It's About Time (Christina Milian album)

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It's About Time is the second studio album by American singer Christina Milian, released by Island Records on June 15, 2004 in Japan, and July 13, 2004 in the United States.[5] The album served as Milian's debut album in the U.S. as a result of the September 11 attacks, which occurred just two weeks before the release date of her previous album.[6] For the production of the album, Milian worked with Bloodshy & Avant, Darkchild, Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell, Bryan Cox and Poli Paul.[1][4][7][8] The album debuted at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart,[9] selling 394,000 copies in total,[9] and at number twenty-one in the UK, selling a total of 63,708 copies.[10] The album achieved Silver certification in the UK,[11] and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album".[12]

The critical response to It's About Time was mixed. The club tracks, including lead single "Dip It Low", were praised,[1][13][14] however the ballads were said to be dissapointing.[1][15][16] The album's first single, "Dip It Low", is Milian's most successful to date; peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number-five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.[8][17] The second single "Whatever U Want" was less successful, peaking on the UK singles chart at number 9.[18]

Production

Milian self-titled debut album, Christina Milian, was supposed to be released in the U.S. in 2001. However, the album was postponed due to the September 11 attacks, which occurred just two weeks before the release date.[6] After the international release of her debut album, Milian went back into the recording studio. Milian 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., she decided not to release her previous album domestically, and started working on a new album.[7] To record the album, Milian travelled the world, working with several producers and those who were "hot" at the time. Milian received writing credit for seven songs on the album,[19] which she wrote like a diary.[20] 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.[21] Whenever she would experience something that she thought would be important, she would write it down for future reference. She felt that by writing down true experiences, her songs were like "captured emotion". For It's About Time, Milian wrote about things that had happened in her past, and later explained that she wrote what she thought other people would like, rather than writing for herself and what she liked.[20] The album was produced primarily by Bloodshy & Avant,[1] and Milian recorded songs with "Darkchild",[7] Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell,[4] Bryan Cox and Polli Paul.[8] The whole album took "between six months to a year" to produce,[21] and Milian so-titled the album because she said "it took so damn long" to complete.[7] When promoting the album, Milian said that she was excited about the album because "it's a new me". She felt that she had matured since her last album, and it was "nice for people to see this change".[22]

In 2008, Milian sued the writer and producer of "Dip It Low", Poli Paul. Milian claimed that Paul "very definitively" assured her that "there were no samples whatsoever in […] 'Dip It Low'". However, Thomas Turino, Larry Crook and Dan Dickey later sued Milian over the song, claiming that it contained a sample from a track they released in 1983 called "La Sirena". The lawsuit claimed that Paul heard the album while in a record store, liked the tune and sampled 12 seconds of it for "Dip It Low". Milian claimed that she had to spend more than $300,000 defending herself in the case, which she settled, and wanted $300,000 plus damages from Paul and his associate, Spencer Cowlings Entertainment.[23][24]

Music and lyrics

Milian felt that the music of It's About Time was not coherent and did not "[lead] down the whole way". Several songs were urban and sexy, and yet others were pop, making it "fun". However she felt that "jumping around" was also "a little confus[ing]", and wanted a more consistent feel for her next album.[21] Milian described It's About Time as "more R&B" compared to her "bubble-gum pop" debut album.[25] Calling the first single off her last album, "AM to PM", "more of a kiddie kind of thing, very pop", she said that "Dip It Low" was "more R&B, kind of a club/party kind of vibe". For the single's music video, Milian danced in a bed of black paint, a play off the track's title. Milian explained that body art was common in the '60's: "they would dip in paint and they would roll around on a canvas and make art on the canvas. So I kind of 'dip' in the paint and do the same thing." The song's lyrics were about putting an effort into the relationship as a female. Milian said that "if you wanna be a little more sexy, you gotta dip it low".[22] Milian later said that "Dip It Low" and the whole album was mainly for shock value. She had to make her way back into the U.S. 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 eighteen year old girl in the "AM to PM" video.[20]

