Customer Reviews

So Amazin'

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The third studio album from the multi-talented Ms. Milian presents a plausible case for breach of promise. Having been nominated for Grammy awards twice over, and with her songwriting creds, the listening public deserves more than an album of eleven "ordinary" songs that are indistinguishable from anything else playing on R&B stations anywhere.

First single "Say I" with Young Jeezy, is a radio-friendly dance track, but won't be another "Dip It Low" or "AM to PM". The only way you'll remember this one a few months from now is by the helpful contribution of Young Jeezy at the beginning of the song:

"I can't think of nothing else to say
Christina Milian
Cool and Dre"

Although acceptable from an R&B singer on debut, these lyrics more or less tell the story of this album - nothing new to say. Second single "Gonna Tell Everybody" starts off well, but then goes downhill quickly, and by the time we get to "Who's Gonna Ride" with Three 6 Mafia, (a track with a few PA lyrics) they have to remind you again who're you're listening to.

Listen to the singles on the radio, and wait for the next album.

Rated: 3.5 stars

Amanda Richards, May 17, 2006

Christina Milian is still considered a new artist, which is funny when you think about the fact that she's had 2 previous albums, and movies with Tommy Lee Jones, John Travolta and Uma Thurman. She has always either fallen short of expectations or just done projects at the wrong time.
"It's About Time" lacked a flow, from r&b to pop, nobody knew who she was, what she was about. With "So Amazin'" Christina gets closer to stating who she is and what drives her. It is far more personal, and has the perfect blend of r&b and danceable hip hop. It's far more mature than her previous effort and some of the recent r&b albums that have dropped. Christina has grown vocally, lyrically and has progressed in production since we last heard her in 2004.

01. Say I (3.5/5) The current single with Young Jeezy. It has its moments, but it is definately not the best song on the album.

02. Twisted (4/5) It has a fresh hot track, and the scratchyness in her voice is hot in this number.

03. Gonna Tell Everybody (5/5) The first killer song on the album, this one screams I NEED TO BE THE NEXT SINGLE and has radio potential all over. She sings on a mellow rnb piano driven track about an unfaithful lover and how now she's let it go, but before then Everybody's gonna know about it. She sings it the way BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY did 'Tha Crossroads.'

04. Who's Gonna Ride (Featuring Three-6-Mafia) (3.5/5) This song was a buzz single for the album and was played a bit on radio, it was referred as the 'Nick-Diss Record' but all in all it has a gritty vibe, her voice isn't quite as strong as it could be for the content and track but she gets her point accross to her previous ex's.

05. So Amazing (Featuring Dre) (4.5/5) One of my favorite songs, the track is hot, the flow of the words just make you want to hit a club or drive real fast. Good dance track with Christina and Dre flirting back with each other promising each other an amazing end of the night.

06. Hot Boy (Featuring Dre) (5/5) Took me two listens to learn to like this song, and now it's probably my second favorite song. Has a homemade garage produced feel to it, the track is fresh and hot with synth beats and it sounds like something that would do good on radio later on.

07. Foolin' (4.5/5) Feels like a throwback with an old recording sample, and speaks about a guy trying to get with a girl when he is already in a relationship, and that she's not down for that, her vocals improve on this track.

08. My Lovin' Goes (3.5/5) The track is hotter than the song in this case, not one of the best things about the album, but it's enjoyable.

09. Just A Little Bit (4.5/5) Great track and song, just has a good vibe to it and vocally shows improvement.

10. Y'all Ain't Nuthin' (4.5/5) Good mellow r&b track that probably becomes one of the most personal on the album, as she talks about all the good things she does for her man, fixes him dinner, though he's coming home from cheating on her, fixes his clothes, so he could go out there for all these chickens to see. Solid track and vocals.

11. She Don't Know (5/5) One of the best tracks on the album, it has a spanish tango styled ballad feel, about her being with a commited man, and that she's fallen in love and never intended to be in this situation. The track would be a wildcard, but with a hot video I can see this being a single.

Tracks not on album:

12. Tonight (UK Bonus Track) (5/5) Great track, nice vocals
13. Wind You Up (Japanese Track) (4/5) A hot track that I can almost see Janet clearly singing on. A little more racy than the songs on the album.
14. Be What It's Gonna Be (4/5) From Usher's IN THE MIX soundtrack, this song has a great mellow feel and just sounds nice.

Optimumly known in the music industry for her successful hit, "Dip It Low", Christina Milian returns with her self-proclaimed theraputic third effort. It is galvinizing that she returned to the music scene solo because neither of her previous albums, Christina Milian(self-titled) and It's About Time, respectively, encountered much commercial success. This album's lead single, "Say I", is only her third to make any noticeable movement up the charts -"Am to Pm" and "Dip It Low" were the first two. Just like It's About Time, So Amazin opened with mediocre sales but quickly descended the charts.

Christina Milian's commercial performance may be underwhelming, but the content of her albums are not. In fact, if certification was based on the quality of the album alone, this album would go platinum 5-times over. In 2005 Christina Milian was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Contemporary R&B Album (It's About Time) and Best Hip/Hop Song Collaboration by a Duo or Group ("Dip It Low"[Remix]f/Fabolous). So Amazin' followed just about the same formula as did It's About Time, and with a twist: deeper, more personal and convincing lyrics;worthwhile collaborations(Dre of Cool and Dre, Young Jeezy, and Three Six Mafia); no skits -what muddles me most about albums is when an artist saddles an album with misplaced and/or nugatory skits; no fillers; 11 sumptuous tracks; and club/dance music and ballads. "Say I" was a great choice for the first single; and even though it has garnered hardly any air-play, "Gonna Tell Everybody", was a just as commendable choice for a second single. According to Christina Milian, there were plans to record a video the title single, "So Amazin'."

Now for the detailed content analysis, as mentioned before, this album is theraputic; but do not expect to be excessively served mournful and depressing lyrics about going through and overcoming an unimpressive love affair.

This album has enough of a variety of tracks that will give you the urge to put this album into your cd player and blast it regardless of what mood you are in. If you like to dance to the soothing vocals of Christina Milian over an up-tempo anthem, there are several tracks here for you. Most notable is "Say I" and others include "Twisted", "So Amazin", and "Just A Little Bit."

The most outstanding tracks on the album are the ballads. Thanks to a sample and some emotions, Christina Milian impudently delivers her second single with just as much sass as her first. i.e. "Im gone speak the truth, I aint gone lie, I let you go with all those tears I cried, I thought we was gone ride...and Im gonna tell everybody, im gonna tell everybody" On the track, "Y'all Ain't Nuthin'", Milian showcases her range by outshining the instruments so that the lyrics and emotions will reach the listener without interruption. The track is just surreal; so surreal that when you hear the lyrics you will actually feel so sympathetic for Milian that you will feel that actually there telling you the situation. For instance: "so tired of these disrespectful, so ungrateful, make me hateful, so don't appreciate nothin'." Milian's deliverance on this track is impeccable.

Milian includes a couple of ready-to-ride tracks such as "Who's Gonna Ride" and "Hot Boy." With this variation of music, there is hardly ever a dull moment on the album.

In short, this is one of the most awe-inspiring records of the year and the eleven tracks together are well-worth the price of the album. So if you even contemplated purchasing this album midly, do your music library justice and make the investment.

Now, the first single "Say I" really doesn't stand out to me, but with a listen of this album, I could say there are better songs here. This album is much more hip-hop/r&B oriented. I really don't know if she SHOULD release more mainstream singles, or r&b singles. With that being said, here is a song by song review:

1. Say I - This, of course, is the first single. It had to grow on me at first. It uses an old-school beat that is reminiscent of The GAME'S "Hate it or Love it".

2. Twisted - This song had anthem-like music and is o.k. Really doesn't stand out from "Say I". Her vocals are pretty strong. mid/uptempo

3. Gonna Tell Everybody - Sounds like mainstream R&B.. i.e. "We Belong Together", but of course not on that level. It would be o.k. as a single (I think it is the second), but personally I'm tired of songs that sound like this. slow song.

4. Who's Gonna Ride - This is one of my favorite songs on here. Has a HEAVILY hip-hop influenced beat with Three-Six Mafia present. Very bass driven. She sings "Who's gonna ri-i-i-i-i-i-i-ide.." just like "Stay Fly" by 3-6. So, not very ORIGINAL, but good nonetheless. I think it should be a single, seeing as this album is more hip-hop geared. CLUB.

5. So Amazing - Sounds like a single. reminds me of Janet Jackson. I wouldn't listen to it that much, but it is good. up-tempo.

6. Hot Boy - also hip-hoppish.. even has a screwed profane word.. A little too MUCH of an attemt to be HARD. Beyonce-ish to me. Its a good song when you're bored.

7. Foolin' - A very good song. Sounds LIVE. It borrows from an ol' skool song I can't put my finger on right now. I like when she harmonizes in the chorus.. she does it A-capella at the end. Reminds me of an Aaliyah song on OIAM. mid/uptempo.

