Michelle Williams is striking out once again solo and definitely doing things in a big way. With so much still yet to prove to not only fans, but to herself she speaks with MiddleChild and Terrell about her upcoming project and tackling everything “unexpected”.

Michelle Williams: Helllllllllllo!

MiddleChild: Hey!

Terrell: What's up Michelle?

Michelle Williams: Hey! How are you?

MiddleChild: We're good. How are you?

Michelle Williams: All is well sir. All is well.

MiddleChild: Sounds like it.

Terrell: Alright well I just want to start if off by saying everyone is looking forward to your album and stuff. Tell me what you have learned about yourself while recording this album seeing that it's your first non-gospel release as a solo artist.

Michelle Williams: Uhm. I learned...wow. I learned that I can do more than what I thought that I could do. It's like I take on tasks that require me to start over. Well not start over, but I seem to be the one to take these challenging roles but it seems to work. It keeps me on my toes. When I first got in the group I didn't know what the heck I was doing. My first Broadway experience, Aida, I didn't know what I was doing but I conquered it. I ended up doing another Broadway show, The Color Purple. I ended up doing two solo Gospel albums and conquered that and now I'm doing this project that even though I know in a more mainstream you get more criticism. So it's like that's just a new hurdle to jump over. Which I will and I have.

MiddleChild: And speaking of criticism, let’s just be real with it every since you came…

Michelle: Oh lawd! Just be real with it.

MiddleChild: You know it! Let’s just keep it real. Now don’t get it wrong, there are a lot of people on “Team Michelle”, but ever since you came onto the scene there are some people that are rooting for you to fail as well. How do you take all of that negative energy and remain so positive?

Michelle: That’s what keeps me going because its people who want to see you fail so you got to make sure that you don’t. It’s those people…of course they should say “Oh honey, don’t pay attention to them. The positiveness trumps all of the negativeness.” And I said that to this woman in an interview and I’m chewing my own words, but it’s like you got to try and take the negative and make it sweet. I don’t care what it is they say. I know me. I know Michelle Williams so I’m like come with it boo. (all laugh)

MiddleChild: Bring that back boo.

Michelle: Just come with it. Just come with it. Let’s go. Let’s go. I’m coming right back at you.

MiddleChild: There is a lot of people worried about the whole promotion aspect of the project as well. So how do you plan to take some of the mistakes made from some of your closest friends in the industry and learn from it to make sure your first secular release is a success.

Michelle Williams: It's all about hustling and working hard. There are relationships that have been dealt over the past years and they're like "Michelle if you need anything just call us." You just never know who is going to be there to help you along the way. I gotta stay true to myself and make sure I knock out all of the performances that I do and I think it's going to be fine. I have a lot to prove yet. This is a new format for me and I got some dues to pay in this area solo wise. I can't come out thinking I got to have all of the same bells and whistles that Destiny's Child had because that's what the group worked for. And I'm happy to do the whole grassroots thing because I didn't have the chance in 2000 when I joined Destiny's Child...no one had the chance to get to know me and that's nobody's fault because that's just the situation. When Destiny's Child was first developed and they were going through the interview process you knew everybody's personality and when I came in we didn't have time for that. One of my first major performances was the freaking Grammy's. You know what I'm saying? So now I have the chance to sit down with people and for them to really know "Oh my God. She actually does have a personality!" You know what I'm saying? Things were just moving so fast I didn't know what the heck was going on. So now it's time for yall to get to know me.

Terrell: Well seeing that this is your first non-gospel project do you feel that this is like a fresh new start for you as a whole?

Michelle Williams: It is in a way. In 2008, I'm going off the fact that I've been taught that the number eight means a new beginning so this is a new beginning for me. It's a new sound. It's a new look. It's a new album. I'm treating everything new and when you treat everything new you take care of it. You don't take it for granted. You don't take advantage of anything. You work hard to keep it.

Terrell: The new album is called "Unexpected"...

Michelle Williams: Yes sir!

Terrell: Tell us about some of the songs. Some of the people you worked with. Some of the songs that you're excited for us to hear and all of that good stuff.

Michelle Williams: Okay. My first single, "We Break The Dawn", was produced by Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins and Solange Knowles was a writer on the song as well. Let's see. Stargate. I worked with The Heavyweights. Jim Johnson. I worked with a great writer and producer named Rico Love who ended up producing the bulk of my album. I found somebody that you know like back in the day Janet had her Jimmy and Terry, I found that in Rico Love. I found that somebody that brings out the best in me...who knows me vocally now and we worked well together.

Terrell: I personally enjoyed the work that your brother Erron did on...

Michelle Williams: Yes. Thank you!

Terrell: Yea. Are yall going to do anything else in the future?

