Christina Milian - So Amazin'
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Christina MilianEdition: Music CD
Format: Enhanced
CD Release Date: 2006-05-16
Music Label: Def Jam
Soundtracks:
- Say I
- Twisted
- Gonna Tell Everybody
- Who's Gonna Ride
- So Amazing
- Hot Boy
- Foolin'
- My Lovin' Goes
- Just A Little Bit
- Y'All Ain't Nuthin'
- She Don't Know
Free Music Notes for So Amazin'
Free Music Review: So Average
Hit: 3 Stars
Despite a successful acting career, a handful of hits written for other artists, and several appearances on mixtapes and other albums, Christina Milian seems to have fallen into the poor-sales trap. Her debut was never even released in the US, and although her second album was led by a hit single "Dip It Low", it was largely ignored as well. Thus, many came to view this album as Christina's last chance to do well, or else she'd be dropped by her label. Incidentally, or perhaps as a direct consequence of the poor sales, Christina has since left her label and began working on a new album instead. "So Amazin'" was intended to be a more urban album, and while it works pretty well, much of it remains rather bland.
"Say I" was the perfect choice for lead single and for opening track. Although the chorus is a little on the annoying side at first, it is a quick grower. The song talks about taking control of your own life, thus making it one of the more positive R&B tracks without being overly pushy about it (although most people probably didn't notice the lyrics much). Young Jeezy's rap actually makes a decent contribution, despite the complete nonsense that his lyrics end up being. "Twisted" is definitely a production highlight, although the lyrics could be better. This is one track that showcases Christina's voice, despite being somewhat overshadowed by the production in places. "Gonna Tell Everybody" is both a fan favourite and an album highlight, by far. This is one of the tracks that Christina herself contributed to, and although it isn't the best in terms of writing, it definitely one of the most personal tracks. It is precisely this that makes it such a highlight.
"Who's Gonna Ride" bears far too close a resemblance to a slowed-down "Say I", at least in the chorus. The bridge is the true highlight of this track. Although Christina sounds good (and quite venomous) on the verses, the lyrics could stand a few re-writes. The Three 6 Mafia cameo actually saves this song toward the end from becoming completely repetitive. Title track "So Amazing" is a decent club banger, complete with breathy vocals and mediocre lyricism. Christina sounds good, although Dre really contributes nothing. Despite the lacklustre lyrics, this is actually an decently enjoyable track. Nonetheless, the album does have much better offerings. "Hot Boy" fares better, although the growling in the chorus comes close to ruining it. Once you get used to that, however, the track becomes more of a standout. Dre's verse is also better in this one than the previous track (but is it really necessary to have the same guest artist twice in a row?).
"Foolin'" is a definite album highlight, with some of the best and most fluid vocals Christina has to offer. This truly shows what Christina is capable of, and it's really a shame that more of the album didn't attempt this old-school sound. "Foolin" has a sort of live feel, which sets it apart from the rest of the heavily produced tracks offered here. "My Lovin' Goes" once again uses the drawn-out syllable style in the chorus, like "Say I" and "Who's Gonna Ride". The lyrics are nice and simple, although some may find them rather immature. Nonetheless, Christina sounds good here particularly due to the comparatively downplayed production. It's far from the best this album has to offer, but holds its own as a decent album track. The only real issue is around the 3-minute mark, when the song appears to come to an end, and then starts up again with an instrumental after a few seconds. There's nothing wrong with the instrumental, it just doesn't make sense to make it sound like the song ended just before.
"Just A Little Bit" is more in the vain of Christina's earlier pop work, which works to her advantage, cheesy as the track is. Again, this track showcases what Christina can do when she's not being overshadowed by the production. Her vocals are crisp and clear, particularly on the bridge. Unfortunately, like much of the rest of the album, it inexplicably falls short of being a truly great song. "Y'all Ain't Nothing", a Ne-Yo crafted gem which is widely overlooked by critics and fans alike. This track has Christina talking about all she does for her man, despite his lack of appreciation. Compared to Ne-Yo's later hits with various artists, this track doesn't fare quite so well. However, it is somewhat kept from being a highlight because Christina's vocals are a little too subdued. When she lets loose toward the 3:30 mark, it gives a brief glimpse of what this track could have been. Finally, "She Don't Know" is one of the true highlights and one of the more memorable tracks. This one tells about a cheating man from the perspective of the other woman. Over a Latin beat, Christina infuses some Spanish lyrics, as well as some of the most convincing vocals this album has to offer. It would be interesting to see Christina do more in this style on future albums.
Overall Mark: 3/5
Despite definite talent in terms of both songwriting and singing (doubters should listen to "Believer" for proof), it is baffling that Christina has yet to put out a truly consistent album. While very few of the songs here are truly bad, many of them seem to be missing something which would make them truly interesting. Despite calling this her most personal album, Christina displays very little emotion throughout, which may be precisely what would have made this album great. With the proper support behind her, it's likely that Christina would be able to make a truly great album eventually. Between her existing album, she certainly has enough indications that she is capable. The hints of what she can do present on this album serve more as a cruel teaser than anything else. When she's not good, the material tends to be mildly interesting yet forgettable. But when she's good, Christina proves herself able to make some wonderful hits and truly engaging tracks. It's just too bad that there aren't more of those here.
So Amazin' Poster
Christina Milian's third bid at pop stardom is most definitely the charm: a hotter, more frothed-up blend of R&B and hip-hop has yet to surface this year. What makes So Amazin' so amazing is that it doesn't tiptoe up to anything: Cool & Dre, the top-drawer production team behind this effort, leave the futzing around with ballads and vocal gymnastics to those who have time for that stuff. With Milian, the focus is all sizzling beats and breathy come-ons; you're not a second in before Young Jeezy is slamming home the platitudes and encouraging you to give it up for what you're about to hear, which is something like a street-edged assemblage of coos, slick samples, and maddening hooks. Three 6 Mafia step up to take Milian on a late-night club twirl with "Who's Gonna Ride," and Lil Wayne also gives it up in a guest spot. Call Milian a Beyonce-J.Lo wannabe if you will--and the case can even be made that she skimps on the vocals in spots--but you can't discount her taste in beat makers. With Cool & Dre on her team, count on DJs to start a new summer campaign: Make mine Milian. --Tammy La GorceChristina Milian Makes her Long Awaited Return to the Front Line with the Release of her Third Album, "so Amazin". The First Single from the Album is "Say I" which features the Rapper Young Jeezy.
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