music style dancer model actress smart sexy

Christina Milian in green

Even briefer history:

  • Age zero: born
  • Age 13: moved to LA to pursue acting
  • Age 17: already writing songs
  • Age 19: singing backing vocals
  • Age 20: own album released
  • Age 25: first lead role in a movie (Pulse)
  • Age 28: knocked up & married

Ah well it was looking good there for a while

A Brief History of Christina Milian

Christina Milian is perfect and that is all you need to know.

And all this stuff as well: Christina Milian was born Christine Flores on September 26th 1981 in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Cuban parents Don and Carmen Flores, and quickly went on to become the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth. Her career path began when she moved from her birthplace at the tender age of thirteen all the way to Los Angeles to pursue acting. However, although she was landing acting roles over the next few years, by the age of seventeen she found herself getting increasingly involved in the music scene and began writing her own songs, and in a few more years' time (well, ten) had three studio albums under her belt. Her fourth, "Dream In Color", was originally due out in the spring of 2009, but was repeatedly set back by such things as record label complications, Chrstina getting married, and Christina being pregnant. Despite all of this, the album is re-scheduled for release early 2010, with the new title "Elope". Although acting was her original intention, Christina is now also well-known as a singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, and greengrocer*.

*Not 100% sure about that one.

Early Life

From a very early age Christina seemed determined to be a star of some sort, claiming that she used to "try to get into the television" when she was little. The logistics of this as a path to stardom proved sadly ineffectual however, and it wasn't until she was older that she landed a role in a musical theatre play and later became a junior journalist on the Disney Channel's "Movie Surfers" after mercifully turning down the Mickey Mouse Club. Christina fondly recalls her fathomlessly hollow youth, saying that although she got along with everyone as a child, she didn't really have that many friends, maybe because she kept climbing into the TV.

Alone as she was, her being on TV so young was the talk of the town. "It was the talk," she says, confirming the last sentence. "Even the teachers were talking about it." Despite this early success however, and that fact that her move to Los Angeles was to pursue acting, she had always secretly wanted to get into the record business and start making music. Unfortunately she didn't know how or where to start, but a twist of fate was to lend our Chris a helping hand, just six months after arriving in LA. "It was there that I met Rodney Jerkins, who inspired me to get into recording music," she says, sniggering at his ridiculous name. As it turned out, it just happened that Christina had moved into the same apartment complex as the aforementioned producer/songwriter Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and the moment he heard her singing in the shower (don't ask), he was hooked. There was no turning back, and they began to collaborate.

For the next eighteen months of her life they would spend every day in the studio, and during this time Milian began to meet people who were involved in the record business. By the age of seventeen she was starting to write her own songs, aiming to record a demo in the hopes that it would help her get a contract. It didn't though.

Music Career

In the year of our Lord 2000, Christina Milian lent her heavenly vocals to a hook on Ja Rule's number one hit "Between Me and You" and people the world over began to notice a rising talent so inspiring it managed to get one of tone-deaf barking madman Ja Rule's singles to number one. "Ja Rule didn't even know who I was when I recorded the song," laughs Christina as torrents of bitter tears stream from her eyes. "After I did it, he loved the result," she adds cheerily, but her smile soon fades. She pours herself the last of the wine with a sigh and gazes mournfully out of the window, across a dawn seascape of buildings floodlit by the rising sun.

It got better though, when she co-wrote Jennifer Lopez's "Play" the following year and provided the track with her backing vocals. She then went on to perform a number of collaborations over the next couple of years, while at the same time writing her own material which was to be released on her first self-titled album (that means it was called "Christina Milian") in October of 2001. Its two singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look At Me" became international hits and were known the world over, even in Japan (wherever that is).

Buoyed up by such horrific success, Christina didn't stop her songwriting, touring seventeen countries between 2001 and 2002, and by 2004 she had a wadload more singles and a second album out. This release was entitled "It's About Time" because, in her words, "it took so damn long". It was worth the wait, however, as it spawned the single "Dip It Low" which we all remember because of the video. I now understand why nations wage war over oil.

