Former Destiny’s Child Member on Why Girl Groups Don’t Last
There aren’t many girl groups in the music industry as of now. Gone are the days of 3LW and Destiny’s Child. While the business is constantly changing with how music is released, and how artists expand their brand, many yearn for the camaraderie that groups offer. LeToya Luckett says there’s a simple reason why groups don’t last, and it’s self-serving.
LeToya Luckett says egos get in the way of girl groups
Luckett joined the group when she was 10 years old. By the time they were 15 and 16 years old, they’d snagged a record deal and released their debut album. As the initial foursome, DC earned a string of hits from their debut and sophomore albums, including “Bug a Boo” and “Bills, Bills, Bills.”
While there have been other groups since Destiny’s Child, such as Fifth Harmony and June’s Diary, they rarely last. In an interview with The Neighborhood Talk, Luckett offered up an explanation as to why girl groups don’t have longevity, saying:
I think it’s for several reasons, and I miss it. You’re not the only one who noticed that. I’m always like, ‘Where the groups at?!’ It’s harder to keep people together. I think the moment people realize, ‘Oh, I have my own talent I wanna be solo or whatever.’ It’s tough to find people who wanna come together and create a beautiful experience for others. I don’t know if its a budget thing or if it’s a me, myself, and I think. But either way, you see what happened with Destiny’s Child, we were able to go our separate ways and do our own thing.
She was fired from Destiny’s Child
Shortly after the release of the second critically acclaimed album, The Writings on the Wall, she and another group member, LaTavia Roberson, grew dissatisfied with the group’s management, Beyoncé’s dad, Matthew Knowles. They demanded new management, and as a result, they say they were fired from the group without warning. It wasn’t until they say they saw the music video for the 1999 single “Say My Name” with two other women in their place that they learned they’d been axed.
They filed a lawsuit against Destiny’s Child and Knowles, alleging that they were forced out of the group and were victims of career sabotage after Destiny’s Child released their song “Survivor.” The song spoke of their exit and the group’s continued success without them.
A settlement was reached in July 2002. Rolling Stone reported that all parties involved in the suit were charged with breach of contract.
The singer is open to a reunion with her former group members
Luckett hasn’t performed with the group since her exit. She’s focused on her own solo singing and acting career, earning credits in critically acclaimed series, including Greenleaf. But fans are always asking whether or not she and the gang will reunite, especially because they remain friends and supporters of one another.
“I don’t see it not happening. I don’t ever want to say never. It would be a beautiful thing,” she told PopCulture.com. “That group just changed our lives completely. Whether you were in it for however long, that group was something special. And I’m just blessed and honored that I got to be a part of it. And all the girls, we’re cool. Shout out to all of them. But it’s nothing but love. It is nothing but love. So I can’t see it not happening. It’s just maybe when, but we are all moms now.”
