Kelly Rowland Hooks Up With Beyonce’s Sister Again For Solo LP
Kelly Rowland first got a taste of solo success with her 2002 debut, Simply Deep, but for her self-titled sophomore effort, the Destiny’s Child songstress is diving into even deeper waters, revealing just how’s she’s matured as an artist and into a real independent woman.
"[Recording this new album] has really been a growth experience," the
25-year-old said recently. "[The last two years] have been a change,
and I haven’t even been able to actually take in everything that’s
going on with me as a woman. It’s just been beautiful.
"I wrote a lot on this record … and it’s especially from me [to my fans]," she said of the album, due June 13. "It’s more R&B … and
it definitely has a feel-good vibe to it as well."
Rowland will be reteaming with several players who helped helm her
first disc, including Grammy-winning producer Rich Harrison (Beyoncé,
Amerie) and Beyoncé’s singer/songwriter sister, Solange Knowles, who
penned two tracks on Simply Deep, including the title track.
New on board is R&B/hip-hop beatmaker Rockwilder, who’s pushed
flows for Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z, and Patrick "j.Que" Smith (also known
as "The Clutch"), an Atlanta songwriter who scored Usher’s hit "Yeah!"
and Fantasia’s "Truth Is."
"I think having a refreshing sound is so important, and all of these
people are so talented," gushed Rowland, who snagged her own Grammy for
her 2002 duet "Dilemma" with Nelly.
No word yet on what the first single will be or who may guest star on
the LP — Rowland wants to keep all of those tidbits under wraps for
now. However, she did collaborate with Trina on "Here We Go," the first
single off the rapper’s Glamorest Life.
While Rowland is polishing up her sophomore disc, she’s also been
brushing up on her acting chops, much like her former DC mates Beyoncé
(see "Beyonce Slimming Down And ‘Completely Becoming Deena’ ") and Michelle Williams (see "Michelle Williams Takes HIV-Positive Role For TV Acting Debut").
Rowland will appear on UPN’s "Girlfriends" as Tammy Hamilton, an
ambitious 21-year-old apprentice to realtor Toni (Jill Marie Jones),
and she hopes her three-episode stint will expand to an even larger
recurring role in the future.
"I love, love those
ladies," she said of the "Girlfriends" stars Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross,
Golden Brooks and Persia White. "They’ve been a pleasure to work with
and have given me so many different tips on acting, so they’re awesome."
The singer-turned-actor also starred in last summer’s "The Seat Filler"
opposite Duane Martin and Shemar Moore. The film, which stars Rowland
as a pop star who falls for an awards-show seat filler (Martin) she
mistakes for a high-profile record executive, was released Tuesday on
DVD.