Williams rose to noteriety when she joined Destiny's Child, one of the most successful female groups of all time with whom she earned a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for single "Survivor".
Raised in a Christian family, Williams learned to sing in her church's choir. She later sang in a musical quartet called United Harmony alongside sister Cameron. After attending Auburn High School and being a part of the C.A.P.A (Creative And Performing Arts) program there, she pursued a degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University before leaving to pursue a career in music. Whilst touring as a backing vocalist for R&B star Monica, the opportunity arose for Williams to join Destiny's Child in 2000.
After the release and promotion of the grammy-nominated Destiny's Child album Survivor, Williams became the first member to release a solo studio album in 2002. Her debut, Heart To Yours , shot up to #1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart, where it spent a total of 46 weeks and also peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums before being listed at #6 on the year-end Gospel Albums chart. Also a critical success, the album won Williams an award for "Best Gospel Act" at the 2003 MOBO Awards. Billboard ranked Williams as the #5 Top Gospel Artist of 2002. Williams then made her acting debut in the Broadway hit, Aida, replacing R&B singer Toni Braxton; making her the first and only member of Destiny's Child to appear on Broadway.
Following the success of her debut, Michelle released her sophomore album, entitled Do You Know, in 2004 which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard Gospel Chart and was well received by critics who lent particular praise to her songwriting ability.
In 2006, she made her television debut in the UPN comedy Half & Half, where she played the role of Naomi. In 2007, Williams returned to theatre, starring in the first US national tour of The Colour Purple alongside LaToya London and Stephanie St. James, which earned her a nomination for "Best Lead Female Actress" at the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards.
Williams released her third (and first commercial pop) album, Unexpected in 2008. The highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed pop debut features singles; "We Break The Dawn" which peaked at #47 in the UK, #38 in Hungary and #4 on the US Dance chart; "The Greatest", which topped the US Billboard Dance chart; and "Hello Heartbreak". In 2009, "The Greatest" was listed at #39 on the decade-end, 2000-2009 Billboard Dance chart, one place behind "Lose My Breath" which Williams released as a member of Destiny's Child.
In 2009 she starred in the hit West-End production of Chicago, making her the first African-American to be cast in the lead role. The following year she replaced Ashlee Simpson in the Broadway production of the legendary musical before beginning an engagement at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. She further pursued acting in 2011, originating the lead role of Lena Summer in David E. Talbert's What My Husband Doesn't Know, which was released on DVD the same year.
In 2011, Williams released a collaboration with dance artist Ultra Naté titled "Waiting on You" which became her third top 20 entry on the US Billboard Dance chart where it peaked at #11.
In 2012, it was announced Williams had signed with Light Records/eOne. In 2013, Williams joined the US national tour of three-time Tony Award-winning musical Fela! and reunited with Destiny's Child at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show.
In 2013, it was announced that Williams will star in her own reality show titled My Sister's Keeper, produced by eOne, to coincide with the release of her fourth solo album.
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2 The actress Michelle Ingrid Williams (Marilyn Monroe ) features on the soundtrack of the film My Week with Marilyn singing It's a Wrap, I found a Dream, That Old Black Magic and a medley of 'When love goes wrong, Nothin' Goes Right' & 'Heat Wave'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Week_with_Marilyn#Music
We Break The Dawn
Michelle Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something that makes me know everything's goin' be alright
There's somethin' in the way that the stars align
There's not a single moment I'ma pass by
The hour's now
The base is loud
The disco lights
We're holdin' time in our hands and it stops when we say
We say
And we ain't stoppin' 'til the morning light
[Chorus]
We gotta hold back the sun, don't let it come
Ain't stoppin' for no one
The night is young
Don't let them turn on the lights
Let us decide when they play that last song
The night is done
When we break the dawn
We break the dawn [Repeat: x4]
Oh there somethin' on the surface right now
Somethin' the keeps me movin' diggin' deeper down
So I just let the speakers speak to me
Vibrations movin' on the floor all around
The hour's now (yes)
The base is loud (yes)
The disco lights (yes)
Shinin' through the crowd
We're holdin' time in our hands and it stops when we say
And we ain't stopping 'til the morning light
[Chorus]
We break the dawn [Repeat: x8]
The daylight scene never hurt nobody
And if the DJ decides there ain't no more party
Cause we're turnin' when we're good and ready
We step outside
Til the sunrise
Wait up and let me
We ain't goin' nowhere
Til we good and ready
Oh
Break the dawn!
