Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer

Jazze Pha Phalon Anton Alexander, known professionally as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American record producer, rapper, singer and songwriter. He founded the record label Sho'nuff Records in 1995, through which he signed R&B singer Ciara in 2003. He produced h ...

in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' (2004). Its namesake lead single (featuring

Petey Pablo Moses Barrett III (born July 22, 1973), better known by his stage name Petey Pablo, is an American rapper and record producer from Greenville, North Carolina. He is best known for his 2003 crunk single " Freek-a-Leek," which peaked at number seve ...

) peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while the follow-ups, "

1, 2 Step "1, 2 Step" is a song by American singer Ciara featuring American rapper Missy Elliott. Written alongside producer Jazze Pha, it was released on November 1, 2004, as the second single of Ciara's debut studio album, '' Goodies''. It peaked within ...

" (featuring

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...

) and " Oh" (featuring

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...

), both peaked at number two on the chart. The album received quadruple platinum certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), and received two nominations at the

48th Annual Grammy Awards The 48th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 8, 2006, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. Irish rock band U2 ...

. Ciara also guest appeared on the 2005 singles " Lose Control" by

and " Like You" by Bow Wow, both of which peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her second studio album, '' Ciara: The Evolution'' (2006), topped the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned three platinum-certified songs: the top ten single "

Get Up Get Up may refer to: Film and television * Get Up! (film), ''Get Up!'' (film), a 2003 Japanese film directed by Kazuyuki Izutsu * Get Up (film), ''Get Up'' (film), a 2008 South Korean television film directed by Lee Jae-dong * Get Up! (TV program ...

" (featuring

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He began his career in Houston's hip hop scene in the late 1990s. He was briefly signed with the local record label Swishah ...

) and the top 20 singles "

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

" and " Like a Boy." Ciara's third studio album, '' Fantasy Ride'' (2009), spawned top ten single "

Love Sex Magic "Love Sex Magic" is a song by American singer Ciara from her third studio album, ''Fantasy Ride'' (2009). Featuring fellow American recording artist Justin Timberlake, the song was written by Timberlake and his production team The Y's and Mike E ...

" (featuring

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

), which was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the

52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...

. Her fourth studio album, ''

Basic Instinct ''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. Starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Wayne Knight, the film follows the detective Nick ...

'' (2010), spawned the top 50 single "

Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a comedy film by Millicen ...

" (featuring Ludacris), but saw a steep commercial decline. She then signed with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

to release her self-titled fifth album (2013), which peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned the double platinum single "

Body Party "Body Party" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara for her self-titled fifth studio album (2013). It was written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Nayvadius "Future" Wilburn, Michael Williams, Pierre Ramon Slaughter, Carlton Mahone, Ro ...

". Her sixth album, '' Jackie'' (2015) spawned the platinum single " I Bet". The following year, Ciara signed a modeling contract with

IMG img or IMG is an abbreviation for image. img or IMG may also refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics *IMG (file format), file that stores a complete and uncompressed copy of the contents of a storage device * IMG, a prefix for camera ima ...

, became a Global Brand Ambassador for the

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

company

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it remains. Revlon was founded by brothers Charle ...

, and married quarterback

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...

. Her seventh album and first independent release, ''

Beauty Marks A beauty mark or beauty spot is a euphemism for a type of dark facial mark so named because such birthmarks are sometimes considered an attractive feature.Ariel, Irving M. (1981). A Historical Introduction: Is the beauty mark a mark of beauty o ...

'' (2019), entered the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned the platinum single " Level Up". She signed with

Uptown Records Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by old school rapper ‘Dr Jekyll’ - Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip-hop. Beginnings and success In ...

for the release of her first extended play, '' CiCi'' (2023). Her eighth studio album, also titled '' CiCi'', is slated for a July 11, 2025 release; it is being preceded by the single " Ecstasy". In her acting career, she has appeared in the films ''

All You've Got ''All You've Got'' is a 2006 sport/drama film directed by Neema Barnette and starring stars Ciara Harris and Adrienne Bailon. The film debuted on MTV. Synopsis A rivalry between two volleyball teams (the Phantoms and the Madonnas) causes a bi ...

'' (2006), '' Mama, I Want to Sing!'' (2012), '' That's My Boy'' (2012), and the television series '' The Game'' (2013). Ciara starred in the 2023

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

of ''

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, two

BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...

, the

Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritte ...

award from

Billboard Women in Music ''Billboard'' Women in Music is an annual event held by ''Billboard''. Its main award is titled Woman of the Year, established to recognize women in the music industry who have made significant contributions to the business and who, through their ...

, two

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...

, eight

Soul Train Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of '' Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

, and fifteen Ascap Music Awards. As of 2019, Ciara has sold over 45 million records worldwide.

Early life

Ciara Princess Harris was born in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, on October 25, 1985, the

only child An only child is a person with no siblings, by birth or adoption. Overview Throughout history, only-children were relatively uncommon. From around the middle of the 20th century, birth rates and average family sizes fell sharply for a number of ...

of Jackie and Carlton Clay Harris. An

army brat A military brat (colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revise ...

, she grew up in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

. She was named after the

fragrance Ciara which was introduced in 1973. During her teens, Ciara and her family settled in

College Park, Georgia College Park is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton and Clayton County, Georgia, Clayton counties, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, adjacent to the southern boundary of the city of Atlanta. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

, a suburb of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, where she attended North Clayton High School before graduating from Riverdale. In her mid-teens, Ciara formed the all-girl group Hearsay with two of her friends. The group recorded demos, but as time went on, they began to have differences and eventually parted ways. Despite this setback, Ciara signed a publishing deal as a songwriter. Her first writing credit was on

Blu Cantrell Tiffany Cobb (born March 16, 1976), known professionally as Blu Cantrell, is an American contemporary R&B, R&B singer. Cantrell rose to fame in 2001, with the release of her debut single, "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)", which peaked at number two ...

