Michelle Williams: Heart To Yours : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Michelle Williams, Destiny's Child's latest and most drama-free addition, is the first of the girl power trio to go solo with the gospel-lite offering, Heart to Yours. Although the good-natured songbird's desire to steer DC fans -- who would otherwise be content to shake their booties up and down -- in a more spiritually uplifting direction is admirable, her chops simply aren't up to the task. To put it mildly, Yolanda Adams, Williams isn't. A backup singer for R&B starlet Monica prior to joining DC, Williams shines brightest when she shares the spotlight, as on the whimsical remake of BeBe and CeCe Winans's "Heaven" with Carl Thomas. Unfortunately, collaborations with contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary on the stuttered beat, Rodney Jerkins-esque "So Glad" and gospel great Shirley Caesar on the soulful, choir backed hymn "Steal Away to Jesus," only reinforce the thin-piped vocalist's shortcomings. Throughout Heart to Years, Williams's corazon is in the right place, but her vocals are too quiet and the production -- courtesy of the ever-present Matthew Knowles (Beyonce's Dad and DC's manager) -- too tame to start a real Holy Ghost party

TRACY E. HOPKINS
(April 16, 2002)