2006 saw the release of her third album, "So Amazin'" and its hit single "Say I". Christina, it seemed, was on a roll. Except when she was immediately dropped by her label. She blamed "creative differences", along with Island Def Jam's disappointment at her relatively poor record sales; also the fact they wanted to replace her with Rihanna, despite Rihanna's overbearing forehead. Christina was not happy. In fact she was embarrassed. "It was embarrassing," she says in the quote I copied and pasted from Wikipedia. "It was a week after my album got put out. I would be in my room a lot of the time crying by myself." Oh Christina if only I'd known...

She was soon ready to bounce back, however. The spring of 2009 was destined see the triumphant rise of Christina from amidst the ashes of her dropped label, riding high with her new album "Dream In Color" on uh, erm, MySpace Records... well, never mind eh. The new album was initially described as "very feminine, strong and independent" by Milian, and its first single "Us Against the World" was released online on October 6, 2008. This obviously prompted many people to ask themselves what the world is coming to, and it was with great relief that her talent was rescued from the shameful jaws of an online-only release by now-husband The-Dream, one of many producers who collaborated with Christina to help her finish the album and release it on real CDs. Now entitled "Elope", this time it is due for an early 2010 release.

Almost interestingly, most of her chart success actually comes from the UK, thus proving that we have more sense over here.

Movies & TV

What with her being inhumanly beautiful and perfect in every way, not long after moving to LA Christina began landing guest spots on TV shows like Clueless, Charmed, Sister Sister and Get Real. She also gave voice to some animated character or other in A Bug's Life and since then has gone on to star in literally millons of movies, including "Man of the House" with Tommy Lee Jones and "Be Cool" alongside John Travolta and all the rest of them there. She was finally cast in a lead role in 2006, in Wes Craven's horror film "Pulse", and in the following year she starred in the TV movie "Snowglobe". 2009 saw another starring role, this time careening straight to DVD in the fifth installment of the Bring It On saga, "Fight to the Finish". Thankfully any shame in this was offset by her being dressed as a cheerleader.

Some of Christina's more prominent television work includes being appointed host of MTV's "Wannabes" show in 2002, and probably some more things too. She also had the lead role in the stage play Annie before she moved to California. Should I have mentioned that earlier? Who cares.

Personal Life

Turns out Christina is actually really nice. She was a big sister for foster children with the Children Uniting Nations charity, and at The Reign music awards in 2005 she was honoured with a humanitarian award from the Elton John AIDS Foundation for being a role model for young children. "That was really nice of them," she said, "and I was happy I was able to show up for the kids." Aw bless.

It was later reported that Christina was dating fellow humanitarian award-sharer and general singing nobody Eric West, but she denied ever having heard of him. Eric also later denied having heard of himself, and the rumours were laid to rest.

Someone they had both heard of was her real boyfriend, actor/rapper/TV presenter Nick Cannon, who also turned out to be cheating scum, something which put a strain on their relationship. Milian ended their two and a half year farce in the summer of 2005 and, instead of flying to England to find me, she opted to stay closer to home and was soon reported to be dating Dre from ace production duo Cool & Dre. To be fair, they produced most of her third album "So Amazin'", which gave Dre something of an edge over me, who she's never met. Anyway, Dre then confirmed the reports by saying that he & Milian have "been together for a little bit", referring to her as "wifey".

However Dre's heart was soon to be broken, and in February of 2009 they "went on a break". Christina was quoted as saying that although they remained close, it was "hard to grow together when you live on two different coasts". Although she didn't deny there was a chance that something might happen between them later, not long after this she was reported to be dating producer The-Dream.

Racked as he was by the pain of loss, Dre was still supportive of Christina. "I think it's gonna be a good fit for her," he said, saying he had "nothing but love" for her and that he wished her all the best. Now that's real love. I feel your pain, Andre.

In May 2009 it was reported that Milian and The-Dream were getting married, and they officially celebrated their engagement in in June. Wasting no time, on September 4th they eloped at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, although MTV reported that they will get married again in Rome, and then come back to the US to renew their vows, again, for family and friends. It was later reported on September 11th that Milian was pregnant and expecting her first child in the beginning of 2010, thus sealing the deal and taking her off the market for the rest of us. Way to lock it down, "The-Dream", if that is your real name.

That's It, Really

So after having been lucky enough to sample two different careers almost simultaneously, which does Christina prefer, music or acting?

Music. She prefers music. Bye.