Do You Know (Michelle Williams album)


Do You Know is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Michelle Williams. It was released by the Sanctuary Records Group and Columbia Records on January 26, 2004 in the United States. Do You Know "straddles between contemporary gospel and inspirational R&B" and is described as portraying "a more intimate side of Michelle". It contains a greater percentage of mid and up-tempo songs, along with a much heavier and grander use of live instrumentation. Williams contributed lyrically to the album as she did with her debut album, co-writing a total of six songs. However, Do You Know is much more diverse, lyrically, than its predecessor Heart to Yours, covering the themes of "spiritual" and "carnal" love and contains retrospective songs about Williams' career thus far, whilst still retaining the inspirational and encouraging lyrics that characterised Heart to Yours.
In the US, Do You Know found fair success on Billboard's component charts; peaking at number two on the Gospel Albums chart, number three on the Christian Albums chart and number twenty-eight on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. However, the album peaked at one-hundred-and-twenty on the Billboard 200, making it Williams' lowest-charting album. Though the album was well received by critics, it sold only 10,000 copies in its first week of release. Despite this, the album was later re-released, including two new tracks and has now sold over 78,000 copies in the US alone as of 2008. The album gained Williams a nomination for "Best Gospel Act" at the 2004 MOBO Awards.

Background and composition

After becoming the first member of Destiny's Child to release a solo album in 2002, Williams did not wait long to start work on its follow-up in 2003. Due to the success of Heart to Yours, which topped the US Top Gospel Albums and became the best-selling gospel album of 2002, anticipation was high for Williams' second album. Before taking over the lead role in the Broadway musical Aida on November 18, 2003, Williams began working on the album, involving an even greater variety of producers than she did for her debut album such as trio PAJAM, made up of Paul Allen, J. Moss and Walter Kearney, duo Dawkins & Dawkins, Tommy Sims, bandmate Beyoncé Knowles, her sister Solange Knowles, and Williams' brother Erron Williams. As with her debut, Williams contributed greatly to the songwriting of the album, co-writing a total of six tracks on the album.
Prior to Unexcpecteds release, Williams told MTV that she couldn't "wait for the world to hear new solo album", describing it as "fresher", "more inspirational", and "more on the secular side". Furthermore, she stated "whether it's gospel or not, I wrote about it", therefore expecting "some of her gospel fans to be a little upset" but wanted to "keep it real". She also discussed one of the album's primary themes – "what it's like to be in love" – explaining " mistakes you make when you're in love and how they affect your life" after saying "I was able to experience some things this year and I wrote about them." In describing the album during another interview, this time for GospelCity, Williams said "these songs are just about the real me" and that she "just wrote from heart" before acknowledging that "it didn't turn out to be as 'gospel-ly' as some would have liked", but "the stuff" that's on the album "is stuff went through". Williams then said "this whole album is about God's love and me". After being asked "Michelle, as people listen to the album, Do You Know, as they get acquainted with the songs, what are you hoping to bring to their lives?", Williams responded "That everybody live in peace and not settle for anything less than what the Lord wants to bring your way. I know what I went through, I know God is taking me to another level. I had people around me that were not going where I was going – I had to release them from my life."

Critical reception

Critical reviews of the album were generally favorable. Kwaku of Cross Rhythms wrote that "Michelle seems happy to produce music which straddles between contemporary gospel and inspirational R&B" and thus "she certainly isn’t going to have problems facing the congregation when she attends church". Sony of Gospel City described the album as a "beautifully written very wonderfully produced gospel album that in some places is a throwback to a Duke Ellington jazz minuet, in others it's a fast paced hip-hop laced gospel after-party, and in others it's a beautiful testimony of a woman at the well" He then went on to comment that "the true highlight of this album is Michelle's unique, yet beautiful, timbre and her magnificent song writing." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian however gave a more mixed review, commenting that Do You Know? "doesn't provide the running start" that Williams "needs". She then noted that "Williams's strength is a shimmery jazz lilt.
Emily Sogn of PopMatters likened Williams' "pleasingly slow paced" singing style to pop contemporaries like Ashanti and Janet Jackson and described the album as "a decent, yet not spectacular sophomore effort", noting that "while it might not enough to ensure her a successful career outside of her contributions to Destiny's Child, it isn’t without its particular merits and shining moments". People magazine commented that "there is a contemporary R&B sound" to the album "that wouldn't be out of place on secular radio" and noted that "The Movement" "has a hip-hop vibe, while glossy ballads like "The Way of Love" sound like they could be Destiny's Child slow jams". Entertainment Weekly editor Chris Willman rated the album B- and highlighted the artistic growth on the album. Comparing it to its predecessor he wrote "this second solo foray into contemporary spirituals vastly improves upon her godforsaken 2002 debut" and that "both the beats and girlish chops feel more seasoned, even if she'll always be more R&B minimalist than the gospel powerhouse she aspires to be". AllMusic wrote that "working with a wide array of producers Williams is subtly more up-tempo than on her debut." The staff found that the songs "all point to an artist with a considerable amount of self-assurance. Not surprisingly, Williams is never far from the roots that extend back to her day job in Destiny's Child."

Release and performance

First released on January 26, 2004, Do You Know preceded the release of Destiny's Child's fourth and final regular studio album Destiny Fulfilled, making Williams the only member of the group to release more than one solo album in the group's hiatus. Williams promoted the album during various TV appearances and live performances, some of the most notable include; live performances of "Do You Know" and "Purpose In Your Storm" on various TBN programs and a live performance of a newly arranged version of "The Way of Love" on Regis & Kelly. Notably, Williams also performed "Do You Know" live on the 2004 Soul Train Music Awards and throughout the Destiny Fulfilled... And Lovin' It world concert tour – which visited 16 countries throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America with 67 dates in total. A video and audio recording of one such performance of "Do You Know", recorded in Atlanta was included on the ' 2006 DVD release, which has since been re-issued on Blu-ray. "Do You Know" was also promoted with the filming and release of a music video for the song.
Like its predecessor, Do You Know achieved its greatest commercial success on Billboard's component charts. Almost topping the Gospel Albums chart, the album peaked at number two, where it had its longest chart run, staying on the chart for 20 weeks, resulting in its placement at number twenty-five on Billboards Year-End Gospel Albums chart. Meanwhile, the album peaked at number three on Billboard's Christian Albums chart, remaining on the chart for six weeks and peaked at number twenty-eight on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it spent a total of five weeks. However, Do You Know only managed to hold one week on the main US albums chart – the Billboard'' 200 – where it peaked at number one-hundred-and-twenty. According to Billboard.com, as of 2008, the album has sold 78,000 copies.

Track listing

;Samples
Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.
;Managerial
;Performance credits
;Visuals and Imagery
;Instruments
;Technical and Production

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

RegionDateEditionFormatLabel
GermanyStandardCD, digital downloadSony Music Entertainment
United KingdomStandardCD, digital downloadSony Music Entertainment
United StatesStandardCD, digital downloadColumbia Records
JapanStandardCDSony Music
GermanyReissueCDSanctuary Records
United StatesReissueCDMusic World