Beyoncé Knowles is at the top of the music world, setting records, winning awards, and starring in sold-out concerts all over the world. She has also established herself as a beauty and fashion icon, dazzling her cadres of fans everywhere she goes.

Although Beyoncé is her own person, her current mega-success reminds industry veterans of a similar triumph enjoyed in the ’70s by Diana Ross.

Remarkable

The similarities in their career arcs are remarkable: Diana began her singing career with a group, the Supremes, while Beyoncé did the same with Destiny’s Child.

After some years, Diana went solo and attained immense success. Beyoncé is currently doing the same thing. The latest feather in her cap is the American Music Awards’ International Artist Award of Excellence.

In time, Diana tried her luck in the movies, starring in the dramatic musical film bio, “Lady Sings the Blues� and “The Wiz.� Last year, Beyoncé topbilled the movie version of the hit stage musical, “Dreamgirls,� and the production has been cited as the highest grossing musical film ever.

In the light of these key similarities, perhaps it would do Beyoncé good if she studied how Diana Ross’ career fared after she had passed her prime:

Iconic image

Some industry observers feel that the veteran singing star dipped in popularity because she didn’t make an effort to revitalize her repertoire with new songs and styles, and concentrated on refining her already iconic image.

So, if Beyoncé wants to “grow old� in the biz, she should “do a Madonna� and periodically reinvent herself. And, if she wants to star in another movie, she should learn from her experience in “Dreamgirls� and not settle for the lesser role, dramatically speaking.

Now, to the key focus of this piece: If we compare Diana and Beyoncé as singing and performing artists, who wins out? First, we must note that their singing styles are quite different, with Diana opting for the more “classic pop� or sophisticated approach.

For her part, Beyoncé has made it big at a relatively younger age, so while sophistication is also part of her image mix, she stresses a younger, hotter and more funky approach.

Result

This means that Beyoncé is connecting better with the mass show biz audience, which is primarily young. As a result, her success is more overwhelming―but, it could also run the risk of ebbing, if she sticks to one performance style for too long, and the notoriously fickle youth and young-adult markets could quickly tire of her.

This is not as theoretical as it may seem. In the recent American Music Awards, in fact, Fergie edged Beyoncé out for the Best Female Pop-Rock Artist honors. So, it really is time to shake a leg, even for a superstar like Beyoncé.

A final, instructive note: Fergie is also the product of a singing group, the Black-Eyed Peas, and went solo only last year. How about that? What goes around, comes around!