Destiny Fulfilled

(The CD audio side includes the enitre album featuring the hits "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier." The DVD side includes the entire album in 5.1 Surround Sound and enhanced LPCM Stereo, an exclusive interview with Destiny's Child on the making of the album, "Lose My Breath" video shoot, music videos for "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier," two exclusive bonus audio tracks: "Game Over" and "Why You Actin'").

Those luscious harmonies by Beyonc￩, Kelly and Michelle are at the fore of Destiny Fulfilled, the long awaited return by Destiny's Child.

After Beyonc￩ Knowles' mega solo success, all eyes were on the Child, to see what they would do next. Well, ain't no stoppin' them now, as the album jumps to a start with "Lose My Breath," a super-uptempo dance track which dares the guy in these gal's lives to take a chance on pleasing their women.

After Beyonc￩ proved herself with handling some writing chores on the group's 2001 release Survivor, she and her bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, are back in the writer's seat. These girls write about what they know and the disc is a love fest -- it's all about it -- whether it's the love between happy couples, not so happy couples, or love of God.

"Soldier," featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne, has the girls singing a song of love, gangsta style. But when they talk about soldiers, they don't mean the boys in Iraq, rather, it's the men of street who they find so fine.

"Cater 2 U" is about a woman who's willing to do anything to cater to her working man, including fetching his slippers(!). But it's all done in the name of love, as is sleeping in your man's t-shirt, as told by the girls in "T-Shirt" (needless to say, that one's a slow jam). Kelly and Michelle trade verses with Beyonc￩ here, as they do on just about every song, giving the disc a heavenly chorus effect.

But not is all sweetness and light. "Is She the Reason" is just what it sounds like when a girl suspects her man of stepping out on her; as it turns out, he is. It's got a tough beat and a trumpet sample that's borrowed from the old school's "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To" by Melba Moore.

Kelly takes the mic on "Bad Habit," another one about an unfaithful man. "If" is a sweet and sexy old school soul jam (which calls on a piece of Natalie Cole's "Inseparable" for its inspiration). It's a walk out song -- a goodbye song -- and guess why she's leaving? Because that man has gone out on her yet again!

"Girl" is one of those just between girlfriends songs -- the story of sisters trying to help another woman get through a break-up, hip hop style. The music bed features an orchestrated sample from the Dramatics' dreamy "Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams."

"Free" is mostly Beyonc￩'s number. The verse has an unusual groove -- it's a very different style jam for Destiny's Child, almost blues-like. But far from sad, our heroine in this song is happy and finally free (now that she's left that lowdown fella who's been playing around on her for the duration of the album!).

Whether they're in love or out of love, it looks like Beyonc￩, Kelly and Michelle have kept their fate sealed and their destiny harmonious: Destiny's Child were meant to sing together and this latest creation is their most fulfilling piece of work yet.

By Danielle Santiago