Ms. Kelly - Release and Promotion

Release and Promotion

Originally expected for a March 2006 release, the album had two title changes and three unofficial releases until its dropping the following year. Although manager Matthew Knowles initially insisted the decision to push the release date from July 2006 was because more time would be needed to properly set up the project, Rowland later admitted that she had been unsatisfied with the album's first draft, and thus, asked to rework with a stable of new producers on the project. Her decision led to the cancellation of the album's original leading single "Gotsta Go", a collaboration with rapper Da Brat that she premiered on the MTV Asia Awards Bangkok on in May 2006.

Recorded late into the production of the album, Rowland and her management chose "Like This" as the lead single off Ms. Kelly. Moderately successful on the charts, the song reached the top ten in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and dominated the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Comeback" was sent to urban radio on July 30, 2007, as the album's second US single, while "Work" was released as the second international single and achieved greater success than "Like This". Pushed by a newly-produced Freemasons remix, it reached the top ten on the majority of all European and Oceanic music charts. "Ghetto", featuring Snoop Dogg, followed with minor to no commercial success stateside. The album released previously unreleased "Daylight" as fifth and final single; it became a top twenty success in the UK and helped introducing the Diva reissues. Although never released as a single, Rowland shot a music video for "Comeback" back-to-back with the video for "Work". The track was originally planned to be released as the album's second single alongside ballad "Still in Love with My Ex".

Following the original album's lukewarm sales and reception, Rowland re-entered recording studios to collect new songs for a reissue of Ms. Kelly, including production by Stargate, Jeff Dawson, CKB and Mark Feist. She was also expected to record with producer Danja, but deadline pressure prevented from happening; a new track by J. R. Rotem did not make the final cut. "The sales weren’t as good as I wanted them to be and to be honest, I did feel sad about that for a little while," Rowland stated in 2008, still blaming the final tracklist for too many midtempos and ballads. "I didn't realize it while I was recording it. After it was released many fans said the songs would rock if they were more upbeat." Branded with the name Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, the U.S. re-release received a digital release only on March 25, 2008, containing seven tracks — five new songs and two remixes of tunes found on the original album. The international version of the Ms. Kelly re-release was released physically and digitally in May 2008, re-titled as Ms. Kelly Deluxe. It removed eight tracks from the original release and replaced them with six of the seven Diva Deluxe tracks, as Rowland "wanted to have another view on the record and close the Ms. Kelly chapter" with the re-release." Previously unreleased record "Daylight", a Bobby Womack cover and collaboration with Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, served as the reissue's new lead single. As Kelly told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul: "Because I love the fact that Gym Class Heroes' music and sound is something different and eclectic, I figured me and Travis together would be an unusual typea duet. And I'm really happy I trusted my instincts."