Written by | Ray Cornelius
Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams was in Atlanta this week at the House of Hope Church promoting her new gospel-inspired album titled, Journey to Freedom. The new project drops February 11, 2014 and Williams has already received acclaim for the first single, “If We Had Your Eyes,” which talks about seeing people and situations the way God sees them. For Williams, the new music is somewhat of a miracle considering this time last year she was still dealing with depression and not focused on her craft. Today, the Grammy-winning singer says she is free from it all and hopes that the album will do the same for others.
“My album is titled Journey to Freedom because it has been a journey to get free from stuff. Free from opinions and what people think and have to say, instead of focusing on my purpose and what God is saying. It also means freedom from anything that is going to keep me from being my absolute best. So I had to sever business relationships, some personal relationships, and free myself from emotional issues and depression, says Williams.”
Williams also says that her liberation from public opinion has allowed her to be free from the burden of having to choose between the secular and the Gospel. According to her, God has not told her to make a decision between the two.
“Most opinions are from people who don’t understand. If my sisters (Beyoncé and Kelly) call me, I’m just telling you now… that I’m going because God has not said that I can’t. I’m normally clear on what He says I can do and what I should not be doing. Let me get it out now…I will be doing another album or tour with my sisters if I am so called unless God says something different.”
Williams compares her musical journey to the many music greats who’ve straddle the fence between the sacred and secular including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Sam Cooke. In her eyes, the gift that she has been given from above can be a blessing to the Broadway stage as well as a church pulpit leading praise and worship.
Check out a few photos from my exclusive interview with Williams below:
Photo Credit: Megan Alodie for RayCornelius.com