Beyonce’s destiny now closer at hand

Destiny’s Child -- the pop group’s name suggests the favor of fate and birthright, and there’s never been a doubt about which member is the designated child of destiny. In Destiny’s Child, Beyonce Knowles is supreme in the way Diana Ross once was a Supreme.

Knowles has chafed under the popular perception that her fellow group members are interchangeable, but given the presence of her father, Mathew Knowles, as the group’s strong-willed manager and the jettisoning of three early members, that perception has been hard to dance away from. Popular thought has been that Destiny’s Child is a limited partnership that would become obsolete the day Beyonce decided to go solo.

If so, that day has arrived.

“Dangerously in Love,” her solo album debut, arrives in stores today. Tonight she will perform on the BET Awards show while the other two-thirds of Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, watch from the audience.

“Dangerously” has the early look of a major hit -- Columbia Records last month abruptly moved its release date up from July to capitalize on radio’s early interest, and Mathew Knowles predicts it will exceed 5 million in sales, which would top the most recent Destiny’s Child album, “Survivor,” in 2001.

Beyonce (she uses just her first name now) will appear in a major film in September, has replaced Britney Spears as Pepsi’s ad spokeswoman and has been tapped in recent weeks to perform at high-profile fetes for Robert De Niro and the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Co.

So, this must be the end of Destiny’s Child, right?

Mathew Knowles laughed at the question and dismissed the comparison with the Supremes, TLC and En Vogue, other popular, R&B-rooted; female vocal groups that have imploded over the years.

“This group is unique and it’s strong right now, stronger than ever,” the manager said. “The group is very viable, very active. They are all very committed. They’ve each found a niche. You will be hearing Destiny’s Child again. Destiny’s Child is the franchise. And Beyonce wants it that way; we all do. Look, this is a group that has sold 33 million records worldwide, and that’s a lot of records. No one of them could be as big as this franchise could be.”

The elder Knowles pointed to the 2002 solo albums by Rowland (“Simply Deep,” which has sold 559,000 copies in the U.S. since its October release) and Williams (her gospel collection “Heart to Yours” has sold a modest 192,000 but hit No. 1 on the spiritual genre’s charts) as part of a master plan to enhance each member as an individual to strengthen them as a group.

He pointed out too that when Rowland’s disc produced a hit in “Dilemma,” a duet with rapper Nelly, Beyonce postponed her solo release plans to give her compatriot more room.

Still, as the spotlight intensifies on Beyonce, many observers wonder if the rest of the group soon will be standing in the shadows. The glare will intensify if “The Fighting Temptations,” the September comedy in which she co-stars with Cuba Gooding Jr., builds on the acting career she began last summer with “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”

“Clearly, Beyonce is in a league of her own,” said Hyun Kim, the music lifestyle editor at Vibe magazine. “There is a reason her solo album came last -- it’s like the other two were opening acts for her. Every girl wants to be her; every guy wants to be with her. With the film and the lack of other big R&B; albums this summer, it’s a big time for her.”

John Ivey is vice president of programming for radio giant Clear Channel’s Los Angeles market, which includes KIIS-FM (102.9), where requests are pouring in for the new music from Beyonce. “The potential for this album is huge,” Ivey said. “She is becoming a core artist for us as a solo artist and as a member of Destiny’s Child.... When you think about the future and the artists that will be the key figures, she is absolutely one of the people you think about.”

“Dangerously in Love” already has a hit in “Crazy in Love,” an up-tempo track that is part summer shimmer and part club song, and the album has more musical variety and guests (among them Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and Luther Vandross) than Destiny’s Child collections (see accompanying review). The singer recorded much of the album in Miami -- away for the first time from the Houston cocoon where the Destiny’s Child universe is centered.

Will Botwin, president of Columbia Records Group, said the new album is a declaration of self for the 21-year-old singer and songwriter. “She takes charge of her vision of who she is. This album shows the full power of Beyonce. She has a role in everything -- the writing, the production, the sequence, picking the singles.... It really represents a new day for her musically.”

Mathew Knowles said Destiny’s Child will return to the studio early next year to make its fourth studio album of new material, adding to a catalog that has sold more than 11.5 million albums in the U.S. The manager said the group will lengthen its concerts on the next tour to give each member a solo set before the trio unites to sing such hits as “Say My Name,” “Independent Women Part I” and “Bills, Bills, Bills.”

He has a somewhat unlikely model for his plan -- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. “They are a group but they are individuals; they have their own careers and then come together to make something special,” he said.

Not only is Destiny’s Child not losing Beyonce -- it’s also adding a fourth member next year. The manager wouldn’t name the newcomer, but the obvious candidate is Solange Knowles, Beyonce’s 17-year-old sister, who already has recorded a solo album.

One of the self-professed biggest fans of the new Beyonce album has no fear that it will interfere with the future of Destiny’s Child. Kelly Rowland, who’s a cousin of Beyonce’s, said the group’s bonds are far stronger than outsiders could know.

“How can I put this? There are people who would like to see Destiny’s Child apart because together we shine, and spiritually we’re very strong to a level that a lot of people find it intimidating. Look, we can grow together and we can grow away from each other. We celebrate each other when we’re together and when we’re being ourselves.”