's debut album, '' So Blu'', for the song "10,000 Times". She also wrote the song "Got Me Waiting" for R&B singer

Fantasia Barrino Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence in 2004 for her performance of the ''Porgy and Bess'' standard " Summertime" during th ...

's debut album, '' Free Yourself''. It was when she was writing songs that she met music producer

, whom she called her "music soulmate". In 2002, the two recorded four demos: "

", "Thug Style", "Pick Up the Phone", and "Lookin' at You", which all appeared on her debut album that was released two years later. "1, 2 Step" was the second single released from the album and it was a hit.

Career

2003–2005: ''Goodies''

After graduating from Riverdale High School in

Riverdale, Georgia Riverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,129 in 2020. Riverdale is a suburb just south of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. History The ...

, in 2003, she was signed by

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer who served as president and CEO of Arista Records from 2000 to 2004, as well as chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Mus ...

, whom she was introduced to by Jazze Pha. She began production on her debut album later that year. In early 2004, she wrote a demo with record producer,

Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979), known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Ush ...

, which came to the attention of

Lil Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Regarded as a progenitor of the club-oriented hip-hop subgenre crunk, his production and voice presence were inst ...

and became her debut single " Goodies". Lil Jon stated later that he knew it would be big seeing how it sounded similar to Usher's international hit, " Yeah!". Ciara released her debut album '' Goodies'' on September 28, 2004. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, selling 125,000 copies in its initial week and topped the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart. Following the release of the album, Ciara was called the "First Lady of Crunk&B". ''Goodies'' had a 71-week run on the ''Billboard'' 200, and was

certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...

triple platinum by the

on October 10, 2006.RIAA Searchable Database – "Ciara"
Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed May 21, 2008. Charting at twenty-two on the

Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...

, it was certified Platinum by the

Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...

. The album charted at 26 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, and spent 20 weeks on the chart. It was certified Gold by the

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

. ''Goodies''

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

, the title track, featuring

, was released on June 8, 2004. Conceived as a

crunk Crunk is a subgenre of Southern hip-hop that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the early to mid 2000s. Crunk is often up-tempo and one of Southern hip hop's more nightclub-oriented subgenres. Distinguishing itself w ...

female counterpart to Usher's " Yeah!", the lyrical content goes against the grain, speaking of

abstinence Abstinence is the practice of self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol (drug), ...

, rejecting advances because "the goodies will stay in the jar." Critics hailed it as an "anthem of the summer" and one of the best singles of the year, complimenting its dance-feel and beat, and the irony of the "clever" lyrics. The single performed well worldwide, topping the charts in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and charting in the top 10 of other charts, receiving Platinum certification in the United States. "1, 2 Step" featuring

was released as the album's second single. The song peaked in the top 10 of many countries, topping the charts in Canada, and went on to become Platinum or Gold in many countries. " Oh" featuring

was released as the third single on March 5, 2005. The song performed well worldwide, appearing in the top 10 of seven charts, and certified either Platinum or Gold in multiple regions. Following the success of the album, Ciara released a CD/DVD entitled '' Goodies: The Videos & More'' in the United States on July 12, 2005, which featured remixes to "1, 2 Step" and "Oh", as well as two new songs. The release was certified platinum in the United States. She made guest appearances on

's single " Lose Control" and on Bow Wow's single " Like You", which both peaked at number three in the United States and obtained worldwide success. She was an opening act for

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...

's '' Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005'' and went on tour with

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

and Bow Wow on the ''Holiday Jam Tour'' in December 2005. At the

, Ciara received four nominations for

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

for "1, 2 Step",

Best Rap Song The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several c ...

for Missy Elliott's single "Lose Control", and won her last nomination, Best Short Form Music Video for "Lose Control".

2006–2007: ''Ciara: The Evolution'' and acting debut

On December 5, 2006, Ciara released her second studio album, '' Ciara: The Evolution''. According to the singer, the title of the album is "about so much more than just my personal growth – it's about the evolution of music, the evolution of dance, the evolution of fashion." The source of the album's creativity such as the sound and edge comes from Ciara in general. ''Ciara: The Evolution'' became Ciara's first and only number one album on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, and her second number one on the

charts with sales of 338,000 in the first week. The album went on to be certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in the United States, and has sold 1.3 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album's international

, "

", which features

, reached number seven in the United States and gained a platinum accreditation. It reached number five in New Zealand. The song was used for the film '' Step Up'' (2006) and featured on the film's

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

. The album's US lead single, "

", reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became her third number one single on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. " Like a Boy" was released as the second international single which reached within the top 20 in the UK, Finland, France, Ireland, Sweden Switzerland, and also in the United States. Ciara – Billboard Artist Chart History''

Billboard Charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ' ...

''; retrieved December 17, 2010. The fourth and final single from the album, " Can't Leave 'em Alone", reached number 10 on the

chart and number 40 on the ''Billboard Hot 100.'' The song became Ciara's fifth single to peak in the top in New Zealand, peaking at number 4. The song achieved moderate success in other international markets. In support of the album, Ciara went on her first headlining tour in October 2006. The tour went to seventeen different clubs in cities throughout the United States. The tour was met with mixed to positive reviews; critics were divided regarding the pre-recorded backing tracks and remarked that Ciara was slightly under-prepared to host her headlining tour, but ultimately praised her energetic choreography. In August 2007, she headlined the Screamfest '07 tour with fellow rapper,

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

Critics praised her performance for her gracious dancing and being able to command a sold-out arena. Ciara, along with

and

Akon Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon (), is a Senegalese-United States, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influ ...

