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Christina Milian (album)

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Christina Milian
Studio album by
Christina Milian
ReleasedJanuary 23, 2002
Recorded2000–2001
Genre
Length47:53
LabelDef Soul
Producer
Christina Milian chronology
Christina Milian
(2002) 		It's About Time
(2004)
Singles from Christina Milian
  1. "AM to PM"
    Released: July 24, 2001
  2. "When You Look at Me"
    Released: May 2, 2002

Christina Milian is the debut studio album by American singer Christina Milian. It was released on January 23, 2002, by Def Soul.

Milian made her first professional musical appearance on Ja Rule's single "Between Me and You", which led to a record deal with Def Soul in 2000. Milian traveled to Sweden where she collaborated with several producers, most notably Bloodshy & Avant, who helmed five tracks from Christina Milian. Milian co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on the album, taking inspiration from personal experiences. The album's musical style is mostly dance and R&B, and critics noted similarities to Milian's contemporaries Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Milian was displeased by Def Soul's portrayal of her image, which she felt was constantly changing and confusing the audience.

Upon release, Christina Milian received mixed reviews from music critics, with praise directed towards pop-influenced material, and criticism towards a perceived lack of originality. The album's domestic release was shelved due to the September 11 attacks, which occurred two weeks before its intended US release date of September 25, 2001. Internationally, the album peaked at number 23 in the UK, and within the top 20 in Japan. It spawned two singles, "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me", both of which became top-10 hits in the UK. Christina Milian would remain unreleased in the US until August 21, 2020, when a deluxe edition was made available for digital consumption.

Production and composition

Following her collaboration with Ja Rule, Milian signed a deal with Island Def Jam Music Group in 2000.[3] Milian traveled to Sweden and recorded her self-titled debut album,[4] working with the popular producers of that time.[5] Milian collaborated with Bloodshy & Avant, Jermaine Dupri, Focus, Irv Gotti, Mark Hill, Montell Jordan and Evan Rogers.[6] 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.[4] Milian received writing credit for eleven of the twelve songs on the album.[6] 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.[7]

Milian described the sound of the album as "hip hop under-toned with nice, pop melodies",[8] and later said the genre of the album was "bubble-gum pop".[9] She described lead single "AM to PM" as a "very pop" and "fun, party/club song".[8][10] The genre of the album was described by one critic as "light-hearted, energetic R&B pop tunes".[11] Critics compared Milian to Janet Jackson and Aaliyah.[11] Sonically, the album was said to stick "rigidly to the sherbert-snorting pop formula of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera".[12] One reviewer compared Milian to other singers of her generation, and found that "while Spears has gone raunchy with 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll', Christina Aguilera down and dirty on Stripped, and even clean-cut Mandy Moore has brashly cut her hair Felicity-style, Milian still seems young and real." The critic also compared Milian to Beyoncé Knowles, "while Beyonce is shaking her bootylicious body like crazy on 'Crazy In Love', Milian is simply enjoying becoming a young star."[13]

Many live instruments were used during the album's production, especially violin. 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.[8] 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."[14] 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.[8] Milian hoped Ja Rule would appear on the track "A Girl Like Me", but he ended up rapping on "Get Away".[8] 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.[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Blender[15]
entertainment.ie[11]
iafrica.com[2]
NME7/10[12]
Vibe[16]

The album received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Imran Ahmed of the New Musical Express enjoyed "genius single 'AM to PM'", and praised the tracks "Got to Have You" and "When You Look at Me". Ahmed guessed that "beneath the froth, there's a certain depth of soul" in Milian, and thought "Get Away" had similar excellent results to her previous collaboration with Ja Rule, "Between Me and You". The reviewer also commended the lyrics of "Twitch", which he thought was "remarkable for being what may be the first ever song about someone with a facial tic". Ahmed was impressed that alongside the impressive production credit list, it was "still Milian's name that tops the list of executive producers", and predicted, "genius can't be more than a few albums away".[12] Contrastingly, Andrew Lynch of entertainment.ie described the album as "relentlessly ordinary", and suggested that Milian needed original ideas. The reviewer felt that apart from "AM to PM" and "You Make Me Laugh" there was nothing above the average. Lynch said that if Milian "really wants to compete with the big girls, she badly needs to spice up her tired formula."[11]

