‘Resort to Love’: Christina Milian explains why singing Alicia Keys’ songs in the film made her “nervous”

David Bloomer/Netflix

Christina Milian says she could really “relate to” her Resort to Love character Erica, an aspiring pop star who ends up singing at her ex-fiancé’s resort wedding following a music career meltdown.

“I’ve had dreams shattered when it comes to the music industry,” Milian tells ABC Audio. “It happens to us all in some way or another. And sometimes we make sacrifices of love. So, it’s definitely something I relate to.”

In fact, Christina says Erica was so relatable that she often felt they were “like twins” because of their similar “drive… passion to sing…and be on stage and to dream big.”

While it wasn’t much of a challenge for Milian to channel her character’s persona, the actress says when it came to belting out producer Alicia Keys‘ ballads for the film, she felt the “pressure.”

“I sing her songs in the movie and there’s other songs that I sing,” Milian shares. “So, she had a lot to do with the direction of what we were doing musically, as well as even just the approval. And that’s something even as a singer — and I’ve been doing this forever — I still get nervous about it.”

“[Especially] when you’re singing… the actual artist’s record,” she continues. “The Alicia Keys record. [It] does put a little bit of pressure on yourself, but that’s a natural thing. And I like to be better and do things well…it’s kind of like hoping your teacher gives you an A plus. So, I guess she gave me an A, because we made a movie and I got to sing her song and it was a lot of fun to do it.”

Resort to Love, also starring Jay Pharoah and Sinqua Walls, is now available on Netflix.

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