NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Columbia Records) - The Grammy-winning pop music superstar
Michelle Williams has just hit the No 1 slot on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart with "We Break The Dawn," the first single from her forthcoming solo album, Unexpected. Michelle's irresistible dance/pop anthem, which features the Florida-based rapper Flo Rida, is currently scaling Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play (No 16) and Hot Singles Sales (No 34) charts and promises to be one the most memorable singles of summer '08.
Premiered for fans via an exclusive first listen on People.com on March 31, "We Break The Dawn" was praised by music writer Brian Orloff as heralding a " ... hot new look - and new sound - for former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams."
Michelle lensed a sizzling music video for the track in Los Angeles last April with noted British director Phil Griffin (Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Prince).
"We Break The Dawn" is produced by Wayne Wilkins and Andrew Frampton, who co-wrote the track with the singer/songwriter Solange Knowles. (The sister of Beyonce Knowles, Michelle's ensemble-mate and musical colleague in Destiny's Child, Solange has written songs for Beyonce, Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland and Trinitee 5:7.)
"We Break The Dawn" is giving Michelle's fans their first taste of Unexpected, her long-awaited new full-length solo album, due out on Tuesday, August 12 from Music World/Columbia Records.
One of the year's most avidly-anticipated new releases, the aptly-titled Unexpected, the artist's third solo album and first since 2004's Do You Know, is a bold new collection of contemporary pop/dance classics, the next step in the breathtaking musical evolution of Michelle Williams.
Executive produced by Mathew Knowles for Music World Productions and Michelle Williams, Unexpected finds Michelle collaborating with some of today's hottest producers including Jim Jonsin (Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris, Sean Paul, Danity Kane, Trina featuring Kelly Rowland, Pretty Ricky, Lil Wayne featuring Static Major, Bow Wow and Omarion); Rico Love (Usher, Omarion, Natasha Bedingfield, Tiffany Evans featuring Bow Wow); Wayne Wilkins (Natasha Bedingfield, Kylie Minogue, Pink, No Doubt); Andrew Frampton (Natasha Bedingfield, Kylie Minogue); StarGate and more.
Other stand-out tracks on Unexpected include the album's second single, "Stop This Car," produced by StarGate, the Norwegian production team behind No 1 hits for Ne-Yo and Rihanna as well as Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," the biggest song of the year on the Hot 100 Billboard Year End Chart 2007.
American R&B and gospel singer Michelle Williams rose to international renown after joining Destiny's Child, the top-selling female group of all time, in 2000. As a member of Destiny's Child, Michelle received three Grammy Awards and performed on several No 1 hit singles by the group.
With the arrival of her debut album, the gospel-infused Heart To Yours in 2002, Michelle Williams-who'd originally entered show business as a backing vocalist for the R&B performer Monica-became the first member of Destiny's Child to release a solo record. Heart To Yours entered the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart at No 1, peaked at No 3 on the Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart and became the year's top-selling Gospel album.
Her second solo album, Do You Know, achieved similar success to her debut, peaking at No 2 on the Top Gospel Albums chart and No 3 on the Top Christian Albums chart following its release in 2004.
Michelle Williams made her on-stage acting debut in 2003, replacing R&B icon Toni Braxton in the title role of "Aida," the hit Broadway musical with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice.
In February 2006, Michelle made her television acting debut on the UPN comedy series, "Half & Half" and, later that year, appeared in the FOX reality series, "Celebrity Duets" performing Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" with Jai Rodriguez.
Beginning in April 2007, Michelle Williams joined the national touring company - performing extended runs in Chicago and San Francisco with members of the original Broadway cast - of the hit musical adaptation of "The Color Purple."
