Kelly Rowland says she would ‘torture herself’ over being compared to Beyonce

Singer said she ‘would be lying’ if she said working in bandmate’s shadow didn’t bother her

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Kelly Rowland has opened up about living in Beyonce’s shadow when they worked together in Destiny’s Child.

The pair were in the R&B band together with Michelle Williams from 1997 until the group split in 2006.

Rowland, who is a coach on The Voice Australia, told a contestant she could empathise with his fears of being overshadowed by his older brother, saying: “I know this feeling. Can you imagine what it’s like being in a group with Beyonce? I would just torture myself in my head.”

The singer said she would often think: “’I can’t wear this dress because they’re going to say it’s like B.’ Or, ‘I can’t have a song like that because it sounds too much like B.’ They’re gonna compare anyway.”

She added that the Beyonce comparisons felt like the “elephant in the room” for “a whole decade” and she “would be lying” if she said they never bothered her.

Rowland and Beyonce first got together in 1990 to form Girl’s Tyme with two others in their home city of Houston, Texas.

They were signed to Columbia Records as Destiny’s Child in 1997 and replaced LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett with Williams to form a trio.

Destiny’s Child were one of the most successful bands of the 2000s and has sold more than sixty million records worldwide to date.

Since their split, all three singers have pursued successful solo careers, and Rowland is now a TV presenter and an actor as well as a performer.