Wondering why Kelly Rowland hasn’t released her fifth studio album yet? Well the Houstonian has been working alongside creative director/choreographer Frank Gatson to create an African-American girl group, similar to Destiny’s Child and En Vogue.
Kelly hopes to form “the next big female superstar group” and five members were chosen around what she looked up to when she was growing up. Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson were a few of the “chocolate girls” the R&B singer sought out and she thinks the industry could currently use more dark-skin girl group singers.
“I want to be a part of a change in that,” the singer said at SXSW.
Fans were able to watch their process of choosing members for the group, from auditions down to deliberations, on BET’s show Chasing Destiny. The first few episodes demonstrated survival of the fittest, and the last five standing were Brienna, Ashly, Shyann, Kristal, and Gabby.
The ladies got a chance to give an impromptu performance for En Vogue, legendary producer and songwriter Tricky Stewart, worked one-on-one with vocal coach for the stars Stevie Mackey, and received advice about the industry from LaLa Anthony.
They even met New Edition, who spoke with the girls about the importance of working as a unit. “Push each other. One thing about a group, you’re gonna go through some sh*t, but hold each other down.“
Kelly and Frank are currently working together to mold these ladies into the best they can be. “I don’t want to settle for mediocrity. Tough is coming from trying to make them be the best,” Gatson said.
Recently, Chasing Destiny covered Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” Kelly Rowland’s “It’s Alright” and just released their new single, “All Of Us.”
Check out their vocals and the way they blend together, mixing their harmonies and melodies below.