Ciara: The Evolution | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 5, 2006 | |||
Recorded | June – September 2006 | |||
Genre | R&B [1] | |||
Length | 59:26 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Ciara chronology | ||||
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Singles from Ciara: The Evolution | ||||
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Ciara: The Evolution (often simply known as The Evolution [2] [3] ) is the second studio album by American singer Ciara, released on December 5, 2006, by LaFace Records. The album is separated into five sections, with each showcasing a different side of Ciara's artistry. The first features crunk&B and uptempo records, which mainly deal with feminine independence, while its successor, entitled The Evolution of Music features ballads dealing with the positives and struggles of love. The Evolution of Dance features dance tracks, The Evolution of Fashion deals with self-expression, while the last, entitled The Evolution of C, features tracks that discuss how Ciara has evolved as a person since the start of her career.
The album was seen as a coming of age project for the singer, as it featured songs with more substance than her last effort. It deals with Ciara's experiences after being in the public eye for the two years prior to the album's release. The tracks are also said to be geared toward a more urban audience. Ciara was the executive producer of the album and enlisted production from Antwoine Collins, Brian Kennedy, Bryan-Michael Cox, Calvo Da Gr8, Dallas Austin, Jazze Pha, Kendrick Dean, Lil Jon, Mr. Collipark, the Neptunes, Polow da Don, Rodney Jerkins, Tha Bizness, the Clutch, will.i.am, among others, and featured guest appearances from 50 Cent and Chamillionaire. Ciara also co-wrote and co-produces most of the songs.
The album received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. Generally, critics praised Ciara's increased vocal ability and the album's lyricism, but criticised its frequent interludes and the latter half of the album. The Evolution became Ciara's first and only number-one album in the US. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) within five weeks of its release and has sold 1.3 million copies in the US. It also achieved moderate success in international markets, reaching the top forty in most of the countries it was released in.
The Evolution spawned four commercial singles, including "Get Up", which reached the top ten in the United States and New Zealand. The next single, "Promise", reached number-one on US R&B charts and number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "Like a Boy", peaked within top ten in most of the countries it was released in, and reached the top 20 in the US. The final single, "Can't Leave 'em Alone", achieved moderate success. To promote the album, Ciara embarked on her debut concert tour, The Evolution Tour in October 2006. She was also one of the opening acts for Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad Tour the next year.
According to Ciara, the album's title 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." [4] The source of the album's creativity such as the sound and edge comes from Ciara in general. [5] However, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna were influences on the album. [6] During a MTV News interview at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards, Ciara wanted Ciara: The Evolution to be "Goodies to the 10th power", but she did not want to "stray too far from Goodies " and "rehash the same ideas". [7] Ciara decided to collaborate with up-and-coming producers, such as the Clutch, Calvo Da Gr8, Brian Kennedy, and Antwoine Collins who had not been any artist's album, so she could be "all about that new person and that new energy". [8] All-star producers also produced on Ciara: The Evolution.
Polow da Don produced the single "Promise" and "Bang It Up". In early June 2006, Ciara headed to the recording studio with Sean Garrett (who co-wrote Ciara's debut single "Goodies" and The Evolution's "Bang It Up"). She went on to say that she and Sean fight in the studio, but "it makes a good record". [7] The Neptunes produced "I Proceed" and "I'm Just Me". Bryan Michael Cox produced the emotional R&B ballad "So Hard" and Mr. Collipark produced the bonus track "Love You Better". will.i.am's production included "Get In, Fit In" and "Do It", which samples Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It". Ciara thought the album needed "some kind of flavor" so she brought in 50 Cent for the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Can't Leave 'Em Alone" which was originally called "Dope Boys". [9] Jerkins also produced "Make It Last Forever" which samples Lyn Collins's "Think (About It)" and Rob Base's "It Takes Two". Dallas Austin helped with the inspirational pop ballad "I Found Myself". Ciara returned to the studio with her debut album collaborators Lil Jon and Jazze Pha. Lil Jon produced "That's Right" and "C.R.U.S.H." while Pha produced the album's lead single, "Get Up". [10] Ciara dipped into the production world while recording this album, co-producing three of the album's tracks, "Like a Boy", "My Love", and "Get In, Fit In". Album production wrapped between late-August and mid-September.
For the album artwork, Ciara included many stylized images. She expresses her "evolution of fashion" strongly through the photography. Andy Kellman of AllMusic said "even the album's sleek cover, somewhere between RoboCop and Pointer Sisters' Break Out , has a devolved look." [1]
Throughout the album, there are several interludes that all start with "the Evolution". Each interlude deals with different things, such as fashion and dance. The songs following the interlude all relate to the interlude. The album's opening track, "That's Right", is before the first interlude, and was produced Lil Jon, who is also featured on it. It is described as an "electrifying album opener". Ciara sings with a "sexy mellow voice with Jon's in your face type rapping." It received positive reviews from music critics. [11] The song was scheduled as the fourth single, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons. A music video was released for the song in late December 2007. The second single "Like a Boy" was well received by critics. It is a female empowerment song, which discusses double standards in society and relationships.
"The Evolution of Music", the third track, is an interlude which Ciara narrates how she wanted to record music for the album that is different from others on the radio. The interludes serve as monologues and a "welcome message to be yourself and be confident". [12] The fourth track, "Promise", was critically acclaimed. The song, described as "Prince-ly ballad" and "sci-fi R&B," became Ciara's first single without a featured act to peak in the Billboard top twenty. [13] "I Proceed" is the fifth track on the album. Many critics compared the song to Janet Jackson in the 1980s and called it a "Missy Elliott-style throwback" jam. [14] [15] The sixth track from the album, "Can't Leave 'Em Alone", received mixed reviews from critics. A negative review called the song "very bad pop-lite" [16] while a positive review published that the song is "simply another Darkchild classic". [17] The J.J. Fad–ness C.R.U.S.H. is the seventh track. [18] It details about a young woman having a high school crush on a guy and she yearns to be his girlfriend. The eighth track, "My Love" was co-produced by Ciara. The song is interpreted to be directed towards Ciara's former boyfriend, Bow Wow. [19] It received favorable reviews from critics.
"The Evolution of Dance" is the second interlude and the ninth track on the album. Ciara tells how she started dancing and how she became the dancer that she is. The tenth track, "Make It Last Forever" is a "real cool dance/party cut" that samples Rob Base's "It Takes Two". The crunk–pop "Bang It Up", the eleventh track, received favorable reviews from critics. The song is a mixture of "half-spoken vocal style" and "sweetly, flirtatiously rapping". [20] The album's lead single and twelfth track, "Get Up", was released as the lead single from the film soundtrack Step Up (Original Soundtrack) (2006). The single received mixed reviews from critics and fans, being called a "dead ringer for "1, 2 Step". [20]
"The Evolution of Fashion" is the third interlude and thirteenth track on the album. Ciara gives influential advice about changing a unique fashion style and others will follow the trend. The fourteenth track, "Get In, Fit In", is a 1980s electronica track. [20] The song received mixed reactions. "The Evolution of C" is the fourth and final interlude on the album. Ciara details about how her life has changed within the past two years. The album closes with three ballads, beginning with the sixteenth track, "So Hard". The song received mixed reviews from critics. It has been called a "slog," but it "surpass[es] the aching and breaking moments on the debut". [1] [16] The seventeenth track, "I'm Just Me," had mixed reception. The final track "I Found Myself" is a "quite beautiful and moving epic suite". [16]
The singer performed the song "Get Up" on several occasions. She performed the song on the second season finale of So You Think You Can Dance . [21] She later appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to perform the song on December 5, 2006, [22] as well as the 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, [23] the 2006 St. Lucia Jazz Festival, [24] and MTV Goes Gold: New Year's Eve 2007. [25]
On April 3, 2007, Ciara made an appearance on the reality show Dancing with the Stars , where she performed "Like a Boy". She did her famous matrix in a pair of high heels. While the song was at the height of its popularity Ciara's name was featured in a Sprint campaign along with Joss Stone and My Chemical Romance. On June 26, 2007, Ciara performed a medley of "Like a Boy" and "That's Right" at the 2007 BET Awards. Ciara performed "Can't Leave 'em Alone" with 50 Cent at the 2007 World Music Awards on November 24, 2007. [26]
In November 2006, Ciara went on The Evolution Tour . In it she previewed songs from the then-upcoming album, and also performed past hits. The tour went to seventeen clubs in cities throughout the United States. Its last date was aired on BET's Access Granted. In August 2007, she headlined the Screamfest '07 tour with T.I., which went to cities in the United States. Ciara, along with Chris Brown and Akon, were supporting acts for Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in the United Kingdom in December 2007. She performed songs from the album.
