Christina Milian (album) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Christina Milian Studio album by Christina Milian Released October 9, 2001 (Europe) January 15, 2002 (Japan) Recorded 2000–2001 Genre R&B, pop, urban Length 47:53 Label Def Soul Records Producer Bloodshy & Avant, Jermaine Dupri, Focus, Irv Gotti, Mark Hill, Montell Jordan, Evan Rogers Professional reviews Allmusic [1] Dawn (favorable)[2] entertainment.ie [3] iafrica.com [4] New Musical Express [5] Christina Milian chronology Christina Milian (2001) It's About Time (2004) Singles from Christina Milian "AM to PM" Released: July 24, 2001 "When You Look at Me" Released: June 17, 2002 Christina Milian is the self-titled debut album of American singer Christina Milian, released by Def Soul Records on October 9, 2001.[6] The album's domestic release was delayed partly due to the September 11 attacks, which occurred just two weeks before the intended release date. Milian decided not to release the album domestically; however, it was ultimately released three years later.[7] Milian made her first professional musical appearance on Ja Rule's single "Between Me And You", which led to a record deal with Def Jam and the release of her debut album. Production took place in Sweden, where Milian worked with several producers. It was during the production of the album that Milian first started to write songs, and received writing credit for nine tracks on the album. Milian was displeased by Def Jam's portrayal of her image, which she felt was constantly changing and confusing the audience. The critical response to Christina Milian was mixed; critics who gave a positive review enjoyed the catchy tracks and lead single "AM to PM", while others found that it needed original ideas. The album peaked at number 23 in the UK, selling a total of 101,986 copies and achieving Silver certification. Internationally, the album also charted in the Netherlands, Sweden and France. The album spawned two singles, which charted worldwide. The track, "Get Away", was supposed to the third single, but was not officially released. Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Production 3 Music and lyrics 4 Release and reception 5 Track listing 6 Personnel 7 Charts 8 References [edit] Background Milian was only four-years-old when she showed an interest in show business,[8] and when her family realized that she was a talented actor, she determined to pursue an entertainment career.[9] When Milian moved to Los Angeles at the age of 13, her only desire was to be an actress. She always wanted to be in the record business, but did not know how to obtain a recording contract. After living in Los Angeles for six months, Milian moved into the same apartment complex as songwriter and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Jerkins heard about Milian from a boy band he was working with and once he heard her sing, they began working together. For a year and a half, Milian went into a studio everyday and worked with Jerkins, which is where she started meeting people in the record business.[10] Milian began writing songs at the age of seventeen because she needed a demo to help her obtain a recording contract. According to Milian, every time she recorded a song, the producer would refuse to give her the demo, or would write lyrics that she did not agree with. She felt that she had to write a song, record a demo, and send it out on her own.[11] Milian made her first professional musical appearance on Ja Rule's second studio album Rule 3:36, performing vocals on the song "Between Me And You".[12] The song was released as the album's lead single in 2000, peaking at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100,[13] and in the top thirty of the UK Singles Chart.[14] [edit] Production Milian traveled to Sweden and recorded her self-titled debut album,[15] working with several producers and those who were "hot" at the time.[16] Soren Baker of the Los Angeles Times later suggested that instead of launching her career off the success of "Between Me And You", and by recording in Sweden without the "platinum production touch" of Irv Gotti, the owner of The Inc. Records, the momentum created by the song had evaporated.[15] The whole album took between six months and a year to produce,[17] and Milian received writing credit for nine songs on the album.[6] When writing songs Milian had rules: she would write a hook, a verse, another verse similar to the first one, and the same melody all throughout the song.[17] Milian asked Ja Rule to appear on her album, however she did not want to put him "on just any song", and wanted to make sure it was the right song for him.[18] Milian hoped Ja Rule would appear on the track "A Girl Like Me", but he ended up rapping on "Get Away".[18] Milian believed that the public expected "a certain thing" from her when she first appeared with Ja Rule, however she wanted to record the type of music she was signed to do. She said that "AM to PM" was a "cool record", but it was not what the public expected.[15] Milian felt that her record label was confused as to how they wanted her image to be portrayed; one second she was young and singing "AM to PM", and next she was a "grown-ass woman" singing "Get Away". She realized that the change confused the audience, and that "nobody was buying it".[16] To explain that she was serious about her musical career, Milian approached the executives at Def Jam, and "cussed them all out", telling them that they were not listening to her.