Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. It was released on June 20, 2007, through Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment. Originally titled My Story and expected for a mid-2006 release, the album marked Rowland's first solo studio album in four years. Retitled and delayed numerous times prior to its official release, the album's release date was eventually moved to 2007 in favor of a multi-tiered marketing strategy and additional recording sessions. Willed to produce a more personal effort after her debut studio album Simply Deep, Rowland contributed nine tracks to the reworked Ms. Kelly, which took her solo work further into urban music markets, involving production by Scott Storch, Polow da Don, Soulshock & Karlin and singer Tank, among others.
Upon its release, Ms. Kelly received generally positive reviews from most music critics and achieved reasonable commercial success, debuting at number six on the US Billboard 200 and at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 86,000 copies in its first week, being Rowland's highest first-week sales with a studio album to date in the US. As a consequence, Columbia released three Deluxe reissues of the album the following year – an extended play Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, Ms. Kelly: Deluxe Edition and another extended play Ms. Kelly: Digital Deluxe – containing previously unreleased songs and remixes. Exclusively at Walmart, Ms. Kelly was packaged with a bonus DVD titled BET Presents Kelly Rowland. The DVD features BET and performance highlights, and music videos from Rowland's solo career.
Background
In 2002, Kelly Rowland teamed up with rapper Nelly to record the chorus and vocals on the track "Dilemma" for his album Nellyville. Released as the album's second single, the song became one of the most successful singles of the year, topping various charts worldwide, including the US Billboard Hot 100. Originally scheduled to be released in early 2003, the success of the collaboration caused the label to extend the release date of Rowland's debut solo album Simply Deep, which Rowland rushed within three weeks to get done and was described as alternative R&B. Released in the United States in October 2002 and internationally in 2003, Simply Deep was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold 602,000 copies in the United States. Released to an even bigger success in international territories, the album topped the UK Albums Chart and became a gold-seller in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, resulting in worldwide sales total of two and a half million copies. The album yielded three singles. "Stole", a pop rock-influenced mid-tempo track about loss, was released as the album's lead single and became an international top-ten hit single, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song failed to capitalize on the success of "Dilemma", reaching the top-thirty only.After a three-year hiatus that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Rowland rejoined Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams for Destiny's Child's final studio album Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004. Meanwhile, Rowland had started work on the conception of her second solo studio album. She began collaborating with songwriter-producer Bryan Michael Cox, partner WyldCard, and production duo CKB. Some of their early recordings, including "Bad Habit" and "Flashback", were later included on Destiny's Child's final studio album as well as the group's live DVD Live in Atlanta, respectively. As she was anxious to avoid hasty productions as on her previous album, which Rowland felt was less personal, she took a wider role in the production of the album; the singer co-wrote the majority of the songs and shared ideas in which one to produce. "I wrote a lot on this record and it's especially from me ," she told CNN about the album. "It's a feelgood record; very intimate. It's a sneak peak into my mind and heart of the past three or four years."
Music and lyrics
After the rock–dance sound which dominated her previous album Simply Deep, Rowland felt she was still struggling with finding her sound as solo artist, and instead of capitalizing off its international success, the singer and her management settled on "a more urban approach" with her second album. Commenting on her decision, Rowland later told MTV News, "in general, I'm going in the urban, more R&B route. Of course, that's what I started with Destiny's Child, my first solo album I did more of a pop-sounding record. So I wanted to go back to my roots and dibble and dabble with some beats." Consequently, Columbia Records consulted a wider range of contemporary R&B and hip hop producers and artists such as Big Tank, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Rockwilder, Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins, and Robin Thicke to work with Rowland on the album. Female rapper Eve, also lent her voice to a guest part.Lyrically, love, independence, and maturity became reoccurring themes throughout the album. With songs such as "'I'm Still in Love with My Ex" and "Better Without You" inspired by Rowland's former relationship with American football player Roy Williams, most of the tracks Rowland recorded were relationship-driven, something she said she was not hesitant about discussing. "I just went in the studio and just did me, because I think that's when you get your best product. That's when it's just natural. It just flew out of my mouth and came out in lyrics I had great writers involved." While recording her vocals, Rowland was inspired by several singers, citing former bandmate Beyoncé Knowles, and singers Brandy and Whitney Houston as major inspirations, "I listened to a lot of Whitney Houston for her vocals. I love her. I love Beyoncé's voice, and I love Brandy. Those are three vocalists who inspire me. I love how different they are. I love how they take themselves to the next level."
