Destiny Rogers: Steady Climbing With Rhythmic-Pop Greatness
Let me start by saying, RNB Nerd is a certified Destiny Rogers fan page. We first caught the wave when (other RNB Nerd favorite) singer JoJo liked and commented on an Instagram post Destiny made promoting her debut music video for Tomboy. This was a few years back when the IG explorer page consisted of content people you follow had engaged with. I was immediately drawn to the what has now become the 21yr old singers definitive steez and the fact that she was from Nor-Cal. I do not know many artists that represent their Nor-Cal-ness once they make it big (-cough-H.E.R.-cough-Victoria Monet), but Destiny has consistently displayed her pride in being from NorCal through her music and visuals.
Having linked up with powerhouse production duo, The Stereotypes, Destiny has since been in the best of hands. Destiny’s music has been crafted primarily by The Stereotypes which explain why it has all been fire. The Stereotypes have worked with the biggest artists in Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, Dance, and K-Pop. I will not go in-depth on their resume now, seeing as that post is for another day 😊. But what I will get into is the best Destiny has put out thus far across her two EP’s, pre-singles, and collaborations.
Although Tomboy was Destiny’s debut single (and name of her debut EP), I feel like the song does more to solidify Destiny’s image and overall sonic vibe rather than her singing ability. The song’s lyrics are a statement of female empowerment strung along a hard guitar melody. Especially when that she interpolates Cher’s iconic “I am a rich man” comment into the pre-hook. The music video amplifies the songs message, as we get a glimpse of where Destiny is from and what her life as a teenager looks like. Where the song DOES get to live out its mature lyrical content is in the dance video made by little known member of blankpink, Lisa. Lisa’s video made the song go viral and even prompted Destiny to re-release it.
Destiny quickly followed up Tomboy with North$side, an invitation addressed to a summertime love interest who she encourages to make a move. She even tells him where to find her, “You 100, quit frontin', hop on that 99”. Another Nor-Cal reference, if you know you know. I enjoyed the progression of North$side from Tomboy because it put Destiny’s voice more on display, but still feels organic. The harps add color to the harder claps and knocks of the beat, which seem to build upon this juxtaposition between soft and harder elements that Destiny will continue to use in her artistry.
Lockdown came a few months after North$ide and the ballad demonstrated more of Destiny’s vocal abilities, which I knew were in there waiting to come out. The lyrics about the back and forth experienced in young love have Destiny in her beautiful falsetto. This last single from her debut EP left me wanting to hear more and wishing that the we had a full album; I did not want it to end.
Luckily a few months later in October, Destiny released a banger, Lo-Lo featuring Bay-Area kings P-Lo and Guapdad 4000. The first single from her second EP, Great Escape, was yet another Nor-Cal appreciation moment from Destiny. The party anthem has Destiny talking about taking a cruise with her homies in a bucket, but the vibes make it feel larger than life. She name drops Art Laboe, ghost riddin, and rollin old school. If you grew up in Nor-Cal, especially in a Hispanic community, these are quintessential references that you will recognize.
Destiny’s next single, Euphoria, continued her streak of strong releases. This song was the inspiration behind this appreciation post, it never fails to lift me up and I just had to give it some love on RNB Nerd. The hook is catchy and melodic, Euphoria really builds up after the second verse with more backgrounds and ad-libs. Destiny gives us some pronounced vocal runs and pushes her voice a little more, which I am all here for. The video capitalized on the Euphoria “theme” that was very popular at the time thanks to the HBO show, with hughes of purple and blue cast onto scenes of partying and dancing.
The last track on Great Escape is Door No.2, an R&B song that has a more laid-back feel when compared to the other more assertive songs on the EP and a smooth way to round it out. I appreciate Destiny’s voice and cadence on these smoother tracks, but it could be because I am more inclined to the sound of R&B.
At the same time Great Escape dropped, DJ’s The Lost Kings, put out their collaboration with the singer called Runaway. The track is criminally underrated, as are The Lost Kings. Having already worked with Sevyn Streeter, Tinashe, and Ally Brooke of Fifth Harmony, they too worked their magic with Destiny on this beautiful track. The progression from the verses into the crashing chorus make this another homerun for Destiny.
Early 2021 gave us another Destiny collaboration with rapper on the rise, Phora, titled the art of letting go. The somber song is beautiful and sad, one for those lonely moments that we experience while reminiscing on love lost.
Destiny returned for the summer with a party anthem, West Like featuring Kalan.FrFr. The song has the funk/R&B sound of Zapp & Rogers Computer Love and We Can Freak by Kurupt, which certainly pay homage to Destiny’s Hispanic and Westcoast roots which is further explored in the video. Did anyone else catch Lil Rob!? Destiny lets her beautiful falsetto shine on the bridge, following a fun verse from Kalan. This one will grow on you, so beware.
We hope you enjoy these Destiny tracks as much as we do! We are certainly looking forward to her next move and will be documenting it here on RNB Nerd, so stay locked.
