Mathew Knowles’ tragic new girl group release surprisingly good single

Yes, this classy photo is actually official

The shadiest man in the music biz has launched a new girl group, but they’re low budget and poorly managed that I’m guessing that they’ll be finished by the time the new year comes around.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy the heavenly From Above until they meet their impending demise, does it?

Now pay close attention to me as I try and explain the confusing concept behind Destiny’s Child 2.0 before we get to their surprisingly stunning debut single, “Not The Same Girl”.

Thanks to my online detective work, I discovered that From Above  have been in development since at least 2007 — but if you think that they look bad on their album cover above, then just wait until you see what they were like several years ago.

You know how I call The Saturdays the Top Shop version of Girls Aloud? Well, From Above are like the Tesco version of The Saturdays. Just check out their old Last.fm page for proof.

It gets worse.

There was another version of From Above dating back even earlier than those five broads staring back at you from Last.fm. They were originally a 7-member troupe of low rent dancers that made Robin Antin’s girl group spawn look like the Royal Family by comparison. After flicking through their official website, I was surprised not to see a page listing their rates for ‘massages’.

And some of you bitches still have the nerve to insult my love of Korean girl groups when this is the alternative.

Anyway, the group seem to have been cut down to five members now, but here’s where it gets really confusing. They now have a reality show airing internationally on MTV titled Breaking From Above, which follows the group as they train and prepare the release of their single and all the usual crap you see on these kinds of shows shows. But according to a press release and interviews given by Mathew, two new members are thrown into the mix, bringing the group number temporarily up to seven, and the girls have to fight it out for placement in the final lineup (which could be any number of girls, according to Mathew).

However, the show apparently began airing this month, yet From Above’s first official single is already on iTunes (I know because I bought it), and their official album is available for preview on Amazon.com with a release date of December 11, featuring cover art of what is presumably the final five members of the group.

How do you release official music from a girl group that are starring in a reality show that documents girls as they compete for a spot to join said girl group? Doesn’t that, like, ruin the entire ending? That’s like One Direction releasing their debut single on the same day the first episode of the X Factor airs.

Only Mathew Knowles could screw something up this badly. Perhaps he’s gone a bit senile since every member of Destiny’s Child gave him the sack?

But as harsh as I’m being, I have to give props where it’s due — “Not The Same Girl” is really, really good. Sure, Mathew Knowles is clearly so out of touch with the current music market that he’s given From Above something that sounds like a Richgirl b-side that probably should’ve appeared on the last Destiny’s Child album, but just because it’s dated doesn’t mean that it isn’t fierce.

And one of the members sounds exactly like Kelly Rowland, which makes “Not The Same Girl” even better!

Take a listen below, close your eyes, and just pretend that it’s Electrik Red instead.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 24th, 2011 at 8:57 pm and is filed under New Artist, New Music, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • http://ohdenny.com ohdenny

    Holy shiz what is this mess, they look like drag queens. Electrik Red is the only girl group worth listening to (in the Western World)

  • Eddie

    seeing as destinys child is the biggest selling girl group literally in the history of music that’s pretty big shoes to fill LOL but proph ur right the song is surprisingly good and one of them does eerily sound like a younger kelly rowland .. I actually think if ppl still gave a shit about groups they would have a shot .. Because call matthew what u want (and there’s many things to call him haha) he knows what he’s doing when it comes to molding talent .. However sadly as u said proph chances are we’ll never hear from them again by 2012

  • Gymjunki3

    YUCK! I can’t get past the visual, let alone listen to their music! #fail

  • Popblock

    It’s amazing that crap like this gets funding from some label exec., while about a billion other starving and proven independent pop stars wait in the dust. An R&B girl group IS NOT marketable right now so why waste money?

  • Shaniqua

    this group is a hot ass mess. but the last girl in the picture, right corner is an old friend of mine. we went to high school toghether

  • SerferTJ

    OH GAWD, this is gonna be as embarrassing as when The Electric Barbarella’s tried the same thing earlier this year with an MTV show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K3Gxr7fdAE&feature=related

    Dear Western world…
    LEAVE ALLLLLL OF THE GIRL GROUPS TO ROBIN ANTIN!!!!!!
    Girlicious and Paradiso Girls are ALWAYS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ___
    DON’T EVEN TRY IT!

  • J2201987

    It looks like one of the chicks from Danity Kane, two of the chicks from Dream, another chick from S-Club 7, and a couple of real housewives. And William Tell strapped a botox needle to an arrow and shot them all in the face. Damn Matty couldn’t have done any better?

  • Animasaurus

    Is it just me or does the girl in the far right back corner look just like Keisha from the sugababes…?

  • http://twitter.com/bfazio Scott Doig

    i need this song asap hahaha

  • Anonymous

    Is that Dawn, the Danity Kane murderer, in the back?

