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Christine Flores (born September 26,
1981), better known by her stage name Christina Milian (pronounced
/ˌmɪliˈɑːn/), is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, record
producer, dancer, actress, and model. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey,
Milian moved to Los Angeles when she was 13 years old, desiring to be an
actress. By the age of 17, Milian had begun writing songs to help obtain a
recording contract. Milian has released three studio albums, and has
finished recording a fourth, Elope, which is scheduled for a 2010 release.
Milian's self-titled debut album was released in 2001, and features the
singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me"; both peaked in the top three
on the UK Singles Chart. The singer's second studio album, It's About Time
(2004), provided her first major US hit "Dip It Low". Milian's third
studio album, So Amazin' (2006), produced only one single, "Say I". A
month after the release of So Amazin', Milian's representative confirmed
that she had left the Island Def Jam record label due to "creative
differences". Milian signed with Interscope Records in 2009, through which
she will release her album, Elope. A single, ballad "Us Against the
World", was released in October 2008.
Although Milian is best known for her singing career, she originally
wanted to be an actress. Her first lead role was in the 2003 film Love
Don't Cost a Thing, and subsequently had main roles in Be Cool and the
horror film Pulse. Milian had a minor role in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,
and starred as the lead role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On:
Fight to the Finish. Milian has been described as a role model, and her
mother manages her musical and theatrical careers. On September 4, 2009,
Milian and The-Dream eloped in Las Vegas, and one week later, she was
confirmed pregnant with their daughter.
Milian was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Cuban parents Carmen (née
Milian) and Don Flores. Born Christine Flores, Milian changed her name and
adopted her mother's maiden name in the hopes of landing a wider range of
acting roles. The oldest of three sisters, she moved with her family to
Waldorf, Maryland soon after her birth. Milian was only four years old
when she showed an interest in show business, and when her family realized
that she was a talented actress, she became determined to pursue an
entertainment career. As a child, Milian was "very imaginative and very
creative", and watching television and listening to the radio became her
life. They inspired her to have fun, and she convinced her parents that
she "did not want to be inside the TV", although it took some time to
convince them. By the time she was nine-years-old, Milian had begun
auditioning with local talent agencies, shot commercials for Wendy's and
Honeycomb, and played the lead role in the musical Annie. Milian's mother
noticed her daughter's potential and moved to Los Angeles with her three
daughters when Milian was 13 years old. Milian's father stayed in Maryland
and divorced her mother soon after the move.
Milian describes her family as her "everything", and says that although
she got along with everyone as a child, she did not have many friends.
Acting at a young age, Milian says that "people knew about it. It was the
talk. Even the teachers were talking about it." When Milian moved to Los
Angeles, 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. She began writing songs at
the age of 17 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.
Milian made her first professional musical appearance on rapper Ja Rule's
second studio album Rule 3:36 (2000), performing vocals on the song
"Between Me and You". The song was released as the album's lead single in
2000, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in the top 30 of
the UK Singles Chart. Milian co-wrote and performed backing vocals for the
track "Play" for Jennifer Lopez's album J. Lo (2001), and co-wrote "Same
Ol' Same Ol'", the first single from girl group PYT's debut album PYT
(Down with Me) (2001). In the following years, she was featured on the
track "It's All Gravy", a duet with British rapper Romeo, which was a UK
top ten hit; provided the theme song for the hit Disney series Kim
Possible, "Call Me, Beep Me!"; and collaborated with Hilary Duff on Duff's
Christmas album Santa Claus Lane (2002), on the song "I Heard Santa on the
Radio".
Milian's collaboration with Ja Rule led to a record deal with Def Jam; she
traveled to Sweden and recorded her self-titled debut album. 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. The album
was released on October 9, 2001 in the UK, peaking at number 23 and
selling a total of 101,986 copies. Internationally, the album peaked at
number 36 in the Netherlands, and number 98 in Sweden. 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. Two singles were taken from the album, "AM to PM" and
"When You Look at Me", both of which charted worldwide. A music video for
the track "Get Away" was filmed in Paris, although it was not officially
released as a single.
