked his butt off when it came to shopping deals and putting packets together for when the record companies come through. No one came to Houston in those days beside country groups. We worked our butts off getting our stuff to the record companies, and meeting people.” Following Beyonce`’s father’s advice that after every performance, no matter how trivial, would only make them stronger, the girls started performing wherever and whenever opportunities presented themselves and after some concerted efforts managed to score opening slots for a few big name acts.

One of those big names was the early 90’s R&B trio, SWV (sisters with Voices). “SWV adopted us,” says Knowles. “They brought us on their bus, and after that we were hooked. We knew what we wanted.” That same year, the girls scored their first record contract as part of a production deal with Elektra records. But with two songs recorded, the production deal was dropped, and with Destiny’s Child’s first shot at stardom.

Fortunately, as great a blow as this might have seemed at the time, the group probably benefited from not recording with Elektra. In the time it took for Elektra records to drop the group, and Columbia to later sign them, and release their first album, the girls of Destiny’s Child had time to grow into young ladies. The release of their first, self-titled album garnered them their first single “No, No, No,” thanks to a little help from Wyclef Jean. The girls were just 16.

But the girls wouldn’t know the meaning of success until the release of their sophomore effort, The Writing’s on the wall in 1999. Suddenly, despite being the same age as most teen pop stars, Destiny’s Child possessed a maturity that set them apart. Destiny’s Child were dealing with relationships, and the adult aspects of love like sex and money and two-timing, and sounding like they knew what they were talking about.

“There’s a huge growth between 16 and 18 when we recorded the albums,” says Knowles. “That’s when you go from being a girl to being a young woman. It was natural for us to mature, and you hear it in the music.” The album landed them a string of top five singles, including “Bug-a-Boo,” “Say My Name,” and “Jumpin’, Jumpin.’” The songs appealed to all women, not just the teen market. These four young ladies suddenly looked and sounded like women. “One thing that separates us from teen pop is our image,” says Knowles. “We are sexy and youthful, but in a different way. We love fashion and setting trends. We wanted to bring glamour back to R&B.”

And there’s no doubt they have. It’s clear Destiny’s Child values their image as much as their sound. They are never seen in public without matching outfits, whether it’s denim or leather, silk or sequin. They are always high-fashion. Tin Knowles, Beyonce`’s mother, acts as the group’s stylist and is responsible for the group’s signature look, and they never miss an opportunity to give her credit. Another influence dates all the way back to Motown. In the course of my time with them, all three members mention the Supremes, and it comes as no surprise. One glimpse at a video, and it’s clear Destiny’s Child are sexy, but a graceful, modern kind of sexy that exudes confidence. They don’t need to show you more, and they don’t need to get explicit, because we know what we’re talking about, them women already agree and they’ve got the guys right where they want them, drooling on the remote control. They are the modern-pop equivalent Supremes to TLC’s more overly sexual, street-cred Ronettes. Destiny’s Child, like the Supremes, hold a special place in today’s pop world and a line can be drawn from one to the other, through Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle, the Pointer sisters and En Vogue. But as flattering as they find the comparisons, they cautiously try to set themselves apart. Especially Beyonce` who cringes at her Diana Ross-like image.

“Not to take anything away from Diana, but I don’t want to be a diva,” says Knowles. It’s not hard to imagine Beyonce` as a Diana-type ego. She has a hand in every aspect of the group’s sound from writing material to sharing production duties. Her father manages the group. Her mother determines how you see them on TV. Heel, if she had some bothers and sisters, they could be the Jacksons. And it isn’t hard to imagine Knowles’ eventually striking out on her own. She has the voice. She has the looks. She has the hair. She even has her own Diana-like first name, Beyonce`. But the 19 year old impresario scoffs at the notion. “This is a group. There’s this perception in the media that Destiny’s Child is really just Beyonce` and friends, that there is some kind of revolting door, but that’s just not true.”

Beyonce` is referring of course, to the unceremonious departure of original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett in February of 2000. The split came right at the moment “Say My Name” was rocketing up the charts on its way to No. 1, and many feared this unexpected conflict would derail the group for good. Knowles has said in interviews that problems arose from Roberson and Luckett wanting to fire Destiny’s Child manager Mathew Knowles, Beyonce`’s father, claiming they weren’t receiving equal money. Roberson and Luckett later filed suit against the group claiming Knowles and Rowland violated their partnership and fiduciary duties.

Although Rowland and Knowles are reluctant to talk about the less-than acrimonious splint now, they did issue a statement at the time of the suit. “Destiny’s Child has always been about honesty, respect, and being positive. Along with good music friendship was at the heart of this group. We all wanted the same thing. When two people decide they want something that’s against the philosophy of the group, that will ultimately cause problems. This lawsuit makes false accusations, and we’re confident the truth will come out soon, either in court or in mediation.”

Following the split, Knowles and Rowland barely missed a beat filling the two empty slots with Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, and immediately picking up where they left off, performing and making videos. But it wasn’t long before Farrah Franklin also joined the ranks of the departed. The jokes almost seemed prepackaged and waiting. Beyonce` changes group members like she changes clothes. The next season of CBS’ Survivor is going to make contestants members of Destiny’s Child and see who manages to last. But Beyonce` scoffs at the perception that the talent in Destiny’s Child is interchangeable.

“No one was ever kicked out of Destiny’s Child because I didn’t like them,” says Knowles. “That would just have been bad business, and just plain stupid. This isn’t my group. Kelly and I made the decisions. In fact, it seems from talking to the group like the split happened a decade ago, even though it hasn’t yet been a year. In fact it seems like it never happened at all. Their success went on unabated, and that’s what matters to them. “I don’t talk to them anymore. And we’re doing just fine without them,” says Knowles.

At the time of the initial split, Michelle Williams already had a career in the music business. Williams, now 20, left college at 19 to sing backup for Monica, the platinum selling teen R&B singer. Williams auditioned after being recommended by Monica’s choreographer, who also happened to work with Destiny’s Child. “We were looking mostly for personality,” says Knowles, “and when Michelle walked in she was perfect. She was beautiful, she went to church, and above all she could sing.”

“In Williams, Knowles and Rowland found someone with an incredible voice, and just as important, shared their lifelong belief in God. “It isn’t about all the cars and houses,” says Williams. “We all have a strong belief in God, and He has a lot to do with our success.” All three members of Destiny’s Child frequently mention church and God. Get Rowland talking about the church her and Knowles grew up attending and still attend whenever their schedule allow them, St. John’s United Methodist Church, and then try slowing her down. “St John’s is my home,” says Rowland. “I love St. John’s. I know I can’t make my own path, so I leave it to God.” For Beyonce`, church serves as a much needed respite. “Church is what keeps me sane, and keeps us going,” says Knowles. “It’s a response to all the negativity we deal with in the business.”

Williams faced that negativity from the get go. By stepping into an already established platinum- selling group, Williams opened herself up to all sorts of criticism. “When I join I heard all the talking and negativity. People saying ‘who does she think she is?’” says Williams. “But really, it was a very smooth transition thanks to Beyonce` and Kelly. To them it wasn’t a big issue. The fans accepted me right away, and the girls just kept on moving forward. We went on with the shows and didn’t cancel any appearances, and that’s a good thing.” Williams relocated from Rockford, Ill., to Houston to be near the Beyonce` and Kelly, (near the Beyonce` and Kelly it sounds weird but that’s how it’s written in the magazine) but she still feels strange living in Texas. “I just picked up my Texas License plates,” says Williams. “I can’t believe I’m here. It just hasn’t settled yet.” But by joining Destiny’s Child , Williams was immediately thrust into stardom, and it didn’t take long for her to get her first taste. “I wanted to go to the Grammys, just to be apart of the atmosphere,” says Williams,” and before I know it I’m rolling up in a limo and walking down the red carpet.” Williams even got to meet one of her childhood role models, when Whitney Houston recognized the group and stopped mid-interview to rush over and congratulate them. “To me, once Whitney told me she was a fan that was all that mattered,” says Williams. “I don’t care what anybody else says.

With Williams, Destiny’s Child only increased the already frantic rush to stardom and the hits keep on coming. When “Say My Name” finally started to show signs of slowing down in late spring, “Jumpin’, Jumpin’” raced in to keep Destiny’s Child at the top of the charts. Then came “Independent Women “ at the tail end of summer to round out 2000. It is a song Beyonce` originally wrote for another artist and became the first Destiny’s Child recording to feature Williams. Because of the frenetic pace, and thanks in part to the power of Knowles and Rowland’s combined vocals, many casual fans probably never even noticed the myriad line-up changes. Now, the ladies of Destiny’s Child want nothing more than to extend their reign through 2001, with the expected February release of their third studio album, and follow-up to the six times platinum The Writing’s on the Wall. The album will be called Survivor, but mot because of any great love for ’80s pop or gay naked Rich. The title instead refers to the tumultuous early months of 2000.

“This album talks about life issues,” says Rowland. “It’s still going to be very conceptual, and will talk about the lighter side of love. It’s no longer just about relationships.” But for all their singing about them, relationships are always a tough topic for Destiny’s Child. All three of the girls are single, and if they’d slow down for a minute they’d surely have men falling at their feet. But that’s the problem, slowing down.

“I’d love to have a boyfriend,” says Knowles, who pictures herself married in 10 years. “If I could find a boyfriend that could put up with this life, that would be great, but right now, this is my first priority,” says Knowles, pointing at herself. It’s clear Beyonce` isn’t terribly bothered, a boyfriend would simply be a luxury, and right now it’s one luxury she’s not allowing herself. Rowland does her best to appear the same way. “I don’t feel that I’m missing out on much though. There’s so much that you gain in this life. When it’s time to have a relationship, I’ll have one, I know that,” says Rowland, sounding like she’s trying to convince herself. “But right now that’s just a hard thing to understand.” Imagine being a teenage girl, and having the world at your fingertips, but at the same time being denied the one thing the lives of most teenage girls revolves around, a boyfriend. But with the release of Survivor, Knowles assumes an even larger role with more original songs, and overseeing production, but again she makes clear that this is not just simply a vehicle. “I’m making sure Kelly and Michelle sing lead on some songs,” says Knowles. “They are both incredible singers and they deserve respect. In the past I sang lead because that was the decision of the studio or the record company, but I’ve had vocal injuries from all that singing. It’s a lot of stress and pressure.” After the release of Survivor and their first headlining tour to follow, who knows where we’ll be seeing Beyonce`, Kelly, and Michelle. Like most pop stars, they wouldn’t mind seeing themselves as models or on the silver screen. There is the definite possibility we’ll be seeing Kiss-style simultaneously released solo albums in the not-to-distant future.

“That’s something that we’re all negotiating,” says Williams, who may choose to make her solo project a gospel album. “We’ll all do albums, but we won’t depart from Destiny’s Child. All the talk about Beyonce` going solo , Beyonce` is not going solo. No one is leaving anyone.”

Twenty-four hours later, I’m in New York, and the girls I met in Houston are the women of Destiny’s Child once again. All three are radiant in their red sequins and purple leather. No one standing in the wind and rain in New York’s Rockefeller center watching would ever guess that Michelle’s cold has worsened, and standing in the weather in a leather halter surely won’t help her condition. You wouldn’t know Kelly squeezed her broken toes into heels, just so she could dance. Beyonce` is all curls, eyes, smile and completely unapproachable. All three are surrounded by a phalanx of record execs, publicity types, and the usual industry flotsam and jetsam. Four uniformed members of the NYPD stop by, asking if anyone has a Polaroid so they can get a picture, and then linger while the girls wait to take the stage. Everyone around them is buzzing, running out for lemons to soothe their voices, and tracking down umbrellas so the girls don’t get their hair wet. It’s almost too much, but they take it all in stride. After all, this is business.

“There’s days when we have interviews and photo shoots and then we go on and perform that night,” says Williams, “and no matter how tired we are, we do it. It’s our adrenaline that let’s us do it. When you’re out onstage, you forget about how sick you are. We know there a lot of very talented groups that could slip in and take this position from us. But while we’re here we’re going to keep going, and not slow down. We’re on top and we’re trying to stay there.”

Typed by: SNK

DESTINY'S CHILD

"We love men," Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child insists. "We just don't like dogs." All year long, Destiny's Child dogged the dogs: Hits such as "Bug a Boo," "Say My Name" and "Jumpin, Jumpin" confront lazy or scheming men and insist on a girl's right to dress up fine and twirk it, twirk it. Knowles, who turned nineteen in September, giggles like a teenager, but she also showed adult resolve this year. Last December, singers LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson tried to fire the group's manager, Beyonce's father, Matthew. Beyonce cried. She prayed. Then, resolutely, she replaced the two girls, whom she'd been friends with for ten years. (Luckett and Roberson have filed suit against the group.)

