Kelly Rowland Discusses Future of Girl Groups and "Chasing Destiny" At SXSW Panel

Of the many featured guest speakers at SXSW this year, one of the highlights was former Destiny's Child member, current solo artist, and now television producer/star, Kelly Rowland. Rowland spoke to a packed panel room as part of the conference side of SXSW along with the head of programming at BET, Stephen Hill.

Certainly no stranger to the music business, Rowland's career launched to the top of the music business at a young age with the global success of Destiny's Child in the '90s, before launching her own successful solo career in the late 2000s following the band's breakup.

While the two certainly had a lot to talk about, from Rowland's years in the group going on their first big tour with TLC, which she shared her fond memories of Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopez, to her nerve-racking audition for Destiny's Child. And of course, the bond she had with Beyoncé and Michelle Williams.

The thirty-five year old wasn't at the festival to promote any of her music however.  Kelly is heading to the television screen with a new reality series, Chasing Destiny, which launches on BET in April. The show will feature Rowland putting together a new girl group for a new generation. She made it clear that she's not just looking for a pretty face or a good voice, but wants to show audiences what it really takes to be in a girl group.

"They better be able to sing their butts off, and these girls can sing their faces off." She mentioned when asked about the process of finding the next superstar in a sea of talented performers.

"It's not easy, singing while dancing. There were a lot of girls who could REALLY sing, but when it was time to add choreography, they just didn't have it."

It's that commitment she's looking for in her new group that she pointed out is what separated Destiny's Child from other groups back in the 90s.

"We came to work, everyday. We'd wake up and start off by going running, then we'd come back and it was group singing lessons, then solo singing lessons, then we'd get back together and work on our dancing. It was that eat, sleep, breath music life that we all had that separated us from everyone else."

The girls in the show will certainly have their work cut out for them. But who else than a member of one of the most successful girl groups in history can help them learn the ropes. Rowland made the point of saying how girls today don't really have a girl group today to look up to; the same way that generations going all the way back to the '50s had.

"That's the main reason why I felt there was a void in the market place. Yes, we have Fifth Harmony, yes, we have Little Mix, but that's two. Two bands. When WE were coming up there was En Vogue, Jade, Xscape, Spice Girls, TLC, even the Dixie Chicks. It's time for another generation to see women coming together. I think it's time for another generation to see camaraderie. I think it's time for another generation to hear voices together. To hear the power of it, how exciting it is."

Chasing Destiny premieres April 5^th on BET.