Flanked by a mother, a make-up artist, a personal trainer and a road manager, Destiny's Child shuffle into the studio looking like a group of adolescent tourists in Piccadilly Circus who have just realised that they have lost their camcorder. Having prepared myself for the four finger-snapping teen divas who brought us the annoyingly catchy "No, No, No", this lethargic quartet in trainers and baggy jeans isn't what one would have expected. Not forgetting their manners, each one proceeds to introduce themselves as if on auto-pilot, leaving me to wonder whether this is the same band that have left men twice their age speechless and journalists everywhere rushing to crown them heirs to the En Vogue throne.

Over the past couple of months, the Houston natives have gone global. Beyonce (rhymes with fiance), La Tavia, Le Toya and Kelly have become the latest group of honies to preach the gospel according to girl power - with a self-titled debut album that would cause seasoned veterans to worry and an image so polished it almost glistens. It's difficult to believe that this lot would have problems being served in a pub. But the overall package is true testimony to what a bit of lip gloss, a sophisticated outfit, and a pair of heels can do.

La Tavia's mother Cheryl takes up a ringside seat for the photo shoot. Chaperoning them everywhere they go, she ensures that they get everything they need - which includes support and a hug when they need one. She says that the girls have been working flat out since they arrived in Britain. With endless photo shoots and TV appearances, they have barely had time to breathe, let alone sleep. This probably explains why the tutor/personal trainer and road manager are catching 40 winks on the sofa whilst the girls pace around zombie- like. Half an hour later, Destiny's Child as the public knows them begin to appear from the studio changing room. La Tavia's curves have been poured into a mint green number for the occasion and Le Toya's slender frame has been sheathed beneath a floor-length silk screen. Sparing nothing more than a cursory glance in the mirror, both flop wearily into the nearest seat and ignore the sleeping beauties beside them. They're obviously knackered but after 8 years of touring and supporting the likes of SWV, Dru Hill and Mariah Carey, they have been groomed for the fame game.

After recruiting Le Toya and Kelly from the playgrounds of their elementary school, founding members Beyonce and La Tavia were always confident that stardom beckoned. "It was all any of us ever wanted to do," says Le Toya popping a Ferraro Rocher into her mouth. "We knew from the start that it wasn't just gonna be about going into a studio, making a single and having a hit. It's meant a lot of hard work but it's been worth all of the sacrifices and not getting any sleep."

Looking back, Destiny's Child remember only too well what it's taken to get where they are today - one of the most vivid memories being an appearance on the American talent contest "Star Search" in 1992, an event which proved to be a "turning point". Pitched against acts nearly 3 times their age and faced with a panel of judges who thought "Hip-Hop" was a pelvic operation, the girls didn't really stand a chance. But it did set them on the right track. "It was totally unfair." says La Tavia. "They had us in the hip hop category. The judges were looking at us like "What are they doing?" But we carried on and did our only rap song. We didn't win but that wasn't a bad thing because it became a turning point in our career. We regrouped, Le Toya joined, Beyonce's father became manager and we got serious about the business."

The shake up meant deciding on a suitable name for themselves and after toying with "Girls Town", "Borderline", and "The Dolls", a twist of fate led them to their eventual alias. "Beyonce's mom picked up The Bible one day and our picture fell out of a chapter which had the word "Destiny" at the top in bold print," recounts La Tavia. "She was like: Oh, this must be fate..." So we called ourselves Destiny. Then we found out that a lot of groups were called Destiny, so we added Child, to signify the rebirth of Destiny." It's as simple as that.

The next step was grooming the girls for stardom, which I imagine involved enrolling at a Swiss finishing school where they were taught how to get in and out of a car without showing their knickers and walking around with a book on their heads. But Le Toya sets the record straight.

"We had to go to a summer camp where we weren't allowed to leave the house except to go jogging in the morning. We also had to sing for about 7 hours a day and had to watch old videos of people like The Supremes and The Jackson 5. It was crazy, but it really trained us for the business." At that point, we are interrupted by Beyonce.. Prized into a cheekily short dress, it's bright turquoise colour contrasts sith her tired mood but her model features hide a multitude of sins. "Since we've been in the business, we've learnt things a normal person our age wouldn't," she says latching onto the conversation. "You have to be mature about things and you can't let anything show because you never know who's watching. I mean, we're all dead right now but we can't send the public no negative vibes because they're the ones who are going to help us make it to the top."

