Crustacea Temporal range: 511–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Cambrian to Recent
Abludomelita obtusata, an amphipod
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea Brünnich, 1772
Classes & Subclasses
Thylacocephala? Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca

Crustaceans (Crustacea) form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 67,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at 0.1 mm (0.004 in), to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span of up to 12.5 ft (3.8 m) and a mass of 44 lb (20 kg). Like other arthropods, crustaceans have an exoskeleton, which they moult to grow. They are distinguished from other groups of arthropods, such as insects, myriapods and chelicerates, by the possession of biramous (two-parted) limbs, and by the nauplius form of the larvae.

Most crustaceans are free-living aquatic animals, but some are terrestrial (e.g. woodlice), some are parasitic (e.g. Rhizocephala, fish lice, tongue worms) and some are sessile (e.g. barnacles). The group has an extensive fossil record, reaching back to the Cambrian, and includes living fossils such as Triops cancriformis, which has existed apparently unchanged since the Triassic period. More than 10 million tons of crustaceans are produced by fishery or farming for human consumption, the majority of it being shrimps and prawns. Krill and copepods are not as widely fished, but may be the animals with the greatest biomass on the planet, and form a vital part of the food chain. The scientific study of crustaceans is known as carcinology (alternatively, malacostracology, crustaceology or crustalogy), and a scientist who works in carcinology is a carcinologist.

Structure[link]

A shed carapace of a lady crab, part of the hard exoskeleton

Body structure of a typical crustacean – krill

The body of a crustacean is composed of body segments, which are grouped into three regions: the cephalon or head,^[1] the thorax,^[2] and the pleon or abdomen.^[3] The head and thorax may be fused together to form a cephalothorax,^[4] which may be covered by a single large carapace.^[5] The crustacean body is protected by the hard exoskeleton, which must be moulted for the animal to grow. The shell around each somite can be divided into a dorsal tergum, ventral sternum and a lateral pleuron. Various parts of the exoskeleton may be fused together.^[6]:289

Each somite, or body segment can bear a pair of appendages: on the segments of the head, these include two pairs of antennae, the mandibles and maxillae;^[1] the thoracic segments bear legs, which may be specialised as pereiopods (walking legs) and maxillipeds (feeding legs).^[2] The abdomen bears pleopods,^[3] and ends in a telson, which bears the anus, and is often flanked by uropods to form a tail fan.^[7] The number and variety of appendages in different crustaceans may be partly responsible for the group's success.^[8] Crustacean appendages are typically biramous, meaning they are divided into two parts; this includes the second pair of antennae, but not the first, which is uniramous.^[9] It is unclear whether the biramous condition is a derived state which evolved in crustaceans, or whether the second branch of the limb has been lost in all other groups. Trilobites, for instance, also possessed biramous appendages.^[10]

The main body cavity is an open circulatory system, where blood is pumped into the haemocoel by a heart located near the dorsum.^[11] Malacostraca have haemocyanin as the oxygen-carrying pigment, while copepods, ostracods, barnacles and branchiopods have haemoglobins.^[12] The alimentary canal consists of a straight tube that often has a gizzard-like "gastric mill" for grinding food and a pair of digestive glands that absorb food; this structure goes in a spiral format.^[13] Structures that function as kidneys are located near the antennae. A brain exists in the form of ganglia close to the antennae, and a collection of major ganglia is found below the gut.^[14]

In many decapods, the first (and sometimes the second) pair of pleopods are specialised in the male for sperm transfer. Many terrestrial crustaceans (such as the Christmas Island red crab) mate seasonally and return to the sea to release the eggs. Others, such as woodlice, lay their eggs on land, albeit in damp conditions. In most decapods, the females retain the eggs until they hatch into free-swimming larvae.^[15]

Ecology[link]

The majority of crustaceans are aquatic, living in either marine or fresh water environments, but a few groups have adapted to life on land, such as terrestrial crabs, terrestrial hermit crabs, and woodlice. Marine crustaceans are as ubiquitous in the oceans as insects are on land.^[16][17] The majority of crustaceans are also motile, moving about independently, although a few taxonomic units are parasitic and live attached to their hosts (including sea lice, fish lice, whale lice, tongue worms, and Cymothoa exigua, all of which may be referred to as "crustacean lice"), and adult barnacles live a sessile life – they are attached headfirst to the substrate and cannot move independently. Some branchiurans are able to withstand rapid changes of salinity and will also switch hosts from marine to non-marine species.^[18]:672 Krill are the bottom layer and the most important part of the food chain in Antarctic animal communities.^[19]:64 Some crustaceans are significant invasive species, such as the Chinese mitten crab^[20] and the Asian shore crab.^[21]

Life cycle[link]

Eggs of Potamon fluviatile, a freshwater crab

Zoea larva of the European lobster, Homarus gammarus

Mating system[link]

The majority of crustaceans have separate sexes, and reproduce sexually.^[22] A small number are hermaphrodites, including barnacles, remipedes,^[23] and Cephalocarida.^[24] Some may even change sex during the course of their life.^[24] Parthenogenesis is also widespread among crustaceans, where viable eggs are produced by a female without needing fertilisation by a male.^[22] This occurs in many branchiopods, some ostracods, some isopods, and certain "higher" crustaceans, such as the Marmorkrebs crayfish.

Eggs[link]

In many groups of crustaceans, the fertilised eggs are simply released into the water column, while others have developed a number of mechanisms for holding on to the eggs until they are ready to hatch. Most decapods carry the eggs attached to the pleopods, while peracarids, notostracans, anostracans, and many isopods form a brood pouch from the carapace and thoracic limbs.^[22] Female Branchiura do not carry eggs in external ovisacs but attach them in rows to rocks and other objects.^[25]:788 Most leptostracans and krill carry the eggs between their thoracic limbs; some copepods carry their eggs in special thin-walled sacs, while others have them attached together in long, tangled strings.^[22]

Larvae[link]

Crustaceans exhibit a number of larval forms, of which the earliest and most characteristic is the nauplius. This has three pairs of appendages, all emerging from the young animal's head, and a single naupliar eye. In most groups, there are further larval stages, including the zoea (pl. zoeæ or zoeas^[26]). This name was given to it when naturalists believed it to be a separate species.^[27] It follows the nauplius stage and precedes the post-larva. Zoea larvae swim with their thoracic appendages, as opposed to nauplii, which use cephalic appendages, and megalopa, which use abdominal appendages for swimming. It often has spikes on its carapace, which may assist these small organisms in maintaining directional swimming.^[28] In many decapods, due to their accelerated development, the zoea is the first larval stage. In some cases, the zoea stage is followed by the mysis stage, and in others, by the megalopa stage, depending on the crustacean group involved.

Classification[link]

The name "crustacean" dates from the earliest works to describe the animals, including those of Pierre Belon and Guillaume Rondelet, but the name was not used by some later authors, including Carl Linnaeus, who included crustaceans among the "Aptera" in his Systema Naturae.^[29] The earliest nomenclaturally valid work to use the name "Crustacea" was Morten Thrane Brünnich's Zoologiæ Fundamenta in 1772,^[30] although he also included chelicerates in the group.^[29]

The subphylum Crustacea comprises almost 67,000 described species,^[31] although the number of undescribed species may be 10–100 times higher.^[32] Although most crustaceans are small, their morphology varies greatly and they include both the largest arthropod in the world – the Japanese spider crab with a leg span of 14 feet (4.3 m)^[33] – and the smallest – the 0.1 mm (0.004 in) long Stygotantulus stocki.^[34] Despite their diversity of form, crustaceans are united by the special larval form known as the nauplius.

The exact relationships of the Crustacea to other taxa are not completely settled as of April 2012^[update]. Studies based on morphology led to the Pancrustacea hypothesis,^[35] in which Crustacea and Hexapoda (insects and allies) are sister groups. More recent studies using DNA sequences suggest that Crustacea is paraphyletic, with the hexapods nested within a larger Pancrustacea clade.^[36][37]

Although the classification of crustaceans has been quite variable, the system used by Martin and Davis^[38] largely supersedes earlier works. Mystacocarida and Branchiura, here treated as part of Maxillopoda, are sometimes treated as their own classes. Six classes are usually recognised:

Copepods, from Ernst Haeckel's 1904 work Kunstformen der Natur

Decapods, from Ernst Haeckel's 1904 work Kunstformen der Natur

Class	Members	Orders	Photo
Branchiopoda	brine shrimp Cladocera Triops	Anostraca Lipostraca Notostraca Laevicaudata Spinicaudata Cyclestherida Cladocera	Daphnia pulex (Cladocera)
Remipedia		Nectiopoda	Speleonectes tanumekes (Speleonectidae)
Cephalocarida	horseshoe shrimp	Brachypoda
Maxillopoda	barnacles copepods	Calanoida Pedunculata Sessilia c. 20 others	Chthamalus stellatus (Sessilia)
Ostracoda	ostracods	Myodocopida Halocyprida Platycopida Podocopida	Cylindroleberididae
Malacostraca	crabs lobsters shrimp krill mantis shrimp woodlice sandhoppers etc.	Decapoda Isopoda Amphipoda Stomatopoda c. 12 others	Gammarus roeseli (Amphipoda)

Fossil record[link]

Eryma mandelslohi, a fossil decapod from the Jurassic of Bissingen an der Teck, Germany

Crustaceans have a rich and extensive fossil record, which begins with animals such as Canadaspis and Perspicaris from the Middle Cambrian age Burgess Shale.^[39][40] Most of the major groups of crustaceans appear in the fossil record before the end of the Cambrian, namely the Branchiopoda, Maxillopoda (including barnacles and tongue worms) and Malacostraca; there is some debate as to whether or not Cambrian animals assigned to Ostracoda are truly ostracods, which would otherwise start in the Ordovician.^[41] The only classes to appear later are the Cephalocarida,^[42] which have no fossil record, and the Remipedia, which were first described from the fossil Tesnusocaris goldichi, but do not appear until the Carboniferous.^[43] Most of the early crustaceans are rare, but fossil crustaceans become abundant from the Carboniferous onwards.^[39]

Norway lobsters on sale at a Spanish market

Within the Malacostraca, no fossils are known for krill,^[44] while both Hoplocarida and Phyllopoda contain important groups that are now extinct as well as extant members (Hoplocarida: mantis shrimp are extant, while Aeschronectida are extinct;^[45] Phyllopoda: Canadaspidida are extinct, while Leptostraca are extant^[40]). Cumacea and Isopoda are both known from the Carboniferous,^[46][47] as are the first true mantis shrimp.^[48] In the Decapoda, prawns and polychelids appear in the Triassic,^[49][50] and shrimp and crabs appear in the Jurassic;^[51][52] however, the great radiation of crustaceans occurred in the Cretaceous, particularly in crabs, and may have been driven by the adaptive radiation of their main predators, bony fish.^[52] The first true lobsters also appear in the Cretaceous.^[53]

Consumption by humans[link]

Many crustaceans are consumed by humans, and nearly 10,700,000 tons were produced in 2007; the vast majority of this output is of decapod crustaceans: crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and prawns.^[54] Over 60% by weight of all crustaceans caught for consumption are shrimp and prawns, and nearly 80% is produced in Asia, with China alone producing nearly half the world's total.^[54] Non-decapod crustaceans are not widely consumed, with only 118,000 tons of krill being caught,^[54] despite krill having one of the greatest biomasses on the planet.^[55]

References[link]

General references[link]

Crustaceans portal

• Frederick Schram (1986). Crustacea. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503742-5. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Crustacea

Wikispecies has information related to: Crustacea

• Crustacea.net, an online resource on the biology of crustaceans
• Crustacea: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• Crustacea: Tree of Life Web Project
• The Crustacean Society
• Natural History Collections: Crustacea: University of Edinburgh
• Crustaceans (Crustacea) on the shore of Singapore
• Crustacea(crabs, lobsters, shrimps, prawns, barnacles): Biodiversity Explorer
• "Crustacea". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Crustacea. 

Christina Milian
Milian at the Billboard-Children Uniting Nations afterparty in February 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Christine Flores
Born	(1981-09-26) September 26, 1981 (age 30) Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	R&B, pop, hip hop
Occupations	Actress, recording artist
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Radio Killa, Young Money, Cash Money
Website	ChristinaMilian.org

Christine Flores (born September 26, 1981),^[1] better known by her stage name Christina Milian ( /mɪliˈɑːn/), is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Cuban parents. At the age of 19 Milian signed a contract with Def Jam which she then left to sign with Interscope. Milian is now signed to Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records.

