Speak (Lindsay Lohan Album) - Background

Background

Lindsay Lohan planned on releasing an album in the summer of 2001, according to her official website, llrocks.com. No album was released in 2001, but Lohan had begun recording demo tracks with Emilio Estefan, Jr.. He and his wife, Gloria Estefan, signed Lohan a five-album production deal in September 2002. "I am extremely excited to be working with Emilio. I am surrounded by a group of very talented people whom have made me feel like part of their family," Lohan said to the press. Also in September, Lohan landed the role as the daughter in Disney's remake, Freaky Friday, which required her to learn how to play the guitar and to sing. Lohan recorded a song for the film, "Ultimate", which was released to Radio Disney to help promote the film. The song peaked at #18 on Radio Disney's Top 30. Lohan announced that the song was separate from her singing career, since many teen idols such as Hilary Duff and Raven-Symoné were expanding their careers from acting to singing.

In 2003, Lohan recorded four songs including a Radio Disney hit, "Drama Queen (That Girl)", that were released for the soundtrack to Lohan's film, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Lohan began writing the tracks on her album in April 2004. "I write a lot of lyrics and I'm involved in the producing process, because it's like, if I'm singing it, I want it to be something that I can relate to," Lohan said. "I'm just trying to feel it out and see where it goes. I'm playing guitar and I also love to dance, so somewhere along the lines of hip-hop and rock." She had begun working with Diane Warren and Randy Jackson, who were going to help write and produce her album. Diane Warren wrote the song, "I Decide", for Lohan which was originally going to be on her album. When Lohan decided not to collaborate with Warren and Jackson, "I Decide" was instead released on the soundtrack to the film, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and on to Radio Disney.

By 2004, Lohan's deal with Emilio Estefan, Jr., had been cancelled and Lohan began looking for producers for her album. When asked by MTV about what label she would be working with, Lohan said, "I met with Jive, Universal and I spoke to someone at Bad Boy the other day, which would be kind of cool, but we'll see what happens." In the summer, Lohan revealed that she had signed a deal with Casablanca Records, whose parent company is Universal Music Group. Music producers Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks both wrote and produced ten of the tracks, six with Lohan. Cory Rooney produced her first single, "Rumors," with Taryll and TJ Jackson, sons of Tito Jackson.