[15] After the international release of the album, Milian toured overseas for a year and a half. When she returned to the U.S., she decided not to release her previous album domestically, and started working on a new album.[10] [edit] Music and lyrics It was during the production of the album that Milian had first started to write songs, and wrote about things that she could relate to at the time.[17] Whenever she would experience something that she thought would be important, she would write it down for future reference. Milian felt that by writing down true experiences, her songs were like "captured emotion".[16] Milian described the sound of the album as "hip hop under-toned with nice, pop melodies".[18] She called the genre of the album "bubble-gum pop",[8] and described "AM to PM" as "very pop",[19] and a "fun, party/club song".[18] The genre of the album was described by one critic as "light-hearted, energetic R&B pop tunes".[3] Milian named "You Make Me Laugh" one of her favorite songs on the album. It was the first song written by Milian for the album, and she worked with Bloodshy for the song's production. Many live instruments were used during the album's production, especially violin.[18] The album's second and final single, "When You Look at Me", was written by Milian. Using her school days as the inspiration for the song, Milian said that "when I was growing up, I found people were always trying to label me. The first day of school it would be like 'Here comes this girl all dressed up. She thinks she's all that' and they didn't even know me. The message behind 'When You Look At Me' is never judge a book by its cover."[20] Milian co-wrote the track "Twitch" with R&B singer Montell Jordan, which explains that men have a certain twitch of their shoulders whenever they tell lies.[3] [edit] Release and reception Christina Milian was released on October 21, 2001 in the United Kingdom.[21] The album peaked at number 23 in the UK, selling a total of 101,986 copies and achieving Silver certification.[22][23] Internationally, the album peaked at number 36 in the Netherlands, 98 in Sweden, and 138 in France.[24] Two weeks before the album's release in the U.S., the September 11 attacks occurred and the release date was postponed,[25] eventually released three years later.[7] The album's lead single, "AM to PM", peaked at number three in the UK, the top five in Denmark, the top 10 in the Netherlands, and the top 30 in Australia and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[13][26] The album's second and final single, "When You Look at Me", reached number three in the UK and in the Netherlands,[13] the top 10 in Australia, and the top 20 in Denmark and France.[27] A music video for the track "Get Away" was filmed in Paris, although it was not officially released as a single.[28] To promote the album, Milian toured with 'N Sync.[7] The critical response to Christina Milian was mixed. Imran Ahmed of the New Musical Express enjoyed "genius single 'AM to PM'", and compared the tracks "Got To Have You" and "When You Look At Me" to Janet Jackson's style. Ahmed described most of the album's tracks as "chart-molesting pop", and predicted that based on her debut album, "genius can't be more than a few albums away".[5] Contrastingly, Andrew Lynch of entertainment.ie described the album as "relentlessly ordinary", and suggested that Milian needed original ideas. Lynch felt that apart from "AM to PM" and "You Make Me laugh" there was nothing above the average.[3] A reviewer for Dawn commended the album for being "full of danceable, likeable tracks, and even the occasional, successful ballad like 'Until I Get Over You'". The reviewer called the album to be "a refreshing change with its charming lyrics and teen outlook", and praised "AM to PM".[2] Carmen Meyer of iafrica.com found the album to be filled "with light-hearted and catchy tracks, which can be enjoyed either in a club, your car or even when chilling at home." Meyer commented on the album's tracks, which she felt ranged from "melodic and heart-rending ballads to funky dance beats that are bound to keep you moving".[4] [edit] Track listing "Get Away" (featuring Ja Rule) – 4:14 "AM to PM" – 3:52 "When You Look at Me" – 3:43 "Spending Time" (featuring Charli Baltimore) – 4:32 "It Hurts When..." – 4:02 "You Make Me Laugh" – 3:38 "A Girl Like Me" (featuring Jermaine Dupri) – 4:00 "Twitch" – 4:01 "Until I Get Over You" – 3:58 "Satisfaction Guaranteed" – 3:45 "Got to Have You" – 3:38 "Thank You" – 4:28 "Your Last Call" [UK bonus track] – 3:38 "Let Go" [Japanese bonus track] – 3:42 "You Snooze, You Lose" [Japanese bonus track] – 3:31 [edit] Personnel Executive producers - Jeff Fenster, Carmen Milian Vocal assistance - Montell Jordan, Jeanette Olsson, Christina Milian Engineers - Joe Chiccarelli, Brian Frye, Al Hemberger, Glenn Matullo, Carlisle Young Assistant engineers - Tom Bender, Stephanie Vonarx Conductors - Janson & Janson Mixing - Mick Guzauski, Tony Maserati, Peter Mokran, Brian Springer, Phil Tan A&R - Hector "Rick Boogie" Aviles, Simon Collins, Jeff Fenster Design - Shanna Busman Art Direction - Shanna Busman Photography - Tony Duran Dag Alin - violin Hans Akeson - viola Elisabeth Arnberg Ranmo - viola Torbjorn Bernhardsson - violin Asa Forsberg - cello Hanna Gähran - violin Per Hammarstrom - violin LaMarquis Mark Jefferson - bass Henrik Jonback - guitar Thomas Lindberg - bass Annette Mannheimer - violin Svein H. Martinsen - violin Monika Stanikowska - viola Martin Stensson - violin [edit] Charts Chart Peak position[24][22] Dutch Albums Chart 36 French Albums Chart 138 Swiss Albums