New York, NY — The Grammy-winning R&B/pop superstar

Kelly Rowland

will no longer be recording with

Columbia Records

as a solo artist, it was officially announced today by the label.

Rowland, a founding member of

Destiny’s Child

, the world’s top-selling female group, will continue her relationship with

Columbia Records

in her ongoing role in the iconic ensemble.

“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.”