Fri Jul 14, 9:40 PM ET



LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Most artists are lucky to get one shot at stardom. But six years after being forced out of Destiny's Child just as the R&B stars were about to break big, LeToya Luckett is poised for success once more. And the now single-monikered singer/songwriter is not taking the second chance for granted.

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Answering questions while prepping for a photo shoot at Los Angeles' Le Mondrian hotel, LeToya reflected on the ups and downs she has encountered since leaving Houston's best-known export. "I only have one shot at doing this," she declares. "My first look had to be right."

Which is partly why delivery of her self-titled Capitol debut, originally scheduled for release last year, was postponed until July 25. It looks like the delay is paying off. "Torn" is No. 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on Hot 100 Airplay.

Other than mentioning LeToya's seven-year stint in Destiny's Child (including co-writing the career-building singles "Bills Bills Bills" and "Say My Name"), Capitol is treating her as a new artist. "Our initial objective was to introduce a hit song and video to establish her as the H-town girl that she is and let her tell that story," says Fabian "Fade" Duvernay, vice president of urban marketing for Capitol. "We really want to go into making LeToya the urban 'It' girl."

"LeToya" stretches from soulful, sensuous ballads and club jams to spotlighting the city's trademark "screwed-up" style.

"I'm a Southern belle who likes heavy-hitting beats," says LeToya, who co-wrote nine of the album's 16 songs. "I can give it to you hard or I can be soft and soulful, hip-hop with grace."

TOUGH TRANSITION

That versatility wasn't fully realized during her Destiny's Child tenure. She and former fellow group member LaTavia Roberson gained more notoriety for their unceremonious ouster from the group in March 2000. Ensuing breach-of-contract and defamation-of-character lawsuits were settled out of court in 2002.

A subsequent pairing with Roberson in a new girl group called Angel was aborted. Moving to Los Angeles for six months, LeToya traveled the modeling and acting agency circuit while cutting demos that eventually secured the Capitol contract.

"Being the ex-Destiny's Child member was the most awkward part," LeToya says of that period. "Some people didn't want to touch my music ... But at the same time, (Destiny's Child) got me in the door."

In the interim, LeToya established Houston boutique Lady Elle with her mother. The 3-year-old clothing and accessory store sells a variety of fashion lines, including Tag and Beyonce and Tina Knowles' House of Dereon.

When the enhanced "LeToya" CD is released July 25, it will include segments from a limited-run reality show on BET, which tracks the singer's prerelease process. The show starts airing on the cable outlet July 17.

On July 14, LeToya kicked off her stint as opening act (along with rapper Jaheim) on Mary J. Blige's North American summer tour.

A forward-looking LeToya welcomes the chance to stretch. "It's funny. In the beginning I never saw myself as a solo artist. But the turning point came when people started showing me love on my promo tour. Now I want people to get to know me and my voice."

thats really good 4 her, i just wanna know why everybody gotta have a damn reality show???

Letoya had a mixtape and I like her songs on that. I got her CD its good and I wish her the best.

She Don't is the shit...

she's got some work to do. being known as an EX-member of DC, as she said may work one way or another. then her name... LeToya. people are going to think 'who? LaToya Jackson'??? i'm curious to hear her songs though. it would be nice if she gave Beyoncé a run for her money.

good luck to her!!!

CHIC0 said:

she pretty okay....she sounds a bit different that the norm of the R&B chicks out now (ahem...Rihanna, Ashanti, Christina Milian)

she sounds like, if she wanted to, she could really get down and dirty with her singing...which could possibly, knock Beyawnce out the box....

I really like LeToya's personality. She is one funny chick and so not caught up.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...S22bh2TbLw

live at the BET awards preshow. Not bad performance. I think i just give love to anyone that sings live nowadays...good or bad.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...2AEbBBcFrk

another performance.

i'm thinking with more time upfront...she'll improve..hopefully.