[4][5] After becoming the first member of Destiny's Child to release a solo album in 2002, Williams did not wait long to start work on its follow-up in 2003.

[2] Before taking over the lead role in the Broadway musical Aida on November 18, 2003,[8][9] Williams began working on the album, involving an even greater variety of producers than she did for her debut album such as trio PAJAM, made up of Paul Allen, J. Moss and Walter Kearney, duo Dawkins & Dawkins, Tommy Sims, bandmate Beyoncé Knowles, her sister Solange Knowles, and Williams' brother Erron Williams.

[2][6] Prior to Do You Know's release, Williams told MTV that she couldn't "wait for the world to hear [her] new solo album", describing it as "fresher", "more inspirational", and "more on the secular side".

[11] After being asked "Michelle, as people listen to the album, Do You Know, as they get acquainted with the songs, what are you hoping to bring to their lives?

[2] Kwaku of Cross Rhythms wrote that "Michelle seems happy to produce music which straddles between contemporary gospel and inspirational R&B" and thus "she certainly isn’t going to have problems facing the congregation when she attends church".

[15] Emily Sogn of PopMatters likened Williams' "pleasingly slow paced" singing style to pop contemporaries like Ashanti and Janet Jackson and described the album as "a decent, yet not spectacular sophomore effort", noting that "while it might not enough to ensure her a successful career outside of her contributions to Destiny's Child, it isn’t without its particular merits and shining moments".

Comparing it to its predecessor he wrote "this second solo foray into contemporary spirituals vastly improves upon her godforsaken 2002 debut" and that "both the beats and girlish chops feel more seasoned, even if she'll always be more R&B minimalist than the gospel powerhouse she aspires to be".

[21][22][23] Notably, Williams also performed "Do You Know" live on the 2004 Soul Train Music Awards[24] and throughout the Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It world concert tour – which visited 16 countries throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America with 67 dates in total.

However, Do You Know only managed to hold one week on the main US albums chart – the Billboard 200 – where it peaked at number one-hundred-and-twenty.