UB Anniversary ReVisit: The Kelly Rowland ‘Ms. Kelly’ Interview

Over the next few months, we’ll be spotlighting features from our e-zines from the last 25 years. T M H Entertainment, T M Hxone and Urban Bridgez.

As the longest running website for R&B online, since 1999 – We’ve been able to conduct some amazing interviews with R&B Royalty.

Kelly Rowland is best known as the co-founder of the best-selling, legendary Destiny’s Child, but also an actress with a #1 movie under her belt. Not to mention a mother and wife and to just add, a multi-Grammy Award winner.

After being criticized for lackluster sales of Simply Deep, Kelly went back in the lab to work on her sophomore album, My Story. A month before it was scheduled to be released in July 2006, it was immediately slammed by industry insiders due to it not being “club enough.” Kelly also felt is was too full of mid-tempos and ballads.

Keeping the essence of her journeys to womanhood, Rowland resurfaced with Ms. Kelly, an ode to everything a woman goes through. The new sound she presented with the album was dubbed “burlesque meets hip-hop”. If you haven’t a clue on what she meant, just think of something so sensual and soft but with a cutting edge. In order to execute the styles mentioned, Rowland tapped producers such as Polow Da Don, Scott Storch, Soulshock & Karlin, newcomers at the time Kenny & Chad and more.

Kelly launched her post Destiny’s Child solo career by teaming up with Nelly in 2002, recording the vocals for the mega-hit “Dilemma.” The song received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year and earned Rowland an award in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category.

Throughout her career, Kelly Rowland has sold over 40 million records as a solo artist and a further 60 million records with Destiny’s Child. Outside of her four Grammy Awards, she’s received two Billboard Music Awards and two Soul Train Music Awards.

Kelly has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Destiny’s Child, and as a solo artist she has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and ESSENCE for her contributions to music.

Originally posted on April 3rd, 2007, was without a doubt one of our absolute favorite interviews to date! It was in support of Kelly‘s sophomore album release “Ms. Kelly,” released June 26th, 2007. Our interview was quoted in the Kelly Rowland book, “Kelly Rowland: From Destiny & Beyond” released in 2012.

Kelly took time out to speak with Aries about the album, her single “Still In Love With My Ex,” where she stated she gave away too much info on that track. Kelly also spoke on former Destiny’s Child group member LeToya and her favorite LeToya solo song.

Kelly also jokes with Aries about naming her first child Aries.

Enjoy a conversation with the beautiful & talented Kelly Rowland.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell me about your new album “Ms. Kelly” and who is Ms. Kelly and how is she different from Kelly of Destiny’s Child?
Kelly Rowland: Dang that’s like five questions all in one (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: (laughs)
Kelly Rowland: Well let’s see, the new CD took me a year and a half to record. It’s really a great CD and really hot! I got some great producers on it like Scott Scorch, Polo Da Don, some new producers out of Los Angeles, Kenny and Charlie and let’s see Soulshock and Karlin. Some great writers like Sean Garret, Solange and of course myself. The difference from DC is that this is me, this is Kelly Rowland, not Destiny’s Child.

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you want your fans to walk away with, after they hear “Ms. Kelly?”
Kelly Rowland: When they listen to this album, I want them to walk away hearing that I’m a woman now. A new woman. I’m so happy and excited about this album. When people hear this album, I want them to hear me for me. Not Kelly from Destiny’s Child, but Kelly Rowland. Don’t get me wrong, I love and respect Destiny’s Child, but with this album I want to stand on my own.

UrbanBridgez.com: Still In Love w/ My Ex, is a fan favorite as well as mine, are there any plans to release that single in the near future?
Kelly Rowland: Really, you like that one?

UrbanBridgez.com: I love it to death, I love the adlibs you do towards the end of it.
Kelly Rowland: Hello! (Laughs), I think I got a singer on the line (laughs)? Do I?

