Review: Ciara, Ciara

In the wake of the unwarranted commercial failure of Basic Instinct, R&B songstress Ciara asked to be released from her recording contract and set to work on staging a full-scale comeback with her fifth studio album tentatively titled One Woman Army. When three of the promotional singles failed to climb the charts, Ciara retooled the record with the release of the lead single “Body Party” and re-christened the album as the self-titled Ciara. Intimate at times and playful at others, Ciara is living proof that its maker is willing to accept defeat.

The opening cut “I’m Out” is a bass-laden, hand-clapping post-break-up club anthem. Ciara’s go-get-‘em attitude is palpable and guest artist Nicki Minaj adds just the right amount of wig-tossing sass that the track demands (albeit with a rap that makes little-to-no-sense). Minaj re-appears more effectively on the similarly girl power flavoured “Livin’ It Up.” With its airy electronic composition, “Livin’ It Up” is an empowering contemporary R&B track that delivers a play-by-your-own-rules, make-the-most-of-life message. The rest of the album plays cohesively as a ‘girl in love’ record. The simmering “Super Turnt Up” is an enjoyable love song where Ciara shows off her talent for rapping. “Read My Lips” is a similarly-themed cut that takes on a more pop-oriented sound. Despite its simplicity, it is a bouncy and catchy jam that serves as one of the many standouts on the album. On the tracks “DUI” and “Overdose,” Ciara effectively but predictably compares love to substance abuse. “DUI” is a sensuous slow jam with a winding beat and silky vocals by Ciara while “Overdose” is a radio-friendly Britney-esque electronic number that would serve nicely as a single.  “Sophomore” and “Keep On Lookin’” take a more aggressive approach in their sexuality. Boastful and arrogant, these two tracks are satisfying hip-hip-slanted bedroom bangers with clever lyrics and vocals saturated with attitude. The strongest entry on Ciara is its intimate and sensual lead single “Body Party.” The Mike WiLL Made-It produced track is impossibly sexy and perfectly arranged. Ciara’s vocals are smoother than they’ve ever been on the slow jam and have an undeniable sense of character to them which only adds to the warmth of the track.

Ciara can be favourably compared to Kelly Rowland’s acclaimed fourth album Talk a Good Game. Light on dance anthems and heavy on sex jams, both records are brassy and slickly produced. While it may not be as diverse as Talk a Good Game, Ciara is a more focused collection of songs so much so that it's possible to call it a concept album. Additionally, Ciara’s vocals are to be complimented. They’re stronger, warmer and smoother but etched with a slight grit that guarantees its distinctiveness. Overall, Ciara is must-hear album with unified sounds and themes and without any dreaded filler.

Recommended Listening: “I’m Out,” “Body Party,” “Read My Lips,” “Super Turnt Up,” “DUI,” “Livin’ It Up,” “Overdose”

Grade: A-

Review: Ciara, Basic Instinct

Clocking in at just eleven tracks, Ciara's fourth album Basic Instinct is a focused set of R&B songs that serve as a re-introduction to the Princess following her foray into pop music on her previous record Fantasy Ride. By cutting back on the collaborations and sticking to her tried and true formula of hip-hop-flavoured R&B, Ciara attempts to re-capture the magic of past hits and ultimately crafts a cohesive album that is worth a spin.

Ciara goes hard on the opening track "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)." Borrowing elements from the classic song "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)" features an aggressive Ciara blasting critics and haters with incredible ferocity. She partners with Ludacris again to deliver the bass-heavy, grind-worthy jam "Ride." It's a seductive song with a swirling electronic composition and a solid verse from Ludacris. The high energy dance anthem "Gimmie Dat" is a standout with its rapid-fire chorus and Ciara's vocals which exude attitude. The club tracks "Heavy Rotation" and "Turn It Up" are likewise solid offerings on the album. The former makes excellent use of Ciara's silky voice over a skipping synthesized arrangement with an impossibly catchy chorus. The latter is an electric duet with Usher that features a thumping bassline and rhythmic clapping. Ciara and Usher's vocals blend effortlessly together to create a rather enjoyable listening experience. Ciara nourishes her arrogance on tracks like "Girls Get Your Money," a playful hand-clapper, and the brassy "Wants For Dinner" with its stomping and hooting rhythm. Though the sass is high on much of the album, Ciara turns up the sensuality on the downtempo tracks present on the album. "Speechless" sees Ciara indulging in her lower register over a faux-horn composition while "You Can Get It" is a blithe come-hither slow jam with a sprinkling piano arrangement. Likewise, the closing track "I Run It" is an enticing R&B ballad that features Ciara's ethereal vocals over an effortless airy composition. Ciara's magnetic appeal is notable on each track and her versatility is to be commended for being able to adapt so seamlessly from dancefloor diva to bedroom vixen.

