Entertainment

Hear Destiny's Child Together Again on a New Track

by Anneliese Cooper

Former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams may have received an outpouring of pity in recent months — from the #PoorMichelle tag trending on Twitter in early April to the "Poor Michelle" Tumblr dedicated to memorializing the same cause (and its accompanying @poormichellew Twitter account) — but these days, Williams is sticking it to even her most sympathetic detractors. Not only was she recently cast in Jesus Christ, Superstar alongside JC Chasez and as the Gordon Ramsay-esque host of a choir-based reality show, but now she's come out with a star-studded new single, "Say Yes" Released on Wednesday, the jaunty, high-energy gospel tune features none other than her former Destiny's Child bandmates, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, as well as Beyoncé's sister Solange.

The song is incredibly catchy, sure, with its peppy dancehall beat and an earworm of a chorus — but that chorus's overtly religious lyrics may throw some non-Christian fans for a loop: "When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no," the gals croon repeatedly in unison. Sure, Williams's other recent release, "Fire," is plenty religious, but it seems to follow that ye olde Christian rock tradition of avoiding specific buzzwords while still ostensibly describing God, all the better to remain marketable to the multi-faith mainstream. Okay, fine, she does namecheck "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego," and there's a pretty prominent "Jesus" in the bridge — but "Say Yes!" is even more direct, laying out its message of praise explicitly, over and over and over.

So, while "Destiny's Child reunites!" is certainly a buzzworthy headline, every marketing department's dream, it's worth wondering how well "Say Yes!" will fare in the secular charts. Take a listen, below, and see what you think: