It's About Time is the second studio album by American singer Christina Milian. It was released on March 24, 2004, by Island Records.
It's About Time served as Milian's debut in the US; the September 11 attacks occurred two weeks prior to the scheduled release of her eponymous debut studio album, and after its cancellation, Milian opted to record a new album for the market. For the production of the album, Milian worked with Bloodshy & Avant, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell, Bryan-Michael Cox and Poli Paul. Milian received writing credit for seven songs on the album, often basing them on personal experiences. The style and sound of the album was compared to Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez by several critics.
Upon release, It's About Time received mixed reviews from music critics, with up-tempo tracks being acclaimed and balladry facing criticism. The album peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 55,000 units. At the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The album's lead single "Dip It Low" became Milian's most successful to date, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and within the top 10 in numerous European countries. The second single "Whatever U Want" was less successful, peaking at number nine in the UK.
Background and development
Milian's eponymous debut album was released outside North America in January 2002. However, its domestic release was postponed due to the September 11 attacks, which had occurred just two weeks before its scheduled release date. After the international release, Milian went back into the recording studio. The singer felt that music trends had changed into rock music, hardcore hip hop and tribute songs, and her music did not fall into those categories. Milian decided to stop recording and toured overseas for a year and a half. When she returned to the US, she decided not to release Christina Milian domestically, and started working on It's About Time instead.
Production and composition
Milian traveled the world to record the album, working with the popular producers of the time. "Darkchild", Bryan-Michael Cox and Poli Paul. Basing her lyrics on past personal experiences, Milian wrote seven songs on the album. Milian later explained that she wrote what she thought other people would like, rather than writing for herself and what she liked.
For "Dip It Low"'s music video, Milian danced in a bed of black paint. Milian explained that body art was common in the 1960s: "they would dip in paint and they would roll around on a canvas and make art on the canvas. So I kind of 'dip' in the paint and do the same thing." Several years after the release of It's About Time, Milian admitted that her new image for "Dip It Low" and the whole album was mainly for shock value. She had to make her way back into the US market, and by choosing a sexier image, she made a name for herself. "Dip It Low" was also meant to show that she was not the same eighteen-year-old girl in the "AM to PM" video.
The style and sound of the album was compared to that of Beyoncé, Paula Abdul and Jennifer Lopez by several critics, Elysa Gardner of USA Today found that with Milian's "slight, sweet vocals and blithe, breezy pop-soul sensibility", the genre of the album was more pop than R&B.
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The album received mixed reviews among critics. Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly felt that the songs from It's About Time "sound like they fell off a Paula Abdul album". Farber criticized the lyricists for writing "so many cliches", and said that Milian's voice "suggests a slightly more forceful version of Janet Jackson's pant". Farber gave the album a "D". Eric Danton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found the album "suffers from the same problem afflicting most major-label albums dumped on the market by an industry desperate for quick cash — It's About Time features one hit single, a couple of lesser tracks and a lot of filler." Danton felt that the only hit from It's About Time was "Dip It Low", while "Whatever U Want" and "L.O.V.E." were the album's lesser tracks. Danton praised Milian's vocal talent, but said that ultimately, "the lackluster material [...] rarely gives her a chance to shine".
Andy Kellman of Allmusic praised the club tracks, feeling that they "work best and easily outrank the slower songs". Contrary to the views of other critics, Barry Walters of Rolling Stone said that although the ballads were "gooey", "the love songs work better than the dance tracks".
Commercial reception
It's About Time was released in the US on June 15, 2004; it debuted and peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 selling 55,000 copies in its first week, eventually selling 382,000 copies overall as of April 2006. The album also peaked at number five on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Internationally, the album peaked at number 35 on the Swiss Albums Chart, 55 on the German Albums Chart, and 66 on the Dutch Albums Chart. In the UK, the album peaked at number 21, selling a total of 63,708 copies, and achieving Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" in 2005. To promote her album, Milian performed as an opening act on the Usher and Kanye West tour. The album's first single, "Dip It Low", became Milian's biggest hit to date, reaching number two in the UK and number five in the US. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA for digital sales, and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration".
Track listing
Notes
- signifies a vocal producer
- signifies a co-producer
- signifies an additional producer
- International enhanced CD pressings include the music video for "Dip It Low".
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! scope="row"| Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 17
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! scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon)
| 11
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Certifications
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release dates and formats for It's About Time
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Edition(s)
! scope="col"| Format(s)
! scope="col"| Label(s)
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! scope="row"| Japan
| March 24, 2004
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| Universal Music Japan
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! scope="row"| United Kingdom
| May 31, 2004
| rowspan="4"| Standard
| rowspan="3"| Enhanced CD
| Def Jam
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! scope="row"| Germany
| June 1, 2004
| Universal Music
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! scope="row"| France
| rowspan="2"| June 15, 2004
| Mercury
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! scope="row"| United States
| CD
| Island
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! scope="row"| United Kingdom
| October 4, 2004
| Limited
| Def Jam
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! scope="row"| Various
| May 28, 2020
| Expanded
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| Island
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