So Amazin'
Encyclopedia
So Amazin' is the third studio album by American singer Christina Milian
. The album, her first studio release since 2004's It's About Time
, was released by Island Records
on May 16, 2006 in the United States. Unlike previous records, which had contributions from many producers, Milian wrote and produced So Amazin primarily with hip hop producers Cool & Dre
. During production, Milian was mentored by L.A. Reid and executive producer Jay-Z
of Def Jam Recordings
.
The album's musical style is primarily urban
and R&B
, in contrast to the pop
sounds of Milian's previous albums, a change suggested by Island Def Jam. Following criticism over her previous albums for a lack of consistency, Milian had ten of the album's tracks produced by Cool & Dre. Lyrically, the album was inspired by Milian's breakup with Nick Cannon
. So Amazin was completed within a three month period, and Milian received writing credit for nine of the album's songs.
The album debuted and peaked at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200
, and sold a total of 163,000 copies. Internationally, the album charted in the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. The album's only single, "Say I
", featuring rapper Jeezy, saw peak positions of number four in the UK, and number 21 in the United States. The critical response to So Amazin was mixed. The album's production and "Say I" were generally praised, while several critics did not feel that the album showcased Milian's personality. One week after the release of So Amazin, Milian was dropped from Island Records.
(2004), was her second studio album, but served as her debut in the US. The critical response to the album was mixed to generally negative. The club tracks, most notably lead single "Dip It Low
", were praised; however, the ballads were said to be disappointing. The album only performed modestly commercially; it debuted and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling a total of 382,000 copies, but managed to achieve Silver certification in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry
. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" in 2005.
Following the album's release, Milian was cast in a lead role in the horror film Pulse, starring alongside Kristen Bell
and Ian Somerhalder
. Milian traveled to Romania for filming, and later discovered that her then-boyfriend Nick Cannon
had cheated on her while she was away. Milian said in an interview, "it was heartbreaking for me. I was a good girl, a really loyal girl – and I got beat real."
Whereas Milian's previous albums had pop and R&B stylings, she was encouraged by Island Def Jam to target a new audience and release an urban record. Explaining the change, Milian said that one of her main problems was that previous releases would often find mainstream success, but would be relatively unsuccessful on urban radio. As an R&B artist, she wanted to build her core audience–a true fan base that would support her through time–to increase her career's longevity. The main purpose of her genre change was to go back to the streets and add to her core audience.
Milian ended up working with Cool & Dre on the majority of the production of the album, producing ten of the album's eleven tracks together. Milian also wrote the track "Y'all Ain't Nothin'" with Ne-Yo
, which was produced by The Heavyweights. Features on the album include Three 6 Mafia
, Young Jeezy
, and Dre of Cool & Dre. While working on the song, "Who's Gonna Ride", Dre ran into Three 6 Mafia at the studio and they agreed to feature on the song. The album completed within a three month period, whereas Milian's previous albums would take six months to a year.
Milian received writing credit for nine songs on the album. Milian did not try to write mainstream records for the radio; rather, she wrote about "everything, about your life and concentrate on you doing you." For previous albums, Milian wrote about things that had happened in the past, whereas for So Amazin, she focused on the present. She compared the writing process to writing a diary; whenever she would experience something that she thought would be important, she would write it down for future reference. Milian felt that by writing down true experiences, her songs were like "captured emotion". When writing songs, Milian said that the amount of time it took to write varied. It would depend on what she was writing about, what was going on in her life, and if it pertained to that exact moment. Sometimes the process was quick, but other times it could take several hours to write an entire song.
Although Milian was a songwriter since her teenagers years, she only felt real growth during the production sessions when Dre told her, "there are no rules". Previously, Milian would write songs that followed rules, where she would have a hook, a verse, and another verse with similar sound and melody. For So Amazin, she wrote with a "no rules theory", which was her biggest obstacle while recording the album. She said, "It was just, you know what? I can change up the melody I can do different things. Sometimes I might get stuck but wait half an hour and it'll come to you and end up being hot. So that's probably my biggest obstacle, just stepping away from doing the usual that I know and stepping into something new. Once I got past all that, it was just easy. With flying colors, I started writing all the records."