Elysa Gardner of USA Today found the album to be more pop, saying, "with her slight, sweet vocals and blithe, breezy pop-soul sensibility, Milian more nearly evokes Beyoncé [Knowles] and Jennifer Lopez".[4] Andy Kellman of Allmusic described lead single "Dip It Low" as "a clever and ubiquitous slice of high-class raunch", saying it was the biggest highlight of the album.[1] Tammy La Gorce of Amazon.com said that the songs of It's About Time "spotlight a similar sex-i-fied energy, jumbling attitude, vulnerability, and a jigger of jadedness into a heaving, R&B-leaning, red-hot heap". He accredited this to the "whip-smart production", which he said "showcases an array of pings, pulses, and from-the-gut guitar".[14] Eric R. Danton of the Hartford Courant, in a review republished by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, found that most of the album was "simply bland padding, with plodding, canned beats and half-hearted hooks that stand little chance of sticking in anyone's head".[13]

Release and reception

It's About Time was released in the U.S. on July 13, 2004;[5] it debuted and has peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold 394,000 copies in total.[9] Internationally, the album peaked at number twenty-one in the UK, selling a total of 63,708 copies,[10] thirty-five on the Swiss Albums Chart, fifty-five on the German Albums Chart, and sixty-six on the Dutch Albums Chart.[26] The album gained prominence when it received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" in 2005.[12] To promote her album, Milian performed as an opening act on the Usher and Kanye West tour.[27] The album's first single, "Dip It Low", became Milian's biggest hit to date, reaching number two in the UK,[8] number five in the U.S..[17] The single was certified Gold by the RIAA for digital sales,[28] and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration".[12] The album's second and final single, "Whatever U Want" featuring Joe Budden, failed to reprise the success of the lead single, but again reached the top ten in the UK.[18]

Christina Milian's second album suffers from the same problem afflicting most major-label albums dumped on the market by an industry desperate for quick cash — It's About Time features one hit single, a couple of lesser tracks and a lot of filler.

— Eric Danton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on his opinion of the album.[13]

The album received mixed reviews among critics. Andy Kellman of Allmusic praised the club tracks, feeling that they "work best and easily outrank the slower songs". He said that despite the album's "handful of bright spots", Milian "will need to be more convincing during the ballads next time out in order to be considered a true force."[1] Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly felt that the songs from It's About Time "sound like they fell off a Paula Abdul album". He said the lyricists "wrote so many cliches", and that Milian's voice "suggests a slightly more forceful version of Janet Jackson's pant".[29] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said that while It's About Time was "certainly not the worst album of the year", it was "pretty damn crappy". He enjoyed "Whatever U Want", "I'm Sorry" and "Get Loose", which he said "contribute some guilty pleasure ear candy", but overall, gave the album 2 out of 5.[3] Tammy La Gorce of Amazon.com praised lead single "Dip It Low", saying that if it "hasn't pushed you to pick up this disc already, it is, in fact, about time."[14] Eric R. Danton of the Hartford Courant, in a review republished by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, felt that that the only "hit" from It's About Time was "Dip It Low", while "Whatever U Want" and "L.O.V.E." were the album's lesser tracks. He thought that the success of "Dip It Low" was due to "the plinking of an unusual Far Eastern-sounding stringed instrument and vocal contributions from the rapper Fabolous". Danton praised Milian's vocal talent, but said that ultimately, "the lackluster material [...] rarely gives her a chance to shine".[13] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times said that although "Dip It Low" was "one of the summer's most popular songs", the album included an even better song, "I Need More". Sanneh explained that Milian "breathes a serpentine melody over a beat that consists of jagged snippets: some guitar chugging, a few handclaps, a couple of strategically placed beeps and, in the chorus, an unexpected nose-diving bass line."[30] Despite the views of other critics, Barry Walters of Rolling Stone said that although the ballads were "gooey", "the love songs work better than the dance tracks".[2]