[Chorus: x2]
We gotta hold back the sun
[Repeats]
We break the dawn
The song "We Break The Dawn" by Michelle Williams is an ode to the power of music and dancing to chase away any worries and fears. The lyrics suggest that something magical happens when the night falls and the disco lights start shining through the crowd. There's a sense of unity and freedom that comes with dancing together, holding time in our hands, and not stopping until the morning light.
The metaphors and imagery used in the lyrics reinforce the idea that the night is a blank canvas where anything is possible. The sky acts as a symbol of hope and positivity, creating a feeling that everything is going to be alright. The reference to "holding time in our hands" also emphasizes the idea that we have control over our own lives and can choose how we spend our time. Essentially, the song suggests that dancing until the break of dawn is a way to feel alive, connected, and free.
Overall, "We Break The Dawn" celebrates the joy and communal experience of dancing and music. The lyrics suggest that this is a time when everyone can let loose, forget about their worries and embrace the moment. It's a song that evokes the feeling of being at a lively club or concert, with the bass booming and the lights swirling, and just letting the music take over.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh there's somethin' bout the skylight tonight
The singer feels a positive vibe in the air due to the sky's appearance
Something that makes me know everything's goin' be alright
This positive vibe assures the singer of good things to come
There's somethin' in the way that the stars align
The alignment of stars is symbolic of positive change for the singer
There's not a single moment I'ma pass by
The artist intends to make the most of every moment tonight
The hour's now
The time is perfect for a party
The base is loud
The music is loud and captivating
The disco lights
The disco lights are creating a vibrant atmosphere
Shinin' through the crowd
The lights are reflecting off the moving crowd
We're holdin' time in our hands and it stops when we say
The artist feels like they have control over time tonight
We say
They decide when to pause or resume the party
And we ain't stoppin' 'til the morning light
The singer plans on partying till dawn
We gotta hold back the sun, don't let it come
The artist wants more time to party, even if it means holding back the sun
Ain't stoppin' for no one
They won't let anything interfere with their partying
The night is young
There's plenty of time for fun and enjoyment
Don't let them turn on the lights
The singer wants to control the timing of the party's end
Let us decide when they play that last song
The artist wants to be the one to decide when to play the last song
The night is done
The party only ends when they say it's done
We break the dawn
They are the ones who will bring an end to the night and welcome the dawn
Oh there somethin' on the surface right now
The singer senses that there's something more to the party atmosphere
Somethin' the keeps me movin' diggin' deeper down
The vibe keeps the artist energized and entertained
So I just let the speakers speak to me
The artist allows the music to take over and dictate their mood
Vibrations movin' on the floor all around
The music causes the floor to vibrate from the movement of the crowd
The daylight scene never hurt nobody
The singer doesn't mind partying all night till morning
And if the DJ decides there ain't no more party
The artist won't end the party until the DJ stops the music
Cause we're turnin' when we're good and ready
They won't leave until they feel satisfied with the night's events
We step outside
They leave the party scene and step outside
Til the sunrise
They stay up until the morning
Wait up and let me
They ask someone to wait for them
We ain't goin' nowhere
They aren't done with the night yet
Til we good and ready
They want to end the night on their own terms when they feel ready
Break the dawn!
They want to create a memorable end to the night, breaking the dawn itself
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW FRAMPTON, SOLANGE KNOWLES, WAYNE WILKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kash Kave
This should've been #1 on the charts. It's SUCH a good song.
Rekindle Semitone
I agree I play thus song ALOT
J P
It was wrong timing. Also, let's be real, during that time, it wasn't great for Michelle and Kelly coming out of DC when Beyonce(not purposely) was setting a standard that the music industry followed. This would have worked if Michelle did this during the Brittany, Jessica Simpson type days. The music industry wanted the solo females to have the Beyonce body, the swag, etc and being MIchelle was right next to her, they expected her craft to relate to anything DC did or similiar to what B was doing solo. That is just the truth. It was hard for her and Kelly to venture out and be on top as solo artist who are amazingly talented. Both ladies are vocal powerhouses and have good presence.
Princess
@J P Facts
Joshua McDowell
This song was so slept on. I still love it. Unexpected was very underrated too. I want Michelle to do another dance record.
Loran Hunt
Agreed! Cuz that album was and still is Amazing!
Adrian Famisan
Yes!
RX TV
Right
𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕜𝕣𝕒𝕦 (ℝ𝕖𝕣𝕦𝕟)
This is so underrated! I love this song so much! 🔥❤🔥
Geovani Perosa De Proenca
Depois que descobri me apaixonei por essa música.