Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Culture
CultureEntertainment

Kelly Rowland Politely Turns Down Mathew Knowles’ Challenge to a ‘Group Off’

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: | Updated on May 21, 2016 CommentsComments (1)
Centric

Centric

Kelly Rowland is not interested in putting her girl group against ex-manager Mathew Knowles’ female band in a sing and dance battle. The former Destiny’s Child member currently has a reality show called Chasing Destiny on BET about the search for the next big girl group. The show differs from other TV competitions by leaving out the cattiness.

“There is no juicy drama, no humiliating eliminations. I don’t want reality stars; I want stars,” Rowland said in the debut episode.

On May 12, Knowles spoke with The Tom Joyner Morning Show and said Kelly’s newly formed band should go against his rappers-singer trio Blushhh in a performance battle.

“Kelly, I look forward to your group – whenever you put it together, take your time,” he told the radio show. “Because I wanna come somewhere with Tom Joyner and I wanna have a group off! A group off! I want a group off with whoever your group is and we’ll play some music. Just remember: I’m the teacher, you’re the student.”

Rowland responded to the challenge when she talked to Hollywood Today Live on Thursday. Speaking about her as-yet-named group, she explains they have an “edge” that fits in with what other bands are doing today. When it comes to Beyoncé’s father and his musical dare, the singer does not want a competitive performance between her five-member group and Blushhh.

“I don’t really give it any energy, to be honest,” she told HTL. “I feel like there’s space for everybody. I don’t feel the need to do that. And I’m just so happy for my ladies, for his ladies and, you know, there’s room for everybody.”

For Rowland, that includes a new boy band that she hopes to launch next. The mother of 2-year-old Titan is not looking to give her son a brother or sister anytime soon, instead focusing on her career. The singer promises her fans she plans to get back into the recording studio to finish her next album.

Watch Rowland’s complete interview below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBztei69u0

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top