This week HitFix is revisiting some of the key turning points in recent entertainment history and considering what would have happened if history had turned a bit differently. What if…?
In the early and mid- 2000s, the Destiny”s Child line-up of Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams ruled the pop charts with the trio”s bootylicious pop/R&B mix, selling more than 60 million albums worldwide before disbanding in 2005.
What if Destiny”s Child hadn”t broken up?
Three things that might not have happened:
1. Beyonce would not have gone on to become to the girl who runs the world as an entertainer, actress, and Pepsi can cover girl. In all seriousness, there are few artists who have the overall international breadth and reach that Bey has achieved.
2. Kelly Rowland would not have become the go-to girl for songs with the likes of David Guetta, Nelly (post-DC) and Lil Wayne, developing into a collaborator who makes each project better. Out from under Beyonce”s shadow, she”s also become a fashion plate, a fitness expert, red carpet host and soon-to-be “X Factor” judge in the U.S., following a stint on the U.K. version of the talent competition.
3. They wouldn”t have reunited at this year”s Super Bowl. Sure, it was painfully brief with Rowland and Williams basically relegated to Beyonce”s back-up singers on “Bootylicious” and “Independent Woman,” as well as Beyonce”s “Single Ladies,” but it was better than nothing. Sort of…
Three things we predict would have happened:
1. Destiny”s Child would be playing a residency in Las Vegas, alternating at the Caesars Palace with Elton John, Rod Stewart and Shania Twain.
2. Their continued success would have spawned many more girl groups and we wouldn”t have had the several-year drought that has now ended with acts like Little Mix and Fifth Harmony.
3. Within the trio, Beyonce”s star would have continued to rise and Rowland and Williams would have receded into the background with the group eventually seguing from Destiny”s Child to Beyonce & Destiny”s Child, a la The Supremes” evolution to Diana Ross & The Supremes.
Did history work out for the best?
Depends upon whom you ask. For Beyonce, the answer is an unqualified yes. While she would have continued to be the stand-out star in the trio, she would have likely never achieved the worldwide superstardom that she has reached as a solo artist. For Rowland and Williams, the jury is out. Yes, they have each gotten to explore or expand other areas of interest, such as Williams returning to theater (she first hit Broadway while still with DC in “Aida”) in such hits as “Chicago” and “Fela,” and Rowland developing into a TV personality, yet they have yet to reach the heights they enjoyed during Destiny Child”s heyday.
What do you think would have happened if Destiny’s Child didn’t break up?