Singers Kelly Rowland and Beyonce have a long history together- the two met in 1991 and instantly clicked; the duo lived together, danced and sang together, produced chart-topping singles together and enjoyed heights of fame and stardom together.
Despite the two going on to become solo artists, Rowland admits that she has spent the best part of a decade in the music industry living under Beyonce’s shadow.
S_Bukley/Shutterstock -- Beyonce and Kelly were like sisters
Before Destiny’s Child, Kelly was living in the Knowles home
Beyonce and Rowland met when they became a part of Girls Tyme, a girl group of dancers and rappers, which later went on to become Destiny’s Child. In 1991 after joining Girls Tyme, Rowland started living in Beyonce’s house and the two became best friends.
The group was renamed to Destiny’s Child in 1997 and reached new heights of fame from hit singles like Jumpin Jumpin, No, No, No and Bills, Bills, Bills. Despite their incredible success together, the group was disbanded in 2006 and Beyonce and Rowland proceeded to launch their careers separately as solo artists.
Paranoia over Beyonce Comparisons
In a recent episode during her appearance on the TV show The Voice Australia, a contestant told Kelly how he felt overshadowed by his elder brother Guy, who was also a singer.
Robert Hoetnik/Shutterstock -- Destiny’s Child was one of the biggest muscial groups
This prompted Kelly to reveal that he was not alone and she herself had experienced similar feelings during her time in Girls Tyme and Destiny’s Child where she felt she was being overshadowed by Beyonce.
She revealed that she would become paranoid about the smallest of details, whether it was choosing which dress to wear or when coming up with a song since she felt her choices and actions would always be judged in comparison to Beyonce.
Success and Accolades as a Solo Artist
According to Kelly, she would be lying if the constant comparison with Beyonce did not bother her and that she in fact felt like she always had that chip on her shoulder, the feeling of living in someone else’s shadow for over a decade.
Despite being seemingly overshadowed by Queen B, there is no debate over the fact that Kelly managed to find success in her own right and released unique hit singles with her own identity attached to them.
Tinseltown/Shutterstock -- Kelly finally found success in her own music career
The singer has sold more than 30 million records to date along with numerous accolades to her name including four Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards.