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Everything grows bigger and better in Texas, so they say, and if Destiny's Child is anything to go by, the saying rings true. Rarely have beauty, brains and talent been served up in such generous helpings as with the Houston-based foursome. It's all on display on their stunning new sophomore album The Writing's On The Wall, which in addition to their own writing and production input, features contributions from some of the music industry's most-noted movers and shakers.
"We're not Boyz II Men, but this represents us progressing from girls to young women," says the striking caramel-complexioned Beyoncé, who along with her fellow group members -- Kelly, LaTavia and LeToya -- share an average age of 18. "Although we're still young," she adds, "we've seen quite a lot in the last year or so. We've traveled and matured personally so we wanted to reflect that in our music.
"We wanted the whole album to be a concept and into that concept we wanted to work in great songs with a new sound," says the statuesque Kelly.
The concept - that of relationships - takes on a different slant lyrically to many other albums that attempt to traverse the same terrain, veering away from just romance (although there is plenty of that) but also discussing the full gamut of personal relationships. "It's about the realness of life, the gray areas," emphasizes sassy LaTavia. "It's a story that takes you on a journey."
"We called the album The Writing's On The Wall because this album really spells out what will happen in a relationship if people treat each other a certain way," explains Beyoncé. "It really shows what's really going on."
Indeed, the album's first single, "Bills, Bills, Bills," is a riotously funky, tongue-in-cheek, poke-in-the ribs at boyfriends who start off as a knights-in-shining armor only to let the act drop exposing them for the scrubs they are. Destiny's Child is aware that the song's mature subject matter could well result in raised eyebrows considering their tender years.
"People might say, 'y'all are all gold-diggers' when they hear 'Bills, Bills, Bills,'" says the baby-faced LeToya in her honey-thick southern tones, "but it's totally different. This song is about a relationship where the guy starts out really nice, caring and considerate but three or four months down the line he starts slacking, borrowing your car and when he gives it back to you, the tank is on empty. He'll use your cell-phone and run it up, he'll buy you gifts with your own money."
"But we want to make one thing clear" interjects LaTavia. "It's not a man-hating song. In fact, we know probably more women do it than men. We wrote about it because I myself have been through something similar and I have a lot of older friends who are going through the exact same thing."
The single, along with other killer uptempo joints such as "So Good" and "Bug A Boo," was co-written and produced by hot newcomer Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, best-known so far for masterminding TLC's "No Scrubs." He was the first name called to the table and musically and thematically set the wheels in motion for The Writing's On The Wall.
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Discography
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Year
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Label
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Title
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1997 |
Columbia
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No, No, No Single
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1998 |
Columbia
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Destiny's Child EP
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1999 |
Columbia
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Bills, Bills, Bills Single
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1999 |
Columbia
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Bills, Bills, Bills Maxi Single
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1999 |
Columbia
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The Writing's On The Wall
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2000 |
Columbia
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Say My Name Single
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