Milian described So Amazin as a "consistent, very real and personal album". A problem Milian had with her previous album, It's About Time
, was that it did not flow. The various pop and urban influences in that album confused the audience, and Milian wanted So Amazin to paint a picture; "you get led down the whole way, you kinda get to see my growth through one album". Wanting a more consistent approach for her new album, Milian collaborated with only one team of producers, which made for a greater representation of a "more mature, settled" Milian. The purpose of the album was to record an album that had more realness, so that female fans could relate to what she was singing about. Milian felt that Cool & Dre brought their own style of beats to the album, giving it a "raw feel" and "street credibility". Marcello "Cool" Valenzano of Cool & Dre said that "we come from an R&B background, and we bringing something new to the table, a style we think is hot." For So Amazin, Milian knew that she needed to record material that had a "realness". She wanted to make dance tracks, but also wanted to express more of herself at the same time. Milian found the album to be "so much more real and urban and street" than her previous albums.
The single, "Say I", is an inspirational and motivational record; Milian wanted to make a record that would be an inspiration to both her and her fans. Focusing on an urban audience, Milian said the record was "way more an urban record than anything I've ever done." The singer felt it was necessary to have Young Jeezy
feature because he spoke for the streets, and thought his rap was "a very real message. It pertained to his life." The track, "Twisted", was one of the first songs recorded for the album. Lyrically, the song is about liking someone so much that you "can't even go about [your] day in a normal way". Milian compared the urban vibe of both tracks and said they were huge records, "where the music is just big and the hook is just big and you can’t help but sing [along]."
Dre features on two tracks, "So Amazing" and "Hot Boy", which both have a club vibe. Milian thought "So Amazing" had a similar vibe to several performance records she had done in the past. Milian raps
in the track and described it as being "really street and sexy". She also said "Hot Boy" is a "hot one for the streets and for the club and for performance." "Foolin'" was written when Milian heard an old record and sampled the line, "if you're foolin, only foolin". Hearing the original track, Milian knew she needed to write something original, and wrote about an ex-boyfriend, whom she nicknamed "Mr. Big", that was still interested in Milian but had a new girlfriend. The album's final track, "She Don't Know", has a Latin
vibe and features a Spanish guitar. Being Cuba
n, Milian wanted to incorporate a Spanish record on the album, and sings in English and Spanish in the song. Taking inspiration from Latin soap operas, Milian wanted to portray a very "dramatic feel" in the song. Lyrically, the song is about two people falling in love; however, the man has a girlfriend who does not know about the new relationship or that he has moved on.
Milian wrote So Amazin based on her own life, and each record pertained to a different aspect, especially focused on relationships. During early production of the album, Milian was dealing with her break-up with actor Nick Cannon
and wrote several records based on that. While writing the mid-tempo track "My Lovin' Goes", Milian felt she turned a new leaf. She said, "you see the change in So Amazin where life was just really coming into place. I was finally becoming the woman that I feel that I am right now. Also, I was leaving old love behind and learning about new types of love. Which is great, whether it be life, and also the dating scene is really nice." Two tracks which Milian wrote about Cannon were "Gonna Tell Everybody" and "Who's Gonna Ride". When Milian and Cool & Dre had discussions, her break-up with Cannon was regularly mentioned. Milian felt a need to express herself, and writing became therapeutic for Milian; she was able to get through the break-up by writing songs. The production by Cool & Dre also inspired Milian to write the tracks, as she felt comfortable with them and was able to be open.
