Michelle Williams proves she doesn’t just sing about being a survivor; she is a survivor.
Despite having publicly enjoyed dizzying heights of fame as a member of top-selling girl group Destiny’s Child as well as by her lonesome on the Broadway and Gospel circuits, she privately battled severe bouts with depression – a journey the ‘Journey to Freedom’ singer dishes on earnestly and honestly in new page-turner, ‘Checking In’ (released May 25).
As the rave reviews roll in, Williams has been rolling on the promo trail in the book’s support – hitting major platforms like ‘Kelly Clarkson Show,’ ‘Dr. Oz,’ ‘US Weekly,’ and ‘The Real’ in the process.
Related to the latter, look inside to hear the GRAMMY winner detail how she’s ‘done with music’ (in the traditional sense) and how she envisions the future of her career.
Fans of ‘The Real’ caught Michelle on Wednesday’s episode (May 26). While there, she not only fielded questions about the book and her career but was also quizzed about her next album – the follow-up to 2014’s ‘Journey to Freedom.’
When asked about her future solo endeavors (at the 2:10 mark on the video above), the 41-year-old confirmed new music was coming “this year,” but didn’t do so without a caveat.
“I do [want to put out new music], but I’ve been figuring out how much I want to do. Do I want to put out a full length album or be a full-time artist again? I know the answer to that is ‘no.’ But, do I love music still? Absolutely.”
The statement above echoes comments she made during a heart-to-heart sit down on the Premiere Collectibles LiveSigning platform with host Kalen Allen. At the 40:55 mark of the video seen above, she revealed:
“I think I am done as an ‘traditional artist.’ You won’t see me do a campaign for an album.”
In the same LiveSigning chat, Williams waxed honest about the public scrutiny that followed a number of her live performances – birthing a social media bullying movement called #PoorMichelle. Starting at 37:00 mark of the video above, Michelle discussed how the “trauma” of that event impacted her performances with DC3.
“It was in 2013 after the Super Bowl when the ‘Poor Michelle’ campaign was birthed. It was traumatic, because it seemed like a million people jumped on me. The reason it was traumatic was because I was jumped in the 4th grade,” she said before continuing, “I’m an adult but that was something I didn’t know was still buried in me.”
The songstress used the opportunity to voice how bullying affects people.
“While I’m reading [the negative comments], I’m also hearing it. It’s as if someone is verbally abusing you every day and you don’t know why,” she said. “Cyber-bullying or bullying of any kind creates trauma in the individual that the pain is being inflicted on.”
When asked how the ridicule affected her live performances, she revealed:
“I’ve only [thought about it in the past] when it comes to performances with [Destiny’s Child] because I know I’ll really be looked at under a microscope. Even for the [2018] Coachella performance, I had to say ‘Michelle, you’re ok and you rehearsed the same amount of hours as everybody else.’ There are so many dancers who made missteps, but mine is the one that’s looked at the most.
Now, I look forward to more performances with the girls because now it’s just a matter of going out and having fun. We have NOTHING to prove anymore!“
*****
Click here to buy ‘Checking In.’
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And guess what? It was Bey crazy a$$ stans that constantly bullied Michelle, always negative things said to her, posted about her.
Still till this day and she hasn’t said anything to them about it. And before anyone say “it’s not her responsibility” or “she can’t tell grown ppl what to do”, please keep in mind Beyoncé has checked her fanbase before when it mattered to her.
The whole truth is a big portion of Michelle, Kelly, and even Beyoncé haters/bullies are the original DC4 fans, the Letoya & Latavia and even Farrah crowd. It was so bad that Beyoncé opened up about being depressed as well after the band breakup. Why wouldn’t Michelle be affected as well as Kelly? Therefore, the bullies could never be the Beyhive alone.
I’m glad she’s gotten to better he point where she wants to have fun with her girls!!!!
To be completely honest, the GP doesn’t want solo music from any of the Destiny Children, we’ve wanted a reunion album since rumors started after Superbowl 2013 just for it to be for one song and 3 features. Even when Bey+Jay went on tour in 2018, nobody wanted them but wanted DC after Coachella. I don’t think it would be that bad to negotiate with Mathew since he owns the name, give him a percentage or points on sales & streams and release another album and doc. Michelle last album had great singles and a nice photoshoot but that was it, Kelly’s last album was 8 years ago and it was a fûcking MASTERPIECE that she STILL can’t thread an album together to come even close and Beyoncé has been hitting blanks since “LEMONADE”. “THE GIFT” didn’t really work until she released “BLACK IS KING” a year later and that’s telling on the musical value and “EVERYTHING IS LOVE” is the 10 years late mixtape we were already over. The ladies need to come back together and give it another go.
Speak for yourself. The general public still wants a Beyoncé, alone, album. There is sone truth that the GP doesn’t care enough for a movie soundtrack or a husband & wife album.
I need a new DC3 album with Beyonce, Kelly and Letoya
Give up. It’s never going to happen. DC3 is Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle, the most successful & strongest version of Destiny’s Child.
I’ve listened to this woman daily for the past 20+ years. I have to say out of all the girls her music is the one that is most timeless. I love it. I hope more music is to come and as always I love seeing all 3 of them perform together
After reading Checking In, I’m curious about which group choose Michelle to be the lead singer before she joined Destiny’s Child. Michelle music is awesome.
Happy for her. She’s a legend and paid like one, regardless of haters. Her verses in DC were often the best and she really shined on their last tour. TBH I don’t really need any more solo albums from them right now. Gimme a DC3 album where they all equally shine
YESSS! Michelle’s music is actually very good the GP wouldn’t know it though because they like the narrative that 1. Beyoncé is DCs only star and 2. Michelle is wack. Heart to yours I wouldn’t say is timeless but from Do You Know on to Unexpected then to Journey to Freedom Michelle crafted AMAZING albums.
She’s surprisingly pretty in that video 💅🏿💅🏿 She is a hot mess most of the time
When it comes to Destiny’s Child, the GP mainly employs the colorism angle to the artist that they envy the most, Beyoncé, to help bring her down a notch. They’ve never had a problem throwing the second original lightskin DC member’s success, Letoya, in Kelly and Michelle’s faces.
LeToya is not light skin.
Does Letoya have a lighter skin tone than Kelly, Latavia, and Michelle?