Basic Instinct solidifies Ciara's place as one of the most underrated contemporary R&B acts. It's a highly entertaining album that is surprisingly addictive in its arrangement. The production level is high and the number of filler tracks is low. Basic Instinct is a consistent record that is recommended for any R&B lover and casual Ciara fan (since the C-Squad probably already owns the album).

Recommended Listening: "Ride," "Gimmie Dat," "Heavy Rotation," "Speechless," "You Can Get It," "Turn It Up," "Wants For Dinner," "I Run It"

Grade: B+

Review: Ciara, Fantasy Ride

When the time came for R&B princess Ciara to record her third album, she enlisted the aid of A-list producers like Tricky Stewart, The-Dream and Danja. These collaborations resulted in a futuristic record that fully incorporated dance-pop elements to her signature R&B and hip-hop sound. Fantasy Ride serves as Ciara's most experimental album to date and proves she can certainly hold her own against today's pop heavyweights.

On Fantasy Ride, Ciara flirts with different genres and allows herself to enjoy a more seductive sound. She comes across as being confident and in-charge of her sexuality on the simmering opening tack "Ciara to the Stage" where she cleverly coos about approaching a love session as if it were a performance. Her smooth vocals are just what the song calls for. Similarly, the slickly-produced "Like a Surgeon" is styled with a futuristic R&B sound and makes heavy use of metaphor. Ciara's vocals are dripping with attitude, fully transforming herself into the sexy siren the song demands. The standout Justin Timberlake-penned "Love Sex Magic" serves as a pop-influenced sex jam. Its bouncing rhythm and sleek arrangement paired with the velvety breakdown makes it an incredibly polished cut. The production remains high on tracks like "Pucker Up" with its dizzying electronic composition and the sassy "G Is for Girl (A-Z)" where Ciara indulges in some well-earned arrogance. The slow jams "Never Ever" and "Lover's Thing," meanwhile, take a more traditional approach. "Never Ever" is a contemporary R&B ballad featuring Young Jeezy. Its fluttering composition works well with Ciara's corresponding vulnerable vocals. The song deals with the realizations of unrequited love all while smartly borrowing elements of the 1972 hit "If You Don't Know Me by Now." "Lover's Thing" is a smooth duet between Ciara and The-Dream that makes use of the interesting contrast between Ciara's sticky-sweet voice and the warmth of The-Dream's. The result is an effortless and earnest love song. Likewise, the closing song "I Don't Remember" comes across as an 80s-inspired slow jam complete with hand-claps and the sound of a turntable needle scratching against vinyl. This Ne-Yo authored number is one of the standouts. The best song on the 13-track standard set, however, is the Missy Elliott-aided "Work." This foot-stomping, hand-clapping song is a staggering dance anthem with a brazen Ciara on vocals and a memorable guest rap by Missy Elliott. It is just the kind of saucy track that is sure to get anyone off their behinds and get out onto the dancefloor.

Fantasy Ride is an incredibly satisfying record that is rife with attitude and vulnerability. It balances its scintillating slow jams with club-friendly dance tracks with ease. Ciara's silky vocals lend themselves shockingly well to the pop elements she incorporates on the album and would do well to continue to marry her unique style of R&B with electronic music. While Fantasy Ride may not have achieved the same platinum status as its predecessors, it is an ambitious and well-rounded record that stands as one of Ciara's most cohesive works to date.

Recommended Listening: "Ciara to the Stage," "Love Sex Magic," "Like a Surgeon," "Never Ever," "Lover's Thing," "Work," "Pucker Up," "G Is for Girl (A-Z)," “Tell Me What Your Name Is,” "I Don't Remember"

Grade: A-

Review: Ciara, The Evolution

Two years after the release of her debut album Goodies, Ciara unveiled her sophomore effort The Evolution. With a new look and a new sound, the Princess of Crunk&B successfully evolved into a new chapter of her life while still showcasing her sweet vocals and unbelievable dance moves.

