Michelle Williams, as the third member of Destiny’s Child, has had a harder time attracting the spotlight than her bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Beyonce.

Williams was actually the first of Destiny’s Child to strike out on her own with somewhat successful gospel albums. She also enjoyed long stints in the theatre playing in productions of Aida, Chicago, The Color Purple, and Fela!.

She didn’t find the immediate success that the other members found as they went solo, but she feels her time is now.

Michelle Williams has released her first album since 2008. Her previous album, an R&B album called Unexpected, was severely under-rated and ignored.

However, she has high hopes for her latest album, Journey to Freedom, which was released Tuesday.

The album is already No. 1 on the iTunes Christian & Gospel chart.

When asked about the title of the album, Michelle Williams said,

“I’m still on the journey. It’s a journey of leaving the past and moving forward and being free from anything that’s going to keep me from being my absolute best. Sometimes you’re scared of letting go of your comfort zone. You might be scared of letting go of familiar territory.”

She continued, “On the road to greatness or success there is a season where you have to be alone and you have to get free from those worries and those doubts.”

So, just what is that comfort zone that she spent so much time in?

Michelle Williams explained,

“I can’t tell you how many times I got cursed out, because there would be a song and I’d say ‘That’s not for me.’ I allowed myself to be put in a box. People say, ‘Oh that’s the good girl, she’s conservative.’ I had to get out of that comfort zone of feeling like what gospel music is supposed to sound like.”

She elaborated on the personal nature of the situation, saying, “Somebody hit me on Twitter a few days ago saying ‘You’re not a Christian because you mix secular and gospel.’ It’s stupid. I didn’t know there was a sound to gospel. I thought it was more about the message. I don’t think God cares if it’s an angel playing with a harp or if a rapper is talking about the good news and inspiring.”

Good luck to Michelle Williams on her new “journey”!