, was a support act for

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

's ''

Good Girl Gone Bad Tour The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour was the second overall and first world concert tour by Barbadian singer Rihanna, in support of her third studio album '' Good Girl Gone Bad'' (2007). The setlist was composed of songs mostly from ''Good Girl Gone Bad ...

'' in the United Kingdom. She made a guest appearance on "

So What So What may refer to: Law *Demurrer, colloquially called a "So what?" pleading Music Albums * So What (Anti-Nowhere League album), ''So What'' (Anti-Nowhere League album) or the 1981 title song (see below), 2000 * ''So What?: Early Demos and L ...

" by

Field Mob Field Mob is an American hip hop music, hip hop duo from Albany, Georgia, composed of artists Darion "Smoke" Crawford and Shawn Timothy "Shawn Jay" Johnson. History Formation Darion and Shawn grew up on the outskirts of Albany, Georgia, Albany ...

. The single went on to become a top 10 hit on the ''Billboard Hot 100.'' She also appeared on

Tiffany Evans Tiffany Evans (born August 4, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Evans rose to fame in 2003 as a contestant on ''Star Search'' (hosted by Arsenio Hall), she became the first contestant in ''Star Search'' history to earn a perfe ...

' single " Promise Ring". The song achieved little success on the

chart. In addition to her music, Ciara made her acting debut in the

MTV Films MTV Entertainment Studios (formerly MTV Production Development from 2003 until 2018 and MTV Studios from 2018 until 2021) is an American film and television Film production, production and Film distribution, distribution company and is the film ...

production ''

'' in May 2006. In the movie she played Becca Whiley, a teenager who is competing in a volleyball tournament. The movie received mixed to positive reviews; critics said the movie was predictable but still enjoyable.

2008–2011: ''Fantasy Ride'', ''Basic Instinct'' and label change

In October 2008, Ciara was honored as ''Billboard''s "Woman of the Year", because of her success as a recording artist and leadership in embracing the changing music business. Although her third album was originally scheduled for a September 2008 release, '' Fantasy Ride'' was released after several delays in May 2009. The album combines her R&B and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

sound from her previous albums along with a new

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

and

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

sound. While talking to MTV News, Ciara said, "I'm having a bit more fun with my lyrics. I'm not afraid. In the beginning, I was conscious and really protective and somewhat scared about doing some things. With this album I'm not holding back, there's freedom. It's just the space I'm in right now." It became Ciara's first top ten album in the UK. " Go Girl" was the first single released from the album. It was originally the lead single from the album, but the single achieved minimum success and was later deemed a

promo single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...

. However, the single managed to reach the top of the charts in Japan. The album's official

, " Never Ever", which features

Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...

, was released in the United States in January 2009 and reached a peak of number nine on the U.S.

. The second single, "

", featuring

, became a worldwide hit, peaking within the top 10 in 20 countries including the U.S., where it peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It went on to be certified platinum in Australia and received a gold accreditation in New Zealand. It received a nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" at the

and also for Best Choreography in a Video at the

2009 MTV Video Music Awards The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was ...

. "

Work Work may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community ** Manual labour, physical work done by humans ** House work, housework, or homemaking ** Working animal, an ani ...

", the final single, achieved moderate success in international markets.In July 2009, Ciara headlined the '' Jay-Z & Ciara Live'' tour with

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

. Her performance received mixed reviews; critics said although her dancing was top-notch, she seemed disconnected from the crowd. She was also the support act for

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

's ''

Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

'' tour, where she performed eight nights at London's prestigious O2 Arena during June 2009. Her performance received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, who noted her dancing skills as being spectacular and arguably better than Britney Spears'. Ciara made a guest appearance on

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...

's single " Stepped On My J'z" from his album ''

Brass Knuckles Brass knuckles (also referred to as brass knucks, knuckledusters, iron fist and paperweight, among other names) are a melee weapon used primarily in Hand to hand combat, hand-to-hand combat. They are fitted and designed to be worn around the kn ...

''. The song achieved minimal success in the U.S.. Ciara was also featured on

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...

' single, " Takin' Back My Love", from his ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' album. The song became an international hit, peaking in the top 10 of over 15 countries, and being certified Gold in Russia, with sales of over 100,000. In February 2010, Ciara along with Pitbull was featured on the remix to

' hit single " How Low". The following month, Ciara made a cameo appearance in the music video of Usher's single, " Lil' Freak". Ciara released her fourth studio album, ''

'', on December 14, 2010. She told Pete Lewis of ''

Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...

'' magazine that the album is about her trusting her instinct and going back to the R&B/urban basics, in the days of " Goodies" and "

". It was executive-produced by the singer alongside her A&R agent Mark Pitts and writing/production duo

Tricky Stewart Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. Stewart, a five-time Grammy Award recipient, began producing music in 1992 and has contributed to unit s ...

and

The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...

who also produced records for her previous album, '' Fantasy Ride''. ''

'' debuted at number forty-four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies, becoming her first album to not peak within the top three. On the U.S.

R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart, the album opened at number 11, her only album to not peak within the top two of the chart. The lead single, "

", which features

, was released on April 26, 2010. It peaked at number 42 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number three on the U.S.

chart, becoming her twelfth top ten hit on the chart, and number seventy-five on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying music video won the award for "Best Dance Performance" at the 2010

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of '' Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

. " Speechless" was released as the second single from the album and achieved minimal success, peaking at only number 74 on the

chart. " Gimmie Dat", the third single from the album was praised by critics but failed to become a hit, peaking at only 63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number 27 on the urban charts in the UK. In November 2010, Ciara performed at the Summerbeatz tour alongside

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...

Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), known professionally as Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with " Dance with You", which reached No. ...

Travie McCoy Travis Lazarus "Travie" McCoy (born August 5, 1981) is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rap rock band Gym Class Heroes, which he formed in 1997 with then-fellow teenager Matt McGinley, afte ...

and

Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...