Milian wrote the hip-hop ballad "Gonna Tell Everybody" about "thinking that I had something good, what happens when it's over, and going forward with my life." The track was one of the final songs that Milian wrote about the break-up as it "helped me get it all out". While the record is about a break-up, it focuses more on closure and moving past it. Milian and Cool & Dre used the melody of the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
song "Tha Crossroads
" and changed the lyrics "and I'm gonna miss everybody" to "and I'm gonna tell everybody". The other song, "Who's Gonna Ride", has a more street and gangster vibe, and contain more raw lyrics. Milian wrote the track with Dre, which she said helped because hip hop artists write about real things in their lives and are not afraid to say anything. While writing the track, Milian let her guard down and wrote what she was feeling and tried to be real. Lyrically, the song also deals with "the girls that come around and try to take your man. Or the groupie
girls that are around, paying attention to the guys on TV that only hang out with them for those reasons." Milian also said "Who's Gonna Ride" was the hardest song to write because it was not safe, unlike previous songs she had written. The singer explained writing the lyrics was not hard, but the difficulty came from being real and actually writing about her true feelings. When writing the lyrics, Milian removed several lines that she thought were too harsh.
. The single peaked at number four in the UK, and number 21 in the United States.
In June 2006, Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island Def Jam. Although she was dropped from the label, Milian continued to promote the album through live appearances, performing on Power 106's Summer Splash. Milian hoped to take "Gonna Tell Everybody", the proposed second single, to another label and shoot a video, but was not able to. Milian revealed in an interview with Rap-Up
that she was dropped a week after the release of her album. Milian stated that before the release of So Amazin, the label and L.A. Reid knew that the album would not have immediate large sales, since she was targeting a new urban audience, but promised to support her. However, after a week, L.A. Reid called to notify Milian that she had been dropped. The singer believed that it was a budget cut, and the label opted to spend money on Rihanna
instead. Milian also dispelled rumors that she was originally offered Rihanna's song "SOS
".
gave the album a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impressions of a select 12 critical reviews—of 59, signifying mixed or average reviews. David Peisner of Maxim
said that Milian's "talent is real", and commended her "silky and sassy" voice. He praised Cool & Dre's "badass" production, as well as "intoxicating" lead single "Say I". Clover Hope of Billboard
wrote that Milian tried to transform from "peppy pop sweetheart" to "sweet urban soulstress", but the album could not "pinpoint her true identity" and could "only [scratch] the surface of who she really is." Hope praised lead single, "Say I", describing it as "instantly rousing".
Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! Music
said that the production by Cool & Dre ensured for "a cohesive whole, with a clear, unmistakable identity". He praised single "Say I", saying it "shimmies to a feisty ghetto strut and Shaft-sized orchestrals", as well as "Twisted", "Hot Boy" and "Just A Little Bit". He described So Amazin as "almost the perfect R&B album", only missing "a couple of killer singles". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
wrote that while Milian claimed that she was "proudly displaying the various sides of her multifaceted personality", he felt that "only personality displayed on So Amazin is that of her contemporaries and predecessors". He felt that contrary to the album's title, "So Amazin proves to be anything but".
Andy Kellman, of review website Allmusic, felt that So Amazin was "Milian's strongest album yet, if only by a narrow margin". He said that the album was short on ideas, with Cool & Dre using beats from some of their recent hits. He felt that Milian's weakness was ballads, which were "more like placeholders that merely apply some forced variety to the album"; but described the club tracks as "perfectly functional and appealing". Spence Dookey of IGN
said that "Milian glistens most brightly on the tracks that are the most stripped down, such as 'Gonna Tell Everybody'". He said given the nature of the style of music Milian was practicing, "there's a fair share of rump shaking club jams offsetting the more slow tempo fare". Dookey described single "Say I" as "a poundingly theatrical ditty", and "Foolin'" as one of the "few tracks that genuinely attempts to lift Milian up from the generic R&B/club stylings". The reviewer found the overall sound was the album's biggest flaw; "the production rings with a sense of detached hollowness ... The result is an album severely lacking any of the warmth that usually accompanies R&B. Milian's hauntingly beautiful voice deserves to be wrapped in a sunny glow of organic vibes." Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
praised the album, "despite a few lyrical hiccups, a couple of lackluster hooks, and some obvious influences."
Bonus tracks
Christina Milian
Christine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model....
. The album, her first studio release since 2004's It's About Time
It's About Time (Christina Milian album)
It's About Time is the second studio album by American singer Christina Milian. The album was released by Island Records on June 15, 2004 in Japan, and July 13, 2004 in the United States...