"Get Up", which features Chamillionaire, was released as the worldwide lead single on July 25, 2006. It was included on the soundtrack to the 2006 dance film, Step Up. The song peaked at seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and ten on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming her seventh top ten hit on the former. It achieved moderate success in international markets, and reached the top five in New Zealand. The second single from the album, "Promise", was released on October 16, 2006 and peaked at eleven on the US Hot 100 and became her third number-one hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it topped the chart for two consecutive weeks. Its official remix, which features R. Kelly was released via digital download on February 13, 2007.
"Like a Boy" was released as the third single from the album on October 24, 2006. It peaked at nineteen on the US Hot 100 and six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It reached the top twenty in most of the international markets it was released in and even reached the top ten in Sweden. "Can't Leave 'em Alone", which features 50 Cent, was released as the fourth and final single on June 12, 2007. It peaked at forty on the US Hot 100 and became her tenth top ten-hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It achieved moderate success in international markets, and even reached the top five in New Zealand. "That's Right", which features Lil Jon, was planned to be released as the fifth single, but the release failed to materialize. [27] Its music video was still released on December 25, 2007 as a Christmas gift for fans.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [20] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [28] |
The Guardian | [15] |
Pitchfork | 5.9/10 [14] |
PopMatters | [16] |
Rolling Stone | [29] |
Slant Magazine | [30] |
Stylus | B+ [31] |
Yahoo! Music UK | [32] |
Ciara: The Evolution received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. [33] According to Metacritic, the album holds a score of 65 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [33] Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone said that "Ciara's still prone to diva blandness and silly little pop songs...but this time she's more interesting by half." [29] For AllMusic, Andy Kellman wrote that "there are plenty of tracks geared toward letting loose and dancing, and most of them do deliver, even if they don't seem quite as fresh as Ciara's past hits", [1] and Entertainment Weekly called the dance songs "rugged and terrific, but eventually the tempos slow and the album slowly settles." [28]
Billboard , on the other hand, gave a mixed review and said, "Songs such as the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Make It Last Forever" and "Get Up," produced by Jazze Pha and also featured on the film soundtrack to "Step Up," are surefire club hits, although such ballads as "It's Over" tend to fall flat. Nonetheless, "The Evolution" should one, two-step Ciara even closer to superstardom." [34] In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention ( ), stating, "If this hottie next door believes she's moving on up toward 'I'm Just Me' and 'I Found Myself,' I want to know why they're not the singles (yet)"; and picked out two songs from the album: "That's Right" and "Like a Boy". [35] Vibe editor Jason King called the album a "mixed bag" and further wrote: "Ciara may believe that woman-in-the-mirror inspirational filler is the key to longevity, but she's better off looking at her reflection as she perfects her pop-locking." [36]
Ciara: The Evolution debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling over 338,000 copies in the first week. [37] Five weeks later on January 11, 2007, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies in the United States. [38] [37] By October 2007, the album sold over 2 million copies worldwide. [39] As of June 2010, over 1.3 million copies have been sold in the US. [40]
In Canada, the album debuted at thirty-two on the Canadian Albums Chart and number five on the R&B albums chart. In Australia, Ciara: The Evolution debuted below the Australian Albums Chart at seventy-six. In the UK, the album debuted and peaked in the top twenty at number seventeen on the UK Albums Chart, also the album debuted at number twenty-five peaked at number twenty-one in New Zealand.