. In the summer of 2011, Ciara was a part of the Malibu Rum Tour. She performed in seven shows across the US. In February 2011, following rumors that Ciara had been dropped by Jive Records, she released an official statement to her

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

page complaining of inadequate promotion and funding from the label. She stated that she received a lack of support from the label, and even paid for the promotion of some singles, such as " Gimmie Dat", herself. The frustration she felt while working with her third and fourth albums led her to request that she be released from her contract. In May 2011, Ciara was removed from the Jive Records website roster. On July 12, 2011, it was reported that she had reunited with

by signing with his record label

, and was confirmed in September 2011.

2012–2013: ''Ciara'' and further acting

During an interview with ''Sway in the Morning'' in February 2012, Ciara revealed that she would be taking her time recording her fifth studio album, stating: "It's just really about the vibe, and I'll just tell you that it's a good vibe going. It's really important for me to take my time with this record and it's important for the whole team. It's really, really good energy." She has been working on the album with a number of producers and songwriters, including

Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his l ...

, Soundz,

Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has won an Academy Honorary Award, Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and three consecutive ''Billboard'' Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year from 19 ...

, and The Underdogs. In an interview, Ciara said "I worked with some people that are very fresh, which I'm excited about... When it comes to artists, when it comes to writers, when it comes to producers, I really wanted to push. We pretty much reached out and worked with a lot of people that I've never worked with before, which is really fun." During a press conference with

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

in May 2012, Ciara announced her fifth studio album would be titled '' One Woman Army'' and said the lead single, "

Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweat, is the fluid secreted by sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and Apocrine sweat gland, apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distribu ...

", would be out very soon. The single, which features rapper

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...

, premiered online on June 4, 2012, and was to be released via

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

on June 19, 2012. However, the release of the single was scrapped at the last minute for unknown reasons. On August 13, 2012, Ciara revealed that the official lead single for the album would be titled " Sorry". On September 13, 2012, the official music video for "Sorry" was premiered on

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

as well as

VEVO Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...

. "Sorry" was made available for purchase as a digital download on September 25, 2012, and impacted U.S. Urban contemporary and Rhythmic radio stations on October 9, 2012. In the United States, "Sorry" reached a peak at 40 on the U.S. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

chart while charting at number 22 on Billboard's

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart listing of the top 25 songs that have yet to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On October 21, 2012, ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' magazine posted a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of " Got Me Good", the second single from the album. The song and video, which was directed by Joseph Kahn, premiered on the Sony JumboTron in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on October 25, 2012. The single was released via digital download on November 6, 2012. " Got Me Good" impacted rhythmic radio on November 13, and

mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso * ...

radio on December 4. On April 15, 2013, the same day the album's track listing was revealed, it was also announced that the album is not titled ''One Woman Army'' anymore and that the new title is ''

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...

''. Due to their low performance on the charts, the label decided not to include "Sweat", "Sorry", and "Got Me Good" on the tracklist. Instead, it was later announced that a new song titled "Body Party" would serve as the lead single. It was released in March 2013 and reached number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the U.S. Billboard "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart. The second single was "I'm Out" featuring

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

. The album was released on July 9, 2013. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 59,000 copies in the U.S. The album became Ciara's fourth album to chart within the top three of the ''Billboard'' chart. The album charted at number two on the

Aside from music in 2012, Ciara also starred in two movies during this time. She starred in the straight-to-DVD film, '' Mama, I Want to Sing!''. She played Amara Winter, a preacher's daughter who was discovered by a well-established musician. She appeared as Brie in the 2012 comedy film, '' That's My Boy''. Ciara made an appearance as herself playing

Lauren London Lauren Nicole London (born December 5, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films and televisions shows including ''ATL (film), ATL'' (2006), This Christmas (2007 film), ''This Christmas'' (2007), ''Madea's Big Happy Fami ...

's best friend on the Season 6 premiere of BET's '' The Game'' which aired on March 26, 2013, she continued to be a recurring cast member throughout the season.

2014–2016: ''Jackie'' and motherhood

In September 2013, producer

Mike WiLL Made It Michael Len Williams II (born March 23, 1989), known professionally as Mike Will Made It (often stylized as Mike WiLL Made-It) or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hi ...

revealed that Ciara had begun work on her sixth studio album. In December 2013, Ciara confirmed she was in the process of making a new album. During an interview with ''

'' magazine Ciara revealed that recording for her sixth album began around Thanksgiving of 2013 and she would be releasing new music "really soon". In late January 2014, Ciara premiered a live version of a song entitled "Anytime" at the Degree Women Grammys Celebration in Los Angeles, on February 2, 2014, Ciara premiered the studio version, produced Boi-1da and Katalyst featuring her then-boyfriend and rapper

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

. After her engagement to Future, Ciara revealed to '' W'' in April 2014 that her sixth studio album would be predominantly inspired by her then-fiancé. Ciara gave birth to her first child in May 2014, a boy fathered by Future. After claims of Future's infidelity during their relationship had surfaced, it was reported that the couple's engagement had been called off. Following their very public break-up, Ciara's album release was further postponed to 2015, and during this time the singer "quietly" recorded new music, while concentrating on motherhood. " I Bet", the lead single from her album '' Jackie'', was released on January 26, 2015. In May 2015, Ciara embarked on her first headlining tour in six years. The month-long Jackie Tour kicked off on May 3, 2015, in Chicago and included stops in New York, Boston, New Orleans, Dallas, and Los Angeles. The first round of US dates wrapped May 31 in San Francisco. Ciara's sixth album, ''Jackie'', was released on May 1, 2015. It includes the singles " I Bet" and " Dance like We're Making Love". The album debuted at number 17 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 25,000

units Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...

(19,900 in sales), and has the lowest first-week sales amongst her first six albums. After appearing in the US talent show, ''I Can Do That'', she host the 2016 edition of the

Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...