In 2001 Christina Milian released her self-titled debut album, which featured the singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me"; AM to PM charted with in the top 40 of the US Billboard and both peaked in the top three on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004 Milian released her second studio album It's About Time which provided her first major US hit. "Dip It Low" which reached number 5 on the US Billboards, "Whatever U Want" was released has the albums second single, both singles charted within the top 10 of the UK charts. In 2006 Milian released her third studio album So Amazin'. The album produced one single only "Say I" which peaked in the top 30 of the US billboard. A month after the release of So Amazin', Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island Records due to creative differences. Milian signed with Interscope Records in 2009. A single, ballad "Us Against the World", was released in October 2008. In 2012 Milian signed to Young Money in which she will release her fourth studio album.

Although Milian is best known for her singing career, she originally wanted to be an actress. Her first lead role was in the 2003 film Love Don't Cost a Thing, and subsequently had main roles in Be Cool and the horror film Pulse. Milian had a minor role in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and starred as the lead role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: Fight to the Finish. On September 4, 2009, Milian and R&B singer/songwriter The-Dream eloped in Las Vegas,^[2] and she gave birth to their daughter, Violet, on February 26, 2010.^[3] Milian and The-Dream announced their separation on July 12, 2010.^[4] Milian has since been cast in the ABC Family Original Movie Christmas Cupid, alongside Ashley Benson and Chad Michael Murray.^[5]

Biography[link]

1982-00: Early life and Life Beginnings[link]

Milian was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to Cuban parents Carmen Milian and Don Flores.^[6] Named Christine Flores at birth, Milian changed her name and adopted her mother's maiden name in the hopes of landing a wider range of acting roles.^[7] The oldest of three sisters, including Danielle and Elizabeth, she moved with her family to Waldorf, Maryland soon after her birth. Milian was only four years old when she showed an interest in show business,^[8] and when her family realized that she was a talented actress, she became determined to pursue an entertainment career.^[6] As a child, Milian was "very imaginative and very creative", and watching television and listening to the radio became her life. They inspired her to have fun, and she convinced her parents that she "did not want to be inside the TV", although it took some time to convince them.^[7] By the time she was nine years old, Milian had begun auditioning with local talent agencies,^[7] shot commercials for Wendy's and Honeycomb, and played the lead role in the musical Annie. Milian's mother noticed her daughter's potential and moved to Los Angeles with her three daughters when Milian was 13 years old. Milian's father stayed in Maryland and divorced her mother soon after the move.^[6]

Milian describes her family as her "first, her last, her everything", and says that although she got along with everyone as a child, she did not have many friends. Acting at a young age, Milian says that "people knew about it. It was the talk. Even the teachers were talking about it."^[9] When Milian moved to Los Angeles, her only desire was to be an actress. She always wanted to be in the record business, but did not know how to obtain a recording contract During this time, she was also a host for the Disney Channele. After living in Los Angeles for six months, Milian moved into the same apartment complex as songwriter and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Jerkins heard about Milian from a boy band he was working with and once he heard her sing, they began working together. For a year and a half, Milian went into a studio everyday and worked with Jerkins, which is where she started meeting people in the record business.^[10] She began writing songs at the age of 17 because she needed a demo to help her obtain a recording contract. According to Milian, every time she recorded a song, the producer would refuse to give her the demo, or would write lyrics that she did not agree with. She felt that she had to write a song, record a demo, and send it out on her own.^[11]