, was released by Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
on May 16, 2006 in the United States. Unlike previous records, which had contributions from many producers, Milian wrote and produced So Amazin primarily with hip hop producers Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre are a team of hip hop producers from Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon.-Epidemic Records:...
. During production, Milian was mentored by L.A. Reid and executive producer Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
of Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
.
The album's musical style is primarily urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, in contrast to the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
sounds of Milian's previous albums, a change suggested by Island Def Jam. Following criticism over her previous albums for a lack of consistency, Milian had ten of the album's tracks produced by Cool & Dre. Lyrically, the album was inspired by Milian's breakup with Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
. So Amazin was completed within a three month period, and Milian received writing credit for nine of the album's songs.
The album debuted and peaked at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and sold a total of 163,000 copies. Internationally, the album charted in the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. The album's only single, "Say I
Say I
"Say I" is a song by American singer Christina Milian. Built around a sample of Jackie Moore's "Clean Up Your Own Yard," it was written by Bunny Sigler, J...
", featuring rapper Jeezy, saw peak positions of number four in the UK, and number 21 in the United States. The critical response to So Amazin was mixed. The album's production and "Say I" were generally praised, while several critics did not feel that the album showcased Milian's personality. One week after the release of So Amazin, Milian was dropped from Island Records.
Background
Milian's previous release, It's About TimeIt's About Time (Christina Milian album)
It's About Time is the second studio album by American singer Christina Milian. The album was released by Island Records on June 15, 2004 in Japan, and July 13, 2004 in the United States...
(2004), was her second studio album, but served as her debut in the US. The critical response to the album was mixed to generally negative. The club tracks, most notably lead single "Dip It Low
Dip It Low
"Dip It Low" is a song by American singer Christina Milian from her second studio album, It's About Time . Written by Poli Paul and Teedra Moses and produced by Paul, the track was released as the album's lead single...
", were praised; however, the ballads were said to be disappointing. The album only performed modestly commercially; it debuted and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling a total of 382,000 copies, but managed to achieve Silver certification in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" in 2005.
Following the album's release, Milian was cast in a lead role in the horror film Pulse, starring alongside Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
and Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder
Ian Joseph Somerhalder is an American model, actor and producer, best known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost and Damon Salvatore in the TV drama The Vampire Diaries.-Early life:...
. Milian traveled to Romania for filming, and later discovered that her then-boyfriend Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
had cheated on her while she was away. Milian said in an interview, "it was heartbreaking for me. I was a good girl, a really loyal girl – and I got beat real."
Whereas Milian's previous albums had pop and R&B stylings, she was encouraged by Island Def Jam to target a new audience and release an urban record. Explaining the change, Milian said that one of her main problems was that previous releases would often find mainstream success, but would be relatively unsuccessful on urban radio. As an R&B artist, she wanted to build her core audience–a true fan base that would support her through time–to increase her career's longevity. The main purpose of her genre change was to go back to the streets and add to her core audience.
Production
To create a more urban record, Milian had a list of producers that she wanted to work with for So Amazin. She said that in most cases, even when she had R&B producers, most songs would end up being pop instead of R&B. L.A. Reid suggested to Milian that she should work with Cool & Dre, with whom she ended up working with as the first people to start off the album. Although Milian was originally supposed to work with several different music producers, she felt that the chemistry they had in the first week was so "instant and real" that she felt she could not get a better "vibe" with anybody else other than them. Together, they produced four songs in the first few days, which prompted Milian to ask her label if she could continue working with the duo. At the same time, Cool & Dre called their managers to ask if they could continue working with Milian. Milian felt that it was "just the perfect connection", and that working with them "just felt so original". The singer described Cool & Dre as "beat makers", rather than just hip-hop producers, and believed that she was really able to express herself lyrically through their music.Milian ended up working with Cool & Dre on the majority of the production of the album, producing ten of the album's eleven tracks together. Milian also wrote the track "Y'all Ain't Nothin'" with Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, which was produced by The Heavyweights. Features on the album include Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
, Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, and Dre of Cool & Dre. While working on the song, "Who's Gonna Ride", Dre ran into Three 6 Mafia at the studio and they agreed to feature on the song. The album completed within a three month period, whereas Milian's previous albums would take six months to a year.