Describe the year in one word.

Growth. Spiritual growth. Mental growth. [Under breath] Financial growth.

What was the sexiest video you saw?

I know everybody'll say it, but I love "How Does It Feel." [Sighs] D'Angelo is sexy. I met him on MTV, and they knew I thought he was kinda…nice-looking, so they put "Beyonce in love" on the screen when I interviewed him. And I was really embarrassed.

Did you tell him he's sexy?

No. He'd think I was on his jock.

Did you have any dates this year?

No. No dates. I'm very picky. A lot of guys, their conversation sucks.

Can we say that next year, you want to go on some dates?

Y'all gonna play a dating game in the magazine? [Laughs] Yes, you can say that. I'm gonna go on some dates.

What's the best thing you ate this year?

I really love Popeye's chicken. I would do a theme song for Popeye's, as long as they give me a lifetime supply.

What were the worst pickup lines you heard this year?

Uh. A lot of people come to us and say stuff like, "You can say my name. I'll pay your bills, bills, bills. I won't be a bugaboo." It is so whack.

What word did you most overuse this year?

Ish. It replaces s-h-i-t. I only curse when I'm very mad. You know, sometimes you just get the urge to say…s***! But it's not Christian to curse.

ROB TANNENBAUM

NOTE TO BEYONCE`...THE GIRLS CAN SING

The accusations have been flying, making their way around the Internet at light speed. 'The former members of Destiny’s Child can’t sing. They have no talent. The only thing they’re good at is complaining (and firing their long-time manager Matthew Knowles).' If that’s true, then the current trio taking the industry by storm as Destiny’s Child needn’t pause to remember their former colleagues on their way to the top, because they owe them nothing. 'LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson may have looked and danced like Destiny’s Child, but they didn’t even contribute to the album for which they’re now up for four Grammy’s...'

Really? Well at least one man is calling those notions into question. And when TRUYU spoke with David Lee Brewer, Destiny’s Child’s original vocal coach and the unnamed "voice teacher" whom Tina Knowles told a London gab mag " moved into the back room [of the Knowles’ home], rent-free, in exchange for lessons" he told a very different tale. The ousted members of Destiny’s Child most certainly can sing. And he would know, because he taught all four girls how.

The 37-year old Brewer, the rare young Black succeeding in the rarified international opera scene, has the kind of formal, toned manner that makes him sound older than his years. The part-time vocal coach and full-time singer who now lives in Weimar, Germany (where he is the "Lyrische Italienische tenor" specializing in the Italian repertoire a la Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti for the German National Theater), began working with the girls when they were just 8 years old. According to Brewer, he "built their voices", in some cases from the ground up. His voice brims with emotion and the barely disguised anger and disappointment only a teacher or a father can project, when he speaks of his former pupils.

After a long pause, he responds to what he, along with the world, have read in Vibe and Britain’s The Face magazines: the allegations that LaTavia is tone deaf - that the girls can’t sing. To hear Beyoncé and Kelly tell it, they were merely hangers on in Destiny’s Child – pretenders to Beyoncé’s throne. "Beyoncé was completely out of line in saying that. It’s not true, it never has been true " Brewer insists. Brewer, who has also taught Dawn Robinson and members of the R&B group H-Town, has himself been training formally since age 18, although he’s been singing since he was three. He studied at Langston University and got his Masters from the Cleveland Institute of Music. After pursuing post-graduate studies at the University of Houston he trained with the Houston Grand Opera. He became involved with the group variously called Girls Tyme, Somethin’ Fresh, Cliche’, Da Dolls, and Destiny when Matthew Knowles hired him to develop the girls’ vocals.

His work began with Kelly and Beyoncé, who were "eight years old going on nine" at the time, and he stayed with the group through the second Destiny’s Child album, 1999’s "The Writing’s on the Wall." LeToya didn’t start with the group, or with Brewer, until she was 11, and while she was in the group even before Kelly was added, LaTavia started out as a rapper, not a singer. When the original "fourth member" left the group, LeToya (who attended the same parochial school as Beyoncé) auditioned and was signed on.