. A few months later, she announced during the red-carpet of the

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

that she was pregnant.

2017–2021: ''Beauty Marks'' and entrepreneur projects

During 2016, Ciara worked on her seventh studio album and stated that the album would feature her undertaking a new musical direction. On January 27, 2017, it was announced that Ciara had signed a deal with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

. On July 17, 2018, Ciara released the single and its accompanying music video, " Level Up". The song was the first single from her seventh studio album ''

'', released on May 10, 2019. In addition to "Level Up", the album spawned the singles "Freak Me", " Dose", " Greatest Love" and " Thinkin Bout You". Ciara performed "Thinkin Bout You" at the 2019 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. In July 2019, it was announced that Ciara would appear as a judge alongside

David Dobrik Dávid Julián Dobrík (; ; born July 23, 1996) is an Internet personality, YouTuber, streamer and vlogger. He amassed a million followers on the video-sharing platform Vine before starting his vlog on YouTube in 2015. Dobrik is the leader o ...

and

Debbie Gibson Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She released her debut album ''Out of the Blue (Debbie Gibson album), Out of the Blue'' (1987) at age 16, writing and largely producing the material. The a ...

in a new musical competition on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

titled ''

America's Most Musical Family ''America's Most Musical Family'' is an American Reality television, reality music competition television program that aired on Nickelodeon from November 1, 2019, to January 17, 2020. The program features 30 talented families competing for a re ...

''. On December 23, 2019, Ciara featured on the remix of longtime friend

Blanco Brown Bennie Julius Amey III (born March 24, 1985), known professionally as Blanco Brown, is an American country rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has produced for Fergie and Pitbull. Brown's debut single " The Git Up" was release ...

's "

The Git Up "The Git Up" is a song by American artist Blanco Brown, released as his debut single on May 3, 2019. It has been described as the "sequel" to Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" and the "next viral country rap song". Brown filmed himself performing a line ...

". After taking a break from music to focus on her pregnancy, Ciara released a song and video titled "Rooted", featuring

Ester Dean Esther Renay Dean (born April 15, 1982), known professionally as Ester Dean, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. She rose to prominence as a pop songwriter in the late 2000s and wrote numerous hit songs for singers including R ...

, on August 13, 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, Ciara and her husband

embarked on several business projects, opening the fashion house The House of LR&C, and signed a first look deal with

Amazon Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...

to start Why Not You Productions.

2022–present: ''The Color Purple'' and eighth studio album

In March 2022, it was announced that Ciara had joined the cast of ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker that won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex ...

. Ciara appeared on the cover of the 2022 ''

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue The ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue is published annually by American magazine ''Sports Illustrated'' and features female fashion models, celebrities and athletes wearing swimwear in various locales around the world. The highly coveted ...

'', making her the third musician to do so since the issue launched in 1964. On June 29, 2022, it was announced that Ciara had signed a new record deal with

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

and

, in partnership with her label, Beauty Marks Entertainment. Ciara's eighth studio album will be released through the partnership. The first release from the deal was announced to be the single, " Jump", released on July 8, 2022. In September 2022, it was insinuated that Ciara had collaborated with

Summer Walker Summer Marjani Walker (born April 11, 1996) is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Atlanta, she signed with the local record label Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records in late 2017. The following year, she relea ...

for a second time. On September 28, 2022, Ciara released the uptempo single "Better Thangs", which features Walker. The official music video, directed by Mia Barnes premiered online on September 30, 2022. On choosing Walker to collaborate with, Ciara divulged "I've always done collaborations because it felt right, it was authentic. It felt like the artist was going to bring a certain flair to this song that it needed… I played [Summer Walker] a few songs on the album and [...] this is the one song that I thought was perfect for her, but I wanted it for her because she also really liked it." The single has reached 13 on the US ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart, becoming Ciara's first top twenty hit on the chart. In November 2022 a remix of "Better Thangs" featuring rapper GloRilla was released. On March 24, 2023, Ciara released the single "Da Girls", which was followed on April 14, 2023, with a remix with Lola Brooke and Lady London. Ciara then appeared as a guest performer during Jackson Wang's Coachella (festival), Coachella performance; the pair performed XG (group), XG's song "Left Right (XG song), Left Right", and a medley of Ciara's songs: "Lose Control", "Level Up", "Goodies" and "1, 2, Step". The set also included a short snippet of Wang and Ciara's song "Slow (Jackson Wang & Ciara song), Slow", which was released as a single on the same day. On April 25, 2023, the pair released the official music video to "Slow", featuring dance-heavy choreography. On May 12, 2023, Ciara released ''Versions'', an EP with remixes to "Da Girls", featuring Derrick Milano, Lay Bankz and the previously released Girls Mix. On June 30, 2023, Ciara released "Get Loose" with Agnez Mo. In August 2023, Ciara announced her EP, titled '' CiCi'' would be released on August 18, 2023. The lead single from the EP was "How We Roll (Ciara & Chris Brown song), How We Roll", which also features

as co-lead. On August 18, 2023, Ciara released ''CiCi''; the music video to the EP's second single, "Forever", which features Lil Baby, was also released the same day. On November 3, 2023, Ciara released a remix to "How We Roll", with a featured rap from Lil Wayne. On November 10, 2023, Ciara released the single "Fantasy", in collaboration with Canadian EDM trio Keys N Krates. On June 21, 2024, a remix of Hulvey's 2023 song "Altar", featuring Ciara, was officially released. On July 30, the singer announced her single "Run It Up" featuring Bossman Dlow was released August 9, 2024. She followed this release with "Wassup", a single in collaboration with rapper Busta Rhymes, on September 27, 2024. In the summer of 2024, Ciara embarked on the ''Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour'' as a supporting act for Missy Elliott, alongside Rhymes; the tour lasted for 24 dates across the United States. On April 4, 2025, Ciara released the single " Ecstasy", garnering universally positive reviews, and announced that her eighth studio album, '' CiCi'' (an extension of the EP of the same name), would be released on July 11, 2025. Ciara featured on the cover of the May 2025 issue of ''L'Officiel, L'Officiel USA'', sharing details of the upcoming studio album, and discussed her career and family. On May 9, 2025, British DJ Flex (UK) released the single "So & So", featuring Ciara, which contains re-recorded vocals from her 2006 single "Get Up". On June 1, 2025, Ciara headlined the Mighty Hoopla festival in London, England.