Michelle Williams: You know he actually did an interlude for this album, but my brother is definitely looking into doing some more music. I'm actually encouraging him to do an instrumental album of his own because hands down he's one of the best programmers that I know of. I've worked with some of the best in the industry and I'm like "God, I wish my brother was here because he can sit here and do this better." But he is doing his thing. It's crazy because he's married and he's got a baby and you don't wanna think of your brother as married and making babies, but he's my big brother and I love him. Thanks for asking about him. I'm going to tell him that.

Terrell: Thank you. Also since you came into the industry with Destiny's Child you've never hidden your spirituality or your relationship with God and how important he is to you. How do you maintain that being around so many things? How do you stay spiritually focused?

Michelle Williams: Oh wow. You know what? I find myself saying little prayers throughout the day. Not getting down on my knees praying, but I can be walking down the street. My thing is just being in communication with God. That's what building a relationship is...just constant communication with that other person. I feel the same way in my relationship with God is just through prayer. I thank God for youtube because I can type like Marvin Winans in and I'll see him singing a song or preaching something or when I'm at home I go to church. I make sure that even though I am in the secular arena...nobody has a 100% full time spiritual job. You have doctors that have to be around heathens. You got journalists that got to be around heathens. There's a scripture that says "let nothing separate you from the love of God" and whatever it is you're in if you feel like it's going to separate you or it's going to separate you...stop. I feel that being in this industry has actually got me closer to him and I'm not going to talk too long on it, but you know when you grow up in church you can be so judgmental. Especially when you're walking down the street and you see somebody who don't look like you or you don't think they're saved. But the minute I was able to step out on my own. When I left and went away to college it's like my whole heart changed. My whole attitude towards people changed who weren't in my denomination. Just not being so judgmental and loving and understanding people's situations and being like "look, I gotta turn him or her over to God and let him deal with that."

MiddleChild: Okay. Well let's discuss the video.

Michelle Williams: Yes sir!

MiddleChild: Me and Terrell fuss all the time about who is your biggest fan. We constantly fight and battle over this. (all laugh) So both of us were up breaking the dawn literally waiting on the video premiere and we watched it all night. I think it's hot hot hot.

Michelle Williams: Thank you.

MiddleChild: How was it like stepping out of your comfort zone on this?

Michelle Williams: Oh! It took a couple of takes of course because I was nervous at first, but I had my friends and family with me out in Los Angeles and I was excited because I got a lot of time to rehearse with the dancers. A lot of the dancers were dancers who came out to audition for me so they would bring some fresh faces out there and then you know in that last routine when they're throwing me around? That came from something that I had been studying and had been like "one day I want to do this". I'm watching some old clips like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and how they used to just be out there living. You know what I'm saying? Flipping, dipping, tipping...I'm like I titled the album “Unexpected” so I got to do some unexpected things. You know what I'm saying?

MiddleChild: Right. We know it's Black Music Month as well. So tell me what Black Music Month and Black Music in general means to you.

Michelle Williams: Wow. Black Music Month. Black music period is totally responsible for the way of this world and how it's working. Black Music Month shouldn't just be a month. It's a way of life. It's 365 days a year, 24/7, but I'm glad we do have a black music month and there are many many many many many many black artists that paved the way so that I can be here talking to you guys.

MiddleChild: Another question for you. If you could put together your own Ladies First Tour, I'll say with three other females, who would you go on the road with?

Michelle Williams: Who would I go on the road with? Let's see. You gave me three others right?

MiddleChild: Right.

Michelle Williams: I'm going to tell you what would be hot. Now you already know the first two I'm going to say.

MiddleChild: Well let me hear it. (both laugh)

Michelle Williams: The first two I think it would be hot, you know, maybe the first tour would be myself, Beyonce and Kelly. We'll do our solo set. Right...and somebody else....uhmm. Let me look on the wall. I wish Lauryn Hill would come back out, you know? Alicia Keys? Okay...Ladies First. Ladies First. Michelle Williams...Lauryn Hill...Madonna....ooh and Donna Summer.

MiddleChild: Work it out!

Michelle Williams: Wouldn't that be crazy?

MiddleChild: That would be.

Michelle Williams: I don't care if they just gave me twenty minutes cause I already know I'll be the one opening up, but I don't care. Wouldn't that be fabulous?

Terrell: That would. And very diverse.

Michelle Williams: Very diverse. I'm trying to get to their level solo wise so I pray that I'm on the right path.

MiddleChild: No doubt.

Terrell: Okay Michelle. Real quick. What's your favorite song from your album and why?

Michelle Williams: Favorite song from my album today would be "The Greatest".

Terrell: And why is that?

Michelle Williams: To me I think it would soften up the hardest heart.

Terrell: Alright. Well we've enjoyed talking to you Michelle. We been waiting on you girl.

MiddleChild: Definitely.

Michelle Williams: Aww. Thank you. Yall make me not even want to get off the phone.

Terrell: I know.

Michelle Williams: Thank yall so much.

MiddleChild: No. Thank you. Have a great day.