[edit] 2001–02: Christina Milian, Record deal and Minor Acting

Milian made her first professional musical appearance on rapper Ja Rule's second studio album Rule 3:36 (2000), performing vocals on the song "Between Me and You".^[12] The song was released as the album's lead single in 2000, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[13] and in the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart.^[14] Milian co-wrote and performed backing vocals for the track "Play" for Jennifer Lopez's album J. Lo (2001), and co-wrote "Same Ol' Same Ol'", the first single from girl group PYT's debut album PYT (Down with Me) (2001).^[12] Milian's collaboration with Ja Rule led to a record deal with Def Soul Records, prompted by his affiliation with Murder Inc. Records, an imprint of The. Inc Records that was distributed through Def Jam, the parent label of Def Soul Records. She travelled to Sweden and recorded her self-titled debut album.^[7] The album was released on October 9, 2001 in the UK,^[15] peaking at number 23 and selling a total of 101,986 copies.^[16] Internationally, the album peaked at number 36 in the Netherlands, and number 98 in Sweden.^[17] The album's domestic release was postponed because of the September 11 attacks, which occurred just two weeks before its release date. Her label opted to release it later that year, in the fourth quarter, but as Milian explained, new artists generally do not release their albums during that time. As a result, the album was again delayed until the first quarter of 2002;^[18] however, Milian eventually opted not to release it.^[18] Two singles were taken from the album, "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me", both of which charted worldwide.^[19][20] A music video for the track "Get Away" was filmed in Paris, although it was not officially released as a single.^[21]

The critical response to the album was mixed to generally positive. Imran Ahmed of the New Musical Express predicted that based on the record, "genius can't be more than a few albums away".^[22] Contrastingly, entertainment.ie writer Andrew Lynch suggested that Milian needed original ideas.^[23] Milian believed that the public expected "a certain thing" from her when she first appeared with Ja Rule, however she wanted to record the type of music she was signed to do. She said that "AM to PM" was a "cool record," but it was not what the public expected. Milian approached the executives at her record company, Island Def Jam, and "cussed them all out", telling them that they were not listening to her. She felt that she had gained their respect by explaining that she was serious about her musical career.^[7] In the following years, she was featured on the track "It's All Gravy", a duet with British rapper Romeo, which was a UK top ten hit;^[13] provided the theme song for the hit Disney series Kim Possible, "Call Me, Beep Me!";^[24] and collaborated with Hilary Duff on Duff's Christmas album Santa Claus Lane (2002), on the song "I Heard Santa on the Radio".^[25]

Although Milian is best known for her singing career,^[26] she originally wanted to be an actress.^[10] When asked whether she prefers singing or acting, Milian said that "they're both my passion. But, honestly, if I had to choose, it would probably be my music. I love writing. I love listening. I love the challenge of it."^[10] Milian has also stated that she loves "performing live on the stage ... above all else. It's my favorite."^[18]

Milian's first significant acting role was offered by the Disney Channel to join The Mickey Mouse Club; however, she did not accept and opted to star as a reporter on Movie Surfers.^[27] During this time, she had minor roles in film and television, including Sister, Sister, Smart Guy, The Steve Harvey Show, Get Real, The Wood and American Pie.^[28] In 2002, Milian was appointed the host of the live competitive music series Wannabe on MTV, where she met director Joseph Kahn. Kahn suggested she audition for a lead role in the film Torque. Her audition was successful and she played a minor role in the film. She was subsequently cast in her first lead role in Love Don't Cost a Thing.^[6] Milian has been described as a role model to young girls; she has said that there are a lot of people who young girls look up to, but "at the end of the day you have to be your own person and love yourself."^[18] Milian worked with the Children Uniting Nations charity, in which she was a big sister to foster children,^[29] and says her favorite charity is the Penny Lane Foundation.^[30] Milian was awarded with a humanitarian award at The Reign fundraiser from the Elton John AIDS Foundation for being a role model for young children. Milian said, "I've never been rewarded that way and never been acknowledged like that. That was really nice of them, and I was happy I was able to show up for the kids."^[11] Milian co-hosted The Reign event with Eric West and singer Mariah Carey,^[31] and soon after, various media outlets reported that Milian was dating West. Both denied they were dating, and Milian posted on her MySpace that she has no idea who Eric West is.^[32]

[edit] 2003–04: It's About Time and Acting Debut

Milian felt that Island Def Jam was confused as to how they wanted her image to be portrayed; one second she was young and singing "AM to PM", and next she was a grown woman singing "Get Away". She realized that the change confused the audience, and that "nobody was buying it".^[10] In 2003, Milian's label Def Soul was shut down and absorbed by its parent Def Jam, although Milian was instead moved over to Island Records. After the international release of her debut album, 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 her previous album domestically, and started working on a new album.^[10][18] Milian traveled the world, working with the popular producers Bloodshy & Avant, "Darkchild", Cory Rooney, Warryn Campbell, Bryan-Michael Cox and Polli Paul.^[34][35]