Milian received writing credit for nine songs on the album. Milian did not try to write mainstream records for the radio; rather, she wrote about "everything, about your life and concentrate on you doing you." For previous albums, Milian wrote about things that had happened in the past, whereas for So Amazin, she focused on the present. She compared the writing process to writing a diary; whenever she would experience something that she thought would be important, she would write it down for future reference. Milian felt that by writing down true experiences, her songs were like "captured emotion". When writing songs, Milian said that the amount of time it took to write varied. It would depend on what she was writing about, what was going on in her life, and if it pertained to that exact moment. Sometimes the process was quick, but other times it could take several hours to write an entire song.
Although Milian was a songwriter since her teenagers years, she only felt real growth during the production sessions when Dre told her, "there are no rules". Previously, Milian would write songs that followed rules, where she would have a hook, a verse, and another verse with similar sound and melody. For So Amazin, she wrote with a "no rules theory", which was her biggest obstacle while recording the album. She said, "It was just, you know what? I can change up the melody I can do different things. Sometimes I might get stuck but wait half an hour and it'll come to you and end up being hot. So that's probably my biggest obstacle, just stepping away from doing the usual that I know and stepping into something new. Once I got past all that, it was just easy. With flying colors, I started writing all the records."
Composition
| "I found a really great chemistry with Cool and Dre. I honestly connected with them and found that I was able to express myself easier and so much better through their music. It definitely gave me the soundtrack to write everything that was going on in my life at that time." |
| —Milian on her collaboration with Cool & Dre Cool & Dre Cool & Dre are a team of hip hop producers from Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon.-Epidemic Records:... . |
Milian described So Amazin as a "consistent, very real and personal album". A problem Milian had with her previous album, It's About Time
It's About Time (Christina Milian album)
It's About Time is the second studio album by American singer Christina Milian. The album was released by Island Records on June 15, 2004 in Japan, and July 13, 2004 in the United States...
, was that it did not flow. The various pop and urban influences in that album confused the audience, and Milian wanted So Amazin to paint a picture; "you get led down the whole way, you kinda get to see my growth through one album". Wanting a more consistent approach for her new album, Milian collaborated with only one team of producers, which made for a greater representation of a "more mature, settled" Milian. The purpose of the album was to record an album that had more realness, so that female fans could relate to what she was singing about. Milian felt that Cool & Dre brought their own style of beats to the album, giving it a "raw feel" and "street credibility". Marcello "Cool" Valenzano of Cool & Dre said that "we come from an R&B background, and we bringing something new to the table, a style we think is hot." For So Amazin, Milian knew that she needed to record material that had a "realness". She wanted to make dance tracks, but also wanted to express more of herself at the same time. Milian found the album to be "so much more real and urban and street" than her previous albums.
The single, "Say I", is an inspirational and motivational record; Milian wanted to make a record that would be an inspiration to both her and her fans. Focusing on an urban audience, Milian said the record was "way more an urban record than anything I've ever done." The singer felt it was necessary to have Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
feature because he spoke for the streets, and thought his rap was "a very real message. It pertained to his life." The track, "Twisted", was one of the first songs recorded for the album. Lyrically, the song is about liking someone so much that you "can't even go about [your] day in a normal way". Milian compared the urban vibe of both tracks and said they were huge records, "where the music is just big and the hook is just big and you can’t help but sing [along]."
