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". The album gained Williams a nomination for Best Gospel Act at the 2004 MOBO Awards.
Background and composition
left|thumb|150px|[[Solange Knowles (pictured) co-wrote and co-produced "The Movement". 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. 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 [her] 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 [she] 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". 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". 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 Live in Atlanta 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 Billboards 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 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. On November 14, 2004, The New York Times reported the album had sold 59,262 units in the US and in 2008, Billboard reported US sales of 78,000 copies.
;Managerial
- A&R – Kim Burse, Huy Nguyen, Teresa LaBarbera Whites
- Executive producer – Mathew Knowles
;Performance credits
- Lead vocals – Michelle Williams
- Background vocals – Michelle Williams, Margaret Bell-Byars, Angie Winans, Carvin Winans, Juan Winans, Karees Brown, Jesse Campbell, DeBette Draper, Felicia East, Erika Jerry, J. Moss, Tommy Sims, Jerard Woods
;Visuals and Imagery
- Art direction – Ian Cuttler, Ellen To
- Photography – Christopher Kolk
- Stylist – Tina Knowles
;Instruments
- Conductor – Tim Akers
- Bass – Derrick Ray, Tony Russell
- Cello – Lynn Piethman
- Drums – Andy Selby, Curtis Zachary, Michael Weatherspoon
- Flugelhorn – Mike Haynes
- Guitar – Al Willis, Michael Ripoll, Paul Jackson Jr.
- Horn – Mike Haynes, Steve Patrick
- Keyboard – Andy Selby, Rodney East
- Trombone – Barry Green
- Organ – Rodney East
- Percussion – Ken Lewis
- Saxophone – Jim Horn
- Strings – The Positive Movement Orchestra
- Trumpet – Lloyd Barry
;Technical and Production
- Concertmaster – Karl Gorodestky
- Conductor – Tim Akers
- Engineers – Ernie Allen, Ced C, Jim Caruana, Steve Goldsmith, Danny Leake, Joey Fernandez, Rommel Villanueava
- Engineering assistants – Ternae Jordan Jr., Dwight Levens
- Mastering – Tom Coyne
- Mixing – Danny Leake, Ced C, Joey Fernandez, Dabling Harward, Todd Kozey, Bryan Lenox, Dave Pensado, Tony Shepperd, Larry Sturm
- Music Producers – Paul "PDA" Allen, Cedric Caldwell, Victor Caldwell, Anson Dawkins, Eric Dawkins, Troy Johnson, Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles, Loren McGee, PAJAM, Eric Pullins, Tommy Sims, Tim Weatherspoon, Erron Williams
- Vocal Producers – Angie Winans, Michelle Williams, Karees Brown, Jesse Campbell, Anson Dawkins, Eric Dawkins, Steve Goldsmith, Tommy Sims
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"|Chart (2004)
! scope="col"|Peak<br>position
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! scope="row"
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! scope="row"
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! scope="row"
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Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"|Chart (2004)
! scope="col"|Peak<br>position
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! scope="row"|US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard)
|align="center"|25
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Release history
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Edition
! scope="col"| Format
! scope="col"| Label
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! scope="row"| Germany
|rowspan="3"|
|rowspan="4"| Standard
|rowspan="3"| CD, digital download
|rowspan="2"| Sony Music Entertainment
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! scope="row"| United Kingdom
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! scope="row"| United States
| Columbia Records
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! scope="row"| Japan
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| rowspan="3"| CD
| Sony Music
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! scope="row"| United States
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| rowspan="2"|Reissue
| Music World
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| Sanctuary Records
|}