After singing in Destiny's Child from 2000 until the trio disbanded in 2006, the 33-year-old singer starred in Broadway shows like Aida and Fela!, released three solo albums, competed on "Strictly Come Dancing," acted as an ambassador for the American Heart Association's "Power to End Stroke" campaign, and memorably joined her old bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé onstage at the Super Bowl in 2013.
These days Williams is working on her fourth solo album ("Journey To Freedom" will be released later this year), and just announced a partnership with the Playtex "Play On" campaign.
Why do you do the work that you do?
I’m born to do it, I love what I do. That’s why. When I was in college I studied criminal justice so I would probably be in forensics. I really like forensic psychology. Or, I would be an amazing, fierce prosecuting attorney. I like to get down to the nitty gritty of things.
Who is your role model?
Queen Latifah. I like her because she does everything. I remember being told one time that I couldn’t sing gospel and be an actress -- that I had to perfect one field first. Queen Latifah is great because she’s got CoverGirl, at one time she was doing Pizza Hut voiceovers and she went from hip hop to doing jazz to doing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl. Another role model of mine is my pastor’s wife. I like her balance, I like her strength. At the end of the day, I like to name somebody personally that I know for a fact has my back, who pushes me to be better because we know each other.
What advice would you give to your 25-year-old self, or your younger self just starting out in your career?
I used to limit myself so much as a child and teenager so I would say, "Go out more!"I would tell myself, “it’s OK to be yourself. It’s OK to be odd. It’s OK to not fit in.” If there is something different about you, embrace that. I would also say, have fun, chill out, and mom is always right.
What would you differently at the start of the career? Would you have made any different choices?
No. Everything that I did is what I wanted to do, and it’s gotten me here today. I think some wrong decisions may not necessarily even be wrong.
How would you define success?
Peace of mind.
So by that definition, are you successful?
To be honest with you, not yet. Plus my closet doesn’t have all the shoes that I want yet. My album is titled "Journey To Freedom," and one of the things I want to get free from is -- and I’m getting better at it -- the opinions of other people. I don’t know if it’s just women because we nurture, and we care, and we want that back. You want people to like your music, you want people to like what you said in the interview, you want people to like everything. You don’t want them to have negative or bad opinions of you.
What do you think that women should focus on in 2014?
Themselves. That's what I’m working on is myself. Before you know it, you let two or three months go by, you didn’t get a pedicure, you haven’t meditated, you haven’t prayed. Twenty-four hours in a day goes by and sometimes we get caught up. What I’ve started doing is working out. Not to have some fabulous body but for discipline and consistency. To start what I finish. So I would say work on you, do that one thing that you’ve always wanted to do. Start reading again, start writing again -- you will be on the way to success when you can start doing stuff that you want to do.
She looks AMAZING in that pic. I love Michelle, I really hope people will stop bullying her and respect her hustle more. She really needs to do that reality show to showcase her amazing personality!
She looks AMAZING in that pic. I love Michelle, I really hope people will stop bullying her and respect her hustle more. She really needs to do that reality show to showcase her amazing personality!
I love Michelle, she is just such a nice person. She needs to develop thicker skin and stop responding to the haters. People opinions of you are not about YOU, it reflects their own life. Don't take it personal.
She looks AMAZING in that pic. I love Michelle, I really hope people will stop bullying her and respect her hustle more. She really needs to do that reality show to showcase her amazing personality!
She's filming a reality TV show but just not as personal as My Sister's Keeper.
im looking forward to hearing what she brings out next. 