Artistry

Vocals and musical style

Ciara is known for her often "breathy soprano" vocals. Allison Stewart of ''The Washington Post'' commented that she has a "reedy, agile voice, capable of conveying the only three emotions (sexy, sassy, sad) an R&B singer needs". Randall Roberts of the ''Los Angeles Times'' said that she "has been the most synthetic of the R&B divas over the past decade, an electro-leaning vocalist whose instrumental palate has heavily favored stark 808 beats, sassy and seductive vocal lines, and, often, weird, futuristic Gary Numan-esque bleeps woven through." He further commented:

"Ciara's sights are mostly set on one aspect of said universal truth -- desire -- and how it manifests itself on the dance floor ... at the mall ... or in the bedroom...

Ciara's debut album featured production from

. In reviewing the album, ''Slant Magazine'' noted the influence of Destiny's Child, and compared some of its material to Aaliyah's, albeit "less sexy". In reviewing her second album '' Ciara: The Evolution'', Jody Rosen of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote: "Ciara's comfort with rave-inspired beats sets her apart from Cassie (singer), Cassie, Amerie,

, and other would-Beyoncés...[Her] singing is nimble throughout: She whispers, coos, wails, and reels off speedy syncopations worthy of Beyoncé herself." Her third album, '' Fantasy Ride'', saw the singer showcasing a new pop and

direction, which she recalled later on her sixth album '' Jackie''. Ciara's music is generally contemporary R&B, but it also incorporates other genres including

, dance-pop, electropop and funk. Critics have described her singles " Goodies", "

", "

", and " Go Girl" as club bangers. Ciara has also dabbled in Gospel music, gospel, Country music, country, and afrobeats.

Influences

Ciara said that watching Destiny's Child and Janet Jackson perform on television inspired her to pursue a career in music, and cites Jackson and her brother Michael Jackson, Michael as her biggest inspirations. Ciara spoke of Michael Jackson's legacy, "Whenever someone asks me who inspires me to do what I do, I always say Michael. That's it for me. He's everything to me. He's really a part of the reason why. He's going to be remembered in so many ways for me. I feel it's important for me to continue to let my generation know how important he was to music." Ciara also cites TLC (group), TLC, Jodeci, Sade (singer), Sade, Frank Sinatra, Aaliyah, and Whitney Houston as some of her other musical influences. Her second studio album '' Ciara: The Evolution'' (2006) was influenced by Michael Jackson, Prince (musician), Prince, and pop singer Madonna. During the recording of her fifth self-titled album ''

'' (2013), she was inspired by Al Green and

Stage presence, dancing, and music videos

Ciara has generally received praise for her stage presence and routines during live performances. Dalondo Moultrie of ''The Morning Call'' applauded Ciara's stage presence saying that she "put on one of the best performances I have seen yet at [Crocodile Rock]". Moultrie continued to call her dance steps "incredible", notings her "pelvic thrusts", "body bending twists", "periodic bursts of light", and commending her for being in sync with the music. In summary, he praised Ciara's live performances for their "high-energy songs, sexy dance moves, flawless vocals, and [the] top-flight light show". Sia Michel of ''The New York Times'' also praised Ciara's relentless professional presence stating: "Ciara led a squad of hip-hop dancers through stylishly choreographed routines. Striding about in a headset, she was a commanding and relentlessly professional presence." Bill White of ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' wrote that due to Ciara's high energy, "it hardly mattered that she was singing to backing tracks ... Usually this type of performance seems cut-rate and dishonest, but Ciara, with the help of slick lighting and sharp choreography, made it work". Ciara has still gotten some criticism for her performances, typically relating to her vocals. Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' gave a mixed reception of Ciara's performance ability, writing that her physical style reduced her emotional impact, and that her "lack of vocal presence guarantees that it is easier to connect with her music physically than emotionally." Vincent Jackson of ''The Press of Atlantic City'' also noted Ciara's limited vocal ability when critiquing her Ciara: Live in Concert, first headlining tour, but praised her confidence and approved of her decision "to put most of her energy into her almost nonstop, aerobic dance performance". Dance is big part of Ciara's artistry and music videos. Writing for ''The Guardian'', Bim Adewunmi said "She makes music to dance to, and her videos are testament to that ... Ciara's currency as a dancer is precision and high difficulty. Her body becomes a sort of human syncopated beat – an urgent thing, parts moving seemingly independently but all working to a greater good. On a purely technical level, her dancing is damn near untouchable". Ciara's dancing is generally praised and she's often considered one of the best or most emulable dancers in music. Ciara's dance ability has been compared to Michael Jackson, Michael and Janet Jackson. Her dancing is often described as sexy, energetic, and precise. Ciara is noted for her often tomboyish dance aesthetic and Androgyny, androgynous choreography, particularly in her videos for

and Like A Boy. Ciara's style of dancing is generally Street dance, street, but she has also done Ballroom dance, ballroom and Step dancing, step in her videos and performances. Ciara also did an interpretive dance routine in pointe shoes for her I Bet music video, though her use of the shoes prompted some backlash from the ballet community.