Chart 98 UK Albums Chart 23 [edit] References ^ "Christina Milian - Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:mu3m96oojep6. Retrieved on 2008-11-24. ^ a b "Eight Days a Week". Dawn. September 25, 2003. http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/archive/030925/review11.htm. Retrieved on 15 December 2008. ^ a b c d Lynch, Andrew. "Christina Milian - Christina Milian". entertainment.ie. http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Christina-Milian---Christina-Milian/1838.htm. Retrieved on 2008-11-24. ^ a b Meyer, Carmen (June 13, 2002). "Christina Milian". iafrica.com. http://entertainment.iafrica.com/music/archives/978239.htm. Retrieved on 14 December 2008. ^ a b Ahmed, Imran (February 12, 2002). "Milian, Christina : Christina Milian". New Musical Express. http://www.nme.com/reviews/christina-milian/6086. Retrieved on 2009-01-31. ^ a b "Discography – Christina Milian – Christina Milian". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=448971&aid=500395. Retrieved on 2008-10-03. ^ a b c Lightstone, Miranda. "15 Questions With Christina Milian". AskMen. http://au.askmen.com/celebs/interview_250/293_christina_milian_interview.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-15. ^ a b Beale, Lewis (December 2003). "Christina Milian: Don't Worry, J. Lo. This Singing Actress has a Different Career Path in Mind". FindArticles. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_11_33/ai_111114514/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1. Retrieved on 2008-07-26. ^ "Christina Milian Biography". Yahoo!. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1807439013/bio. Retrieved on 2008-07-23. ^ a b Lil' Kim (March 2005). "Christina Milian: a Singer who Needs no Lessons in Cool Talks to Hip-Hop's Queen Bee". FindArticles. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_2_35/ai_n11839374. Retrieved on 2008-07-24. ^ Daw, Robbie (2006-07-01). "One in a Milian". Instinct. http://instinctmagazine.com/celebrity-interviews/christina-milian.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-30. ^ "Christina Milian". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/milian_christina/artist.jhtml. Retrieved on 2008-02-24. ^ a b c "Chart Beat Bonus". Billboard. 2004-07-23. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000583942. Retrieved on 2008-07-23. ^ Jones, Alan (2002-01-26). "The Official UK Singles Chart Top 75". Music Week. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25013431_ITM. Retrieved on 2008-07-24. ^ a b c d Baker, Soren (2005-03-03). "As this Moon she Rises Higher". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2005/mar/03/news/wk-movies3. Retrieved on 2008-08-17. ^ a b c Rolls, Chris (2006-05-23). "Exclusive Interview with Christina Milian". MP3.com. http://www.mp3.com/features/stories/4636.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-18. ^ a b c "Christina Milian So Amazin' Album". Music Remedy. http://www.musicremedy.com/c/Christina_Milian/album/So_Amazin-2530.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-03. ^ a b c d e Scharf, Lindzi. "Christina Milian". Lindzi.com. http://www.lindzi.com/interviews/christinam.htm. Retrieved on 14 December 2008. ^ Moss, Corey (2004-05-07). "Christina Milian's Sexy New Look Comes In Flat Or Semigloss". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486894/20040507/milian_christina.jhtml. Retrieved on 2008-07-25. ^ Mytton, Leigh (June 21, 2002). "Milian charts pop success". bbc.co.uk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2057502.stm. Retrieved on 2008-09-13. ^ "Christina Milian: Christina Milian: Music". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Christina-Milian/dp/B00005PJAV. Retrieved on 2008-08-17. ^ a b "Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley retain top positions". Music Week. 2006-05-22. http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=19806. Retrieved on 2008-09-12. ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=30255. Retrieved on 2008-10-03. ^ a b "Christina Milian - Christina Milian (Album)". Swiss Music Charts. http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Christina+Milian&titel=Christina+Milian&cat=a. Retrieved on 2008-07-20. ^ Antlfinger, Carrie (2004-09-19). "Christina Milian has her eyes on a Grammy and an Oscar". Herald Mail. http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=89881&format=html. Retrieved on 2008-07-26. ^ "Christina Milian – AM to PM". Swiss Music Charts. http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Christina+Milian&titel=AM+To+PM&cat=s. Retrieved on 2008-07-20. ^ "Christina Milian – When You Look at Me". Swiss Music Charts. http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Christina+Milian&titel=When+You+Look+At+Me&cat=s. Retrieved on 2008-07-23. ^ "Christina Milian ft Ja Rule Get Away Video". KOvideo. http://www.kovideo.net/music/video/Christina-Milian-ft-Ja-Rule---Get-Away/532.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-02. [hide]v • d • eChristina Milian Studio albums Christina Milian · It's About Time · So Amazin' · Elope Other albums Best Of Singles "AM to PM" · "When You Look at Me" · "Get Away" · "Dip It Low" · "Whatever U Want" · "Say I" · "Us Against the World" Other singles "Between Me and You" · "It's All Gravy" Related articles Discography Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Milian_(album)" Categories: 2001 albums | Albums produced by Bloodshy & Avant | Albums produced by Irv Gotti | Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri | Christina Milian albums | Debut albums