Kelly Rowland Leaves Columbia Records

R&B singer and Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland has parted ways with her label, Columbia Records. While she no longer will be recording with the label as a solo artist, she will continue her role in the Destiny's Child catalog.

"Because Columbia Records has been my home base as an artist for more than a decade, the decision to move out on my own required a lot of soul-searching," Rowland said in a statement. "As a solo artist, I felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone and my friends and family at Columbia have been incredibly understanding about my evolution."

"Kelly Rowland is one of our finest contemporary artists and a musical force to be reckoned with," said Rob Stringer, CEO, Columbia/Epic Label Music Group. "It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Kelly and we will continue our working relationship with her under the Destiny's Child moniker. The decision for Kelly to seek other opportunities for her solo career was agreed upon mutually, and any reports to the contrary are false."

Rowland's last release, 2007's "Ms. Kelly," has sold 219,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

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