Information is taken from the liner notes and Discogs.com, except where noted. [41]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "That's Right" (featuring Lil Jon) |
| 4:16 | |
2. | "Like a Boy" |
| Tha Bizness | 3:57 |
3. | "The Evolution of Music (Interlude)" | 0:10 | ||
4. | "Promise" |
|
| 4:27 |
5. | "I Proceed" |
| The Neptunes | 4:13 |
6. | "Can't Leave 'em Alone" (featuring 50 Cent) |
| 4:04 | |
7. | "C.R.U.S.H." |
| Lil Jon | 4:17 |
8. | "My Love" |
|
| 4:00 |
9. | "The Evolution of Dance (Interlude)" | 0:15 | ||
10. | "Make It Last Forever" |
| 3:33 | |
11. | "Bang It Up" |
| 3:04 | |
12. | "Get Up" (featuring Chamillionaire) |
| Jazze Pha | 4:21 |
13. | "The Evolution of Fashion (Interlude)" | 0:15 | ||
14. | "Get In, Fit In" |
| 4:13 | |
15. | "The Evolution of C (Interlude)" | 0:19 | ||
16. | "So Hard" |
|
| 4:49 |
17. | "I'm Just Me" |
| The Neptunes | 4:32 |
18. | "I Found Myself" |
| Dallas Austin | 4:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
19. | "Love You Better" |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
19. | "Addicted" |
| French | 3:08 |
20. | "Promise" (Go and Get Your Tickets Mix) (featuring R. Kelly) |
|
| 4:59 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
21. | "Do It" (featuring will.i.am) | 3:50 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
21. | "Like a Boy" (Kardinal Beats Remix) | 3:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Ciara and Dancers Teach Moves From "Get Up"" | 16:06 |
2. | "Get Up" (featuring Chamillionaire) | 5:04 |
3. | "Ciara and Dancers Teach Moves From "Promise"" | 14:38 |
4. | "Promise" | 4:36 |
5. | "Behind-the-Scenes of "Promise"" | 4:29 |
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Russia (NFPF) [65] | Gold | 10,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [66] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [67] | Platinum | 1,326,000 [68] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label |
---|---|---|
United States | December 5, 2006 | LaFace |
Canada | ||
Japan | December 6, 2006 | |
Indonesia | December 20, 2006 | |
Greece | February 6, 2007 | |
New Zealand | March 25, 2007 | |
Italy | April 6, 2007 | |
United Kingdom | April 9, 2007 | |
Australia | April 13, 2007 | |
Germany | ||
France | April 16, 2007 | |
Brazil | May 30, 2008 |
Ciara Princess Wilson is an American singer and songwriter. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, Goodies (2004). Its namesake lead single peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while the follow-ups, "1, 2 Step" and "Oh", both peaked at number two on the chart. The album received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and received two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara also guest appeared on the 2005 singles "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott and "Like You" by Bow Wow, both of which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Goodies" is the debut single by American singer Ciara featuring rapper and Jive recording artist Petey Pablo for Ciara's debut studio album of the same name. The song was released as the album's lead single on June 8, 2004, through LaFace Records. It was written by Ciara, Sean Garrett, LeMarquis Jefferson, and Craig Love, and Lil Jon the song's producer. The song was recorded as an answer song to the featured performer's hit single, "Freek-a-Leek." The song's lead woman refuses men's sexual advances, proclaiming that they will not get her "goodies" because "they stay in the jar."
