Kelly Rowland broke down in tears as she came to the end of her emotional ballad “Dirty Laundry” – a song about an abusive relationship with an ex and her rivalry with her Destiny’s Child band mate, Beyonce.
At a D.C. concert on Sunday, the R&B singer was sitting on a stool while singing and became so overwhelmed by the lyrics that she had to stop, bow her head down, and cry.
The supportive crowd responded with wild applause and chanted her name. Rowland smiled and then started to sing again.
Rowland’s new single reveals the resentment she has over Beyonce, whose solo career sky-rocketed after the girl group split in 2006.
“Bird in a cafe/ You’d never know what I was dealing with,” Rowland sings. “Went our separate ways but I was happy she was killin’ it/ Bittersweet, she was up, I was down/ No lie, I feel good for her but what do I do now?”
The song also centers on being “battered” by an abusive ex-boyfriend, who turned her against her successful “sister,” Beyonce.
“Doing this song for me was so therapeutic,” Rowland said. “Honesty, like my mama always says, is always the best policy.”