BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Milian charts pop success

Christina Milian has an impressive CV for someone who has not yet turned 21 years old.

She has collaborated with Ja Rule and So Solid Crew, co-wrote Jennifer Lopez's hit Play and her own debut single - AM to PM - entered the UK chart at number three.

I was so excited. I think she's such a superstar

Christina Milian on J-Lo

We meet in the swanky surroundings of the St Martin's Lane Hotel. Millian, casually dressed in jeans and tracksuit top, looks tiny.

She is snuggling up in a blanket on a huge sofa, singing along to the tunes on MTV. She has been up since 4am, but she is still bursting with enthusiasm.

This girl could talk for the USA.

'Hard work'

"I've always had a passion for music, acting, writing and entertaining," says the 20-year-old.

"It's been in my blood since I was little. It's taken a lot of hard work for me and for my family, who have always supported me. It's something I love doing. It definitely comes from the heart."

Milian describes her family as her "everything".

It seems her school days were not the happiest days of her life and the ribbing she received from the other pupils pushed her even closer to her tight-knit family.

"I got along with everyone, but I didn't have too many friends. I started acting at a young age and people knew about it. It was the talk. Even the teachers were talking about it," says Milian.

She used her school days as the inspiration for her latest single: "When I was growing up, I found people were always trying to label me.

'Message'

"The first day of school it would be like 'Here comes this girl all dressed up. She thinks she's all that' and they didn't even know me.

I'd still like to be writing for other people and being an artist myself

Christina Milian

"The message behind When You Look At Me is never judge a book by its cover."

A re-mix of When You Look At Me features Romeo from the so-called bad boys of UK garage, So Solid Crew.

"I'd heard about So Solid's reputation, but with a name like Romeo, I figured he must be one of the cute ones," says Milian.

"He came into the studio and he was so polite - a really nice guy."

It seems Milian was even more mild-mannered than Romeo when she worked with J-Lo on Play.

"I was so excited - I think she's such a superstar. I was nervous and kind of shaky," she says.

"I was 18. I didn't really say much. I don't know if she knew that I had written the song. She probably thought I was just with the producers or something."

'Hung out'

Milian also moves in the same circles as Britney Spears.

"We get on well," she says.

"We have the same manager. We see each other on occasions and I've done a couple of shows with her. We hung out in Paris recently and went to a club."

She shot to stardom singing on Ja Rule's Between Me and You and she has since worked on Get Away - another collaboration with the top US rapper.

But despite her famous friends, her idea of chilling out is strictly down-to-earth: "I'll stay at home for hours and watch TV and play with my dogs Missy and Baby."

She has achieved so much for one of such tender years and she has to pause for thought when asked where she sees herself in 10 years' time.

'Writing'

"I'm so unpredictable but, at 30, I guess I would like to own my own record label and clothing line," she says eventually.

"I'd love to have my own magazine and to have my sisters involved with that. And I'd still like to be writing for other people and being an artist myself."

It sounds a tall order, but she has got talent and determination.

When You Look At Me is released on 17 June.