Christina Milian: Setting herself apart from all the rest

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Young bloods keep showing up in the music industry these days. Some are really talented, like Alicia Keys, but many are just churning out remakes of old songs and depending on sex appeal to get an audience.

At first glance, 20-year-old Christina Milian does not seem any different from her peers. An American of Cuban descent who grew up in Maryland, she sings the standard R&B of many others, and dresses in the international uniform of the young, hip singer.

Her song AM to PM from her self-titled debut album is a hit now, but there are probably many who assume that she will follow the path of all those one-hit wonders into obscurity.

Then, you take a look at her background and CV, and it appears that there is much more to set her apart and above from the talent-deficient pop princesses that are also crowding the airwaves.

Milian started her career young, appearing first in several TV shows, like Clueless and Charmed. She also did a voice-over character role in A Bug's Life, and once was a junior journalist for the Disney's Channel Movie Surfers.

As for her album, she wrote all of the songs and top producers like Ja Rule and Artful Dodger were involved, obviously attracted by her talent.

And, while she may be young in years, she knows how to pen songs: Her writing talent has been noticed by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and PYT, as Milian co-wrote Lopez's hit Play as well as PYT's Same 'Ol Same Ol.

She was here this week to perform at a party to launch MTV Indonesia and gave a one-on-one interview to the Post.

Question: So, how does it feel now that you're quite famous?

Answer: It's weird actually, and a huge shock. My mom likes to talk about it and say, "Look at who we are right now". It's great. It's such a surprise that so many people came up just to see me. Cool! (laughs). It's a good weird.

Q: What's your musical background actually?

A: I came from classical. I play piano. And then I did everything, from opera, recital. I almost got a scholarship for Julliard. There were a lot of competitions for it and all I need was one more competition. But then I got too busy with music and film.

Q: Your big breakthrough was actually acting. You've been in movies, several TV shows, like Charmed and Clueless, why did you then choose music?

A: Well, it's been my passion since I was a kid. I grew up watching Janet Jackson, Madonna and Michael Jackson dancing, and I knew that was what I wanted to do.

Q: Why did you choose R&B for your debut album?

A: I didn't really choose it. I'm open to all kinds of music since I was a kid. I listened to a lot of oldies, like Diana Ross and Elton John.

The music in my album is actually mostly urban music. Yes, it's mostly R&B, but we have other styles as well. When we made this album I said, I didn't want to do R&B song, or pop song. Let's just make music. I call the music in my album a mixture of it all.

Q: How did you end up collaborating with Artful Dodger (the English top producer, the one behind U.K. star Craig David. Milian is the only American artist he has produced so far)?

A: I was doing a record session in Sweden. I was watching television, checking out new musics, especially those I've never heard like garage music. We don't have that in America. And I thought, wow, it's very cool.

I got Craig's CD and liked it so much. So, I contacted Artful, he was in New York and we worked together and did a song called Satisfaction Guaranteed. Really great song, and he's great to work with.

Q: Comparisons about you to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are unavoidable, so what do you think about that?

A: I understand the comparison, and it's a compliment for me. Both of them are great artists. Britney is a great performer and Christina has a great voice.

But at the same time, of course I want to be recognized as an artist. Besides, I write all of my music because writing is a huge aspect for me.

You can see many performers are doing lipsync and remaking other people's songs... I don't want to do that. I want to be original and write my own songs.

Q: You also involve in a Self Esteem tour program, right?

A: Yes, I do. I'm involved in this program to teach high school kids to have self-esteem. Because self-esteem is very important. It can help you to be away from bad things like drugs.

I can relate to high school kids' feelings, because I had a hard time going through it (adolescence). As someone of Cuban descent, kids used to mock me, 'So, what are you, actually?'. Because I lived in a suburb where people are either Caucasian or African-American.

Fortunately, I got a good upbringing. My parents always help me to understand my roots, always encourage me. So, if someone makes fun of me, I just laugh and wipe it off my shoulders.

Q: Could you tell us about your family?

A: I have two younger sisters, one is 16 years old and another is 15. My mother, Carmen, was always beside me wherever I go. My parents got separated when I was a kid so my father was not around anymore. But both of them had inspired me, and always tell me to believe in my dream.

I'm very close with my mother and my sisters. Back when I was 13, I said to my mom that I really wanted to go to California because I think it's a very good place to boost my career.

So, I brought them all the way from Maryland to California.

Q: What do you think about the music industry in the United States?

A: Oh wow, it's a very competitive business. I would say it's very hard. It's kinda hard to break into the market because they're very close-minded. You have to be either pop, or R&B or rock. It's just one thing or another.

But, at the same time, they do have a lot of great artists and I really enjoy the music and it's very original.

I learned in the past two years about the music industry that business is still business. No matter how close you are, no matter if you're friends, it's still business (laughs). I learn a lot from it.

I educated myself, I took college learning about music business. I learn about publishing, who does what, how does it suppose to happen... I was in charge about all things when I first got into it because, you know, you can be naive and just sign a contract without understanding it.

There's a lot to learn and know more about, it's a hard business (laughs).