email sending issue

I want to echo an email address i am getting from  a model in controller, right now  here's how i'm doing it

$data['records']['email']

but it won't allow me to echo it inside $this->email->to() function.

i have tried  $this->email->to($data['records']['email']) & $this->email->to( echo $data['records']['email'])  

both ways gave me errors.

how can i print the email address.