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". "AM to PM" was said to hint at "quite a lot of talent", and was praised for its "slick lyrics, a fast pace, and a phat vibe". The reviewer also praised "When You Look at Me", "Get Away", and "Got to Have You".[13] Carmen Meyer of iafrica.com found the "smooth, groovy and refreshing" 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." She commented on the album's tracks, which ranged from "melodic and heart-rending ballads to funky dance beats that are bound to keep you moving". Meyer praised the "infectious" "AM to PM", the "exciting" "A Girl Like Me", and "Till I Get Over You", which is "guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings and make you want to pull your loved ones closer".[2]

Release and commercial performance

The album was released on 21 January 2002 in the United Kingdom.[17] It peaked at number 23 in the UK, selling a total of 101,986 copies, and achieved gold certification.[18][19] Internationally, the album peaked at number 36 in the Netherlands, 98 in Sweden, and 138 in France.[20] The release date in the US was scheduled for September 25, 2001, yet the September 11 attacks occurred and the release date was postponed,[21] eventually released in the region on August 27, 2002.[22] 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 US Billboard Hot 100.[23][24] The album's second and final single, "When You Look at Me", reached number three in the UK and in the Netherlands,[23] the top 10 in Australia, and the top 20 in Denmark and France.[25] A music video for the track "Get Away" was filmed in Paris, although it was not officially released as a single.[26] To promote the album, Milian toured with NSYNC, serving as the opening act.[22] Band member JC Chasez said, "she was like the cute, spunky kid sister. Not everyone could take Justin's practical jokes or my teasing."[3]

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.[4] 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 woman singing "Get Away". She realized that the change confused the audience, and that "nobody was buying it".[5] To explain that she was serious about her musical career, Milian approached the executives at Island Def Jam, and "cussed them all out", telling them that they were not listening to her.[4]

Track listing

Christina Milian track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Get Away" (featuring Ja Rule)
Irv Gotti4:13
2."AM to PM"
3:52
3."When You Look at Me"
  • Bloodshy
  • Avant[a]
3:43
4."Spending Time" (featuring Charli "Chuck" Baltimore)
Gotti4:32
5."It Hurts When..."
4:02
6."You Make Me Laugh"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Odesjo
  • Bloodshy
  • Fredro[a]
3:37
7."A Girl Like Me" (featuring Jermaine Dupri)
4:00
8."Twitch"
  • Milian
  • Jordan
  • Edwards
  • Focus...
  • Jordan
4:02
9."Until I Get Over You"
  • Rogers
  • Sturken
3:58
10."Satisfaction Guaranteed"
Hill3:45
11."Got to Have You"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Winberg
3:38
12."Thank You"
  • Milian
  • Rogers
  • Sturken
  • Rogers
  • Sturken
4:30
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Let Go"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Winberg
  • Bloodshy
  • Avant[a]
3:42
14."Snooze Ya Lose"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Odesjo
  • Jonback
  • Bloodshy
  • Avant[a]
3:32
European bonus track and 2020 digital reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Your Last Call"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Winberg
  • Jonback
  • Bloodshy
  • Avant[a]
3:37
2020 digital deluxe edition[27][28]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Perfect"
Hall4:07
15."Snooze Ya Lose"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Odesjo
  • Jonback
  • Bloodshy
  • Avant[a]
3:31
16."Let Go"
  • Milian
  • Karlsson
  • Winberg
  • Bloodshy
  • Avant[a]
3:41
Total length:62:35

Notes

  • ^a denotes co-producer
  • "Snooze Ya Lose" is entitled "You Snooze, You Lose" on Japanese CDs.
  • "Get Away" is placed as track 3, prior to "Spending Time" on the 2020 digital deluxe edition.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Christina Milian
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[41] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for Christina Milian
Region Date Edition(s) Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Japan January 23, 2002 Standard CD Universal Music Japan
[35]
France March 19, 2002 Def Soul
[43]
United Kingdom June 24, 2002 Mercury
[44]
Germany July 15, 2002 Universal Music
[45]
Various August 21, 2020 Deluxe
Island
[46]