UrbanBridgez.com: (Laughs) I’ve done a little somethin’, somethin’.
Kelly Rowland: I knew it (laughs)! But thank you so much! I love that song as well. Still In love w/ My Ex was actually the fourth song I recorded for this project. I wrote it as well, it was one my best writing experiences ever. I was in the studio with Soulshock and Karlin and we had finished a song. I like that song as well, but I wanted to do something else with them, because I’m such a huge fan of their work. So they played that track and I just loved it! Then all of a sudden I just started singing (singing “still in love with my ex”) I was like where did that come from (laughs)? So I wrote the lyrics and it all just flowed so good. I was thinking maybe I’m giving up a little too much info in the song (laughs), but I love it. Hopefully it will be a single.

UrbanBridgez.com: With Destiny’s Child and Beyonce’ being so successful over the years, do you feel any added pressure with releasing your sophomore solo album?
Kelly Rowland: Nope! The reason being is because I’m a different person. Destiny’s Child is one thing and Bee is herself. I’m myself. I want it to be successful and all, but I honestly didn’t feel any added pressure this time around. I just went in to make a great album. So now all I can do is put it in God’s hands and hope it’s a success. And I’m going to promote the hell out of it (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: Have you had the opportunity to congratulate LeToya on all of her recent success and do you have a favorite song from her CD?
Kelly Rowland: Oh yeah, I have actually! I did last year, but I got a chance to do it again this morning. I did a phone interview with a station down in Texas and she was in the studio. We spoke briefly. I congratulated her on everything and she wished me all the best with this project. It was really nice, I’m so happy for her. My favorite song, hum I have to be honest. So let’s see, I’ll say Torn. I really love that song. I love when she sings “apart of me” (laughs). But I also like the one she has with the rapper & the other one she had a video for (She Don’t).

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you think is the biggest misconception about Ms. Kelly?
Kelly Rowland: Wow let’s see, the biggest misconception about me? Well that’s hard Aries because you know opinions are like A holes, everybody has one. But let’s see, I honestly don’t know right now. That’s a hard question, let’s talk more and come back to that one (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: What is it like to be Kelly Rowland outside of the music industry? What do you enjoy doing when the cameras aren’t rolling?
Kelly Rowland: I just love to sit back on the beach and just chill! Or just chill at home or at my best friend Barbara’s house and sit back and drink margarita’s (laughs). Oh I love to cook also. Well I try (laughs), I like watching the Food Channel to get ideas on stuff to make.

UrbanBridgez.com: You have impressed me more than once with your acting skills, when will we see you on the big or small screen again?
Kelly Rowland: Well first off thank you! And hopefully it will be really soon. I have to work out some things and just see what happens. I’ve had to turn down something’s unfortunately, because of working on the album and this has been my main focus. I do believe however,. what is meant for me is for me and what’s not, isn’t. So when it’s the right role for Kelly, I’ll be doing it.

UrbanBridgez.com: Do you have any touring plans for the summer?
Kelly Rowland: Yes! I want to be on a tour so bad! I can’t wait. I’ve already been working on routines (laughs) and just the whole thing. I’m so excited about touring. Nothing is confirmed yet, but once it is, you’ll know about it. I’m looking forward to doing shows.

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
Kelly Rowland: Yeah, thank you so much for the support you guys have been showing this project. I know the dates have switched and been changing, but you guys have stayed by my side and I appreciate that. I read what you guys say on my site as well as this one and other sites and the love is just so wonderful, so again thank you. And thank you as well Aries for your continued support, I really do appreciate it!

UrbanBridgez.com: It was a pleasure, continue success and I can’t wait to hear “Ms. Kelly.”
Kelly Rowland: Thank you, I have to ask you is your real name Aries?

UrbanBridgez.com: Yes it’s my real name (laughs).
Kelly Rowland: That is so cool! Is that your sign?

UrbanBridgez.com: Yep and my birthday is in two weeks.
Kelly Rowland: Really! Wow that is so cool (laughs). I think when I have a child, I’m going to have to think of naming them that (laughs). But it has to be like Aries, it can’t be like Sagittarius or anything (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: (Laughs), definitely, please do that! Continue success Kelly!
Kelly Rowland: Thanks Aries, bye!

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