Milian's second studio album, It's About Time, was released on July 13, 2004 in the US.^[36] The critical response to the album was mixed; the club tracks, most notably lead single "Dip It Low", were praised while the ballads were said to be disappointing.^[37][38] The style and sound of the album was compared to that of Beyoncé Knowles and Jennifer Lopez by several critics.^[35][39] Milian later admitted that her new sexy 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.^[34] To create her new image, Milian also decided to change her appearance and lightened her hair. Taking inspiration from Janet Jackson who constantly changed her image, Milian thought to herself, "'When did I like Janet Jackson the most?' It was when she had her lightened hair."^[7]

Milian believed that the album was more R&B when compared to her "bubble-gum" pop debut album.^[8] The change was reflected in the album's lead single, "Dip It Low", which was more of a club and R&B track than her previous pop release "AM to PM".^[33] Milian performed as an opening act on the Usher and Kanye West tour to promote her album.^[26] The album 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,^[16][40] and received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" in 2005.^[41] 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.^[42][43] The single was certified Gold by the RIAA for digital sales,^[44] and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration".^[41] The album's second and final single, "Whatever U Want", featuring Joe Budden, failed to reprise the success of the lead single but reached the top ten in the UK.^[45]

Milian starred in Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty, with John Travolta and Uma Thurman,^[26] and recorded two songs for its soundtrack.^[46] She was then cast in a lead role in the horror film Pulse, starring alongside Kristen Bell and Ian Somerhalder. The film was a remake of the Japanese film Kairo (2001), and was adapted by Wes Craven and Ray Wright.^[47] Filming took place in Romania, which Milian said made for very rough conditions.^[48] Milian has also appeared in two video games: Def Jam Vendetta (2003), where she plays Angel, a mob boss' girlfriend,^[49] Milian met actor Nick Cannon on the set of their film, Love Don't Cost a Thing, in 2003, and they began dating.^[50] After being together for two and a half years, Milian ended her relationship with Cannon in 2005 when she found out he was cheating on her.^[51] Cannon revealed that he refused to stay faithful to Milian because their relationship was becoming too much like a "Christian romance".^[52] When Cannon married Mariah Carey on April 30, 2008, Milian said, "regardless of what I felt in the past at the time, I actually forgive him and I'm very much over that."^[53]

[edit] 2005–06: So Amazin' and record departure

Whereas Milian's previous albums had pop stylings, she was encouraged by Island Def Jam to target a new audience and release an urban record.^[54] 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.^[34] To create a more urban record, Milian had a list of producers that she wanted to work with.^[34] 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.^[34][55] Milian ended up working with Cool & Dre on the majority of the production of the album,^[40] producing ten of the album's eleven tracks together.^[56] The album completed within a three month period, whereas Milian's previous albums would take six months to a year.^[55]

Milian's third studio album, So Amazin', was released on May 16, 2006.^[57] The album's lead single, "Say I", featured rapper Young Jeezy.^[58] The single saw peak positions of number four in the UK,^[16] and number 21 in the US.^[59] So Amazin' debuted and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard 200 albums chart,^[59] selling 54,000 copies in its first week and 163,000 copies in total.^[60][61] 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.^[62] Reviews of So Amazin' were mixed; critics felt that while Milian claimed that she was displaying the various sides of her personality, the album could "only [scratch] the surface of who she really is."^[63][64] "Say I" was praised by several critics, and was described as "instantly rousing" and "intoxicating".^[63][65] In June 2006, Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island Def Jam.^[66] In an interview with Rap-Up, Milian revealed she was dropped a week after her album was released. The singer believed it was a "budget cut", and that Island Def Jam Music Group wanted to spend more money on label mate Rihanna. She said, "it was embarrassing. It was a week after my album got put out. I would be in my room a lot of the time crying by myself."^[54][67] After leaving Def Jam, Milian released her first compilation album, The Best of Christina Milian (2006).^[68]