References

  1. ^ Bonacich, Drago. "Christina Milian". AllMusic. Retrieved April 24, 2017. her self-titled R&B/pop debut album in 2001
  2. ^ a b c Meyer, Carmen (June 13, 2002). "Christina Milian". iafrica.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Kappes, Serena (March 2, 2005). "Celeb Spotlight: Christina Milian". People. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Baker, Soren (March 3, 2005). "As this Moon she Rises Higher". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
  5. ^ a b Rolls, Chris (May 23, 2006). "Exclusive Interview with Christina Milian". MP3.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c "Christina Milian - Christina Milian". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2023. Note: The archived page shows 2.5 stars, unlike the current page which has no AllMusic rating.
  7. ^ "Christina Milian So Amazin Album". Music Remedy. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  8. ^ a b c d e Scharf, Lindzi. "Christina Milian". Lindzi.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
  9. ^ Beale, Lewis (December 2003). "Christina Milian: Don't Worry, J. Lo. This Singing Actress has a Different Career Path in Mind". FindArticles. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  10. ^ Moss, Corey (May 7, 2004). "Christina Milian's Sexy New Look Comes In Flat Or Semigloss". MTV. Archived from the original on September 17, 2004. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c d e Lynch, Andrew (January 25, 2002). "Christina Milian - Christina Milian". entertainment.ie. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  12. ^ a b c Ahmed, Imran (February 12, 2002). "Milian, Christina : Christina Milian". NME. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Eight Days a Week". Dawn. September 25, 2003. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  14. ^ Mytton, Leigh (June 21, 2002). "Milian charts pop success". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  15. ^ Drumming, Neil. "Bland pop-soul from Cuban thrush". Blender. Archived from the original on June 5, 2003. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  16. ^ Swenson, Kylee (April 2002). "Revolutions: Christina Milian – Christina Milian". Vibe. New York. p. 162. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  17. ^ "Christina Milian: Christina Milian: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
  18. ^ "Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley retain top positions". Music Week. May 22, 2006. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
  19. ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  20. ^ "Christina Milian - Christina Milian (Album)". swisscharts.com. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  21. ^ Antlfinger, Carrie (September 19, 2004). "Christina Milian has her eyes on a Grammy and an Oscar". Herald Mail. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  22. ^ a b Lightstone, Miranda. "15 Questions With Christina Milian". AskMen. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  23. ^ a b "Chart Beat Bonus". Billboard. July 23, 2004. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  24. ^ "Christina Milian – AM to PM". Swiss Hitparade. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  25. ^ "Christina Milian – When You Look at Me". Swiss Hitparade. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  26. ^ "Christina Milian ft Ja Rule Get Away Video". KOvideo. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
  27. ^ "Christina Milian". qobuz.com.
  28. ^ "Christina Milian (Deluxe Edition)". music.apple.com.
  29. ^ "ARIA Urban Chart – Week Commencing 10th June 2002" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (641): 14. June 10, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2002. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Pandora Archive.
  30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Christina Milian – Christina Milian" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  31. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 29. July 13, 2002. p. 8. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ "Lescharts.com – Christina Milian – Christina Milian". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  33. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Christina Milian – Christina Milian" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  34. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Christina Milian". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  35. ^ a b クリスティーナ・ミリアン (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  36. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  37. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Christina Milian – Christina Milian". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  38. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  39. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  40. ^ "UK Year-End Charts 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  41. ^ "Japanese album certifications – Christina Milian – Christina Milian" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2002年5月 on the drop-down menu
  42. ^ "British album certifications – Christina Milian – Christina Milian". British Phonographic Industry.
  43. ^ "Christina Milian – Christina Milian – CD album" (in French). France: Def Soul. March 19, 2002. Retrieved August 22, 2023 – via Fnac.
  44. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 24 June 2002" (PDF). Music Week. June 22, 2002. p. 28. Retrieved August 22, 2023 – via World Radio History.
  45. ^ "Christina Milian" (in German). Universal Music Group. July 15, 2002. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2024 – via Amazon.
  46. ^ "Christina Milian (Deluxe Edition)". Island Records. August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2023 – via Spotify.
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