Track listing

  1. "Intro"–1:06
  2. "Dip It Low" (featuring Fabolous)–3:39
  3. "I Need More"–3:17
  4. "Whatever U Want" (featuring Joe Budden)–3:49
  5. "Someday One Day"–4:32
  6. "Highway"–3:33
  7. "I'm Sorry"–3:44
  8. "Get Loose"–3:37
  9. "L.O.V.E" (featuring Joe Budden)–4:21
  10. "Peanut Butter & Jelly" (featuring Joe Budden)–3:46
  11. "Miss You Like Crazy"–4:49
  12. "Oh Daddy"–3:55
  13. "I Can Be That Woman" [International bonus track]–3:13
  14. "Hands on Me" [UK bonus track]–3:06
Japanese edition
  1. "Dip It Low"–3:16
  2. "L.O.V.E."–3:45
  3. "Down for You"–3:39
  4. "Someday One Day"–4:31
  5. "Highway"–3:33
  6. "I Can Be That Woman"–3:13
  7. "Peanut Butter & Jelly"–3:46
  8. "Hands on Me"–3:06
  9. "7 Days"–4:17
  10. "Oh Daddy"–3:55
  11. "Miss You Like Crazy"–4:49
  12. "Dip It Low" [Remix] (featuring S-Word)–3:55
  13. "Dip It Low" [Full Intension Dub]–5:46
  14. "You Snooze, You Lose" [Bonus track]–3:31

Charts

Chart Peak
position[26][31]
Dutch Albums Chart 66
French Albums Chart 83
German Albums Chart 55
Swiss Albums Chart 35
Ireland Albums Chart 74
UK Albums Chart 21
U.S. Billboard 200 14

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kellman, Andy. "It's About Time - Christina Milian". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-12. Cite error: The named reference "allmusicmilian" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Walters, Barry (July 8, 2004). "It's About Time (U.S. Version): Christina Milian: Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-10-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal. "Slant Magazine Music Review: Christina Milian: It's About Time". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  4. ^ a b c d Gardner, Elysa (2004-06-14). "Phish's Final Studio Effort Flounders". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Discography — Christina Milian — Discography — It's About Time". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-09-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b Antlfinger, Carrie (2004-09-19). "Christina Milian has her eyes on a Grammy and an Oscar". Herald Mail. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  7. ^ a b c d Lil' Kim (March 2005). "Christina Milian: a Singer who Needs no Lessons in Cool Talks to Hip-Hop's Queen Bee". FindArticles. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d Cohen, Jonathan (2004-05-11). ""Time" Is Right For New Milian Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ a b c "Billboard Bits: Hot 97, Christina Milian, Modest Mouse". Billboard. 2006-04-28. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b "Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley retain top positions". Music Week. 2006-05-22. Retrieved 2008-09-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  12. ^ a b c "Second Cup Café: Christina Milian". CBS News. 2006-06-03. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  13. ^ a b c d Danton, Eric (November 3, 2004). "CD Review: Christina Milian's It's About Time". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2008-09-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ a b c La Gorce, Tammy. "Amazon.com: It's About Time: Christina Milian: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  15. ^ "New music reviews Life after Creed". San Antonio Express-News. August 20, 2004. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Capobianco, Ken (June 25, 2004). "Christina Milian — It's About Time". The Boston Globe. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ a b Butler, Susan (2005-02-24). "Hit Milian Single At Center Of Suit". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ a b Sexton, Paul (2004-10-11). "Robbie, R.E.M. Overtake U.K. Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ "Discography  – Christina Milian  – It's About Time". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-10-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ a b c Rolls, Chris (2006-05-23). "Exclusive Interview with Christina Milian". MP3.com. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  21. ^ a b c "Christina Milian So Amazin' Album". Music Remedy. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  22. ^ a b Moss, Corey (2004-05-07). "Christina Milian's Sexy New Look Comes In Flat Or Semigloss". MTV. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  23. ^ Kaufman, Gil (August 8, 2008). "Christina Milian Sues "Dip It Low" Producer For Dipping From Another Song". MTV. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  24. ^ "Milian sues over "Dip It Low" controversy". Yahoo! News. August 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  25. ^ Beale, Lewis (December 2003). "Christina Milian: Don't Worry, J. Lo. This Singing Actress has a Different Career Path in Mind". FindArticles. Retrieved 2008-07-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ a b "Christina Milian  – It's About Time  – Music Charts". aCharts.us. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  27. ^ Bliss, Karen (2004-08-20). "Christina Milian Gets Cool". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-07-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ "RIAA  – Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  29. ^ Farber, Jim. "It's About Time (2004)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-09-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (July 25, 2004). "Music: Playlist; The Best Rapper No One Knows". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-03. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ "Christina Milian  – It's About Time". Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
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