Brewer said he was shocked and saddened to read his former girls’ Vibe interview, in which they accused LaTavia (though the article incorrectly said it was LeToya), of being "tone deaf" – hard working but incapable of singing on key. Brewer begs to differ. "LaTavia is completely able to sing in tune," he insists, enunciating into the telephone so that not a word is missed, or misunderstood. "Beyoncé is completely out of her league when she makes that statement. There is nobody on this planet who knows their voices better than I do because I built their voices. Not Matthew Knowles, not Beyoncé. I built them. None of them are tone deaf. All of them can sing. All of them have individual abilities as individual artists do, but all of them have something to offer. It’s just flat wrong. I don’t know why she said that."

Brewer is wistful when he recalls how he taught the girls not just to sing, but to understand the technical and physiological concepts underlying the musical instrument that is the human voice. Even now, reeling with disappointment over what he sees as a change in her character, Brewer marvels at Beyoncé’s natural gifts. "Beyonce was the only one that came with this phenomenal voice. Kelly’s voice was little more than air. With LeToya, I thought ‘she will take a longer time to learn to sing in a pop or R&B style’ because she had a very naturally high placed voice. I had to teach her to sing in her "chest" voice." But despite their varying talents, Brewer insists that all four girls worked hard to perfect the lessons he gave, and they all succeeded. He even notes that it was Kelly, not LeToya, who failed to get admitted to a performing arts program that she, LeToya and Beyoncé applied to during high school.

"It’s very difficult, even dangerous, to do this type of training with children. I teach without music, so I would know immediately if they could not match pitch. Every one of them could do so. As of a month ago LeToya was singing on pitch to me." He still works with LeToya and LaTavia when he is available. Beyoncé and Kelly have chosen to "go with someone else", and Brewer seems to feel the sting. But with a teacher’s brand of doting, he declines to lay the blame for the change in the weather between himself and Beyoncé and Kelly at the girls’ feet. "I don’t think it was their decision to go with someone else." Enough said.

Still, on the fact of LeToya and LaTavia’s talent, Brewer is unequivocal. "Neither of the girls are tone deaf. LaTavia was not a singer. I had to teach her how to sing a phrase because there is a different way you use the breath for singing and for speaking (or rapping). When the record company initially decided they didn’t want a rapper they were going to kick LaTavia out of the group. I told them ‘this girl has been there from the beginning, and she deserves a chance’. I asked them to give me six months – just six months to work with her, and I did work with her. She worked the hardest out of all them because she was the weakest. I built her into a singer and, yes, she can sing. Everyone will see that all the girls have talent when their project comes out. I don’t know where that’s coming from. None of the girls are tone deaf. They have never been."

"This is not something that you say about a colleague. It’s not collegial. From a very young age, they (the original members) were like my children, and I taught them how to be good colleagues. I taught them harmony... how to build cords. I taught Beyonce how to instruct – so she could teach the chords she composed to the others. I taught them how to hear cords, how to sing in tune. Their background vocals are very tight, as you’ll notice, because they were taught to sing "in vowel" – everybody understands the same placement for "ee" or "ah" – they place each phrase in the same part of the mouth. Each girl’s technique is the same. When they sing "ah’ they do it the same way, so that’s why it’s tight." He seems proudest of the time he spent with Beyoncé separately, and he still regards her as a rare talent. He sounds like a proud papa when he describes how he taught her to build chords. "She learned very, very well. She was a very bright girl and this is why I’m baffled at why she would make these statements. It is completely unlike her to bash another person and I don’t understand why she did that. It’s inappropriate and she knows it."

If it sounds like Brewer is taking the slings and arrows of Destiny’s Child personally, it’s because he is. "I’m very disappointed. That is not what they were taught."

On the subject of whether LeToya and LaTavia contributed to the vocals on the Destiny’s Child and The Writing’s on the Wall albums, Brewer is blunt. "This is true for some of the songs. To save time and money the record company, producers and managers often had Beyonce lay down the background tracks. All four girls learned the tracks in order to perform them live, and we went over the songs extensively. It wasn’t that they weren’t capable. It was about saving time and money." In the music business, time and money can be precious commodities. "I can remember sitting in the studio waiting for producers for 10 or even 12 hours. They were supposed to be there at noon and showed up at ten at night." Even when they’re late, however, producers often show little patience for performers who would use up more than a few hours of studio time.