The critical response to the album was mixed. Andrew Lynch of
entertainment.ie described the album as "relentlessly ordinary", and felt
that Milian needed original ideas. A reviewer for Dawn found the album to
be "full of danceable, likeable tracks, and even the occasional,
successful ballad like 'Until I Get Over You'". 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. Milian approached the executives at her record label,
Island Def Jam, and "cussed them all out", telling them that they were not
listening to her. She felt that she had gained their respect by explaining
that she was serious about her musical career.
Milian felt that Def Jam 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". After the
international release of her debut album, Milian went back into the
recording studio. She felt that music trends were changing so she stopped
recording and toured overseas for a year and a half. When she returned to
the U.S., Milian resumed work on a new album and traveled the world,
working with several producers and those who were "hot" at the time.
It's About Time was produced primarily by Bloodshy & Avant, and she
recorded songs with "Darkchild", Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell,
Bryan-Michael Cox and Polli Paul. Milian received writing credit for seven
songs on the album, which she wrote like a diary. The whole album took
between six months and a year to produce, and she so-titled the album
because she said "it took so damn long" to complete. It's About Time was
released on July 13, 2004 in the U.S. The critical response to the album
was mixed; the club tracks, most notably "Dip It Low", were praised while
the ballads were said to be disappointing. The style and sound of the
album was compared to that of Beyoncé Knowles and Jennifer Lopez by
several critics.
Milian thought that "Dip It Low" was more R&B and had "kind of a
club/party kind of vibe" compared to the lead single off her last album,
"AM to PM", which was "more of a kiddie kind of thing, very pop". She
described the album as more R&B compared with her "bubble-gum pop" debut
album, and performed as an opening act on the Usher and Kanye West tour to
promote her album. The album debuted and peaked at number 14 on the
Billboard 200 album chart and number 21 in the UK, selling a total of
382,000 and 63,708 copies respectively, and received a Grammy Award
nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" in 2005. The album's first
single, "Dip It Low", became Milian's biggest hit to date, reaching number
two in the UK and number five in the U.S. The single was certified Gold by
the RIAA for digital sales, and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best
Rap/Sung Collaboration". The album's second and final single, "Whatever U
Want", featuring Joe Budden, failed to reprise the success of the lead
single but reached the top ten in the UK.
Milian's third studio album, So Amazin', was released on May 16, 2006.
Milian worked with the music producing duo Cool & Dre on the majority of
the production, with additional help from Rich Harrison, and executive
producers Jay-Z and LA Reid. Cool & Dre produced ten of the album's eleven
tracks, which Milian said "made a more consistent, very real and personal
album". She found a "really great" chemistry with Cool & Dre, and was able
to express herself "easier and so much better through their music".
Marcello "Cool" Valenzano of Cool & Dre said that "we come from an R&B
background, and we bringing something new to the table, a style we think
is hot."
The album's first single, "Say I", featured rapper Young Jeezy. The single
saw peak positions of number four in the UK, and number 21 in the U.S. So
Amazin' debuted and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard 200 albums
chart, selling 54,000 copies in its first week and 163,000 copies in
total. Internationally, the album peaked at number 55 on the Swiss Albums
Chart, 67 on the UK Albums Chart, and 139 on the France Albums Chart.
Reviews of So Amazin' were mixed; critics felt that while Milian claimed
that she was displaying the various sides of her personality, the album
could "only scratch the surface of who she really is." "Say I" was praised
by several critics, and was described as "instantly rousing" and
"intoxicating".
In June 2006, Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island
Def Jam four weeks after the release of So Amazin'. Both parties said that
they decided to end their relationship due to "creative differences", and
that it was a mutual decision. Despite this, Daily News reported that
disappointing album sales were the main factor. After leaving Def Jam,
Milian released her first compilation album, entitled The Best of
Christina Milian in 2006. Milian believed that she was dropped as a budget
cut, and that Def Jam wanted to spend more money on label mate Rihanna.
