Contributed
Kelly Rowland

Davina Morris, Contributor

With the three members of Destiny's Child (DC) having forged solo paths several years ago, you'd think that by now people would have realised that Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle are three very different individuals. And, as a result, their individual pursuits have all been very different.

But while Beyoncé's success was always inevitable (her father was the group's manager and she was always deemed as DC's unofficial leader) and nobody really expected Michelle to be a mainstream star (she just didn't get to sing much in DC did she?), shouldn't Kelly's level of stardom be a little greater?

Her sophomore album, Ms. Kelly, is soon to be re-released (a sign that it didn't sell so well the first time around) and the new single Work - which was due for release last year - was delayed, then remixed and is finally getting released. Surely, a former member of such a super-group shouldn't struggle to sell units?

"As solo artistes we are three different people," Kelly insists. "People can't expect us all to take the same route as solo artistes or enjoy the same kind of success. Victoria (Beckham) has a different route to Mel B, Mel B has a different route to Geri and so on. We all have different paths, cuz we're all different people. I'm more of an intimate person anyway; I like playing smaller and more intimate venues. People can't expect me to be Beyoncé or Beyoncé to be me or me to be Michelle or whatever! Just allow us to be ourselves!"

And of Beyoncé, what does Kelly make of those who doubt the pair's friendship? Just last year a story popped up claiming that Beyoncé 'stole' the June front cover of Vibe magazine, which Kelly was scheduled to appear on. And in a spoof video of DC's song Emotions that appeared on You Tube last year, the actresses playing Michelle and Kelly were made to look insignificant while the Beyoncé actress sang "who'd look at the other two, when you've got Beyoncé?" Can we believe that Kelly and B are really true friends?

Negative thinking

"People see how positive we are as women and as friends, and instead of them learning from that they wanna hate on it. I have no time for that kind of negative thinking. People should be happy to see women getting along and working together without being insecure about each other. It doesn't have to be drama, but people always wanna create drama! I don't even let that bother me, cuz people will continue to talk and we'll just continue selling records," Kelly said.

Is Kelly interested in achieving Beyoncé's level of mega-stardom? "I wouldn't shun it, but I'm not gonna force it or allow people to push me in that direction. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen."

Having hoped that her sophomore album would allow fans to get to know 'Kelly Rowland and not Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child', she admits that she was disappointed about the way in which it was received. "The sales weren't as good as I wanted them to be and, to be honest, I did feel sad about that for a little while. I felt that the industry was fickle and for a minute I felt like I didn't want to be a part of that any more. I feel that the label should have promoted it more the first time around. But they're excited now, so that's all that counts," Kelly said.

Even with the best promotion, all album sales are affected by the record industry curse that is bootlegging. Kelly is no exception.

"Bootlegging definitely plays a part in artistes' frustration. I think it's mostly kids that do it. It seems that they don't really appreciate the value of music. There are young artistes who are coming out with music, which is OK for them, but it's no Marvin Gaye quality! That's not to down anybody, but I feel that some young people need to have a greater understanding of classic music and a better understanding of true musicians. Young people are carving their own niche and you can't be mad at that. But you still need to know about true, old school artistes," Kelly said.

Sounding like an inspirational speaker, she continues to school the youths. "There are all these talent contests out there - and don't get me wrong, they're cool. But because of them there's the danger of creating a society where every young person wants to be a superstar. But not everybody is gonna be a superstar. There's room for journalists, for doctors, for teachers. If I wasn't doing this I would be a teacher. I think being in the position to inspire and educate young minds is a wonderful thing," Kelly said.

Recalling her own youth, Kelly reveals that she and her mother "had our differences" when she was growing up. With Destiny's Child being on the road so often and Kelly's mother not being there with her daughter that "put a strain" on the pair's relationship. "We did have our problems, but the older I got the more I realised how important my Mum is. This industry will come and go, but you need to have a foundation. You need to have someone who, unlike all the 'yes people', will tell you straight: 'You've got a bad attitude today.' That's my Mum!"

However, she speaks less positively of her father who isn't a part of her life today.

"He was in and out of the picture from when I was born until I was about seven years old. And when he did come around, it just wasn't positive. He brought a negative energy, so I knew what discomfort was from an early age. Now, if ever I meet a guy and I feel that same sense of discomfort, I walk away from that situation, fast!" Kelly said.

Infamous spilt

Currently single, following the infamous spilt between her and former footballer fiancé, Roy Williams, Kelly says she doesn't talk about her relationships any more. "When I got engaged and announced that, it became a media riot. So I feel like the next time anybody will know anything about me, as far as relationships are concerned, I'll be married!" she said.

But she has learned a fair bit about herself through past relationships. "I learned that I shouldn't allow my past to affect my present. I didn't grow up with my biological father and I think that girls who grow up in that situation can sometimes grow up looking for Daddy, so I think it's important to know who your father is. For me, Beyoncé's father is like my father. When we're all at home Matthew treats me like his little girl. But for girls who grow up without a father figure I think it's important for them to know their self-worth so they don't look for the wrong things when they grow up and start to forge relationships," Kelly said.

In addition to her musical achievements, Kelly also proved her give-back-to-the-community spirit when she, along with Beyoncé and Beyoncé's parents, recently opened a housing shelter.

"It's called the Knowles Rowland Teminals Building. It's basically for situations like Hurricane Katrina, where so many people lost their homes. I can only imagine not being able to go to my home. Our shelter provides the means for people in those situations to rebuild their lives."

The single Work is out tomorrow and the album Ms. Kelly is out on March 10 on Sony BMG.