Kelly Rowland Leaves Columbia Records

Kelly Rowland has parted ways with Columbia Records as a solo artist, it was officially announced today by the label.

Rowland, a founding member of Destiny’s Child, will continue her relationship with Columbia Records in her ongoing role in the Grammy-winning group.

“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,” said Kelly Rowland. “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. I want to thank everyone at Columbia for the love and support they’ve shown and I will never forget how many good times we’ve had over the years.”

“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.”

The “Dilemma” singer released two solo albums on Columbia. Her debut, 2002’s Simply Deep, was certified Gold in the U.S., while her sophomore album, Ms. Kelly, was released in 2007.

The 28-year-old songstress ended her professional solo relationship with Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment earlier this year. She will continue to be managed by Knowles as a member of Destiny’s Child.