Goodies is the debut studio album by American singer Ciara. It was released on September 28, 2004, via Jazze Pha's Sho'nuff Records and LaFace Records. After writing songs for several established acts, Ciara's talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies. The album's conception came through the title track, produced by Lil Jon and created as a female crunk counterpart to other singles produced by Lil Jon such as Usher's "Yeah!" and Petey Pablo's "Freek-a-Leek". Ciara worked with additional writers and producers on the album, including Jazze Pha, Bangladesh, R. Kelly, Johntá Austin, Sean Garrett, and Keri Hilson, among others.
"Oh" is a song by American singer, Ciara who wrote the song with Ludacris, Andre Harris, and Vidal Davis. "Oh" was produced by Harris and Davis, who work as Dre & Vidal. The song was released on March 1, 2005, as the third single from her debut album, Goodies. The downtempo R&B song features hip-hop elements and a heavy bassline, and can be seen as an anthem to her hometown, Atlanta, Georgia. Ciara sings about the many things the city has to offer, while Ludacris raps the third verse.
"Lose Control" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott featuring American singer Ciara and American hip hop artist Fatman Scoop. It was released as the lead single from Elliott's sixth studio album, The Cookbook, on May 23, 2005. It contains samples from Hot Streak's "Body Work" and Cybotron's "Clear". The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, number two in New Zealand, and in the top thirty in various countries.
"Get Up" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. Released on July 25, 2006, the song serves as the first single from the original soundtrack to the film Step Up (2006), as well as the lead single for her second album, Ciara: The Evolution. It features American rapper Chamillionaire. The song was written by the singer and rapper with her mentor Jazze Pha, who produced the song. The song is a hip-hop number, accompanied by dance music sounds, while integrating a crunk beat. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who compared it to her previous work, namely "1, 2 Step."
"Promise" is a song performed by American recording artist Ciara from her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution (2006). It was written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Polow da Don and Elvis Williams and produced by Polow da Don and Nealante. The song was released as the album's official lead single on October 16, 2006, through LaFace Records. The song was selected as the first single as Ciara wanted to put out a single with a slower pace, noting that her previous releases had been up-tempo. According to Ciara, the song represents the album's theme of evolving and symbolizes her growth as a songwriter and artist.
"LoveStoned" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). It was released on June 29, 2007. It was written and produced by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills. In contrast to the album's theme about sexual innuendos with themes of love, "LoveStoned" contains sexually suggestive lyrics. Musically "LoveStoned" is an upbeat dance song, contrasting with the interlude of "I Think She Knows" which has a more slow, quiet, guitar-driven sound. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 2008 ceremony. The official remix by Justice, Tiësto and Kaskade was released later.
"Like a Boy" is a song performed by American singer Ciara for her second album Ciara: The Evolution (2006). Written by Ciara, Justin Henderson, Christopher Whitacre, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, J. Que, Keri Hilson, Sean Garrett, Rico Love, Ezekiel Lewis, and Calvin Kenon, it is the third release in the U.S. and second single in Europe.
Ciara: Live in Concert was the debut concert tour of American recording artist Ciara. It supported her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution (2006) and visited venues in the United States and Canada. The 16-city tour began on October 26 and ended on December 10, 2006. Previously unreleased tracks from her then-upcoming second album were previewed during the tour. The singer described the tour as an exclusive event for fans to showcase the album's musical direction. Ciara: Live in Concert was accompanied by various radio concerts and a concert with hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas.
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a R&B song recorded by American singer Ciara featuring rapper 50 Cent for Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution (2006). Written by Ciara, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, and 50 Cent, it is the fourth release and official third single from the album. It was solicited to Mainstream Urban radio stations on June 12, 2007 and Rhythmic stations on July 10, 2007.
