It's About Time (Christina Milian album)

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It's About Time
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 15, 2004
Genre
Length47:26
LabelIsland[2]
Producer
Christina Milian chronology
Christina Milian
(2001)
It's About Time
(2004)
So Amazin'
(2006)
Singles from It's About Time
  1. "Dip It Low"
    Released: April 7, 2004
  2. "Whatever U Want"
    Released: September 14, 2004

It's About Time is the second album by American singer Christina Milian. The album was released by Island Records on June 15, 2004.[2] It's About Time served as Milian's debut in the US; the September 11 attacks occurred two weeks prior to her debut album was scheduled to be released, and Milian opted to record a new album for the US market.

For the production of the album, Milian worked with

Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez
by several critics.

The album peaked at number 14 on the US

Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The album's lead single, "Dip It Low", became Milian's most successful to date; peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart; it eventually went gold. The second single "Whatever U Want" was less successful, peaking on the UK singles chart at number nine. The critical response to It's About Time was mixed. The club tracks, most notably "Dip It Low", were praised, however the ballads were said to be disappointing.[3][4]

Background

Milian's

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.[5][6]

Production and composition

Milian traveled the world to record the album, working with the popular producers of the time.[7] The album featured production from Bloodshy & Avant,[8] "Darkchild",[6] Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell,[9] Bryan-Michael Cox and Poli Paul.[10] Basing her lyrics on past personal experiences, Milian wrote seven songs on the album. Milian later explained that she wrote what she thought other people would like, rather than writing for herself and what she liked.[7][8] When promoting the album, Milian said that she was excited about the album because she had matured since her last album, and it was "nice for people to see this change".[11]

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. [Dip It Low] is more R&B, kind of a club/party kind of vibe."[11] 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.[12]

For "Dip It Low"'s music video, Milian danced in a bed of black paint. Milian explained that body art was common in the 1960s: "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."[11] The song's lyrics are about putting an effort into the relationship as a female: "if you wanna be a little more sexy, you gotta dip it low".[11] Several years after the release of It's About Time, Milian admitted that her new 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 eighteen-year-old girl in the "AM to PM" video.[7] To create her new image, Milian also decided to change her appearance and lightened her hair. Taking inspiration from Janet Jackson 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."[13]

The style and sound of the album was compared to that of Beyoncé,

Allmusic described "Dip It Low" as "a clever and ubiquitous slice of high-class raunch", and compared the album's sound to both Beyoncé's "Dangerously in Love" and Jennifer Lopez's "This Is Me... Then".[8] Eric R. Danton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said "Dip It Low" had the "plinking of an unusual Far Eastern-sounding stringed instrument", and "Whatever U Want" "rolls on a bass-and-drum combo".[16] Danton found the rest of the album to be "simply bland padding, with plodding, canned beats and half-hearted hooks".[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Entertainment WeeklyD[17]
People[1]
Rolling Stone[18]
Slant Magazine[14]
USA Today[9]

The album received mixed reviews among critics. Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly felt that the songs from It's About Time "sound like they fell off a Paula Abdul album". Farber criticized the lyricists for writing "so many cliches", and said that Milian's voice "suggests a slightly more forceful version of Janet Jackson's pant". Farber gave the album a "D".[17] 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".[14] The reviewer enjoyed "Whatever U Want", "I'm Sorry" and "Get Loose", which he said "contribute some guilty pleasure ear candy".[14] Eric Danton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found the 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." Danton felt 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. Danton praised Milian's vocal talent, but said that ultimately, "the lackluster material [...] rarely gives her a chance to shine".[16]

Andy Kellman of Allmusic praised the club tracks, feeling that they "work best and easily outrank the slower songs".

Ignition". While James found the album's most personal song, "Oh Daddy", to be the unsuccessful, she said that at least "it gives us a glimpse into the real Christina".[1]

Commercial reception

It's About Time was released in the US on June 15, 2004;

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration".[24] The album's second and final single, "Whatever U Want" featuring Joe Budden, reached the top ten in the UK.[28]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of It's About Time.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
  • Bloodshy and Avant
3:17
4."Whatever U Want" (featuring Joe Budden)
Bradley & Stereo3:49
5."Someday One Day"
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
4:32
6."Highway"W. Campbell3:32
7."I'm Sorry"
  • Milian
  • Poli
Poli3:44
8."Get Loose"
3:38
9."L.O.V.E." (featuring Joe Budden)
W. Campbell4:22
10."Peanut Butter & Jelly"
  • Fontez Camp
  • Tommy
  • Harper[a]
3:46
11."Miss You Like Crazy"
  • Milian
  • Jasper Cameron
Jasper Da Fatso4:49
12."Oh Daddy"
3:56
International bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."I Can Be That Woman"
  • Mark Taylor
  • Jeff Taylor
  • Steve Lee
  • M. Taylor
  • J. Taylor
3:13
UK bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Hands on Me"
  • Milian
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
3:08
UK limited edition dvd[29]
No.TitleLength
1."AM to PM" (video) 
2."When You Look at Me" (video) 
3."Dip It Low" (video) 
4."Whatever U Want" (video) 
5."It's About Time (Feature)" (video) 
Japanese edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Dip It Low"
  • Poli
  • Moses
Poli3:15
2."L.O.V.E."
  • W. Campbell
  • J. Campbell
  • Lilly
W. Campbell3:45
3."Down for You"
  • Milian
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
3:39
4."Someday One Day"
  • Milian
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
4:30
5."Highway"
  • Milian
  • W. Campbell
W. Campbell3:35
6."I Can Be That Woman"
  • M. Taylor
  • J. Taylor
  • Lee
  • M. Taylor
  • J. Taylor
3:13
7."Peanut Butter & Jelly"
  • Milian
  • Harper
  • Pridgen
  • Tommy
  • Fontez Camp
  • Tommy
  • Harper[a]
3:46
8."Hands on Me"
  • Milian
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
  • Rooney
  • Bruno
3:06
9."7 Days"
  • Milian
  • Cameron
  • Cox
  • Da Fatso
  • Cox
4:17
10."Oh Daddy"
  • Milian
  • Cox
  • Perry
  • Johnson
  • Alston
  • McFadden
  • Smith
3:55
11."Miss You Like Crazy"
  • Milian
  • Cameron
Da Fatso4:50
Bonus track(s)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."Dip It Low" (featuring S-Word)
  • Poli
  • Moses
  • S-Word
Poli3:41
13."Dip It Low" (full intention dub)
  • Poli
  • Moses
Poli7:21
Japanese limited edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Dip It Low" (video) 
2."Making of Dip It Low" (video) 
3."Special Interview" 