8. My Lovin Goes - Has that same "screwed" voice as "Hot Boy". not memorable. Sounds like Aaliyah (especially @ the end when its instrumental) meets Ciara. mid-tempo.

9. Just a Little Bit - Probably my least favorite here. Sounds a little like a Mya song. up-tempo.

10. Ya'll Ain't Nuthin' - I REALLY LOVE this song! Many reviews I've read said it was their least favorite. It's a slow song, but with a lot of attitude. Sounds like Destiny's Child (Writing's) and 702 in their prime. Talkin about her man not appreciatin her. Great R&B. Even does a key change. I think it should be a single.. Mayb I'm crazy.

11. Wind You Up - Sounds like some Beyonce. But I really don't like it. Talkin about how she wants to turn her man on.

12. Tonight - This really sounds like Mya. sounds like a Neptunes beat. It's o.k.

13. She Don't Know - A spanish influenced track. Really interesting at first but gets a little boring. A good song tho.

*Some of these songs aren't on the standard version.

So, this album is solid, but isn't very memorable.

First time around we heared Christina's AM to PM which was very infectious. Her debut CD was only released in the UK and was pretty good for a start but nothing amazin'. Her USA debut with Its About Time was the perfect cd for her break into america. It had so many hooks and pretty good beats. it also changed it up alot. In a interveiw while recording this new album, christina said that she wanted something more mature.....

PROBLEM ALERT! alot of artist mistaken med-tempo as "mature" examples being Destiny's Child on Destiny Fulfilled. Mid-Tempo is not the answer. the real anser is a total package. A album tha tcan take chances with edgy hooks and lyrics that a 12 year old would not write in their diary. This is not the "christina" path of maturity on "So Amazin'". She picks many mid-tempo songs and some actually edgy R&B to express her new found womenhood. the songs "whos gonna ride" and "so amazin'" have the christina flavor that i so miss but other songs such as "yall ain nothin" and "she dont know" are just plain boring and complete filler. i hope the milian desides that she doesnt need to slow herslef down to seem more grown up next time around.

I think I first heard of Christina Milian on some type of TV show or movie or something and she was SO freakin pretty. A little bit later I had seen one of her videos on MTV and that mess was so wack (I can not even remember the name of the song!) and I wrote her off as talentless. Some time later she came out with the song DIP IT LOW, which was alright even if the video was one of the greatest of all time ;), but the song was largely forgettable.

I downloaded her album It's About Time for free and thank goodness I did that because that album was horrible just like that first song from her I heard. At that point I said "no more Christina Milian for me!" A couple years later she starred in the movie BE COOL but displayed a little bit of talent in the movie on her song BELIEVER; this song was head and shoulders above anything she had previously done and it showed that she actually could sing and play the piano pretty well kind of like Alicia Keys (but not like Alicia Keys!). Then shortly after she got into some kind of relationship with Nick Cannon of all people, which was good for exposure but bad for her image (NICK CANNON!?!?!?!!!) That was almost worse than Ciara & Bow Wow's stint.

Fresh off an ugly breakup with Nick Cannon comes this album So Amazin. It's usually best for singers to release albums fresh off a breakup since they have so much to write and sing about(just ask Mariah carey). This album's lyrics center mostly around her breakup and trials and tribulations that come before and after a breakup but instead of slow sappy songs she ups the ante a little bit by bringing in producers Cool & Dre for the bulk of the album. She does sing pretty well on this album. The lyrics are on point and the production is ridiculous. Every song is nice save for the title track So Amazin. My favorite songs are Twisted, Gonna Tell Everybody, Foolin, and Yall Aint Nuthin.

I believe this album was a victim of mishandled promotion because there is no way after someone blazed the radio stations since January with Say I and then dropped an album this good, that they are immediately dropped from their label without even getting to have a follow up single. I guess that's just how the music industry goes. Christina Milian does have talent though and they shined through on this album. She overcame my first and second impressions of her talents and I won't hesitate to tell you to buy this album. Given my library of music is very rare that after throwing someone under the bus musically that they can come back and impress me. This is one of those times. 5 stars.

Okay, folks. I am officially fed up. First off, Cheri Dennis' album wasn't released on June 13th as promised (damn you, Diddy, damn you twice). Second, why the hateration for my girl Christina? I have not written a review for quite some time, because honestly not many albums have come out that actually deserve one. After her 2004 album 'It's About Time' proved to be a faceless concoction of hot beats and stale ballads, Christina took some time off. During her downtime, she hooked up with Bobby Brown's play cousin Nick Cannon, a sorry excuse for a man if you ask me, and later had her heart crushed after she found out he *gasp* was cheating on her! Um, like, duh! Have you seen this guy... anyway, I digress(?).