Songs
Opening song and lead single "Like This", which features rap from Eve, was one of the last songs recorded for Ms. Kelly. Noted for the use of a cowbell in its melody, the single was first released in March 2007 to mixed reviews and became Rowland's highest-charting solo single since "Stole". The second track, titled "Comeback", is one of the two tracks Scott Storch contributed to the album. Planned to be released as the album's second single, Rowland shot a music video for the track with director Philip Andelman in July 2007. When a single release failed to materialize, the video premiered on Rowland's official YouTube account in early 2008. "Ghetto" is set as the third track and features rapper Snoop Dogg. Originally recorded for the shelved My Story, the crunk-influenced track was released as the album's second single in North America in August 2007, where it achieved minor success, reaching number nine on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles only. The album's fourth track, "Work", was written after returning from a night out in Miami and rushed in "like twenty minutes." An up-tempo composition featuring funk production and go-go elements, it was released as the album's second international single during the first quarter of 2008 and enjoyed major international commercial success, emerging as the highest-charting single off the album. Synthesized "Flashback" is the fifth track of the album and had previously appeared on Destiny's Child's video album Live in Atlanta. Released to generally lukewarm reviews, the San Francisco Chronicle called it "positively lackluster". "Every Thought Is You", a ballad produced by Rockwilder, garanered positive critics, with About.com noting it "a classy, well-sung mid-tempo track about healthy infatuation". The seventh track "The Show" features a guest appearance by singer Tank, who produced the track. It's followed by a one-minute-long interlude. The ninth track "Still in Love with My Ex" was rumored to be about Rowland's ex-fiancée Roy Williams. The tenth track "Better Without You" speaks about a protagonist who feels better after ending a relationship. It's followed by the eleventh track "Love", and the album closes with a love song "This Is Love".Release and promotion
Originally expected for a March 2006 release, the album had two title changes and three unofficial releases until its official release the following year. Initially scheduled for a July 11, 2006 release, the album's original draft, entitled My Story, was eventually shelved in favor of a revamped version with a different vibe. Although manager Mathew Knowles initially insisted that the decision to push the release date from July 2006 was because more time would be needed to properly set up the project, Rowland later admitted that she had been unsatisfied with the album's direction, and thus, she asked to rework with a stable of new record producers on the project. Speaking of the delay and the original track listing, she told Billboard: "it was basically a list of songs that I put together about the past three years of my life, with love and relationships", and added: "And I remember listening to the record, and I was just like, 'I don't want this to be too deep to where, you know, lose people.' And the record was too full of midtempos and ballads, so I wanted to bring it up a little bit."Her decision led to the cancellation of the album's original leading single "Gotsta Go", a collaboration with rapper Da Brat that she premiered on the MTV Asia Awards 2006 Bangkok on May 6, 2006. Rowland eventually consulted new producers to collaborate on the album, including Mysto & Pizzi, Sean Garrett, Scott Storch, and Atlanta-based Polow da Don, who contributed the single "Like This," a duet with rapper Eve, to the album. In addition, the singer decided to retitle the album. She stated: "I really put my heart and soul into this record and not only am I excited that everyone's going to hear the music, I'm looking forward to people getting to hear the real me. That's the reason I called the album Ms. Kelly. Because the title is all about respect, being an adult and that's how I feel about my life, and my music."
Other promotional efforts included a sophomore CD teaser in Live in Atlanta features. "Flashback" was also included on an audio disc packaged with the DVD.