Girl Talk: Kelly Rowland Opens Up About Abuse, Twerking + More
Admit it. You've fantasized about meeting Kelly Rowland and becoming fast friends: jaunts to Paris, watching Love & Hip Hop Atlanta marathons in fancy hotel rooms in Rome. Well we can't make that happen, but here's your chance to get in a little girl talk with the Talk A Good Game star.
We played bestie surrogate with Kelly as she gabbed about everything from Girl Code tips on twerking and turning 30 transforming her into Nina from "Black Swan" to how she made it through the abuse she suffered long ago and where she stands with the inspiration for her "Dirty Laundry."
Kelly On Getting Her "Black Swan" On:
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I think it's obvious that Kelly is comfortable in her skin (see here and here). So what's the motivation behind all that more recently explicit sexuality? "At [age] 29 or 30 I was like, okay, this is me...these are my flaws and I accept them," she said. "I felt the way Nina felt when she fell in her Black Swan mode."
But you don't have to be in your late 20s to have obtain the sense of self our "Freak" singer has. During our chat Kelly, said she respects Rihanna for not being afraid to being afraid to just be who she is flaws and all.
Kelly Credits "Mama T" For Helping Her Look Past Skin Tone
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Kelly's definitely not afraid of your opinions. Her motto? See Salt-N-Pepa's "None Of Your Business." Part of that attitude Kelly thanks to her bestie Beyonce's mom, Tina, for. As a young girl standing in front of the mirror in the Knowles household, Mama T helped Kelly understand why "chocolate" is so special. "I'll do the same thing with my daughter," Kelly promised.
Kelly's Turn Ons Include Intelligence, Idiots Need Not Apply
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Well, all of that confidence and sexuality has to be expressed somehow, but when it comes to dating, Kelly's a traditional Southern girl at heart. So don't expect her to be chasing after some guy. "You know if somebody likes you or not," K-Row advised. "If they do, then, usually, they call." We heard that.
Twerking Dos + Don'ts According To Kelly Rowland
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Kelly's had us losing our breath with her twerk and grind moves since the '90s as a teen. I'd tell Miley Cyrus to take some notes, but according to Kelly, "Miley, gets down, don't get it twisted." We stand corrected. But there are some out there who still need a little booty popping guidance. To those people Kelly says, "It's such a thing as too much in public, you know, unless you have your little moves that you want to bust with certain people. That's cute."
Kelly Clears The Air With "Dirty Laundry" Abuser
As fun and beautiful as she is, Kelly has also dealt with serious issues like domestic abuse, which she detailed among other things in her acclaimed single. "We have to think more of ourselves as people as women in these situations," she said, "but we have to know that there is still a light at the end of the tunnel."
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One of the things that helped Kelly find her light when she was going through her intense situation is random calls from her friends (including Destiny's Child) or mom just saying I love you. "In that situation you are staying because you're thinking that's what love really is," Kelly said of figuring out the difference between abusive affection and real love.
So, where is the guy she refuses to name now? Kelly says she's happy for him and how far he's come since that time. "You have to remember...they're a better person now. I'm so proud of them and they're proud of me as well," she said.
Check back here all week where we'll be giving you exclusive interviews, photos and more all week long to celebrate the release of Kelly Rowland's album Talk A Good Game in stores now.
[Photo Credit: Lauren Weissler]