The muses came shining down upon Miss Milian, and she poured every ounce of her being into this, her third album, 'So Amazin'. Helmed by Cool and Dre (masterminds behind the Game's hit 'Hate it or Love it'), Milians latest offering is what artistic growth is all about, dashing people's expectaions of you, and hittin' them in the face with a new attitude and refreshed sense of spirit. Propelled by the driving hip-hop soul of "Say I", a delicious swelling of strings and gritty percussions, and Christina's 'do what you wanna do' optimism make it great way to start an artistic declaration. From there, Christina segues into a sensual, joyous statement of whirlwind passion with 'Twisted Up', yet again driven by lush strings and a vintage dash of soul.

'Gonna Tell Everybody' eminates sorrow and pain with its ghostly shades of pianos and Christina's weary vocals. The woman is feeling this ish somewhere deep in the soul. Electro brassiness dips and glides through the title track, where Christina wants someone to flip it and reverse it, dip it, pop it, twerk it and stop it. It simply brims with raw sensuality and brazen come-ons. 'Hot Boy' is a crunchy, deep fried street anthem steeped in a grimey beat and Milian's coy, lush vocals elevating it to a another true ladies anthem.

Milian effectively fuses old-school sensibilities, vintage soul, and todays hip-hop attitude so naturally that you can't help but fall head first into her new artistic avenue. "Foolin'" is a gorgeous, sexy mid-tempo slow burner with powerful lyrics and a profound confidence that is palpable throughout this stand-out track.

My jam, though, is the beautiful, lush 'Just a Little Bit'. Once again Cool and Dre lace this track with delicious strings, gorgeous background vocals, and Christina's breathy vocals lilting through this melody like an intoxicating lullaby. It is the best track on the album, hands down. Other highlights include the sweaty funk of the Japan bonus track 'Wind You Up', the neck popping, step off jazziness of 'Y'all Ain't Nothin', and the chromed out, down south crunk of 'Who's Gonna Ride.'

Lastly, must I say that I am tired of people saying that Miss Milian cannot sing. I mean, come on now we all know better. The same people who say she can't sing probably have Paris Hilton's new song (if you can call it that) on their i-Pod. The woman does not have to warble and belt through every song to be a real vocalist. Her voice has many textures, and this album displays all of them to full affect. And in case any of you have not heard Island Def Jam recently dropped Milian due to poor album sales ( a street rumor also claims that it was due to LA Reids contention over Milian not recording 'S.O.S.', a song later given to Rihanna, but honestly, would it have fit on this album? Um... No)

At any rate, 'So Amazin' speaks for itself. It is one of the better R&B releases to come out this year. So please, stop hating on the woman. She is practically a show biz veteran who has made it both behind and in front of the scenes. Give credit where credit is due. Milian has made it this far because she has done more that just rest on her laurels and good looks. Trust that she will overcome Def Jams premature decision and rise above.

Short and simple: I think this album was a definite come up from Christina's last album It's About Time. While It's About Time to me, was only good for Dip It Low & a couple of the slow songs. So Amazin' is a better album for it's up tempo dance songs. While I will admit that it could've been better, I still think it's a fairly good album. Overall I am happy w/ my purchase.

Top 5 Songs
1.Gonna Tell Everybody
2.So Amazin'
3.Hot Boy
4.Foolin'
5.Y'all Ain't Nuthin

*Twisted, Say I, and She Don't Know are some other stand out tracks which are pretty good!

Consistent grooves and melodies, strong lyrics. Christina Milian delivers another jammin' album; lets hope the singles push album sales!

Whether way you put it, Christina Milian doesn't have what you would call a grab on music. Yes, she's spun the two hit singles "AM to PM" and "Dip it Low", but c'mon, two hit singles and two flopping CDs (or, well, now three). If I had to compare her to someone, Jamie Foxx. Actor and singer. Okay at both, but not exceeding in either category (though Foxx is a darn good actor). And this is Milian's third go around with So Amazin'. Like anyone I followed this album for her previous works and that hot song "Say I". Yes, it flopped, but I still think with good promotion that song could've been huge. But, due to album sales and poor success with that single, she was dropped from Def Jam. So even with this whole paragraph, why on earth did I even bother with this? I got it for free! Well, I should also say you get what you pay for as well. Yes, she was cute on her UK release only self-titled and sexy on It's About Time. But this go around, she's a fake ghetto chick. Now, that's fine if you do it on the album cover only; not the actual music. But she literally does do it on the music, and pretty much kills the CD except for two songs, "Say I" and some random average song out of the death dragging tracklisting.

