Unexpected - Michelle Williams

...greatest."_

*01, Unexpected Intro (0.45)
*02, Hello Heartbreak (4.07), 4*

Listening to 'Hello Heartbreak' there is no indication that this is an artist that has serial success under her belt, and rather could be a one-off dance track released by a group somewhere in Europe looking for sucess with a one hit wonder, ala the ketchup song. What is great about those sort of tracks is that for a while they do catch ...
...Car (3.58), 3*
*11, Unexpected (3.58), 4*
*12, Thank U (3.47), 3*
*13, Too Young for Love (3.57), 1*

Reportedly 'Stop This Car' was hotly expected to be a single released from the album, and is the most R&B track on the entire album. Produced by Stargate, you have probably heard me going on about him in previous reviews, how he was the brains behind 'Irreplaceable' and has worked with the likes of Neyo and Rihanna. ... more

BACKGROUND
"Let us decide when they play that last song,
The night is done, when we break the dawn"

Although it has now been four long years since the split of the worlds best-selling female group of all time, Destiny's Child, it is only now that one of its members is beginning to get noticed as a legitimate solo artist.

Michelle Williams joined the group in 2000 amidst the controversial departure of two members, with it later emerging that both Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland (the other two members of the 'three-piece') had met with Michelle in a hotel lobby two years prior to the unveiling. From this moment Destiny's Child truly sunk their teeth into the market with tracks such as 'Independant Woman' and 'Bootylicious'. Filling the void before their final album, each member tested the water with their own solo attempts, where as you will know Beyonce emerged as the most profitable of the members.

Whilst Kelly garnered sales through her hugely successful duet with Nelly, and Beyonce was being 'Crazy in Love', Michelle took a route that was different to the R&B origins of Destiny's Child. Instead, Michelle released the most successful gospel album of the year. 'Unexpected' is the third studio album from Michelle Williams, although the first that has a similar listening style to anything of her former band-mates.

PROMOTION/RECEPTION
"And now I realise, that the stars are in your eyes..."

In an interesting marketing decision, 'Unexpected' shall be promoted and released in most of Europe before eventually her publicity tour coming to the UK at the end of September, and finishing off with an October release of the album in her home country of the United States. The entire album has already leaked on to the internet, two months short of its US release, and public opinion has not been overly polite to Michelle's effort. TRACKS
"...Cause you always shine, baby you're the greatest."

• 01, Unexpected Intro (0.45)
• 02, Hello Heartbreak (4.07), 4*

Listening to 'Hello Heartbreak' there is no indication that this is an artist that has serial success under her belt, and rather could be a one-off dance track released by a group somewhere in Europe looking for sucess with a one hit wonder, ala the ketchup song. What is great about those sort of tracks is that for a while they do catch your attention, until you wear them down with repetitive plays. Although you are unlikely to be able to enjoy hours solid of the track, this track is a good way to start a solo career attracting fans to the dancefloor in the masses.

• 03, We Break the Dawn (3.54), 4*
• 04, Lucky Girl (Interlude) (3.51), 3*

'Break the Dawn' is the first single to be released from the album, and considering I have been listening to the remix of the track, it sounded incredibly strange listening to the original again. The pace is much slower than the remix, that is featured later on the album, but there are still the building blocks in place for a great track. The evidence of how successful a track this could be when it is released to the UK market is evident in its appearance at the top of the US Dance Billboard. 'Lucky Girl' acts almost as an instrumental that you can picture someone walking down to the street after a night out with the sun on the horizon, you almost hope that the party isn't closing already on the album. After the interlude beginning is over, the track does pick up pace slightly but not by much.

• 05, The Greatest (3.32), 3*
• 06, Till the End of the World (3.10), 1*

Whilst this album was being hailed as Michelle's first contempoary R&B album, you wonder if dance has been confused with R&B up to this point. 'The Greatest' is the first slow track of the album, and is largely expected to be the second track released. The track hails the man in her life as, you guessed it - the greatest. 'Till the End of the World' keeps in mind how much she loves her man, but also reverts to the albums dance routes. And when I say dance, I'm not talking Beyonce and 'Crazy in Love'. I'm talking proper childrens disco, although with the odd drop in of the word 'wifey'.

• 07, Private Party (3.36), 1*
• 08, Hungover (3.31), 2*
• 09, We Break the Dawn II ft. Flo-Rida (4.22), 4*

'Private Party' reminds me of something you may have heard on Danity Kane's last album, and the way Michelle layers her voice across herself you may begin believing there is more than one person in the song. With lyrics inviting to tell you secrets if you tell her yours, you can see why this track is nothing that you haven't heard before. By the time you reach 'Hungover' you really are beginning to feel like you've got a hangover from the album that's had about two good songs, and that's being generous. The track never materialises from its early promise. Flo-Rida is an artist that has benefited from having one track, 'Low', that completely grabbed young peoples attention - however since then he has been trying to make money with any opportunity he can. Rida's appearance on the remix of 'Break the Dawn' is probably the second best move he has made so far, and the quality of this dance/R&B track is a farcry from what you've heard prior. I genuinely believe that this remix should be an absolutely massive hit, but I'm usually wrong about these sort of things.

• 10, Stop This Car (3.58), 3*
• 11, Unexpected (3.58), 4*
• 12, Thank U (3.47), 3*
• 13, Too Young for Love (3.57), 1*

Reportedly 'Stop This Car' was hotly expected to be a single released from the album, and is the most R&B track on the entire album. Produced by Stargate, you have probably heard me going on about him in previous reviews, how he was the brains behind 'Irreplaceable' and has worked with the likes of Neyo and Rihanna. Whilst the track is by no means a huge seller, you can see why it is being commented on as one of the high points of the album. 'Unexpected', the albums namesake track, begins in the same vein as the track before it and Michelle seems to finally be turning on the men she has been praising earlier in the album. Perhaps when she woke up from being hangover her night out before didn't seem that great. 'Unexpected' is a powerful track, but would never make it as a standalone single.

After sounding as though you are about to punch through glass, 'Thank U' seems to go down an acoustic, country route that sounds similar to something off Jordin Spark's debut album ("No air, no aiiirrr"). Do not be fooled by the sound of the track though, because when you listen to the lyrics the track is the opposite of what you may think.. as Michelle is thanking her man for cheating on her. 'Too Young for Love', the 28 year-old is not talking about herself? Nope, because everyone knows that a Destiny's Child singer would always be talking to their younger fans. Ending the album on these two tracks that completely reverse any maturity of the album was a bad decision though.

CONTENT/IN CLOSING
"Was our destination too far? I wanna get out, I don't wanna ride no more"

I think when you look how many times the name Beyonce Knowles pops up in this album sums up mostly what I think of this album. Michelle Williams works excellently as part of Destiny's Child, but on her own it's hard to try and find things to say about her. The same applies to Kelly Rowland as well really. I began listening to 'Unexpected' with an open mind after thinking that 'We Break the Dawn' was one of the better first single tracks I have heard, but unfortunately the album lets you down in too many places. And the last two tracks undo all the good work she has done between tracks 9-11.

I can't put Michelle William's voice into despite, although having said that never does she try and make any effort to leave a lasting impact vocally. This shall be one of 2008's forgotten efforts, and thank god that there are rumours of a Destiny's Child reunion around the same time as this album is going on sale. That sort of publicity may get people interested in hearing what sort of men Michelle feels like singing about today.

Ouch, that was slightly harsh. But expected. 

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