LeToya Luckett's Solo Destiny

As the members of Destiny's Child get ready to go their separate ways, one former member is returning to the spotlight. LeToya Luckett, who was dismissed from the group in 2000, is releasing her self-titled solo debut on Capitol Records in February.

The Houston native -- whose most recent project was another girl group, Angel, with fellow nixed Destiny's member LaTavia Roberson -- admits that she's a little nervous about stepping forward after so many years in groups. "It's scary because I'm used to singing with three other girls," Luckett says. "It wasn't that I wanted to go solo, but I wanted to continue my dream. And so I'm going to keep singing. I'm really excited to get out there and fulfill my destiny . . . so to speak."

As a preview of the album, Luckett plans to release the aptly titled first single, "All Eyes on Me," in August and the follow-up, "I'm Good," later this year. The album's producers include Jermaine Dupri (Usher, Mariah Carey), Bryan-Michael Cox (Alicia Keys, Jessica Simpson) and Just Blaze (Jay-Z, DMX), while Mike Jones and Slim Thug add some local star power to the "All Eyes on Me" remix. "I'm representing Houston," Luckett says, "so I got my Houston rappers on there."

Luckett also just cut a track with Chingy for his next record, and she is eager for more collaborations. "I would love to do something with Gwen Stefani," she says. "I've got a crazy rock/pop song that I would love to get her on, because she's crossing over right now and she's dope."

As for her former Destiny's Child mates, whom she and Roberson sued after being dropped from the group (they settled the case), Luckett hasn't spoken with them, but says things are cool. "They said to friend of mine, 'Tell LeToya we said, 'What's up?'" Luckett says. "That meant a lot to me."

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Too Close”

Next | 1998

Next was formed in Minneapolis when the uncle of Terry "T-Low" and Raphael "Tweety" Brown, who was a gospel choir director, introduced the brothers to Robert Lavelle "R.L." Huggar. Sounds of Blackness singer Ann Nesby groomed the R&B group before handing them over to Naughty by Nature's KayGee, who wrote and produced "Too Close." The idea for the song was sparked "from a conversation we had with several girls at a nightclub," explained T-Low. "It's talking about the club scene, with guys getting out of hand and the female telling him to back up, asking, 'What are you doing?'" 

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter