Christina Milian

Christina Milian is the debut studio album by American singer Christina Milian. It was released on January 23, 2002, outside the United States, by Def Soul. Its American release was delayed due to the September 11 attacks, which occurred two weeks before its intended release date of September 25, 2001. The album wouldn't be released in the country until August 2020, when it was made available for digital download and streaming by Island Records. 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. 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 lacked original ideas. The album peaked at number 23 in the UK, selling a total of 101,986 copies, and achieved a Gold certification. Internationally, the album also charted in the Netherlands, Sweden and France. The album spawned two singles, "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me", both of which became top-ten hits worldwide. Production and composition Following her collaboration with Ja Rule, Milian signed a deal with Island Def Jam Music Group in 2000. Milian traveled to Sweden and recorded her self-titled debut album, working with the popular producers of that time. Milian collaborated with Bloodshy & Avant, Jermaine Dupri, Focus, Irv Gotti, Mark Hill, Montell Jordan and Evan Rogers. 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. Milian received writing credit for eleven of the twelve songs on the album. 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.