After the production of So Amazin' in 2006, Milian began dating Andre Lyon from the production group Cool & Dre.^[69] The pair dated until February 2009, when they decided to go on a break. Milian said that they were still really close, and decided to break up because it was "hard to grow together when you live on two different coasts". The singer wanted to take more opportunities and learn more about herself, which she often let go when in a relationship, but felt that she was in a now-or-never situation. Milian described Lyon as an amazing guy, and said that although there was a chance for the couple in the future, she needed to focus on herself.^[30]

[edit] 2007–10: Dream in Color, Elope, marriage and motherhood

Following her departure from Island Def Jam Music Group, Milian signed with MySpace Records in 2008.^[61] She began writing songs and recording in the studio with numerous different producers, including Cool & Dre, J. R. Rotem, The Runners, Danja, Madd Scientist, T-Pain, Jim Jonsin and Toby Gad.^[61][70] Milian was featured on the cover of Rap-Up's 2008 Winter issue, in which she announced that the album's title was Dream in Color.^[71] A single was released in October 2008, ballad "Us Against the World". It was written by Milian and produced by Madd Scientist. The single, described by Milian as a "cinematic power ballad", premiered via MySpace on October 6, 2008, and was made available by digital download the next day.^[61] Milian felt that Madd Scientist "brought the best out of me" while producing "Us Against the World", and "was really able to do some amazing things with my vocals".^[72]

After recording songs with the aforementioned producers, Milian took a break from music and started filming Bring It On: Fight to the Finish. When Milian returned to music, she concentrated on promoting her single "Us Against the World", and shot its music video. Since then, Milian said that she became "a little bit more meticulous with what I feel deserved to be on the album", and resumed recording.^[30] Songs recorded for the album included the 1990s Madonna-styled ballad "Stay", Euro-club record "Tug of War" and the feel-good song "Diamonds",^[61] which featured Kanye West.^[73] Other features included Rick Ross on the Cool & Dre produced track "Blissful",^[74] and Pitbull.^[75] In early 2009, Milian began working with The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and L.O.S. Da Maestro,^[71] which led to her signing a deal with Radio Killa Records.^[76] Milian revealed that aside from "Us Against the World", The-Dream and Tricky Stewart would be producing all the songs on her album.^[30] In March 2009, Milian changed the album's title to Elope. Regarding the album's title change, Milian explained, "the definition of elope is to run away secretly with one's beloved. This next album is about taking responsibility for yourself and making your own decisions."^[71] In June 2009, The-Dream said that the album was finished.^[77] Upon completion of the album, Milian said it represented "independence, not having to answer to any type of 'authority', being a woman at her best and feeling very confident". She said that fans could expect an "edgy sound with lots of strong powerful anthems. Big up tempos, R&B and Pop at it's [sic] best and two big ballads".^[78] In August 2009, Milian confirmed that she had signed a deal to release Elope through Interscope Records,^[79] with a 2010 release date. Originally scheduled to be released in 2009, Tricky Stewart explained the delay, saying "we just got our label deals done, so the reason why some of these projects got delayed had to do with technicalities and things of that nature". The album has been furthered delayed because of Milian's marriage to The-Dream and her pregnancy.^[80] In January 2010, Milian said that she was going back into the studio in the summer to record more material. Although the album had already been finished when Milian took a break for her pregnancy, she wanted to "go back and re-do some of the music and make some new songs and find my new inspiration".^[81][82] In October 2009, Tricky Stewart said that another single had yet to be chosen, and that it would be the first single off Elope.^[80] Reported choices for the first single include "Zipper", "I'm a Cheat",^[83] and "Supersonic".^[84]

Milian starred as the main character in the Christmas television movie for the ABC Family channel entitled Snowglobe, alongside Lorraine Bracco.^[85] She was to be a leading character in The CW's new show Eight Days a Week as Olivia, alongside Mario Lopez,^[86] but The CW decided not to pick up the series due to the Writers Guild of America strike.^[87] Milian had a minor role in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past alongside Matthew McConaughey,^[88] and starred as the lead role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: Fight to the Finish.^[89] and as one of the female leads, Carmen Mendez, in the video game Need for Speed: Undercover (2008).^[61]

