From being in a girl group to singing country, Beyoncé has definitely made changes through the years.
1990 saw the birth of a group that would, down the road, be known as Destiny’s Child. Originating in Houston, Texas, this band was composed of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Destiny’s Child went through many members, but this lineup became the most memorable.
Beyoncé was not in the original lineup but once she joined, it kick-started her career and made her known to the world. She remained until the disbandment of Destiny’s Child. Beyoncé joined the group in 1990.
The group originally started with the name “Girl’s Tyme,” but throughout management changes the name changed a handful of times. In 1992, the band lost a singing competition and Beyoncé’s father stepped in as a manager.
When Matthew Knowles became manager, he started to remove people from the group. He started with Támar Davis, then the Taylor sisters and ended with LeToya Luckett. The remaining girls were singing and doing shows around Houston.
They changed their name to Destiny and signed a contract with Elektra label, but this fell through before an album was released. In 1996, the name changed once more and this time it stuck—Destiny’s Child was about to take off. They signed a contract with Columbia Records and released their debut album.
Their single “No, No, No” peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The group continued to rise with their next albums receiving two Grammys and remaining on the Billboard Hot 100.
After their release of “The Writing’s on the Wall,” two more members left—LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. The split of the members created ripples and controversy. A lawsuit was filed against Matthew Knowles for breach of partnership. Beyoncé and Rowland were involved as well in the lawsuit. They all reached a settlement and the lawsuit was dismissed. Five months after joining the group, Farrah Franklin left, making the group a trio.
As a trio, they released Survivor in 2001 which hit the top three on the Billboard charts in the States. In 2002, they were awarded the best R&B performance in the Grammy’s. Their final album was “Destiny Fulfilled.” After this, they parted ways to make their independent names.
Out on her own Beyoncé tested the waters in different areas of art. In 2003, she made an appearance in “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” She played the love interest where her iconic line was “I’m a whole lotta woman.”
She also made an appearance in Jay-Z’s music video “03 Bonnie & Clyde.” Since the breakup of Destiny’s Child, this was her first solo appearance. This video sparked rumors that the two artists were dating. The couple later married in 2008.
Beyoncé’s first album on her own became an R&B hit in 2003. One of her songs, “Crazy in Love” and “That’s How You Like It” included Jay-Z. Her second album “B’Day” released on her 25th birthday was even more popular.
In 2006, she tried her hand in acting again in the movie “Dreamgirls”. This was the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls” which came out in 1981. Beyoncé played Deena Jones who was based on Diana Ross.
Her third album included some of her all-time most popular songs that she’s ever written or sung such as “Single Ladies”, “If I Were a Boy” and “Halo”. This album also introduced Sasha Fierce, her alter ego. Sasha was created by Beyoncé to separate her shy personality from her stage personality. This allowed her to step out of her shell and be brave and bold when on stage.
Beyoncé won everyone’s hearts in 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards after Kanye put her and Taylor Swift in a strange situation. Kanye spoke out that Beyonce had the best videos of all time and by doing thisinterrupted Taylor. Later on in the awards, she let Taylor finish her speech after she was interrupted.
From Super Bowl to Super Bowl, to big pregnancy announcements and albums, she continued to make her way up the list of top artists and famous celebrities. She continued acting, voicing the character Nala in “The Lion King: The Gift” where she also accompanied the movie with an album.
Her most recent feat is, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM.” This shook her fans and listeners of country music. She had been such an R&B, pop, and Hip hop staple, that it did not occur to fans that she would try a completely different style of music.
She didn’t fully lean into becoming country but rather mixed pop and country. She’s done a few songs that have had some correlation to country music, but this song went further.
Whether a fan or not of Beyoncé she’s become an icon and trailblazer in the music industry, showcasing resilience and dichotomy in all aspects of her career. She balances the ability to do music, appear on the silver screen and be dedicated to her family. Beyoncé does things her way and on her timeline. It shocks fans but she does it in a way that makes the biggest impact.