With a music career that spans over 15 years, Ciara has racked up plenty of hits along the way. Luckily for her, the hits started almost immediately after her start.
Making her official introduction with her pulsating groove “Goodies” in 2004, the Atlanta native earned her first No. 1 record on the Billboard Hot 100. The bass-heavy track spent seven weeks atop the chart, turning CiCi into an R&B sensation — or, as some would refer, The First Lady of Crunk&B.
Her debut album, named after her hit single, helped create more opportunities for the multitalented star to flourish beyond its release. The Evolution, Ciara’s lauded sophomore album, contains resident hits like “Get Up” featuring Chamillionaire, “Promise” and “Like A Boy.”
The road got a little shaky for her third album, Fantasy Ride, which experienced multiple delays and leaks. She returned to her roots on Basic Instinct, experimented a little with pop while keeping R&B at her core on Ciara, and further expanded her dance-pop sound on Jackie.
Each of the projects above had one thing in common — Ciara’s label didn’t market the music as strongly as they should have. There were moments when her label simply refused to promote the music, which impacted sales. Not to mention, it was when music sales were already declining due to the birth of the streaming era.
Now, the 33-year-old is back stronger than ever with her brand new album titled Beauty Marks via her independent label Beauty Marks Entertainment. In honor of her latest project, we can’t help but revisit Ciara’s discography to pinpoint some of her most slept-on records.
“Ooh Baby” [Goodies]
Written by: Hermann Lang, Keri Hilson, Sean Garrett; Produced by: Sean Garrett and Flash Technology
Falling in love for the first time can be a melting pot of feelings. On “Ooh Baby,” the cathartic tune finds a young Ciara experiencing what it means to be crazy in love.
“Every time he calls, I pick up / When he doesn’t, I be quick to double check my signal / Hold it out the window and pull up my antenna,” she sings.
Though she has never been in love before this point, she knows deep down that what she has with her man is unconditional. “See, you give me such a good vibe / When the drama sittin’ ridin’ on the B ride / I’ll still be wit’ ya even if ya pockets ain’t tight,” she sings.
“Other Chicks” [Goodies]
Written by: Ciara Harris, Demetrius Spencer, French Spencer, Lakiesha N. Miles; Produced by: French Spencer
When Ciara knows who she wants, she isn’t bothered by any ‘other chick’ who may be competing for the same dude. On “Other Chicks,” which is lifted from Goodies, Ciara smooth-talks a guy as she tells him she is the right person for him.
“That girl ain’t right for you / See I’m the type for you / And what I’d like to do is chill, feel me? / So let a girl be down and come kick it with me,” Ciara sings in the first verse.
“Other Chicks” comes near the end of the album, serving as the perfect prelude to “The Title,” where she vows to make things official between herself and her love interest.
“I Proceed” [Ciara: The Evolution]
Written by: Ciara, Pharrell Williams; Produced by: The Neptunes
Let’s face it, Ciara’s Evolution album was career-defining. With hits like “Promise” and “Like a Boy,” it was easy to overlook some of the tracks on the album. “I Proceed” is an infectious dance groove that has a dual purpose production – one can either two-step or booty-pop to the percussion beat.
“Addicted” [Ciara: The Evolution]
Written by: C. Nelson, Ciara, Demetrius Spencer; Produced by: French Spencer
Have you ever been hooked on someone’s love? Ciara shares her experience on “Addicted,” a mid-tempo bop where she sings about feening for her man. “I’m feenin’ for ya baby / I really need it / So hit me up, you got that stuff I like / That’s so so fine / Hit me one more time / I’m an addict, gotta have it baby,” she sings on French Spencer-produced cut. The song loosely borrows the same melody from “Hotline,” which appears on Goodies.