"Twisted" proves Christina Milian should have no writing credibility whatsoever with "It's so amazin, my heartbeat is racin, when I see your facin". Need I say that it gets worse the further you go down the song? Also the mentioning of the Bob Marley drug gets you nowhere. And the production of this song and the album is by Cool & Dre. Other than this work they've had a couple select hit singles like The Game's "Hate It Or Love It", but otherwise they are some pretty unknown producers as far as making pop music. And even worse to say that their production on this album is mostly lame. Especially on "Twisted", they uses plentiful horns and upbeat tempos to try to get a ghetto feel out of Christina Milian who, if I remember correctly, is as ghetto as Radio Disney. And that's no lie. "Gonna Tell Everybody" is better but what is that saying? The production is simple, and tries to be passed off as some sort of 90s styled soft rap thing when also keeping the original CM sound of 00s teen-pop. It fails. Vocally the track is pretty mediocre, Christina Milian sings off-key more than a couple of times in the chorus. And, speaking of the chorus, "I'm gonna tell everybody that you cheated" is the actual chorus. "Who's Gonna Ride" gets things even worse when Christina Milian once again fails to be ghetto. This time she starts rapping and oversinging "I ain't the one to cuss but f--- ya/Way before you went and copped that truck/When you're a-- got laid off boy/I should've listened to my ladies, when they told me". Well let's see here I highly doubt that Christina Milian has ever had a boyfriend that copped a truck before. Anyhow, Cool & Dre's overproduced synth drum pattern can't do anything to improve the song. And neither can Three 6 Mafia, they neither help nor hurt the song. "So Amazing" doesn't compliment the above, actually more-so it sounds exactly like the above which puts me once again to another point. This CD is about 43 minutes. It sounds like it is 15. Really all the songs have similar production until the end of the disc. Same overproduced jabber-jabber. Back to "So Amazing", well, Christina Milian still oversinging is apparent. The overproduced Cool & Dre music is still apparent. And, just completely odd lyrics are still apparent as well ( "Come over boy/Turn me over boy/Play with me/Lemme be ya sleepover toy") You know, this three-word rhyming (especially going from boy to toy) is getting old. Were is Ne-Yo when you need him most? And don't even get me started with "Hot Boy", which starts with "I can cook a steak up/while you hook up a steakout" and gets even worse into the song. Also I notice that Christina Milian only covers two things on this entire album. And that would be sex and living in the ghetto, one of which she has no experience with. Even parting away from the ghetto theme and attempting to create a man-theme, "Foolish" completely fails and moves into Ashanti World, and for the most part that is not a good thing. Christina Milian was always only an average vocalist so when she oversings, well, things get over just "shaky-bakey". And all things put aside, the editorial review calls "Milian a Beyonce-J.Lo wannabe if you will--and the case can even be made that she skimps on the vocals in spots." Sorry, but I don't think calling her a wanna-be J. Lo helps her cause. At least production on "Foolish" is a bit better than the rest as far as overproduction, but still no identity can be found other than she wants to fake a ghetto presence and oversing while doing so. At least there's one song that regains Milian's earlier talent, and that would be "My Lovin' Goes", but even that comes off as an average dance track. And lyrics still sound like someone half her age wrote them ("I'm writing you this letter to tell you how I'm feeling inside/To let you know that I like you") Well, at least she's not rapping. "Just A Little Bit" also attempts to go back to her It's About Time roots, but Cool & Dre wasn't producing her album with corny jazz-rap wannabes either. And halfway through the song I'm already sick of this album as a whole and furthermore sick of the uh-ohs throughout the song.

So, what else does this album have two offer? One, a completely boring jazz-wanna be ballad called "Y'all Ain't Nuthin". And it doesn't help that "She Don't Know" is the same song with different lyrics. In overall terms, Christina Milian's 3rd album was painful to listen to. Tons of "ghetto talk" and overproduction completely destroy what Milian has to offer. And her last two albums show she can pull off at least an average album. This time it doesn't happen. This time around Milian follows an overproduced ghetto-wannabe album that Raven Symone wouldn't touch with a 30 foot pole. Ah well, at least I got it for free. But even then, don't even download this. See if she offers something better the next go. 1.5 stars.

Track Picks:
"Say I"
"My Lovin' Goes"