Destiny's Child means what they say. By now, lesser Lolitas would have been on their millionth tantrum and well into a barrage of one-word answers, but as any consummate professional knows, the show must go on.

Unfortunately, good professionals also have a habit of playing the guessing game when it comes to certain things and in Destiny's Child's case, it's their age. When quizzed, La Tavia simply says: "I'd rather not say," Beyonce just laughs coyly and I run out of enthusiasm to ask the other two if their rumoured age of sweet 16 is true. Eager to be taken seriously, Destiny's Child fear that people will dump them in the basement of bubblegum pop if the dreaded secret is revealed. "When older people look at you, they just dismiss you because you're so young," says Beyonce. "What we try and do is say look: We out here goin' to sing . We goin' to put our album out and we hope you enjoy it; but we don't even have an age. You know what I'm sayin'?

She continues with her sudden transformation into an assertive southern missy. "No matter how old we are, we still have to do the same things that people aged 30 and 40 have to do," she says. "Even if you're young, you can still experience the things we sing about. You can experience love at any age whether it's your parents, your dog or a toy. There are different levels of love."

Destiny's Child are careful not to give too much away when it comes to their image either. Not as squeaky-clean as Cleopatra or a risque as Li'l Kim, the girls like the in between slot that they have. Priding themselves on the deep-rooted morals instilled into them from an early age, they are adamant that there are certain things they wouldn't do to sell records. "We wouldn't do explicit lyrics or show off our bodies too much, you know, there's a certain level that you go to and we're not gonna go overboard to sell records," affirms Beyonce.

At the moment, however, Destiny's Child are doing well enough to not have to start stripping. With Wyclef's remix of "No, No, No", a silking-sweet version of Imagination's "Just An Illusion" and collaborated with Master P, Tony Toni Tone and Boyz II Men, their debut has made them a force to be reckoned with. "At the moment people are comparing us to The Supremes, The Emotions, and En Vogue, so we're kinda lovin' it," says Le Toya. "There's nothing wrong with being a girl group at all." But not forgetting their potential place in the history of music, Beyonce is careful to point out that Destiny's Child are different from the current crop. "I think that the difference between us and other groups is the fact that we've been together and we love each other. We're more than just a singing group. It's like a sisterhood and even if we couldn't sing with each other, we'd still be together."

Unlike other bands who profess to be the best of friends but hate each other in reality, Destiny's Child do seem to have a genuine relationship. Having known each other for so long, they say they are like one big happy family. "We all have different personalities but they all make a great combination," says Kelly. "Le Toya's the crazy one. There's never a dull moment when she's around. La Tavia's the sassy one of the group . Beyonce is like the mother of the group...she's a real perfectionist and I'm just sensitive."

Sweet, sincere and sporting a boyish yet sexy haircut that would suit very few, Kelly tells it like it is - just like the rest of the group, only quieter. Without a bad word to say about anyone, you could imagine her being nominated Girl Most Likely to Get On With Everyone. Fugee Wyclef is: "just da bomb. A great guy who's amazing to work with." SWV are just like older sisters and even when she gives God props for their success, she manages not to make it sound cliched.

Getting the signal that the cameras are ready to roll, Kelly disappears again to position herself for the first round of photos. A booming soundtrack gets them in the mood and the foursome suddenly show the first signs of life. Beyonce arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow and looks suitably sultry. Kelly strikes a shy pose whilst La Tavia and Le Toya throw their arms in the air in wild abandon. The light and bubbly mood suddenly changes for the second round of shots. Clad in black, the next shoot is dark and moody. Beyonce tugs at a minuscule mini skirt and Kelly is fussing with a gravity-defying pair of revealing dungarees. But quicker than you can say cheese they are all smiles again. After two hours, it's all over. The girls have slipped back into their American tourist gear and are miling around to the sounds of the Spice Girls' "Wannabe". "I like the Spice Girls," announces La Tavia looking at the back of the CD case. "Yeah, but what does 'zigga-zig-ahh' mean?" asks Beyonce.

Admittedly, no-one in the studio is quite sure. I suggest that it doesn't mean anything in particular whilst the loitering Touch editor insists that it is definitely something sexual. Ignoring him, Beyonce concludes that it could mean anything you want it to mean and with that they leave as they came in. Shaking everyone's hand in turn, they utter a polite goodbye and shuffle on towards their next engagement. Just like that.