“So Hard” [Ciara: The Evolution]
Written by: Balewa Muhammad, Bryan-Michael Cox, Candice Nelson, Ciara, Kendrick Dean, Troy Clark; Produced by: Bryan-Michael Cox & Wyldcard
It’s easier to pick up baggage than it is to let it go. On the tender ballad “So Hard,” Ciara tries to consciously prevent her past insecurities from interfering with a potential new relationship. She sings in the chorus, “When I think of what he did to me / It makes it hard to fall in love / When I think about just what I need / It makes it hard to trust someone / Baby I gotta let go / Don’t wanna miss out on love this time / Gotta leave those things behind.”
“Go Girl” Featuring T-Pain [Promo Single]
Written by: Jasper Cameron, David Balfour, T-Pain, Ciara; Produced by: T-Pain
“Go Girl” deserved more. It was originally dubbed the lead single for Fantasy Ride. However, plans changed and the song was later thrown on the Japan edition of the album. On the surface, “Go Girl” sounds like it a catchy tune that’s all about women empowerment; especially with lyrics like, “If you make the traffic stop when you pop, you’s a Go Girl” and “If you a work hard for your money, you’s a Go Girl.” There’s a sexy element to “Go Girl” that makes the song so enticing to the ear. Oh, and the music video is easily one of Ciara’s best visuals to date.
“Like a Surgeon” [Fantasy Ride]
Written by: Tricky Stewart, The-Dream; Produced by: Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Kuk Harrell
There’s something about metaphors that add depth to a song. Enlisting The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, Ciara goes into full sex siren mode as she compares a spicy encounter to a visit to the hospital. “Open up your mouth, let me check you out / My ears will be your stethoscope / We’ll feel your vital signs / And make sure your heart is beating like mine,” Ciara sings over the slick production.
“I Run It” [Basic Instinct]
Written by: Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Kuk Harrell, Ciara, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges; Produced by: Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Kuk Harrell
Ciara is known for her uptempo bangers but don’t sleep on her slow jams. Her angelic vocals sound divine on “I Run It,” an alluring tune where CiCi takes full control in the bedroom.
“Gimme what you got and I’ma take it / Tell me what you gonna do when I’m all up on you / Won’t fight, won’t fight, won’t fight, won’t fight / Shawty won’t you go ahead and break it,” Ciara coos over the velvety beat.
“Sorry” [Promo Single]
Written by: Jasper Cameron, Ciara, Elvis Williams; Produced by: Jasper Cameron, Ciara
An apology can go a long way. “Sorry” finds Ciara caught up in her feelings as she reflects on a recent breakup. Despite her ex not putting in the same amount of effort as her to save the relationship, all she wants him to do is say sorry — and he couldn’t even do that. She feels like the breakup could have been avoided if they came to an understanding.
“All you have to do is say that I’m sorry / Baby, I’m sorry (no, no) / And I’m in love with you / Baby I want this (baby I want it) / Say baby, I’ll do what it takes / And I will be here all the way, baby / All you had to do is say that I’m sorry,” Ciara sings on the chorus.
“Sorry” was set to appear on Ciara’s shelved One Woman Army album. However, the track ended up becoming a promotional single.
“DUI” [Ciara]
Written by: Chris Llewellyn, Elijah Blake, Brian Cohen, Kenneth Coby, Ciara; Produced by: Soundz, The Rockstars, Kuk Harrell;
Ciara is drunk in love on “DUI,” an intoxicating soundtrack that deserves placement on any sex playlist. The slow-burning tune finds Ciara hurrying up to get off the road because her man is making her feel some type of way in the car. “Your hands on my thigh / My hands on the wheel and the other I’d rather not mention / I’m running every light, I can’t concentrate on the road,” she sings on the woozy tune.
*Honorable Mention*
“Gimme Dat (Slow Bass)” [Promo Single from Basic Instinct era]
Written by: Tricky Stewart, Ciara, Kenneth “Soundz” Coby; Produced by: Soundz
Same song, different tempo. While the original version of “Gimmie Dat” is a club banger, the slow bass remix brings a whole new vibe for enjoyment.