Sample credits

Notes

  • ^a denotes vocal producer
  • ^b denotes co-producer
  • International versions of the album swap the order of "Get Loose" and "I'm Sorry" to tracks seven and eight, respectively.
  • The version of "L.O.V.E." from the Japanese edition is a different mix than that used on other versions of the album.

Charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
Nielsen SoundScan)[30]
63
Canadian R&B Albums (
Nielsen SoundScan)[31]
17
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] 66
French Albums (
SNEP)[33]
83
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] 55
Irish Albums (IRMA)[35] 74
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[36] 11
Scottish Albums (OCC)[37] 43
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 35
UK Albums (OCC)[39] 21
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[40]
9
US Billboard 200[41] 14
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[42] 5

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[43] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c d James, Elta (June 21, 2004). "Picks and Pans: Music". People. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  2. ^ a b c "Discography  – Christina Milian  – It's About Time". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  3. ^ "New music reviews Life after Creed". San Antonio Express-News. August 20, 2004.
  4. ^ Capobianco, Ken (June 25, 2004). "Christina Milian — It's About Time". The Boston Globe.
  5. ^
    Herald Mail
    . Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  6. ^ a b Lil' Kim (March 2005). "Christina Milian: a Singer who Needs no Lessons in Cool Talks to Hip-Hop's Queen Bee". FindArticles. Archived from the original on 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  7. ^ a b c Rolls, Chris (2006-05-23). "Exclusive Interview with Christina Milian". MP3.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  8. ^
    Allmusic
    . Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  9. ^ a b c d Gardner, Elysa (2004-06-14). "Phish's Final Studio Effort Flounders". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2004-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  10. ^ a b Cohen, Jonathan (2004-05-11). ""Time" Is Right For New Milian Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2012-10-21. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  11. ^ a b c d Moss, Corey (2004-05-07). "Christina Milian's Sexy New Look Comes In Flat Or Semigloss". MTV. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  12. ^ "Christina Milian So Amazin' Album". Music Remedy. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  13. ^ Baker, Soren (2005-03-03). "As this Moon she Rises Higher". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  14. ^ a b c d Cinquemani, Sal. "Slant Magazine Music Review: Christina Milian: It's About Time". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  15. msnbc.com. Archived from the original
    on April 6, 2012. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  16. ^ a b c Danton, Eric (November 3, 2004). "CD Review: Christina Milian's It's About Time". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2008-09-14.[dead link]
  17. ^ a b Farber, Jim (2004-06-18). "It's About Time Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  18. ^ a b Walters, Barry (July 8, 2004). "It's About Time (U.S. Version): Christina Milian: Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  19. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (July 25, 2004). "Music: Playlist; The Best Rapper No One Knows". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  20. ^ "Billboard Bits: Hot 97, Christina Milian, Modest Mouse". Billboard. 2006-04-28. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  21. ^ "Christina Milian  – It's About Time  – Music Charts". aCharts.us. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  22. ^ "Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley retain top positions". Music Week. 2006-05-22. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  23. ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  24. ^ a b "The Complete List: Grammy Nominees". The New York Times. December 7, 2004. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  25. ^ Bliss, Karen (2004-08-20). "Christina Milian Gets Cool". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  26. ^ Butler, Susan (2005-02-24). "Hit Milian Single At Center Of Suit". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  27. ^ "RIAA  – Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2008-07-29. Type "Christina Milian" in the "Artist" field.
  28. ^ Sexton, Paul (2004-10-11). "Robbie, R.E.M. Overtake U.K. Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  29. ^ "Christina Milian – It's About Time (2004, CD)". Discogs. 2004.
  30. ^ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. July 8, 2004. Archived from the original on September 21, 2004. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  31. ^ "R&B : Top 50". Jam!. July 29, 2004. Archived from the original on August 3, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  32. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Christina Milian – It's About Time" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  33. ^ "Lescharts.com – Christina Milian – It's About Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  34. GfK Entertainment Charts
    . Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  35. Chart-Track. IRMA
    . Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  36. ^ イッツ・アバウト・タイム (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  38. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Christina Milian – It's About Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  39. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  40. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  41. ^ "Christina Milian Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  42. ^ "Christina Milian Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  43. ^ "Japanese album certifications – It's About Time" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  44. ^ "British album certifications – Christina Milian – it's About Time". British Phonographic Industry.