Alter ego

At the time of ''Fantasy Ride's'' (2009) release, Ciara introduced her alter ego "Super C". Ciara said that Super C is her "inner strength and aggressive persona" – a futuristic, superhero-esque woman, loosely based on the robotic character Ciara portrayed in the " Go Girl" music video. Ciara described her reasoning for developing an alter ego, "There's so much negative energy in the world, especially within the blogging world, they try so hard to tear you down. [With the superhero concept] it's like, 'I refuse to let you and that negative energy tear me down or stop any blessing that I know is there for me.' That's when the inner superhero comes out."

Impact

With the release of her debut single " Goodies", Ciara was dubbed the Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Crunk or the First Lady of Crunk&B. In the early to mid-2000s, "Goodies" along with other crunk music hits like "Get Low (Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz song), Get Low", " Yeah!" and "Freek-a-Leek" produced by Lil Jon climbed to the Top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts. "Yeah!" and "Goodies" were the first tracks to introduce the substyle of crunk music and contemporary R&B, called crunk&B, to the public. Both of those tracks (performed by Usher and Ciara, respectively) were the top mainstream hits of 2004. Since then, crunk&B has been one of the most popular genres of sung African-American music along with electropop, the genre that replaced crunk and crunk&B on the charts in 2008. "Goodies" spent seven weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the longest-running number-one debut single by a female artist since 1977. The album's lead single's success exemplified urban contemporary, urban music's commercial dominance during the early 2000s, which featured massive crossover (music), crossover success on the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts by R&B and hip hop artists. In 2004, all 12 songs that List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2004, topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 were African-American recording artists and accounted for 80% of the list of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States), number-one R&B hits that year. Along with Usher's streak of singles, Top 40 radio and both pop and R&B charts were topped by Outkast, OutKast's "Hey Ya!", Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot", Terror Squad Entertainment, Terror Squad's "Lean Back", and Ciara's " Goodies". Chris Molanphy of ''The Village Voice'' later remarked that "by the early 2000s, urban music ''was'' pop music." Ciara is considered to be "one of the most reliable suppliers" of beat-driven party music and the female face of crunk. Her debut album has been credited with helping "return R&B to Atlanta" and setting the standard for a new generation of R&B singers. Many female R&B and K-pop acts have had their image or style of music compared to Ciara's. Ciara peaked commercially in the mid-2000s, but she continued releasing hit songs in the 2010s. ''Billboard'' writer Natalie Weiner said that Ciara's 2013 hit "

" was "one of [her] biggest and most critically acclaimed songs". It was certified double platinum in the U.S. and received numerous accolades. Ciara's 2015 single " I Bet" also went platinum in the U.S. Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork journalist Katherine St. Asaph took note of Ciara's longevity, and responded to her reemergence in 2018:

"Ciara's "Goodies" came out almost 15 years ago. That's a testament to just how improbably resilient Ciara's career has been. Though she's never quite regained that initial "princess of crunk-n-B" level of mainstream stardom, she has sustained a Cult following, cult fanbase and delivered a remarkably consistent run of songs to back it up.

Ciara's Viral video, viral 2018 hit " Level Up" was likely the most saturated hit single of her career. Along with the wildly popular #LevelUp dance challenge that accompanied, the song was pushed to the forefront of Arizona politician Mark Kelly's winning campaign for the senate. The song is also noted for helping to bring Jersey club, Jersey and Baltimore club music to the mainstream, with the former being incorporated into its production. Ciara's music in general is popular and influential amongst Electronic dance music, club and Underground hip hop, underground music producers, with many remixes sampling her voice gaining popularity over the years. Canadian underground producer Jacques Greene was convinced to prioritize his music career after his song "Another Girl", which leaned on her vocals, gained traction. Latin R&B artist Rauw Alejandro admired Ciara early in his career because her music was 'club-friendly' and 'ripe for remixing'. Ciara has been credited with elevating the standard of dance, choreography, and visual art in her respective generation, and is regarded as an icon within the fields of dance, entertainment, and R&B for her contributions. According to ''The Fader'', Ciara positioned herself as a "tomboyish, androgynous alternative" to her peers and the gender-swapping looks from her "Like A Boy" video both predates similar efforts from artists like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, and made Gender bending#Cross-dressing and androgyny, gender-swapping "cool" for female popstars. The publication also said her dance videos created a template for artists like Tinashe and raised discussion on female sexuality before feminism became more prominent in the music industry. On July 28, 2024, Ciara was honored with her own official day in Atlanta. Ciara has been cited as a musical influence or inspiration by many artists, including Ari Lennox, Baby Tate (rapper), Baby Tate, Chloe × Halle, DaniLeigh, Dawn Richard, Dua Lipa, Flo (group), Flo, Girls' Generation, Grimes, Haim (band), Haim, Iza (singer), Iza, Jackson Wang, Jesy Nelson, Jhené Aiko, Kehlani, Keke Palmer, Kyla (Filipino singer), Kyla, LaTocha Scott, Latto, Layton Greene, Lil Mama, Masego (musician), Masego, Normani, Rauw Alejandro, Scott Hoying, Tate McRae, Taylor Swift, Tierra Whack, Tinashe, Victoria Monét, and 2ne1. Ciara's public relationships have inspired K. Michelle and

to release tracks titled "Ciara's Prayer".

Personal life

Ciara and rapper Bow Wow were in a relationship in the early 2000s. They started dating in October 2004 and were engaged to be married but split in 2006. In 2013, Ciara became engaged to rapper

, with whom she has a son, born on May 19, 2014. She ended their engagement in August 2014. Ciara began dating National Football League, NFL quarterback

in early 2015. They announced their engagement on March 11, 2016. They married on July 6 at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England. Ciara took Wilson's last name when they married. She and Wilson have three children together, born in 2017, 2020 and 2023 respectively. Ciara identifies as a Christianity, Christian.

