Album- Ciara
Artist- Ciara
American singer-songwriter Ciara has been a prominent star
in the RnB and hip hop world, with such music hits as ‘Goodies’ and ‘1 2 Step’.
However in the last few years the singer suffered commercial failures with her
latter to albums, citing a lack of label support as the main issue. Ciara, her
eponymously titled fifth studio album, serves as her first record for new label
Epic Records after asking the now defunct label Jive Records to release her
from her contract. And in this sense it is almost a musical rebirth of sorts.
But is this really Ciara back on amazing form, or is this just a so so album?
Track 1- I’m Out
(featuring Nicki Minaj)
Opening track ‘I’m Out’ serves as the records lead single
and a feisty opening number that sees the singer teaming up with rapper Nicki
Minaj, who she previous collaborated with on a song called ‘I’m Legit’. The
track is lyrically based in the idea of break ups and making your ex regret the
fact that they left the relationship, with the track very much being a ladies
anthem. The song finds the two artists blending together well as Minaj provides
us with an aggressive and gritty opening verse that is then complimented by the
sweetness and smoothness of Ciara’s vocal performance that is still fierce in
its own right. The production features a feisty hand clapping beat and
energetic synths that give the track this simple but vibrant electro pop sound,
and so this is a fun and feisty way to begin the record with.
3.5/5
Track 2- Sophomore
Keeping in line with the electro pop energy of the previous
track but putting a little RnB flavour on things as well, Sophomore is a
sensual mid tempo jam where Ciara puts on the role of educator. This is because
lyrically the song focuses on Ciara telling her man to step up his game, and she
is going to really teach him about sex education. The track is a little too
lyrically repetitive but vocally the airy and light vocal tone of Ciara’s voice
really brings out the sensuality of the track, although the way the vocals are
layered in the chorus is more annoying than sensually appealing. The production
has a strong electro bass line and clattering beats that really elevate the
vocal and lyrical content in a good way, although like the other components the
production is not without fault, as if things were perhaps a little more
stripped back the sensuality of the lyrics really would have come through more.
3/5
Track 3- Body Party
Becoming Ciara’s first top 40 hit since 2009, Body Party is
a down tempo RnB song that firmly continues with the sensuality of the previous
track and finds the singer teaming up with current hit making producer Mike
Will Made It. Featuring much more of an RnB groove than the previous tracks, we
find Ciara singing about her body being a party for her romantic partner, a
sensual an almost kind of sweet statement that perhaps makes this a good
bedroom song. Vocally the singer works the song really well in terms of dipping
and rising within her vocal range, with the use of her higher register in the
chorus really bringing out the sensual energy of the track very powerfully.
Mike Will Made It provides a nice and simple blend of slinky synths and smooth
RnB beats to make this a really great RnB slow jam.
4/5
Track 4- Keep on
Lookin
Having more of a forceful RnB vibe than the previous track,
Keep on Lookin is very contrasting to the previous track as lyrically the song
is based in the idea of how Ciara looks amazing, but the guys can only look and
can never have her. The track is feisty lyrically but is let down by the lack of
lyrical content, although the distorted male vocals do add some cool urban swag
to the track. The singer gives us a simple vocal performance that is made
fierce by the vocal layering but which feels like something she could sing a
little too easily, whilst the production is unoriginal but cool in terms of the
snappy RnB beats and the attention grabbing, slightly reggae influenced intro.
3/5
Track 5- Read My Lips
Bringing the record into more of a pop state, Read My Lips
was produced by renowned music producer Rodney Jerkins and was co-written by
current song writing talent Olivia Waithe. The tracks features a simple sing
along chorus and finds the singer in another sensual frame of mind as she tells
her man to read her lips because she knows what is good for him and is
determined to take care of him and make him satisfied. The simplicity of the
chorus makes the song very catchy, with Ciara giving us a light vocal
performance that still retains that Rnb sensuality of the previous songs and so
means that the track still fits on the record. Jerkins gives us a sound that is
based in 80’s synth pop, with simple beats and snappy tones that make this a
simple but fun and slightly feisty number.