In February 2009, reports emerged that Milian was dating The-Dream.^[90] Dre said that he supported Milian's relationship with The-Dream, "I think it's gonna be a good fit for her". He stated that he had "nothing but love for her and her family", and that he "wish[ed] her the best and we're definitely looking forward to what she's got going on".^[91] In late May 2009, it was reported that Milian and The-Dream were getting married,^[92] and the couple celebrated their engagement party in Las Vegas in June.^[93] On September 4, 2009, Milian and The-Dream eloped at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[94] MTV reported that Milian and The-Dream would get married again in Rome, Italy, and then renew their vows in the US in front of family and friends.^[95] On September 11, 2009, it was announced that Milian and The-Dream were expecting their first child together. The Daily Mail reported that "the pregnancy was a surprise, but they were getting married regardless".^[96] On February 26, 2010, Milian gave birth to their daughter Violet Madison Nash, who had "a full head of hair." Violet was Milian's first child, and the fourth for The-Dream, who had three children with ex-wife Nivea.^[3][97] In July 2010, The-Dream announced that he and Milian had separated in late 2009, only three months after their wedding in September of that year.^[4]

2010–present: Fourth studio album, Young Money and further acting[link]

Milian was scheduled to resume recording in July 2010 to complete the album;^[98] however, Milian opted to focus on her acting career.^[5] Despite the separation, Milian and The-Dream continued to "work together and write together".^[99] At the 2010 Los Angeles Fashion Week, Milian performed "Zipper" and "Dip It Low".^[100] Milian has worked on a fourth studio album since 2008, but its release has frequently been delayed.^[101] At the 2010 American Music Awards, she said it would be ready in 2011.^[102] In June 2011, her collaboration with The Jackie Boyz titled Memory was released in Japan.^[103] It is set to appear on their album Songs In My Blackberry.^[104]

Christina Milian at the World Premiere of IRIS by Cirque du Soleil

NBC announced on October 27 that the Milian will serve as the official Social Media Correspondent for The Voice. The role (previously held by Alison Haislip) will see Milian make regular appearances during the live broadcasts. She will also interact with fans through Facebook, Twitter, NBC.com and NBC Live. Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming at NBC said: “Christina’s extensive musical background and widespread recognition make her the perfect choice for the role of Social Media Correspondent on ‘The Voice’. Her experience as a singer will provide a comfort level to our artists when they speak to her about the ins and outs of the competition. She is a hugely valuable addition as we prepare for another spectacular season.”^[105]

On February 12, 2012, Lil' Wayne said that Christina Milian had joined Young Money, and will release her fourth album through Young Money Entertainment. The next day, a song titled "Mr. Valentine" leaked onto the internet.^[106] Milian told Carson Daly on 97.1 AMP Radio. “Yeah, I’ve signed with Young Money. It was pretty awesome. This weekend we had a big party, a big YMCMB party, and Drake was performing and we were all up on the stage and Wayne got up there and he announced it himself. And so I was kind of surprised and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is awesome!’” Milian is currently recording her fourth album. “We’re just getting started on it,” she said. “I’ve already halfway gotten there and when my mom and I went to Wayne and we played him some of the music, off the second song, he was like, ‘I love it. Let’s do this deal.’ I have some music that’s already going to be on it and the second half I’m working with them now.” "When they did a little background check, they saw even the songwriting, all that kind of stuff adds on top of, alright, she’s an actress, she’s a pretty face, she can actually sing, but not to mention she’s a songwriter. I thought that was cool that they even saw that.” “They all get on each other’s records, so all I have to do is be home with everybody and we’ll just do lots of features.”^[107]

Other ventures[link]

Management[link]

In February 2010, it was announced that Milian had signed an Australian music duo, Kasey Osborne and Kelsey-Maree Eckstein, as their manager. Milian said, "the girls have everything it takes to be the biggest international pop duo out there. The world is definitely ready for these beautiful girls to hit the stage and kill it on screen." She said that the duo were the "most exciting project" she had worked on, and were writing and recording an album to be released in 2010.^{[dated info][108][109]} In September 2010, Osborne stated that she was working on a solo album with Milian, was scheduled to release in 2011, but never did. The album project was pushed back to a unknown release date.^{[dated info][99]} Eckstein is acting and working on her solo music, set to be released in early 2011.^{[dated info][110]}

Discography[link]

• Christina Milian (2001)
• It's About Time (2004)
• So Amazin' (2006)

Filmography[link]

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