"If you’ve got 100 dollars left and the studio costs $150 an hour and you’re running short on time, you get someone in there that can do it quickly. It’s not necessarily common, but it happens. I found that the producers wanted to get it done as quickly as possible to save time. When I was in the studio, I felt that the girls should at least be given a chance to do the tracks. But it was not their choice. They had nothing to say about it. There was not anything vicious behind it, it was just clearly to save time."

On the second album, producers Kevin "Shake’spere" Briggs, Rodney Jerkins, and writer Kandi Buruss (formerly of Xscape), gave the girls more liberty in the studio, but in some instances, Kelly, LeToya and LaTavia were made to take a back seat while Beyoncé laid down all four harmonies. "On the second album, a lot more of the songs were sung by everybody.

But whatever went on in the studio, Brewer sees no basis for the contention that LaTavia and LeToya failed to contribute. "They worked hard... very hard. All four of them did." And that hard work extended beyond the studio, to showcases and stage shows, and live venues in abundance, at which all four members of Destiny’s Child showed their vocal chops, singing in perfect harmony, just the way they were taught.

The 1998 movie Men in Black marked the first time the world heard the transcendent R&B group Destiny’s Child. Their song, “Killing Time,” was only the beginning. Since then, Destiny’s Child has skyrocketed to stardom. Their second album, The Writing’s on the Wall, has sold more than six million copies, and the girls have performed sold-out tours with Christina Aguilera and BoyzIIMen. With the release of their No. 1 single “Independent Women,” from the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack, Destiny’s Child has given us a glimpse of the next exciting chapter of their career. Beyoncé Knowles fills us in. By: Jon Wiederhorn

TEEN: Your song “Independent Women” was used in the movie Charlie’s Angels. Did you write that for the film?

Beyoncé: I actually wrote that song [in early 2000] in response to “Bills, Bills, Bills” because a lot of people got the wrong idea from the song. They thought we were being gold diggers and Destiny’s Child is definitely not about that. We’re independent women, and we take care of ourselves.

TEEN: What can we expect from your next record?

Beyoncé: A lot of the songs kind of sound like an R&B orchestra. There are still party tracks and songs that make you wanna dance, but as far as the topics, they’ve been talking more about the problems that go on in life and ways to overcome them. It’s not just the normal male-bashing type thing.

TEEN: Last year you went through a few line-up changes. How’s the chemistry between you three now?

Beyoncé: It’s going so wonderfully. Vocally, it’s the best Destiny’s Child has ever been. Even forget vocally. As a group we have so much peace and so much support and so much talent.

TEEN: Why didn’t it work out as a four piece? Why did you get rid of Farrah?

Beyoncé: Basically, we had five performances last year, and Farrah decided she wasn’t going to come to them. She said she needed some time off, but she wasn’t sick. No one had died in her family. Nothing had happened. So, I mean, Kelly [had two broken toes] and she was still performing. So[what Farrah did was] unacceptable.

TEEN: How did Kelly break her toes?

Beyoncé: We were opening for Christina Aguilera, and our costume changing booth was so far away from the stage it was hazardous. Kelly was running full speed, and it was dark, and she ran into a ramp right in the middle of out performance. We heard her screaming and crying, and we were like, “Oh my God, she really hurt herself!”

TEEN: It’s great that your fans have stuck by you through all the changes.

Beyoncé: I know that is definitely what keeps us here-our loyalty toward our fans and their loyalty towards Destiny’s Child. Honestly, it’s just a blessing we’re still here. The group has changed from four to two to three to four to three and back again. Crazy.

TEEN: So much has happened to you in the past years. How have you changed as a person?

Beyoncé: I’ve learned a lot about friendship and loyalty and life. All of us are so much stronger. Also, our lives changed tremendously because we’re now becoming these celebrities that we’ve always wanted to become.

TEEN: It’s not freaky?

Beyoncé: It is freaky sometimes. I change my hair all the time, so I was the last one to get recognized out of the original members. But now, none of us can go anywhere. It’s crazy, but it’s something that we always wanted.

TEEN: Will the three of you still be together in five years?

