Reclined on a circular, leather sofa in a deluxe suite at the W Hotel crunching on some ice, former Destiny’s Child, Kelendria Trene Rowland is arguably one of the most famous women in the world right now.
A vision of perfection, she has a mane of impossibly glossy, ebony tresses, smooth skin and the kind of “come get me” attitude that drives men wild. First shimeeying onto the scene back in 1997 with her girls Beyoncé and Michelle, Kelly paid her Bills, Bills, Bills as a front-woman for old school, hip-pop troupe Destiny’s Child. Topping the charts time and time again, selling forty million albums and twenty million singles, these three, all-singing, all-dancing girls could sell out stadiums in minutes.
Amicably parting ways with her soul sisters in 2005 to pursue a career as an independent woman, Kelly hit the high road and began singing her own songs, her own way. With enough platinum records to pave her way to the moon and back, spurred on by her fans undying loyalty and overwhelming support, Kelly’s back and will officially release her fourth album ‘Here I Am’ on November 28th. Citing dance and classic R&B as the inspirations for the new material, Marvin Gaye and artists of the Motown era were Kelly’s key influences, she explained “I went to Hitsville USA when I was on tour with Chris Brown over the summer, and we were in Detroit in the studio where the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gay, The Supremes were recording. I just listened to all their music and everything was a story. I’m actually taking that and putting it into the new album.”
Listing Down For Whatever and Motivation as her favourite tunes from the new album, Kelly has collaborated with a host of heavyweight talent, making this her most ambitious compendium to date. Big Sean, Alex Gaudino, Lil Wayne and David Guetta have all played a part in her honing a pick’n'mix of potential number ones. With her stint as a judge on The X Factor only having helped to secure her place as Queen Bee on both sides of the Atlantic, i-D online caught-up with the one-woman whirlwind to find out what’s up next on her international mission…
Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Bella Howard
Film: Asylum Films