In many ways, The Evolution plays like a Janet Jackson album with its usage of interludes and mix of high energy dance tracks and smooth slow jams. As one of the standouts on the album, “Get Up” is a high octane club banger that serves brilliantly as a follow-up to Ciara’s smash hit “1, 2 Step” from her debut album. With its banging arrangement and solid vocals, it is one of the album’s catchiest tracks. Ciara further sticks to her crunk roots with the opening song “That’s Right” but due to the predictable composition and Ciara’s surprisingly uneven vocal delivery it falls short of being amazing. What Ciara makes good on with The Evolution, however, is in her willingness to explore different sounds. She incorporates elements of ‘80s R&B on tracks like “I Proceed” and “Can’t Leave ‘Em Alone” as well as ‘90s hip-hop on “Make It Last Forever” and “Bang It Up.” The latter song is another strong dance offering from Ciara with its thumping rhythm and assimilation of percussions beneath the electronic composition. She similarly experiments with more acoustic sounds on the string-led kiss-off track “Like a Boy.” As one of the most unique songs on the album, “Like a Boy” features stinging criticisms of the male half of the population and comes across as a satisfying anti-player anthem. Conversely, another one of the album’s strongest cuts comes in the form of the airy love song “Promise.” Making full use of Ciara’s purring breathy vocals, “Promise” is a scintillating slow jam that is tailor-made for an intimate night for two (candles sold separately). As with Goodies, many of The Evolution’s most interesting moments come from downtempo tracks. “So Hard” speaks of entering into a new relationship with baggage from the previous one all to a slightly Asiatic composition and “I’m Just Me” makes heavy use of a piano arrangement with lyrics of accepting oneself. The most ambitious song on the album also happens to be one of the most traditional. “I Found Myself” is an acoustic ballad speaking of self-empowerment with Ciara stretching herself vocally on the track. Thankfully, the Princess rose to the challenge.

There are some great things to say about The Evolution. The album is structured brilliantly thanks to the use of interludes, which help to group tracks thematically and sonically. Many of the songs on the record are incredibly infectious and there are moments of lyrical interest thanks to Ciara’s expansion into a more varied range of topics. Unfortunately, much of the album is tragically stuffed with filler. Many of the songs are either too generic or simply tend to blend together due to their similar sounds. Nevertheless, The Evolution deserves a spin even if it’s just for the standout songs (and the gorgeous pictures of Ciara in the accompanying booklet).

Recommended Listening: “Like a Boy,” “Promise,” “Bang It Up,” “Get Up,” “So Hard,” “I’m Just Me,” “I Found Myself.”

Grade: C+

Review: Ciara, Goodies

With the release of her hit single "Goodies" in 2004, Ciara breathed new life into R&B with her coquettish vocal stylings and gravity-defying dance moves. The parent album Goodies went multi-platinum and spawned two additional top-three singles. Despite this, her debut album continues to be vastly underrated and serves as a reminder of a unique turning point in popular music that ultimately paved the way for R&B acts like Rihanna and Keri Hilson to achieve success.

The titular track "Goodies" with its signature whistle and Ciara's breathy vocals is a solid dance offering. It's more unconventional in its styling but provides a sound unique to Ciara. The Missy Elliott-aided "1, 2 Step" serves as a major standout on the record. With its pulsating beats and swirling electronic composition, it proves to be an infectious piece of ear candy with a memorable rap verse courtesy of hip-hop goddess Missy Elliott. "Hotline" is a melodic club-thumper which sees Ciara indulging in attempts to stretch herself vocally. "Oh" is another standout as it takes on a darker edge with Ciara purring over the winding arrangement. The guest rap by Ludacris helps to elevate the track and is a highlight on the album. Surprisingly, some of the more interesting cuts on the album are the slow jams. The downtempo hip-hop track "Thug Style" is finger-snappingly catchy and Ciara's husky vocals come across as sweet yet seductive. The twin ballads "Next to You" and "And I" are smoothly produced. The R. Kelly-penned "Next to You" features a soft composition paired with rich vocals while "And I" is an effective acoustic love song that serves as a standout during the album's latter half. Despite this, both play it a little too safe and predictable. Still, the album's most fascinating moments are when Ciara employs more conventional sounds. “Lookin’ at You” features a hip-hop groove that is reminiscent of rap music from the ‘90s while "The Title" takes a welcome old school approach to its arrangement and sees Ciara cooing over a more traditional R&B sound. Both these efforts do their job in emphasizing Ciara’s ability to adapt to a variety of styles.

As far as debut efforts go, Ciara's is definitely a goodie. It features many standout tracks and the mix of uptempo and downtempo is successful in its attempt to show off Ciara's versatility as a performer. While some tracks are fairly generic, there is a more conscious effort to be more experimental and modern on Goodies while still paying homage to the acts that came before her. Additionally, Ciara is to be applauded for her skills as a song-writer and for taking a more active stance in the music making process. Since there are only two songs on Goodies that she did not co-write, it becomes clear that Ciara is one independent woman whose songs are uniquely her own.

Recommended Listening: “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step,” “Thug Style,” “Hotline,” “Oh,” “Lookin’ at You,” “Next to You,” “And I,” “The Title”

Grade: B