She revealed, "it was embarrassing. It was a week after my album got put
out. I would be in my room a lot of the time crying by myself."
Following her departure from Def Jam, Milian signed with MySpace Records
in 2008. She began writing songs and recording in the studio with numerous
different producers, including Cool & Dre, J. R. Rotem, The Runners,
Danja, Madd Scientist, T-Pain, Jim Jonsin and Toby Gad. Milian was
featured on the cover of Rap-Up's 2008 Winter issue, in which she
announced that the album's title was Dream in Color. A single was released
in October 2008, ballad "Us Against the World". It was written by Milian
and produced by Madd Scientist. The single, described by Milian as a
"cinematic power ballad", premiered via MySpace on October 6, 2008, and
was made available by digital download the next day.
In early 2009, Milian began working with The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and
L.O.S. Da Maestro. Milian's collaboration with The-Dream led to her
signing a deal with Radio Killa Records. Milian revealed that aside from
"Us Against the World", The-Dream and Tricky Stewart would be producing
all the songs on her album. In March 2009, Milian changed the album's
title to Elope. Regarding the album's title change, Milian explained, "the
definition of elope is to run away secretly with one's beloved. This next
album is about taking responsibility for yourself and making your own
decisions." In June 2009, The-Dream said that the album was finished. Upon
completion of the album, Milian said it represented "independence, not
having to answer to any type of 'authority', being a woman at her best and
feeling very confident". She said that fans could expect an "edgy sound
with lots of strong powerful anthems. Big up tempos, R&B and Pop at it's
best and two big ballads". In August 2009, Milian confirmed that she had
signed a deal to release Elope through Interscope Records, with a 2010
release date. In October 2009, Tricky Stewart said that another single had
yet to be chosen, and that it would be the first single off Elope.
Reported choices for the first single include "Zipper", "I'm a Cheat", and
"Supersonic". Milian and The-Dream performed together "live in concert for
the very first time as a married couple" at the University of California
on November 6.
Although Milian is best known for her singing career, she originally
wanted to be an actress. When asked whether she prefers singing or acting,
Milian said that "they're both my passion. But, honestly, if I had to
choose, it would probably be my music. I love writing. I love listening. I
love the challenge of it." Milian has also stated that she loves
"performing live on the stage ... above all else. It's my favorite."
Milian's first significant acting role was offered by the Disney Channel
to join The Mickey Mouse Club; however, she did not accept and opted to
star as a reporter on Movie Surfers. During this time, she had minor roles
in film and television, including Sister, Sister, Smart Guy, The Steve
Harvey Show, Get Real, The Wood and American Pie. In 2002, Milian was
appointed the host of the live competitive music series Wannabe on MTV,
where she met director Joseph Kahn. Kahn suggested she audition for a lead
role in the film Torque. Her audition was successful and she played a
minor role in the film. She was subsequently cast in her first lead role
in Love Don't Cost a Thing. Milian starred in Be Cool, the sequel to Get
Shorty, with John Travolta and Uma Thurman, and recorded two songs for its
soundtrack. She was then cast in a lead role in the horror film Pulse,
starring alongside Kristen Bell and Ian Somerhalder. The film was a remake
of the Japanese film Kairo (2001), and was adapted by Wes Craven and Ray
Wright. Filming took place in Romania, which Milian said made for very
rough conditions.
Milian starred as the main character in the Christmas television movie for
the ABC Family channel entitled Snowglobe, alongside Lorraine Bracco. She
was to be a leading character in The CW's new show Eight Days a Week as
Olivia, alongside Mario Lopez, but The CW decided not to pick up the
series due to the Writers Guild of America strike. Milian had a minor role
in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past alongside Matthew McConaughey, and starred
as the lead role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: Fight to the
Finish. Milian has also appeared in two video games: Def Jam Vendetta
(2003), where she plays Angel, a mob boss' girlfriend, and as one of the
female leads, Carmen Mendez, in the video game Need for Speed: Undercover
(2008). E! has reported that Milian has started to write two books, both
targeted for teenage girls. She has stated that she wants to show her
female fans the healthy way on how to be happy.