Dre features on two tracks, "So Amazing" and "Hot Boy", which both have a club vibe. Milian thought "So Amazing" had a similar vibe to several performance records she had done in the past. Milian raps
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
in the track and described it as being "really street and sexy". She also said "Hot Boy" is a "hot one for the streets and for the club and for performance." "Foolin'" was written when Milian heard an old record and sampled the line, "if you're foolin, only foolin". Hearing the original track, Milian knew she needed to write something original, and wrote about an ex-boyfriend, whom she nicknamed "Mr. Big", that was still interested in Milian but had a new girlfriend. The album's final track, "She Don't Know", has a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
vibe and features a Spanish guitar. Being Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n, Milian wanted to incorporate a Spanish record on the album, and sings in English and Spanish in the song. Taking inspiration from Latin soap operas, Milian wanted to portray a very "dramatic feel" in the song. Lyrically, the song is about two people falling in love; however, the man has a girlfriend who does not know about the new relationship or that he has moved on.
Milian wrote So Amazin based on her own life, and each record pertained to a different aspect, especially focused on relationships. During early production of the album, Milian was dealing with her break-up with actor Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
and wrote several records based on that. While writing the mid-tempo track "My Lovin' Goes", Milian felt she turned a new leaf. She said, "you see the change in So Amazin where life was just really coming into place. I was finally becoming the woman that I feel that I am right now. Also, I was leaving old love behind and learning about new types of love. Which is great, whether it be life, and also the dating scene is really nice." Two tracks which Milian wrote about Cannon were "Gonna Tell Everybody" and "Who's Gonna Ride". When Milian and Cool & Dre had discussions, her break-up with Cannon was regularly mentioned. Milian felt a need to express herself, and writing became therapeutic for Milian; she was able to get through the break-up by writing songs. The production by Cool & Dre also inspired Milian to write the tracks, as she felt comfortable with them and was able to be open.
Milian wrote the hip-hop ballad "Gonna Tell Everybody" about "thinking that I had something good, what happens when it's over, and going forward with my life." The track was one of the final songs that Milian wrote about the break-up as it "helped me get it all out". While the record is about a break-up, it focuses more on closure and moving past it. Milian and Cool & Dre used the melody of the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
song "Tha Crossroads
Tha Crossroads
"Tha Crossroads" is a Grammy Award–winning song performed by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, dedicated to the late rap icon Eazy-E and released in 1996...
" and changed the lyrics "and I'm gonna miss everybody" to "and I'm gonna tell everybody". The other song, "Who's Gonna Ride", has a more street and gangster vibe, and contain more raw lyrics. Milian wrote the track with Dre, which she said helped because hip hop artists write about real things in their lives and are not afraid to say anything. While writing the track, Milian let her guard down and wrote what she was feeling and tried to be real. Lyrically, the song also deals with "the girls that come around and try to take your man. Or the groupie
Groupie
A groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
girls that are around, paying attention to the guys on TV that only hang out with them for those reasons." Milian also said "Who's Gonna Ride" was the hardest song to write because it was not safe, unlike previous songs she had written. The singer explained writing the lyrics was not hard, but the difficulty came from being real and actually writing about her true feelings. When writing the lyrics, Milian removed several lines that she thought were too harsh.
Commercial performance
So Amazin debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling 54,000 copies in its first week and 163,000 copies in total. Internationally, the album peaked at number 55 on the Swiss Albums Chart, 67 on the UK Albums Chart, and 139 on the France Albums Chart. The album's lead single, "Say I", featured rapper Young Jeezy and had a music video, directed by Ray KayRay Kay
Ray Kay is a Norwegian director and photographer, based in Los Angeles.He is one of the most sought-after music video & commercial directors in the world now, and has directed the most watched video on YouTube, Justin Bieber's "Baby" . All in all, his videos have been viewed more than 1 billion...
. The single peaked at number four in the UK, and number 21 in the United States.
In June 2006, Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island Def Jam. Although she was dropped from the label, Milian continued to promote the album through live appearances, performing on Power 106's Summer Splash. Milian hoped to take "Gonna Tell Everybody", the proposed second single, to another label and shoot a video, but was not able to. Milian revealed in an interview with Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
that she was dropped a week after the release of her album. Milian stated that before the release of So Amazin, the label and L.A. Reid knew that the album would not have immediate large sales, since she was targeting a new urban audience, but promised to support her. However, after a week, L.A. Reid called to notify Milian that she had been dropped. The singer believed that it was a budget cut, and the label opted to spend money on Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
instead. Milian also dispelled rumors that she was originally offered Rihanna's song "SOS
SOS (Rihanna song)
"SOS" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her second studio album, A Girl like Me. The song was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. It was released as the lead single from the album...
