Michelle Williams: Destiny's Stepchild

God bless her. Michelle Williams is the epitome of persistence, patience and perseverance. If Kelly Rowland is known as Beyonce's shadow in her solo career, at least she's known. Michelle Williams has enjoyed (or suffered) anonymity since Destiny's Child split up. She released her first solo pop music album, Unexpected, in 2008 to lackluster reviews and an even more lackluster response: It sold 14,000 copies in its debut week. Coitada.

In an interview with the BBC, Michelle Williams was frank about the flop she suffered and how frustrating it can be to constantly be measured against Beyonce.

Q: Were you disappointed it didn't do well in the charts?

A: Very disappointed because I don't go in the studio for my health.

I felt like I was ready to go, it seemed like it was doing well atfirst. So I understand you cannot depend on your label and yourmanagement for 100% backing.

I know there were things that Ihad to do, or could have done, that maybe I didn't do as well - maybe Ididn't have a good enough internet presence. Sometimes artists have tomarket themselves now.

I'm still disappointed, but I was like,'if God can give me an ounce of what you give others then I would beokay'. I don't ask for much. I gave out good music - that's enough.

Q: Are you envious of the level of success that Beyonce has achieved?

A: I wouldn't say I'm envious but I know that I can have number one songs.

We all can. Myself, Kelly [Rowland] - she's got a number one song now with David Guetta [When Love Takes Over]. It's possible.

Destiny's Child, we're all solo. There's no reason why A, B and Ccan't have their own levels of success in lanes A, B and C. I might getin trouble for saying that but, oh well.

And what I hate peopleto do is, they don't think because I'm not visible over here with thenumber ones, they think I'm not doing anything or they think I'm not assuccessful.

But I'm in the freaking West End! I'm the first African-American woman to play his role in the West End!

But it's okay. The other day I was walking around London, nobody made afuss - I like that. I wanna be respected for what I do but I don'twanna be bombarded and can't go anywhere.

So that's what I have over Beyonce. I can go anywhere I want.

It's incredibly refreshing to see an artist not lie through their teeth about suffering a flop. Most artists will play it off and say fluffy nonsense like, "I don't care if I sell a million copies or a hundred copies of my album." Uh huh. And Mariah Carey doesn't care if you don't put a wind machine in her music videos.

While it can be said that theater is the scrap heap for down-on-their-luck recording artists, (Hi, Fantasia!) at least Michelle is working. Here's a clip of Michelle onstage at the West End in London playing Roxie in "Chicago."