Christine Marie Flores (born September 26, 1981), better known as Christina Milian (), is an American actress and singer. Born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, she signed a contract with Murder Inc. Records at the age of 19. In 2001, Milian released her self-titled debut album, which featured the singles " AM to PM" and " When You Look at Me"; the former charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and both peaked in the top three on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. In 2004, Milian released her second studio album '' It's About Time'', which provided her first major U.S. hit, "

Dip It Low "Dip It Low" is a song by American singer Christina Milian from her second studio album, '' It's About Time'' (2004). Written by Poli Paul and Teedra Moses and produced by Paul, the track was released as the album's lead single. Matt Ward and De ...

", which reached number five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' chart. " Whatever U Want" was released as the album's second single. Both singles charted within the Top 10 of the UK chart. In 2006, Milian released her third studio album ''

So Amazin' ''So Amazin is the third studio album by American singer Christina Milian. The album, her first studio release since 2004's '' It's About Time'', was released by Island Records on April 19, 2006 in Japan, on May 8 in Europe, and on May 16 in the U ...

''. The album produced one single, " Say I", which peaked in the Top 30 of the US ''Billboard'' chart. A month after the release of ''So Amazin'', Milian's representative confirmed that she had left

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...

due to creative differences. Milian signed with Interscope Records in 2009. A single, ballad " Us Against the World", was released in October 2008. In 2012, Milian signed to Young Money Entertainment, which will release her fourth studio album. Milian originally wanted to be an actress. Her first lead role was in the 2003 film '' Love Don't Cost a Thing'', and she subsequently had lead roles in '' Be Cool'' and the 2006 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 also starred in the 2010 ABC Family Original Movie ''

Christmas Cupid ''Christmas Cupid'' is a television film starring Christina Milian, Ashley Benson and Chad Michael Murray and directed by Gil Junger. It was premiered on ABC Family on December 12, 2010, as part of their 25 Days of Christmas programming bl ...

'', alongside

Ashley Benson Ashley Victoria Benson (born December 18, 1989) is an American actress, model, and singer. She is known for her role as Hanna Marin in the teen mystery-drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017). Benson has starred in films, including ' ...

and Chad Michael Murray. From 2015 to 2016, she starred in the sitcom '' Grandfathered''.

Early life

Milian was born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Afro-Cuban descent. Her parents are Don Flores and Carmen Milian. Flores changed her name and adopted her mother's maiden name (Milian) in the hopes of landing a wider range of acting roles. The oldest of three sisters, including Danielle and Elizabeth, she moved with her family to Waldorf, Maryland, soon after her birth. Milian was 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 Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was ...

and Honeycomb, and played the lead role in the musical '' Annie''. Milian's mother noticed her daughter's potential and left her husband and moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

with her three daughters when Milian was 13 years old. Her father had to stay in Maryland and divorced her mother soon after the move. 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 A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

. During this time, she was a host for

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Comp ...

's series ''

Movie Surfers A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'', by the name of Tina. 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 every day 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.

Career

2000–02: ''Christina Milian'', record deal and acting debut

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

. Milian co-wrote and performed backing vocals for the track " Play" for

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

's album '' J. Lo'' (2001), and co-wrote "Same Ol' Same Ol'", the second single from girl group PYT's debut album ''PYT (Down with Me)'' (2001). Milian's collaboration with Ja Rule led to a record deal with Def Soul Records, prompted by his affiliation with Murder Inc. Records, an imprint that was distributed through

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

, the parent label of Def Soul Records. She travelled to Sweden and recorded her self-titled debut album. 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 postponed because of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, which occurred just two weeks before its release date. Her label opted to release it later that year, in the fourth quarter, but as Milian explained, new artists generally do not release their albums during that time. As a result, the album was again delayed until the first quarter of 2002; however, Milian eventually opted not to release it. 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 to generally positive. Imran Ahmed of the ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' predicted that based on the record, "genius can't be more than a few albums away". Contrastingly,

entertainment.ie ''Entertainment.ie'' is an Irish web company based in Dublin. The company provides news and reviews of programs and films for TV and the cinema. It also provides information on upcoming comedies, festivals, theater shows and music in Ireland, a ...

writer Andrew Lynch suggested that Milian needed original ideas. 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 company, 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. 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

animated series ''

Kim Possible ''Kim Possible'' is an American animated Action comedy TV series, action comedy-Adventure fiction, adventure television series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney Channel. The Kim Possible (character), title character is a teen ...