"Feedback" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her 10th studio album, Discipline (2008). It was written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and D'Mile, with additional writing from Tasleema Yasin and LaShawn Daniels. "Feedback" fuses electropop and dance, while also incorporating elements of Eurodance and hip hop. Its lyrical composition is based on Jackson's sexual bravado; questioning the listener while responding with a chant of "sexy, sexy". Its chorus compares her body to instruments such as a guitar and amplifier, using metaphors to demonstrate sexual climax.
Fantasy Ride is the third studio album by American singer Ciara, first released on May 3, 2009, by Jive Records, LaFace Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The album was recorded between 2007 and 2009. Ciara was executive producer on the album along with co-executive Mark Pitts and, Ciara worked with several record producers, including Blac Elvis, Benny Blanco, Blade, Jasper Cameron, The Clutch, Darkchild, Danja, Dr. Luke, Jason Nevins, Jim Beanz, Los da Maestro, Ne-Yo, Osinachi Nwaneri, Polow da Don, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Justin Timberlake, T-Pain. The album featured several guest vocalists, including Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy, The-Dream, Missy Elliott.
"Never Ever" is a song performed by R&B singer Ciara. It is the first single released from her third studio album, Fantasy Ride. The song features rapper Young Jeezy, was produced by Polow da Don, and was co-written by Ciara and Elvis "BlacElvis" Williams, who both produced and co-wrote Ciara's single, "Promise", from her second album, Ciara: The Evolution.
"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 Elizondo. The Y's and Elizondo also produced the track. The song was released as the lead single from Fantasy Ride internationally and was the second single from the album released in the United States, on March 3, 2009.
"Ride" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song features American rapper Ludacris. It was co-written by Ciara, Ludacris, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream, and produced by the latter two. The song served as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct. The song was first released for digital download on April 23, 2010. "Ride" is a down-tempo R&B song, featuring a heavy bass line and seductive tone.
Basic Instinct is the fourth studio album by American singer Ciara. It was released on December 10, 2010, by LaFace Records and Jive Records. Executive-produced by A&R agent Mark Pitts, Ciara, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, Basic Instinct returns Ciara to her urban roots with mid-tempo R&B cuts and bass-heavy pop and dance songs. Aside from production by Stewart and The-Dream, Ciara collaborated with production by Soundz, Infinity and T-Minus. Frequent collaborator and friend Ludacris makes a guest vocal appearance, as does labelmate and fellow Atlanta-native, Usher. After her previous album, Fantasy Ride, suffered numerous leaks and pushbacks, information about Basic Instinct was kept confidential until the first single was released and album was complete.
"Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" is a song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, taken from her fifth studio album, The Spirit Indestructible. It was released on April 16, 2012, through Interscope Records, as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Furtado in a collaboration with its producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" is an R&B song influenced by hip hop collective Odd Future and 1990s productions. The track's lyrics refer to the singer's life as a teenager, describing her passion for hip hop and R&B music at that time. "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who praised the song's breakdown but criticized Furtado's vocals.
Ciara is the fifth studio album by American singer Ciara, which was released on July 9, 2013. This album is the artist's first release under Epic Records, since publicly asking the now-defunct Jive Records to release her from her contractual obligations. The singer cited a lack of label support and financial funding for her previous albums Fantasy Ride (2009) and Basic Instinct (2010). On this fifth studio album, Ciara is reunited with her long-term mentor and friend L.A. Reid, chairman of Epic Records. Reid is credited with discovering Ciara in 2003 along with signing her to his LaFace Records label and executive-producing her debut studio album, Goodies (2004).
Beauty Marks is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Ciara. It was released on May 10, 2019, through her own independent label, Beauty Marks Entertainment with distribution from Alternative Distribution Alliance. It is her first album since Jackie (2015). The album was preceded by five singles "Level Up", "Freak Me", "Dose", "Greatest Love" and "Thinkin Bout You".
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