Beyoncé: Yes, definitely. We’re actually working on a plan. We’re doing another album now, and then I will probably do a pop/R&B solo project. And then we’ll do anther album. And then Kelly will probably do a R&B/pop project. And Michelle will probably do a solo gospel project. But we will do these things all planned out with each other so it benefits Destiny’s Child. And eventually we will perform our own songs on our own tour and do Destiny’s Child songs as well.

CG: What are some things people say that bother you?

Beyoncé: I think the biggest is people calling me Diana Ross. That sounds cool, because she's wonderful and glamorous. And she was very nice when I met her, so I don't want to talk badly about her. But people don't mean it in the nice way. They call me that because I'm the lead singer, so they think I'm a diva and go around kicking people out of the group. They were also calling us Survivor, like the TV series, because you have to figure out who's going to last in the end.

CG: How do you guys deal with people trying to bring you down?

Kelly: I was just talking to the girls about this yesterday! When people pick on you, it's usually because you have something they don't have. If you're smart and they're not, they're gonna dog you. If you've got pretty hair and they don't, they're gonna try to tear you down. When I was in elementary school, this one girl was always telling me I couldn't sing. Now she sings too, but she doesn't have a career. I know she sees that I'm blessed with one, and she hates that, but you have to remember that the things you do to people are gonna come back.

Beyonce: God gives everybody gifts-you just have to realize what yours is and work on that. Michelle may be more articulate than me and I might do the snake dance better than her. Instead of being jealous, she'll say, "Girl, you do that bounce dance good, can you teach me how to do it?" And I'll say, "Teach me how to pronounce this word." That's how you have to look at it.

CG: Have you ever dealt with racism?

Michelle: Yeah, when we're flying first-class, sometimes the flight attendants will ask to see our boarding passes. I don't know why they're so shocked to see black people flying first-class. I don't know. I don't care.

Kelly: I actually dated a white guy for a while. I remember being in public with him and getting the dirty looks and the whispering. It was the worst. He was a good guy, we just broke up for other reasons. Also when I was young, I went to a predominantly white school. My black friends would call me 'white girl' and tell me I was selling out. I was like, what's wrong with being a white girl? I'm not downing my race. Sometimes it's hard for young girls when they see nothing but blonde white girls on TV. But looking like you is the best thing. It makes you unique, because there's nobody else on the face of the Earth that looks like you. Nobody.

CG: You guys have great karma! Do you pray together?

Beyoncé: Definitely. Prayer is a big part of our group. Before sessions-even before shooting our videos-we go in a big circle and we pray with everybody. When it's not just you by yourself, you feel connected to your group and you feel safe.

Kelly: I remember one Sunday we were traveling by bus to Louisiana for about five hours. From the time we got on to the time we got off, we had 'church' in the back of the bus. It was just a bunch of us reading the Bible and talking about experiences we've had.

CG: Can you remember a time when praying changed your life?

Beyonce: Yeah, the first time I felt God. I mean really felt Him. It was when the former members were still in the group. I was like the group mother-if there was tension or if someone lied or hurt someone's feelings, it affected me really bad. I was stressed because I know the group was going crazy. I couldn't sleep and my face was breaking out. One day in church I was crying, and all of a sudden I just let go of everything. It was as though God was saying "Give it to me." All the stress just lifted off me and I spoke in tongues for the first time. I had seen people do it, and I thought it was weird, but afterward I was so at peace for twenty minutes. I felt like I was floating.

Kelly: It's so funny because I have a tendency to open the Bible up right to the scripture that helps. Like today in the studio, I was tired and creatively gone. I opened up the praying journal I have, and it was just there. It said, "Lord, I pray that you will grow me into a creative and confident woman who is rich in mind, soul, and spirit." It was so funny I bumped on into that. Then I bumped into a scripture about priorities. That's how I know God is truly with me.

CG: What are your priorities?

Kelly: God, my family, Destiny's Child, my boyfriend.

CG: What kind of boyfriends do you all want?

Michelle: Someone who can help bring out the best in you. If you feel like you deserve anything less, come on, read CosmoGIRL! more often, please! And he's gotta be funny, successful, and God-fearing.

Kelly: I was watching the videotape of the Billboard Awards and when he won, the lead singer of Creed was like,"First, I would like to give thanks and praise to God," and I was like,"Yes!" I think it's so beautiful when a man can be proud of God and talk about it.

