Michelle Williams is following her Destiny’s Child sisters with a new solo album this year. Kelly just released her fourth Talk A Good Game,’ and Bey is expected to release her much-anticipated fifth LP later in the year. Michelle has found her groove again with original music and she is hot on the heels of the impressive first single “If We Had Your Eyes.”
In a new interview with fellow singer Deborah Cox for Chicago’s Michigan Avenue Magazine the singer revealed the title of her forthcoming album, which will be Journey to Freedom, and she spoke about how the LP reflects on her life, how Bey and Kelly influence her, her work in Fela! and much more.
Check out some excerpts from the interview below:
How does your upcoming album, Journey to Freedom, focus on your life?
MW: People identify when your music comes from the heart and speaks truth. There was a time last year when I didn’t know if I could record and finish one song, and it took me a while to really be comfortable and allow other people to help me with my thoughts. We had some incredible writers who were able to help me with my own situation, and it really helped deliver me out of some of those dark moments.
How have Beyoncé and Kelly influenced you as a solo artist?
MW: Being in the group that long—with even Bey and Kelly, being in the group that long for them—just rubs off on you. The friendships continue to inspire, but the genres are so different now. I can’t wait for them to hear [my new album], so I can be like “Okay, what do y’all think?” They’re like, “Girl, do this or do that.” But we really try to keep the solo stuff separate.
How long did you rehearse for Fela!?
MW: We all had about two weeks, which is unheard of. It was two weeks of intense rehearsals, and unfortunately, maybe the first week or so of putting the show on the road was rehearsal, too. But they still rehearse us during the week. A lot of stuff is choreographed and on the stage, but I could see how it could easily get too loose.
Read the full interview here.
