Arts & Entertainment
Christina Milian: ‘The Voice’ Interview
Born in New Jersey on Sept. 26, 1981, but
raised in Waldorf, Md., Christina Milian is a
versatile talent whose resume includes film,
television, theater and music. She recently
appeared in the television movie "The
Christmas Cupid" and on "CSI" and
enjoyed a recurring role as the voice of
Esther on "Family Guy."
She also starred in the last installment of
the popular "Bring It On" franchise, entitled
"Bring It On: Fight to the Finish." Prior to
that, Milian's feature-film credits include
"Pulse," "Be Cool," "Man of the House,"
"Love Don't Cost a Thing," "Can't Buy Me
Love"
and
"Torque."
Christina kick-
started her showbiz
career at a young
age, when she
became a junior
journalist on the
Disney Channel's
"Movie Surfers." Before igniting her musi-
cal journey, she appeared on such TV shows
as "Clueless," "Sister, Sister," "Smart Guy,"
"Charmed," "The Steve Harvey Show" and
as a recurring character on "Get Real."
Christina's "It's About Time," released on
Island/Def Jam Recordings, featured the
mega-hit "Dip It Low" which combined a
unique blend of urban, Latin and pop sound.
Her self- titled debut, "Christina Milian,"
produced the hit "AM to PM."
She moved to California at the young age
of 13 and was selected to sing the hook on
Ja Rule's No. 1 hit single, "Between Me and
You." The enormous success of the song
C ELEBRITY
I NTERVIEW
by Kam
Williams
introduced her to the mainstream music
world and gave her commercial success.
Christina
subse-
quently co-wrote the
Jennifer Lopez hit
"Play" and she was
one of the co-writers
of Justin Bieber's
smash "Baby." Here,
she talks about serv-
ing as the Social
Media Correspondent
on NBC’s The Voice, where she brought
viewers closer to the competition as bridge
between the on-air and online experiences.
That enabled the show’s fans to appreciate
the entire production process through exclu-
sive interviews, video, photos, news about
the coaches and artists and a live twitter
feed on the official website at
www.nbc.com/ the-voice/.
‘You just never know
what’s going to
happen’
Kam Williams: Hi Christina, thanks for
the interview.
Christina Milian: Thank you, Kam.
KW: What interested you in being the
Page 8 The Portland Skanner May 9, 2012
Social Media Correspondent on NBC’s The
Voice?
CM: Well, I thought it was an interesting
concept when they approached me with the
idea, because I’ve always been heavily
engaged with my fans on the internet from
day one. That connection’s one of the rea-
sons why I’ve been able to enjoy such
longevity in my career. I guess NBC must
have noticed that one of my main staples is
social media. So, when they approached me
for The Voice, I thought “Why not be the
first one to do it?”
KW: When do you work in that capacity?
Just during the hours when the show is on
the air?
CM: No, all the time. I tweet day and
night about the show, and the entire time
while it’s airing. So, the fans are complete-
ly engaged while it’s on. But I constantly
get messages asking questions about the
stars of The Voice. I also posted a ton of
interviews I’ve done with all the artists, the
coaches and the advisers on the show. So, I
do my job 24/7.
KW: What do you think of the show’s
blind audition format?
CM: I love it! That’s what make our show
unique and gives it so much more integrity.
After all, the show is called The Voice. It’s
about vocals, and you have to stand out to
get the attention of these four, Grammy-
winning superstars who have an amazing
ear and know what they’re talking about.
They rely on their ear as well as the reaction
of fans in the audience to figure out whether
that contestant is worth pressing that red
button for. It’s a great concept which keeps
everybody on the edge of their seat. It’s also
kind of scary because sometimes they don’t
press the button for people who do have the
talent and do have the look. You just never
know what’s going to happen.
KW: Do you ever disagree with the
judges?
CM: Oh, there have been moments. But
remember, I’m watching the actual person. I
can’t say what I would do if I were turned
around and couldn’t see them.
KW: How hard is it to get on the show?
How many people applied?
See MILIAN on page 16