This week’s Second Listen Sunday pick takes us back to 2006 to revisit “So Amazin’,” the third album from Christina Milian. Arriving in stores on April 19 of that year, the project was produced largely by Cool & Dre, sans one song, and saw the singer earn writing credits on nine of the album’s songs.
Milian used her breakout with Nick Cannon as inspiration for some of the songs. The album’s lead single, “Say Cool & Dre and a young Jazmine Sullivan wrote me,” featuring Young Jeezy. As my frequent readers know, I was living in the UK enjoying my best life as a DJ. Music was abundant, and I had a process for integrating it into my set.
Right off the bat, I knew that Cool & Dre had sampled Jackie Moore’s “Clean up Your Own Yard” from the bassline. While the essence of the song was about owning up to your own issues, “Say I” flips into a female empowerment anthem, which makes sense given Milian’s issueS. Jeezy’s verse leans into a success manifesto, and given where he was at the time, I understand why the label put him on the song.
However, I can’t help but wonder why the label didn’t push for a female MC on the record. Lil Kim was still hot, as were Trina and Rah Digga, and “Say I” could have easily become “I Wanna Be Down” 2.0. Nevertheless, the song was big and should have taken Milian to the next level; sadly, she was dropped two weeks after the album hit stores.
The sad part is there were some decent bops on here. “Who’s Gonna Ride,” featuring “Three 6 Mafia,” has the potential to connect with the Dirty South crowd, while “She Don’t Know” could have crossed over to the Latin community. The old-school influences are evident on “Foolin” and “My Lovin Goes,” while female empowerment continues on “Y’All Ain’t Nuthin”.
The album does have some filler, and I’m sure there is a backstory on why Milian dropped so quickly as a third album, and most personal, ‘So Amazing” deserved much better.
Final Grade: B
“So Amazin” is available on all streaming platforms.
Director Potsy Ponciroli shifts gears for his third feature in “Motor City,” produced by IFC Films. Chad St. John penned the film’s screenplay, which was actually on the 2009 Black List and spent several years in development hell before finally getting underway.
San Francisco in film is often depicted through sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge or romanticized, foggy hills. However, “Splash City” from Lionsgate brings the focus down to street level. Co-directed by Alex Ferrufino and Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr. (better known as rapper and entrepreneur Berner), this R-rated crime drama moves away from postcard aesthetics to present a sharp, urgent portrayal of survival on the streets.
Writer-director Lee Cronin made an impressive feature film debut in 2019 with “The Hole in the Ground” and followed it up with a fresh and gruesome installment in the “Evil Dead” franchise, “Evil Dead Rise”. However, due to adult responsibilities, I missed his third film in theaters. The mixed reviews and rumors of a troubled production have me concerned.
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