  • mimifan

    crappy!

  • ChristinasCOMING

    This is the type song you want to fucking hate so bad that you love it.

  • Faithz

    with  all  of  his  crooks  and  nuks  them  girls  had
    better  watch  themselves  before  they  be  in  the
    news  for  taking  some  one  else  ideas.

  • Lilheartmusic

    So, the song is slaying my soul…

    The picture/cover?… Where is the nearest bridge?… I need to jump off it.

  • iAmAwesome

    It’s like he went out one night to some whore house to fuck and drinking his life away before jumping off a bridge, because Bey stopped signing his checks… when he saw these “females” and the idea hit him. This is just tragic. 

  • MatthewKnowLESS

    i smell cheap pussy and cheap weaves. flop!

  • MisterPolo

    omg it’s like old demos of kelly rowland’s voice mashed in

  • MK

    Why on earth are they releasing the album next month and the what the fuck where their people thinking when they approved that cover

  • MK

    The black one’s got quite a nice voice

  • MK

    I think you’ve forgotten that the western world has got bored of Robin’s whore concept and Girlicious and the Paradiso Girls flopped hard. Doll Domination was also quite floppy

  • Based on the visuals/wonky promotion, I thought this would be atrocious, but…damn if it isn’t hot as hell. I miss good r&b girl groups.

  • Electrik Red are too try hard for me. I think they can sing and their first album had beautiful production, but all the cursing and sex talk felt gimmick-y to me.

  • Kidklassic

    Verse = dope

    Pre-chorus = meh

    Hook = weak(not memorable at all)

  • Kbay

    “Yes, this classy photo is actually official”

    DEEEEEEAD xP

  • ummmm no

    No hate the spicegirls and tlc outsold destiny child. Dc just hypes up their #. Kinda like how beyonce and rihanna does now

  • ummmm no

    The only Reason people still care about dc because beyonce is A successfull solo artist otherwise they would of been forgotten about. Tlc a their peak were way more controversial. Sold a whole lot more. If anyone of then would of seen the solo sucess beyonce had they would get more credit. And the spicr girls slayer every girl group when they were out.

  • Stephen620

    Actually they sound amazing, maybe their concept is a bit off, but they sound great.

    And Prophet maybe people bash you for liking K-Pop because you tend to compare everything back to K-Pop when half the time there aren’t any comparisons and you know this yet you still do it.

  • Stephen620

    Actually they sound amazing, maybe their concept is a bit off, but they sound great.

    And Prophet maybe people bash you for liking K-Pop because you tend to compare everything back to K-Pop when half the time there aren’t any comparisons and you know this yet you still do it.

  • SerferTJ

    Yeah, but at least all of her groups were GREAT!
    Their image was put together, ALL the girls were talented singers/dancers, and each group had some GREAT music under their belts before they split up.
    “Down” by the Paradiso Girls is like a flop classic imo!

  • Anonymous

    Down is BRILLIANT! 

    I didn’t think Girlicious were that great because they were too trashy and unlikable. Paradiso Girls were good but some of the members were flops. Chelsea made that group!

    PCD were def her best group. 

  • SerferTJ

    lol, every group needs a gimmick.
    Honestly, “How To Treat A Lady vol 1″ is everything that Rihanna’s “Talk That Talk” was trying to be!!
    But it feels like the label stopped her mid-way and was like “Tone it down gurl! We need sum stuff for the kids!” Hence “We Found Love” and “You Da One”.

  • MK

    Ah yeas Chelsea was special, she should have been solo all along

  • Fuzzy Frisson

    Sounds like a Pussycat Dolls song from their first album.

    And believe me, that is in no way a compliment.

  • seriously…common

    not catchy enough for radio play… just my opinion! i’m sure these girls who want to be other girls have originality in them…

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  • Optimistic Olly

    Despite their obviously faulty management, why shouldn’t these girls be given a fair chance? You gotta start somewhere and there’s a hell of a lot more talent in these girls than some of the “pop stars” that on the top of the charts. The best is yet to come. 

  • bob318

    Watched the show, and while not pop for the ages, who knows whether they will “make It.” But considering who does become big nowadays, you never know. Lady Gaga? Ugly. A screecher, not a singer. The coordination of a blind amputated ostrich. Hasn’t, as of yet, managed to complete a sentence of the subject-verb variety. Makes up in outlandish costumes what she lacks in neurons. These girls, apparently, can at least “speak” English. Kelly Clarkson? Vacuous. Crass. The redoubtable Katy Perry. Cute. But mistakes faux-daring for popstastic cutting edge. Also, two left feet. As for Korean girl groups. You haven’t to be fucking joking. In the current climate, there isn’t anything better. If so, name it.

  • Bitch

    Amazing People who say its crappy r BITCHES !!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Bitch

    Fuck u there awesome and not cheap pussy there good