page_title: Michelle Williams (singer)
section_title: 2011–2015: Acting, label change and Journey to Freedom
hierarchical_section_title: Michelle Williams (singer) / Life and career / 2011–2015: Acting, label change and Journey to Freedom
caption_attribution_description: DW2Q0666
context_page_description: Tenitra Michelle Williams is an American gospel singer and actress. Williams rose to fame in the 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time with over 60 million records, of which more than 35 million copies sold with the trio lineup with Williams.
  During the group's two year hiatus, Williams released her debut solo album Heart to Yours which topped the US gospel album chart and became the best-selling gospel release of the year. Also in 2002, Billboard, named her the fifth Top Gospel Artist of the year and she received a MOBO Award for "Best Gospel Act". Following this she released Do You Know which gained her a nomination for "Best Gospel Act" at the 2004 MOBO Awards.
  After Destiny's Child's disbanded in 2006, Williams released her first pop album, Unexpected, which spawned the internationally charting single "We Break the Dawn" and the US Dance number-one "The Greatest".
context_section_description: In 2010, Williams started work on her fourth studio album. Michelle stated on Twitter that her new album would have a similar sound to Unexpected and might contain a dance track she has recorded with Ultra Naté entitled "I'm Waiting on You". The upcoming album was stated to feature production from Timbaland. In December 2010, Williams released a song entitled "Stay for a Minute" for free digital download via Twitter to celebrate gaining over 100,000 followers. "Stay for a Minute", written by Keli Nicole and produced by Jazz Nixon in 2006, was due for inclusion on the original version of Williams' Unexpected, which she described as a "solid R&B album", however when "the sound changed", the song was shelved and left unreleased. Furthermore, a track produced by Stargate titled "If You Wanna Go", leaked to the internet, believed to be an outtake from the Unexpected sessions as Williams dismissed the song as "old" during a Twitter post.
  In January 2011, Williams appeared on BBC's popular comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. On February 4, 2011, Williams began a 28-city tour starring in the David E. Talbert stage-play What My Husband Doesn't Know along with Brian J. White, Ann Nesby and Clifton Davis, playing the lead role of Lena Summer. Summer is described as "the envy of all her friends. Big house. Successful husband. It's the perfect life... or so it seems. But with her husband's demanding career, the other side of her bed is too cold too often. When a handsome young foreman is hired to work on their home, the spark she's been missing quickly rages into a wildfire that could cost her everything."
  Williams announced on Twitter on June 6, 2011 that she'd met with a "video director" for a 2-day shoot in Ibiza for a song titled "On the Run". On July 6, 2011, Williams released a buzz single titled "Love Gun" produced by Druski, to precede the release of her upcoming fourth solo album. Describing the sound of the album, Williams stated "My album will be 'inspirational pop". Think of Katy Perry's "Firework" or Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten". I want to give people a message of hope while at the same time get them moving with dance inspired tracks." In August 2011, during an interview for The BoomBox she discussed collaborating with hip-hop artist Talib Kweli on a song produced by Hi-Tek on which she sings a verse and the hook. Furthermore, she revealed the sound of her upcoming album would include more "live instrumentation", inspired by the gospel music she "grew up" on. In August, Electronic Giant Beatz released a press release, cover art and a music video teaser for a song featuring Williams titled "On the Run". "On the Run" was released in the UK on November 27, 2011. Furthermore, in December, Ultra Naté released a joint collaboration with Williams titled "Waiting on You" which has thus far risen to number eleven on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
  On June 7, 2012, it was announced that Williams had been signed to Light Records and was due to release her fourth studio album in 2013. On January 3, 2013, it was announced that Williams would play Sandra in the national tour of the Tony-nominated musical Fela!, beginning January 29 in Washington, D.C. and playing in a total of 16 cities. Destiny's Child released a compilation album titled Love Songs on January 29, which featured the newly recorded song "Nuclear", co-written by Williams.
  On February 3, 2013, during Beyoncé's performance at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Rowland and Williams joined Knowles on the stage, where the trio performed excerpts from "Bootylicious", "Independent Women", and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Rowland and Williams then exited the stage and Knowles ended her performance. On February 21, it was announced that Williams would be starring in her own reality television show, titled My Sister's Keeper produced by E1 Television, to coincide with the release of her fourth studio album. On June 29, Williams revealed in an interview for Michigan Avenue magazine that her fou
caption: Williams at Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
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