Beyonce: I'm looking for someone who has his own career. He doesn't have to have a lot of money-someone in college is cool. My first boyfriend sucked. He just wasn't right. We talked on the phone, and it was like,"Hello?" "Hello." "What are you doing?" "Nothing." It really stank. He was boring and didn't have any ambition.

CG: How do you make sure a guy respects you?

Kelly: Don't ever call! If he's interested, he'll call. He's lucky to be gaining your attention, that's how I see it. I just finished reading The Rules. That is the best book. As a matter of fact, we're writing a song because of it!

Michelle: The book is wonderful, but don't put that in the interview! I don't want guys to know what we're doing!
(Editor's note: Sorry Michelle!)

Beyonce: It's not really about the guy, it's about you. Sometimes girls are so mad at guys, but guys get away with whatever we let them get away with. Not that you should be watching them and checking in on them every five minutes, but guys won't just say certain things or do certain things to you if they see that you have self-respect.

Kelly: Beyonce is so good at relationships. When I'm upset about not dating anyone, she'll be like,"Girl, who cares? Obviously this is a point in time when God wants you to get to know yourself."

Michelle: Beyonce is also so motherly. She always gets the truth out of you. Like,"You called him? Were you supposed to call him? Or did you let him call you?" You can't lie to her. She's always trying to make us the best we can be-creatively and as women.

Beyonce: People just need somebody to tell them the truth. I tell the truth, not in a harsh way, but as nicely as possible. If I wasn't singing, I was gonna be a psychologist. I analyze everything and sometimes it's really irritating, I know!

CG: You guys wrote the book on girl power! Do you think your message is getting through?
What do you hear from your fans?

Kelly: I'm gonna cry now! We got a letter from a girl who was about to commit suicide. Right as she was about to kill herself, she heard the words to "Sweet Sixteen". She got this sense of empowerment and she felt that she could be okay. It feels so good when we get letters like that.

Beyonce: We went to see this beautiful girl for the Make a Wish Foundation. It was so overwhelming that somebody thinks so much of you. I was honored to meet her. She had cancer and she had lost her hair, but we couldn't be sad at all because she just made us appreciate our so many blessings.

Michelle: When we visit the Texas Children's Hospital, these kids are in so much pain. But they're still smiling and strong-and making us strong.

CG: So you get inspiration from your fans too?

Beyonce: Definitely. There's a song on our new album, called "The Story of Beauty," and its written about a girl who got molested by her stepfather. I'm sure everybody is going to ask if it happened to any of us , and it didn't, but I was reading a fan letter a long time ago, and a girl talked about it. I remember thinking how amazing it was for her to feel that close to me, and that inspired me to write the song. In the end it says you can still live your life and be proud, and that it's not your fault. I hope it gives everyone who experienced that hope and helps them feel strong.

CG: How do you define an independent woman?

Beyonce: A young lady who has her own ideas, her own mind. Someone who works really hard. Someone with strength, goals, respect for herself. She knows what she wants and works hard to achieve whatever it is.

Michelle: Someone who isn't scared to share her beliefs with the whole entire world.

Kelly: Spiritual, confident, has a beautiful heart, and is smart-mind body soul.

CG: Do you feel you're there yet?

Kelly: I don't know. Sometimes. Sometimes you get a little down and you lose one of those words. But then you find another word and that gives you confidence.

Michelle: Yes, I do.

Beyonce: I'm working on it!

Destiny's Destiny We asked the girls where they see themselves five, ten, and twenty years down the line. Here are their predictions:

Beyonce: 5 years-We'll have broken the Dixie Chick's record(no offense ladies!)and be the biggest-selling female group ever!
10 years-I'll have money in the bank and be living on an island, just like Lenny Kravitz(well, I heard he does).
20 years-Married with two kids, living on the island, making my own bread, and walking around barefoot!

Kelly: 5 years- I pray that we'll still be positive influences, still starting trends in music and fashion.
10 years-Married with two kids and living in Houston. I'll have a vacation home in the Caribbean.
20 years-Destiny's Child will be doing Barbara Streisand-type goodbye concerts!

Michelle: 5 years-Dabbling in modeling and acting, especially a romantic comedy. I don't know if I could be serious!
10 years-Married with two(maybe three)children, living in a nice big house with lots of land next to a river.
20 years-I'll own a record studio so I can produce movie scores. I'll also run my own gospel label.