Milian has been described as a role model to young girls, which she feels
good about. She has said that there are a lot of people who young girls
look up to, but "at the end of the day you have to be your own person and
love yourself." Milian worked with the Children Uniting Nations charity,
in which she was a big sister to foster children, and says her favorite
charity is the Penny Lane Foundation. Milian was awarded with a
humanitarian award at The Reign fundraiser from the Elton John AIDS
Foundation for being a role model for young children. Milian said, "I've
never been rewarded that way and never been acknowledged like that. That
was really nice of them, and I was happy I was able to show up for the
kids." Milian co-hosted the The Reign event with singers Eric West and
Mariah Carey, and soon after, various media outlets reported that Milian
was dating West. Both denied they were dating, and Milian posted on her
MySpace that she has no idea who Eric West is.
Milian met actor Nick Cannon on the set of their film, Love Don't Cost a
Thing, in 2003, and they began dating. After being together for two and a
half years, Milian ended her relationship with Cannon in 2005 when she
found out he was cheating on her. Cannon revealed that he refused to stay
faithful to Milian because their relationship was becoming too much like a
"Christian romance". When Cannon married Mariah Carey on April 30, 2008,
Milian said, "regardless of what I felt in the past at the time, I
actually forgive him and I'm very much over that." After the production of
So Amazin' in 2006, Milian began dating Andre Lyon from the production
group Cool & Dre. The pair dated until February 2009, when they decided to
go on a break. Milian said that they were still really close, and decided
to break up because it was "hard to grow together when you live on two
different coasts". The singer wanted to take more opportunities and learn
more about herself, which she often let go when in a relationship, but
felt that she was in a now-or-never situation. Milian described Lyon as an
amazing guy, and said that although there was a chance for the couple in
the future, she needed to focus on herself. Reports soon emerged that
Milian was dating The-Dream, who denied any romantic relationship with
Milian, but said that he loved the attention.
In March 2009, Milian was photographed with The-Dream with a new blonde
hairstyle. Soon afterward, Jermaine Dupri's "Oceans 5 crew", including his
assistant, Tyrone, Usher, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johnta Austin, expressed
their dislike of Milian's new hairstyle. Austin said that "this picture
that we're looking at is probably the 'that ain't it' moment for probably
the year. This is what happens when people fall out of the game. That's
Christina Milian looking like a damn fool." There was also speculation
that the remarks were not directly aimed at Milian, and that the Oceans 5
crew had a dispute with The-Dream. The-Dream responded by saying that he
loved the controversy because they were "controlling the airwaves", and
found that those who "can't hate on me are going to hate on her". He
defended Milian's decision to change her hair color, and called the crew
members individually and told them to leave her alone. Later the same
month, Milian was pictured kissing The-Dream in Hawaii.
Dre said that he supported Milian's relationship with The-Dream, "I think
it's gonna be a good fit for her". He stated that he had "nothing but love
for her and her family", and that he "wished her the best and we're
definitely looking forward to what she's got going on". In late May 2009,
it was reported that Milian and The-Dream were getting married, and the
couple celebrated their engagement party in Las Vegas in June. On
September 4, 2009, Milian and The-Dream eloped at the Little White Chapel
in Las Vegas, Nevada. The-Dream said he was eager to start a family with
Milian, saying, "you have to do your work — then whenever she makes that
time for herself, she'll make that time to have a baby. In the next couple
of years, there'll be something around." MTV reported that Milian and
The-Dream will get married again in Rome, Italy, and then renew their vows
in the US in front of family and friends. On September 11, 2009, it was
announced that Milian and The-Dream are expecting their first child
together due in February 2010. The Daily Mail reported that "the pregnancy
was a surprise, but they were getting married regardless". Milian
announced that the baby was a girl, and that although she was nervous
about giving birth, "as long as Dream is right next to me, I’ll be fine!". |