".
Critical reception
The critical response to So Amazin was mixed. MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the album a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impressions of a select 12 critical reviews—of 59, signifying mixed or average reviews. David Peisner of Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
said that Milian's "talent is real", and commended her "silky and sassy" voice. He praised Cool & Dre's "badass" production, as well as "intoxicating" lead single "Say I". Clover Hope of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
wrote that Milian tried to transform from "peppy pop sweetheart" to "sweet urban soulstress", but the album could not "pinpoint her true identity" and could "only [scratch] the surface of who she really is." Hope praised lead single, "Say I", describing it as "instantly rousing".
Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
said that the production by Cool & Dre ensured for "a cohesive whole, with a clear, unmistakable identity". He praised single "Say I", saying it "shimmies to a feisty ghetto strut and Shaft-sized orchestrals", as well as "Twisted", "Hot Boy" and "Just A Little Bit". He described So Amazin as "almost the perfect R&B album", only missing "a couple of killer singles". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
wrote that while Milian claimed that she was "proudly displaying the various sides of her multifaceted personality", he felt that "only personality displayed on So Amazin is that of her contemporaries and predecessors". He felt that contrary to the album's title, "So Amazin proves to be anything but".
Andy Kellman, of review website Allmusic, felt that So Amazin was "Milian's strongest album yet, if only by a narrow margin". He said that the album was short on ideas, with Cool & Dre using beats from some of their recent hits. He felt that Milian's weakness was ballads, which were "more like placeholders that merely apply some forced variety to the album"; but described the club tracks as "perfectly functional and appealing". Spence Dookey of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said that "Milian glistens most brightly on the tracks that are the most stripped down, such as 'Gonna Tell Everybody'". He said given the nature of the style of music Milian was practicing, "there's a fair share of rump shaking club jams offsetting the more slow tempo fare". Dookey described single "Say I" as "a poundingly theatrical ditty", and "Foolin'" as one of the "few tracks that genuinely attempts to lift Milian up from the generic R&B/club stylings". The reviewer found the overall sound was the album's biggest flaw; "the production rings with a sense of detached hollowness ... The result is an album severely lacking any of the warmth that usually accompanies R&B. Milian's hauntingly beautiful voice deserves to be wrapped in a sunny glow of organic vibes." Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
praised the album, "despite a few lyrical hiccups, a couple of lackluster hooks, and some obvious influences."
Track listing
- "Say ISay I"Say I" is a song by American singer Christina Milian. Built around a sample of Jackie Moore's "Clean Up Your Own Yard," it was written by Bunny Sigler, J...
" (featuring Jeezy) (Bunny SiglerBunny SiglerWalter "Bunny" Sigler is a pop and R&B songwriter and record producer who has done extensive work with the team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and who was instrumental in creating the "Philly Sound" in the early 1970s. He is nicknamed "Mr...
, Jay JenkinsYoung JeezyJay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, Phil Hurtt, Andre LyonCool & DreCool & Dre are a team of hip hop producers from Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon.-Epidemic Records:...
, Marcello Valenzano, Jazmine SullivanJazmine SullivanJazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
) – 3:33 - "Twisted" (Lyon, Sullivan, Valenzano, Leon WareLeon WareLeon Ware is a soul music singer, songwriter and producer. Best known for crafting the hit album, I Want You, originally recorded for Ware, until friend and Motown icon Marvin Gaye was assigned to the album in 1976...
) – 4:00 - "Gonna Tell Everybody" (Anthony HendersonKrayzie BoneAnthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998...
, Steven HowseLayzie BoneLayzie Bone is rapper and hip-hop artist known primarily for being a member of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He has also has gone by the names L-Burna and The #1 Assassin. He is the younger brother of fellow group member Flesh-N-Bone...