'', "

Call Me, Beep Me! "Call Me, Beep Me!", or "The Kim Possible Song", is the theme song for the Disney Channel series '' Kim Possible''. The song was written by Cory Lerios and George Gabriel. In the song, Kim Possible (the main character of the series) tells l ...

"; and collaborated with

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acti ...

on Duff's Christmas album ''

Santa Claus Lane ''Santa Claus Lane'' is the debut studio album and first Christmas album by American singer Hilary Duff. It was released in the United States on October 15, 2002 by Buena Vista Records. The holiday album contains covers of Christmas songs, in ...

'' (2002), on the song "I Heard Santa on the Radio". 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 major acting role was offered by the

to join ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised ...

''; however, she did not accept and opted to star as a reporter on ''

''. 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 ''Becoming Presents: Wannabe'' on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, where she met director Joseph Kahn. Kahn suggested she audition for a lead role in the film ''

Torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...

''. 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 has been described as a role model to young girls; 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 Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

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."

2003–04: ''It's About Time'' and continued acting

Milian felt that Island 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 woman singing "Get Away". She realized that the change confused the audience, and that "nobody was buying it". In 2003, Milian's label Def Soul was shut down and absorbed by its parent

, although Milian was instead moved over to

. After the international release of her debut album, Milian went back into the recording studio. The singer felt that music trends had changed into

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...

hardcore hip hop Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally ch ...

and tribute songs, and her music did not fall into those categories. Milian decided to stop recording and toured overseas for a year and a half. When she returned to the US, she decided not to release her previous album domestically, and started working on a new album. Milian traveled the world, working with the popular producers Bloodshy & Avant, "Darkchild", Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell, Bryan-Michael Cox and Polli Paul. Milian's second studio album, '' It's About Time'', was released in the US on July 13, 2004. The critical response to the album was mixed; the club tracks, most notably lead single "

", were praised while the ballads were said to be disappointing. The style and sound of the album was compared to that of

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

and

by several critics. Milian later admitted that her new sexy image for "Dip It Low" and the whole album was mainly for shock value. She had to make her way back into the US market, and by choosing a sexier image, she made a name for herself. "Dip It Low" was also meant to show that she was not the same 18-year-old girl in the "AM to PM" video. To create her new image, Milian also decided to change her appearance and lightened her hair. Taking inspiration from

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

who constantly changed her image, Milian thought to herself, "'When did I like Janet Jackson the most?' It was when she had her lightened hair." Milian believed that the album was more R&B when compared to her "bubble-gum" pop debut album. The change was reflected in the album's lead single, "Dip It Low", which was more of a club and R&B track than her previous pop release "AM to PM". Milian performed as an opening act on the Usher and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

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 The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

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 US. The single was certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

for digital sales, Type "Christina Milian" in the "Artist" field. 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 starred in '' Be Cool'', the sequel to '' Get Shorty'', with

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...

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 Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ''Lost'', Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama ''The Vampire Diaries'', and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sc ...

. 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, a traumatic time for Milian, where she endured racial abuse and discovered that boyfriend Nick Cannon was cheating on her. Milian has also appeared in two video games: '' Def Jam Vendetta'' (2003), where she plays Angel, a

mob boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...

' girlfriend, and as one of the female leads, Carmen Mendez, in the video game '' Need for Speed: Undercover'' (2008).

2005–06: ''So Amazin'' and record departure

Whereas Milian's previous albums had pop and R&B stylings, she was encouraged by Island Def Jam to target a new audience and release an urban record. Explaining the change, Milian said that one of her main problems was that previous releases would often find mainstream success, but would be relatively unsuccessful on urban radio. As an R&B artist, she wanted to build her core audience–a true fan base that would support her through time–to increase her career's longevity. The main purpose of her genre change was to go back to the streets and add to her core audience. To create a more urban record, Milian had a list of producers that she wanted to work with. L.A. Reid suggested to Milian that she should work with Cool & Dre, with whom she ended up working with as the first people to start off the album. Although Milian was originally supposed to work with several different music producers, she felt that the chemistry they had in the first week was so "instant and real" that she felt she could not get a better "vibe" with anybody else other than them. Milian ended up working with Cool & Dre on the majority of the production of the album, producing ten of the album's eleven tracks together. The album completed within a three-month period, whereas Milian's previous albums would take six months to a year. Milian's third studio album, ''

'', was released on May 16, 2006. The album's lead single, " Say I", featured rapper Young Jeezy. The single saw peak positions of number four in the UK, and number twenty-one in the US. ''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 The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

, 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 cratchthe 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 been dropped by Island Def Jam. In an interview with ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'', Milian revealed she was dropped a week after her album was released. The singer believed it was a "budget cut", and that Island Def Jam Music Group wanted to spend more money on label mate

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...

. She said, "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." After leaving Def Jam, Milian released her first compilation album, ''The Best of Christina Milian'' (2006). 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.

2007–10: ''Elope'' and hiatus

Following her departure from

Island Def Jam Music Group The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by the Universal Music Group. It consists of labels devised and consisted under the basic operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordin ...

, 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, Terry "MaddScientist" Thomas, T-Pain, Jim Jonsin and

Toby Gad Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me," the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and produ ...

. Milian was featured on the cover of ''

''s 2008 Winter issue, in which she announced that the album's title was ''Dream in Color'' (later retitled as ''Elope''). 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. Milian felt that Madd Scientist "brought the best out of me" while producing " Us Against the World", and "was really able to do some amazing things with my vocals". After recording songs with the aforementioned producers, Milian took a break from music and started filming '' Bring It On: Fight to the Finish''. When Milian returned to music, she concentrated on promoting her single "Us Against the World", and shot its music video. Since then, Milian said that she became "a little bit more meticulous with what I feel deserved to be on the album", and resumed recording. Songs recorded for the album included the 1990s Madonna-styled ballad "Stay", Euro-club record "Tug of War" and the feel-good song "Diamonds", which featured

. Other features included

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Diddy's Bad ...

on the Cool & Dre produced track "Blissful", and Pitbull. In early 2009, Milian began working with The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and L.O.S. Da Maestro, which 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 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. Originally scheduled to be released in 2009, Tricky Stewart explained the delay, saying "we just got our label deals done, so the reason why some of these projects got delayed had to do with technicalities and things of that nature". The album has been furthered delayed because of Milian's marriage to The-Dream and her pregnancy. In January 2010, Milian said that she was going back into the studio in the summer to record more material. Although the album had already been finished when Milian took a break for her pregnancy, she wanted to "go back and re-do some of the music and make some new songs and find my new inspiration". 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 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 ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

's new show ''Eight Days a Week'' as Olivia, alongside Mario Lopez, but

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''. and as one of the female leads, Carmen Mendez, in the video game '' Need for Speed: Undercover'' (2008).

2010–2014: Return to music, ''The Voice'' and ''Dancing with the Stars''

Milian was scheduled to resume recording in July 2010 to complete the album; however, Milian opted to focus on her acting career. Despite the separation, Milian and The-Dream continued to "work together and write together". At the 2010 Los Angeles Fashion Week, Milian performed "Zipper" and "

". Milian has worked on a fourth studio album since 2008, but its release has frequently been delayed. At the 2010 American Music Awards, she said it would be ready in 2011. In June 2011, her collaboration with The Jackie Boyz titled ''Memory'' was released in Japan. It is set to appear on their album ''Songs In My Blackberry''. NBC announced on October 27 that Milian would serve as the official Social Media Correspondent for '' The Voice''. The role, previously held by

Alison Haislip Alison Fesq Haislip (born February 6, 1981) is an American actress and former television personality for ''Attack of the Show!'' on the first incarnation of the G4 network and the NBC reality singing competition show ''The Voice''. Early lif ...

, saw Milian make regular appearances during the live broadcasts. She will also interact with fans through Facebook, Twitter, NBC.com and NBC Live. She has since left the show. On February 12, 2012, Lil' Wayne said that Christina Milian had joined Young Money. The next day, a song titled "Mr. Valentine" leaked onto the internet. Milian told Carson Daly on 97.1 AMP Radio. "Yeah, I've signed with Young Money. It was pretty awesome. This weekend we had a big party, a big YMCMB party, and Drake was performing and we were all up on the stage and Wayne got up there and he announced it himself. And so I was kind of surprised and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is awesome!'" Milian is currently recording her fourth album. "We're just getting started on it," she said. "I've already halfway gotten there and when my mom and I went to Wayne and we played him some of the music, off the second song, he was like, 'I love it. Let's do this deal.' I have some music that's already going to be on it and the second half I'm working with them now. ..When they did a little background check, they saw even the songwriting, all that kind of stuff adds on top of, alright, she's an actress, she's a pretty face, she can actually sing, but not to mention she's a songwriter. I thought that was cool that they even saw that. ..They all get on each other's records, so all I have to do is be home with everybody and we'll just do lots of features." Finale with Nicole Di Rocco and Christina Milian -MBFW

Finale with Nicole Di Rocco and Christina Milian -MBFW

In October 2012 during an interview, Milian spoke of her Young Money debut: "Wayne just gets his artists, which is great, I have a very one-on-one business relationship with everybody from

Mack Maine Jermaine Anthony Preyan (born July 28, 1982), better known by his stage name Mack Maine, is an American record executive, songwriter, and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. Mack Maine has been the president of Young Money Entertainment since 2 ...

to Wayne. They're just very involved in the project as far as bringing the music, playing songs, just giving their input. ..I really want to pick the perfect single though. It's been a second since I've been out musically, so I do not want to fail and I don't believe in failure, so I just try new things and figure out the pieces. That's one thing that's great about Wayne. He's like, 'Work with different producers, take your time, but at the same time, try new things. Don't be stuck on one thing.'" In July 2013, it was discovered that her contract with The Voice would be ended. In the summer, she collaborated with the Stafford Brothers and Lil' Wayne on the single "Hello" which reached the Top15 on the Billboard Dance charts. In September 2013, Milian became a contestant on ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...

'' ( season 17). She was partnered with professional dancer Mark Ballas. She was eliminated in the fifth week, finishing in the ninth place. In July 2014, she announced she'd started work on a mixtape titled ''#TinaTurnUp''. In November 2014, she collaborated with Lil' Wayne on his single "Start a Fire" which they performed on the American Music Awards.

2015–present: "#TinaTurnUp, new ventures, and a music refocus

On January 18, 2015, Milian debuted her reality show ''Christina Milian Turned Up''. The series follows the day-to-day lives of Christina, her mother Carmen and her two sisters, Danielle and Liz Flores. It was renewed for a second season in April, which premiered in November 2015. In March, she released a pair of singles (which were previewed in her reality series), with "Rebel" and "We Ain't Worried", of which the latter was used to promote her "We Are Pop Culture" clothing line. In July, she announced she was going to release a 5-track EP and video set, and was working with director Mike Ho. Also that month, she performed the National Anthem at the 2015 Americafest and premiered a new single "Like Me" featuring Snoop Dogg. A few months later, she released another single "Do It" with Lil' Wayne and changed the EP's title to ''Like Me''. Her EP " 4U" was released on December 4, 2015 which includes four tracks and music videos packaged in one. In 2016, she collaborated with

So Solid Crew So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from the area on and surrounding the Winstanley and York Road Estates in Battersea, London which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many m ...

's MC Harvey on the dance track "We Own the Night" which premiered on August 12, 2016. In June 2017, she appeared as a judge/ panelist on the Fox television show,

Superhuman The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...

. Superhuman features contestants who possess a distinct, nearly super-human ability in fields such as memory, hearing, taste, touch, smell, sight and more are challenged to push their extraordinary skills to win a $50,000 grand prize. Starred in the critically acclaimed Netflix romantic comedy ''Falling Inn Love'' (2019), costarring Adam Demos. ''Falling Inn Love'' was the first Netflix movie to be shot entirely in New Zealand.

Entrepreneurship

Milian also co-owns Viva Diva Wines with her mother and manager Carmen Milian, as well as her publicist Robyn Santiago.

Personal life

Milian has been faced with the challenges of being an

Afro-Latino Black Hispanic and Latino Americans, also called Afro-Hispanics ( es, Afrohispano, links=no), Afro-Latinos or Black Hispanics, or Black Latinos are classified by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, and other U.S. ...

, stating:

I'm Cuban but eopledidn't get it because I was also brown-skinned... Latinos come in all colors, all shades... You should see my mom and her brothers and sisters... We just vary in color, shapes and sizes. But we're still Latinos — that doesn't change a damn thing.