Other ventures

Business

Ciara became the face of

's Rocawear clothing line and spokesperson for the women campaign titled "I Will Not Lose", which debuted in the summer of 2007. In the October issue of ''Vibe Magazine'', she appeared, apparently nude, on the magazine cover but claimed ''Vibe'' had airbrushed her clothes off. She told ''MTV News'' that she was hurt by the photos and was quite shocked when she finally got her hands on the month's issue. She later confirmed that she was in fact clothed. In 2009, Ciara signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the modeling agency Wilhelmina Models. After signing the deal, she has been in many magazine spreads. In addition to that, she also has her eyes set on beginning a new clothing line. In June 2008, she was in talks with the department store Steve & Barry's to create an affordable clothing line, but it never happened. On November 9, 2009, it was announced that Ciara would be modeling in the German edition of ''Vogue''. During that time, it was also announced that Ciara would be the new face of a major multimedia ad campaign for Verizon's smartphone the LG Chocolate Touch. Ciara filmed a commercial for the campaign, which features her dancing to her 2009 single, "

". In March 2010, it was officially confirmed and announced that Ciara was the spokesperson in the new ad campaign for Adidas Originals. A commercial for the campaign was released the same month, featuring numerous other celebrities. On May 12, 2016, it was announced that Ciara signed a modeling contract with

. Later that year, she became a Global Brand Ambassador for the

giant

. In August 2019, she and her husband

became part of the ownership group of Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer. In 2020, along with her husband and entrepreneur and mentor Christine Day, she founded the fashion house The House of LR&C, combining the Good Man Brand, LITA by Ciara and Human Nation collections. In 2021, Ciara releases the Dare To Roam collection of recycled plastic backpacks and bags. A year later, The House of LR&C received B Corp status. Ciara, along with her husband, owns the television entertainment, advertising, and film production company Why Not You Productions, which has been affiliated with Amazon Prime Video since 2021. In October 2021, Ciara has joined Caribbean rum brand Ten To One Rum as an investor and co-owner. Ciara will be responsible for marketing, creative, and business development, as well as strategic alliances, in her new position. In September 2021, Ciara and Wilson announced that they were writing a children's book called ''Why Not You?'' (Random House, 2022) to help kids pursue their dreams. The book, cowritten with JaNay Brown-Wood and released on March 1, 2022, received a starred review from ''School Library Journal'' and was a The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times'' bestseller. Later in August, Ciara would announce the launch of her skincare line, ''On A Mission'', set for mid-September.

Philanthropy

In September 2008, Ciara contributed to the song "Just Stand Up!" with fifteen other female artists, who shared the stage to perform the song live on September 5, 2008, during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special. The proceeds from the single were given to the fundraiser. The television special helped raise $100 million for cancer research. In 2009, Ciara became the face of Dosomething.org's "Do Something 101" campaign to raise school supplies for those in need at the start of the school year. She filmed a public service announcement to endorse the campaign. In December 2017, Ciara joined her husband's nonprofit 'Why Not You' Foundation as a board director. Through the foundation, she would eventually open a charter school called Why Not You Academy in June 2021 following an announcement eight months prior. They would also partner with the National Football League Players Association, NFL Players Association and Goalsetter to open checking accounts for students at Denny International Middle School with a donation of $35,000 in May 2021. Ciara would later partner with the Black Women's Health Imperative and Hologic's Project Health Equality on their collaborative 'Cerving Confidence' campaign to raise awareness about the disproportionate effects of cervical cancer on black women. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ciara donated one million meals to Food Lifeline to help the Puget Sound Region.

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Goodies'' (2004) * '' Ciara: The Evolution'' (2006) * '' Fantasy Ride'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * ''

'' (2013) * '' Jackie'' (2015) * ''

'' (2019) * '' CiCi'' (2025)

Tours

Headlining

* Ciara: Live in Concert (2006) * Jackie Tour (2015) * Beauty Marks Tour (2019)

Co-headlining

* Screamfest '07 (with

) (2007) * Jay-Z & Ciara Live (with

) (2009)

Supporting act

* Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 (

) (2005) *

(

) (2007) * The Circus Starring Britney Spears (

) (2009) * 24K Magic World Tour (Bruno Mars) (2018) * Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour (

) (2024)

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Documentary

References

External links

* * *
Ciara
at Rotten Tomatoes {{Authority control Ciara, 1985 births Living people 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singer-songwriters Actresses from Austin, Texas African-American crunk musicians American crunk musicians African-American female dancers African-American female models African-American women singer-songwriters American women singer-songwriters American contemporary R&B singers American female dancers American hip-hop dancers American hip-hop singers American soccer chairmen and investors American women hip-hop musicians American women hip-hop singers American women in electronic music American women pop singers American dance-pop musicians Dancers from Texas Electropop musicians Epic Records artists Female models from Georgia (U.S. state) Female models from Texas Grammy Award winners Jive Records artists LaFace Records artists North Clayton High School alumni People from Fort Cavazos People from Riverdale, Georgia Singers from Austin, Texas Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Singer-songwriters from Texas Sony BMG artists Southern hip-hop musicians Warner Records artists World Music Awards winners

Early life

Career

2003–2005: ''Goodies''

2006–2007: ''Ciara: The Evolution'' and acting debut

2008–2011: ''Fantasy Ride'', ''Basic Instinct'' and label change

2012–2013: ''Ciara'' and further acting

2014–2016: ''Jackie'' and motherhood

2017–2021: ''Beauty Marks'' and entrepreneur projects

2022–present: ''The Color Purple'' and eighth studio album

Artistry

Vocals and musical style

Influences

Stage presence, dancing, and music videos

Alter ego

Impact

Personal life

Other ventures

Business

Philanthropy

Discography

Tours

Headlining

Co-headlining

Supporting act

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Documentary

See also

References

External links