, Ernie IsleyErnie IsleyErnest "Ernie" Isley is a member of the iconic American musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers.-Life and career:Ernie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular-singing group. In 1960 his family moved to Englewood and...
, Marvin IsleyMarvin IsleyMarvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
, O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr. , better known as Kelly Isley, was an American singer and one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
, Ronald IsleyRonald IsleyRonald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
, Lyon, Milian, Eddie Montilla, Valenzano) – 4:20 - "Who's Gonna Ride" (featuring Three 6 MafiaThree 6 MafiaThree 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
) (Paul BeauregardDJ PaulPaul Beauregard, better known by his stage name DJ Paul, is an American rapper and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee. He is one half of the current Memphis-based rap group Three 6 Mafia. He is also the half brother of former Three 6 Mafia member Lord Infamous. He won an Academy Award for Best...
, Albert BouchardAlbert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
, Jordan HoustonJuicy JJordan Michael Houston, better known by his stage name Juicy J is an Academy Award winning American rapper and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee and is the co-founder and a member of the duo Three 6 Mafia . He is also the younger brother of Project Pat...
, Lyon, Milian, David Roter, Valenzano) – 4:10 - "So Amazing" (featuring Dre) (Lyon, Milian, Valenzano) – 3:20
- "Hot Boy" (featuring Dre) (Lyon, Milian, Valenzano) – 3:53
- "Foolin'" (Lyon, Milian, Pam SawyerPam SawyerPamela Sawyer, an American-based songwriter from Romford, East London.Sawyer worked with artists at Motown Records from 1967 to 1977. Before Motown she had been involved in hit records for the Young Rascals and Lulu, and wrote with Lori Burton with whom she also recorded as the Whyte Boots.Sawyer...
, Valenzano, Ware) – 4:05 - "My Lovin' Goes" (Lyon, Milian, Valenzano) – 4:00
- "Just a Little Bit" (Vinnie BarrettVinnie BarrettVinnie Barrett is an American Songwriter and Musician from Washington, DC.-Career:Gwen Graduated from Armstrong High School in Washington, DC. She studied music at Howard University and The University of the District of Columbia...
, Bobby Eli, John Freeman Jr., Lyon, Milian, Valenzano) – 3:05 - "Y'all Ain't Nothin'" (Milian, Ne-YoNe-YoShaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, Melvin Sparkman) – 4:18 - "She Don't Know" (Jeff Barnell, Bernard Dahan, Lyon, Milian, Fabio Valenzano) – 4:35
Bonus tracks
- "Wind You Up" (Lyon, Milian, Valenzano) (Japanese bonus track) – 3:42
- "Tonight" (Lyon, Milian, Valenzano) (UK/Japanese bonus track) – 3:40
Personnel
- John D.S. Adams – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Mathu Anderson – make-up
- Carol Corless – package coordinator
- April DeVona – assistant engineer
- Tony Duran – photography
- Thomas "T" Hatcher – bass
- Jean-Marie Horvat – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Patrick Magee – assistant engineer
- Alan Mason – assistant engineer
- Renson Mateo – engineer
- Kevin Mayer – mixing assistant
- Carmen Milian – management
- Christina Milian – executive producer
- Eddie Montilla – bass, keyboards
- Adrienne Muhammad – A&R
- Gary Noble – engineer
- Herb Powers – masteringMastering engineerA mastering engineer is one skilled in the practice of taking audio that has been previously mixed in either the analog or digital domain as mono, stereo, or multichannel formats and preparing it for use in distribution, whether by physical media such as a CD, vinyl record, or as some method of...
- Derrick "Swol" Ray – bass
- Eric Rennaker – assistant engineer
- Nico Solis – engineer
- Shakir Stewart – A&R
- Randy Stodghill – hair stylist
- Alli Truch – creative directorCreative DirectorA creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
- Eric Weissman – sample clearanceSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
- Andy West – art direction, design
- James M. Wisner – mixing assistant
- Eric Wong – marketing
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France Albums Chart | 139 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 55 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
67 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
11 |