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 because of his cheating. 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 Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

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." In February 2009, reports emerged that Milian was dating musician The-Dream. 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.

reported that Milian and The-Dream would 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 were expecting their first child together. On February 26, 2010, Milian gave birth to a daughter, who was said to have "a full head of hair." This was Milian's first child, and the fourth for The-Dream, who had three children with ex-wife Nivea. Christina Milian keeps her daughter in touch with her Latina roots by practicing Spanish with her and cooking Cuban food. The-Dream and Milian separated in late 2009, only three months after their wedding in September of that year. Their divorce was finalized on October 23, 2011. In September 2010, Christina began dating James ("Jas") Prince, Jr., son of Rap-A-lot Records CEO and impresario, James Prince. Christina and Jas were engaged in April 2013. Christina moved out of the couple's home on June 19, 2014 and the couple called off their engagement. In July 2014, it was rumored she was dating rapper

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

, with whom she attended the ESPY Awards. They later confirmed their relationship in mid-2015 after which they received criticism from their interconnected exes, singer Nivea and songwriter The-Dream. They split at the end of 2015 after collaborating on various singles, videos, and concert dates. Milian has been in a relationship with French singer M. Pokora since August 2017. In July 2019, the couple announced they were expecting a baby boy together. Their first son was born in January 2020. In December 2020, the couple announced they were expecting their second child together, and a French magazine reported they were married that month. In April 2021, they welcomed their second son.

Artistry

Milian is a light-lyric

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

who has not displayed her voice all the way in terms of upper register. She has only showcased a full voice vocal range from Eb3 to F5. The tessitura and tone of her voice are naturally light in their quality but she has shown in her belts that she can create strong tones. Her vocal style has been compared to

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

and

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...

by critics. David Peisner of '' Maxim'' commented on her talent and described her voice as being "silky and sassy." Earlier in her career, Milian was mainly an urban pop and teen pop singer but as she matured and grew her sound later grew to branch out into a more hip-hop soul and straight forward R&B sound on her later two releases It's About Time and So Amazin'. Milian described the sound of the album as "hip hop under-toned with nice, pop melodies", and later said the genre of the album was "bubble-gum pop". She described lead single "AM to PM" as a "very pop" and "fun, party/club song". The genre of the album was described by one critic as "light-hearted, energetic R&B pop tunes". Sonically, the album was said to stick "rigidly to the sherbert-snorting pop formula of

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage producti ...

and Christina Aguilera". One reviewer compared Milian to other singers of her generation, and found that "while Spears has gone raunchy with '

I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of ...

', Christina Aguilera down and dirty on '' Stripped'', and even clean-cut

Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her debut studio album, '' So Real'' (1999), recei ...

has brashly cut her hair Felicity-style, Milian still seems young and real." The critic also compared Milian to

, "while Beyonce is shaking her bootylicious body like crazy on ' Crazy In Love', Milian is simply enjoying becoming a young star." "It's About Time" Compared to her "bubble-gum pop" debut album, Milian described the genre of ''It's About Time'' as more R&B. Discussing the change of genre between her lead singles, Milian said that the "first single off my last album, 'AM to PM', was more of a kiddie kind of thing, very pop. ip It Lowis more R&B, kind of a club/party kind of vibe." An issue Milian had with the album was that it did not flow. The various pop and urban influences in that album, she found, confused the audience. For her next studio album, Milian said that she wanted a more consistent feel.

Other ventures

In 2010, Milian signed an Australian music duo, Kasey Osborne and Kelsey-Maree, as their manager. Milian said, "the girls have everything it takes to be the biggest international pop duo out there. The world is definitely ready for these beautiful girls to hit the stage and kill it on screen." She said that the duo were the "most exciting project" she had worked on.

Discography

* '' Christina Milian'' (2001) * '' It's About Time'' (2004) * ''

'' (2006) * ''4U (EP)'' (2015)

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
Christina Milian Artist InformationChristina Milian
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MySpace Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milian, Christina 1981 births 21st-century American singers Actresses from Jersey City, New Jersey Actresses from Maryland Actresses from New York (state) African-American women African-American musicians African-American child actresses American dancers American female dancers American child actresses American dance musicians American entertainers of Cuban descent Dancers from New Jersey American women pop singers American women rappers American women singer-songwriters American hip hop singers American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American sopranos American writers of Cuban descent Cash Money Records artists Hispanic and Latino American actresses Hispanic and Latino American dancers Hispanic and Latino American women singers Interscope Records artists Island Records artists Los Angeles County High School for the Arts alumni Musicians from Jersey City, New Jersey Participants in American reality television series People from Waldorf, Maryland Singer-songwriters from Maryland Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Murder Inc. Records artists Young Money Entertainment artists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American actresses American women in business Living people 21st-century American rappers 21st-century women rappers