Childhood & Early Life
Christina Milian was born as Christine Flores to Carmen and Don Flores in Jersey City, New Jersey. She was the oldest of the three daughters born to the couple.
At an early age, she changed her name from Flores to Milian and moved with her family to Waldorf, Maryland.
Since the tender age of four, she showed sparks of making it as an entertainer. Her family soon realized her potential as an imaginative and creative child and fully supported her ambition to pursue a career in entertainment.
At nine, she first auditioned for a role with the local talent agencies. She played the spoof in a number of commercials before bagging the lead role in the musical ‘Annie’. Four years later, she moved to Los Angeles along with her mother and sister siblings to try her luck.
It was at Los Angeles that she dreamt of bagging a recording contract. After a series of events, she finally started working with producer Jerkins at his studio. By 17, she started penning songs to record a demo that would help her obtain a recording contract.
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Career
She made her debut with her first ever professional musical appearance for Ja Rule’s second studio album, “Rule 3:36’ performing vocals for the song, ‘Between Me and You’. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard charts
Following this, she performed back vocals for a number of singers and co-wrote various singles before recording her self-titled debut album. The album, ‘Christina Milian’ upon its release debuted at the number 23 position selling more than 101,986 copies.
In the US, the release of her debut album was postponed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks - to be finally released in 2002. However, she eventually curtailed its release and instead issued two singles from the album, ‘AM to PM’ and ‘When You Look at Me’.
Following the mixed response from both the critics and the public, she contributed for the singles of established singers such as British rapper Romeo’s ‘It’s All Gravy’, Hilary Duff’s Christmas album song ‘I Heard Santa on the Radio’ and theme song for the hit Disney series Kim Possible, ‘Call Me, Beep Me!’.
Passionate about acting too, her successful tryst in singing earned her a couple of acting roles as well. She played minor roles in films and televisions, including ‘Sister, Sister’, ‘Smart Guy’, ‘The Steve Harvey Show’, ‘Get Real’, ‘The Wood’ and ‘American Pie’.
Following this, she auditioned for a role in the film, ‘Torque’ which she eventually bagged. Later on, she played the lead role for the film, ‘Love Don’t Cost a Thing’.
She returned to singing but soon realized that the trend in the music industry had changed which propelled her to stop recording and tour overseas. She returned to come up with her second studio album, ‘It’s About Time’. The album opened to mixed response from critics and audience who applauded the club tracks and talked low about ballads.
‘It’s About Time’ debuted and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number 21 in the UK, selling a total of 382,000 and 63,708 copies respectively. Its single, ‘Dip It Low’ became her biggest hit to date and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It, along with the album, earned a Grammy Award nomination.
She switched to acting yet again and starred in ‘Be Cool’, the sequel to ‘Get Shorty’. She also recorded two songs in it. She followed this up with a lead role n he horror flick, ‘Pulse’.
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Realizing the changing trend in preferences of the audience in music, she released an urban record with an aim to build on a true-fan base. She then started working on her third studio album which eventually released in 2006 under the title, ‘So Amazin’. The album peaked at number eleven on the Billboard 200 albums, selling more than 163,000 copies in total. Much like its predecessors, it also garnered mixed response.
In 2006, she ended her contract with Island Def Jam label and came up with her first compilation album, ‘The Best of Christina Milian’. Two years henceforth, she signed a contract with MySpace Records. The same year, she came up with the single, ‘Us Against the World’.
Following this, she started working with The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and L.O.S. Da Maestro, which led to her signing a deal with Radio Killa Records. Eventually, she changed the title of her forthcoming album to ‘Elope’. The album, scheduled to be released in 2009, was delayed.
As for her acting career, she starred in the Christmas television movie, ‘Snowglobe’ and played the lead role in The CW’s new show, ‘Eight Days a Week’ and a minor role in ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’. Furthermore, she starred as the lead role in the straight-to-DVD film ‘Bring It On: Fight to the Finish’
In 2011, she collaborated with The Jackie Boyz for the song titled ‘Memory’, which was released in Japan. The song is set to appear on their album ‘Songs In My Blackberry’. Her album, ‘Elope’ was further delayed.
She is currently working on her fourth album. In 2013, she participated as a contestant on the reality show, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 17. In it, she partnered with professional dancer Mark Ballas
Personal Life & Legacy
She was in a romantic relationship with Nick Cannon. The two struck it well for two and a half years until they parted ways, after she complained of his infidelity.
She then started dating musician The-Dream. They were engaged in 2009 to marry each other in September. The couple was blessed with their first child, a daughter Violet Madison Nash, in February 2010. However, before the birth of the child, the two separated making a formal announcement only in July 2010.
In September 2010, she started dating Jas Prince. Three years henceforth in 2013, it was announced that the two were engaged. They called off the engagement in June 2014.
She has actively been working with the Children Uniting Nations charity, in which she serves as a big sister to foster children. She claims Penny Lane Foundation as her favourite charity.