3.5/5
Track 6- Where You Go
(featuring Future)
Featuring Ciara’s current boyfriend Future and reportedly
recorded by the singer after requesting her boyfriend to give it to her
(despite the fact it was initially to appear on his second album), Where You Go
is a light RnB track with a frenzied electro bass line and sweet tone that is
another Mike Will Made It collaboration. The song finds both artists simply
asking the question of ‘where you go?’ as the person seems to be holding back a
little, and they should just though that there lover will really be there for
them. The simplicity of the songs lyrical questioning is a nice mix of
sweetness and fragility, and although the lyrical content is perhaps a little
repetitive, the questiong feels so pure that you almost forget about the
repetition. The two artists blend well together, giving the song this two fold
narrative quality that makes this feel very much like a relationship tune. And
Mike Will Made It does a great job in the production in terms of the simplicity
of the sound, with the electric guitars and steady bass giving the song this
slightly more organic feel that is powerful and makes this more of a musically
rich album.
3.5/5
Track 7- Super Turnt
Up (featuring Ciara)
It may be slightly confusing, but the fact that this track
features Ciara does not mean that she has suddenly jumped on the craze of
artists creating an alter ego. Rather this track is simply credited as
featuring Ciara because we see a different side of her musically, due to the
fact that in this song she raps. The song is a punchy RnB and electro pop
number that is all about the singer feeling great as he man is on fine form and
she just loves her baby. The lyrical content feels simple and luxurious, with
the lyrics becoming more potent through the smoothness of Ciara’s vocals that
truly convey this sense of her feeling really good. The rap section is cool in
the way that it doesn’t feel like Ciara and so adds this cool level to the
track, and it’s also good as it’s just a quite simple moment that shows she
isn’t suddenly trying to change who she is as an artist. The song features
sparky electro rhythms and an aggressive bass in the production for a sound
that matches the lyrical content, and so in all aspects this track is
structured well, sung well and just feels like the singer means what she is saying.
3.5/5
Track 8- DUI
DUI is more a dark, mid tempo RnB track that once again
finds the singer in a sensual state. Using the idea of drinking under the
influence, the song is lyrically based in how the singer can’t focus on driving
because she is so intoxicated by the passion of her lover. The concept slightly
lacks originality as it feels like to obvious a metaphor, but with the velvety
smooth tone of her voice the singer brings out the sensual passion of the song
and so we can sort of forgive the poor quality of the metaphor. The production
features slinky piano and strings against this snappy but sensual RnB backbeat,
and therefore sound is just simple but gives the song this dark, sensual
energy, although the track does feel like it goes on a bit too long.
3/5
Track 9- Livin’ It Up
(featuring Nicki Minaj)
Another Nicki Minaj collaboration, this track was co-written
by singer songwriter Wynter Gordon (of ‘Dirty Talk’ and Flo Rida’s ‘Sugar’
fame), and is a feel good pop track that infuses some island rhythms into the
music. Lyrically the track is a little bit of another ladies anthem but is more
just a happy song about living life to the full and excepting the good things
that come your way. The siger gives us slightly more of a deeper vocal
performance that feels more commanding and shows a cooler side to her as an
artist, whilst the ‘ola ola eh’ hook of the track is really catchy. The
production of the song also nicely use some Euro pop dance beats and snappy
rhythms for a fun and infectious sound, and so this is a good track. The only
issue for me is that whilst on their previous track for this record the two
artists compliment each other well, this time Minaj just feels like a rap
feature for the sake of a rap feature, and doesn’t add enough to the track to
make this a really great song.
3.5/5
Track 10- Overdose
Described as the most straightforward pop track the singer
has recorded, Overdose is a light pop tune that ends the album on a nice note.
Another love based song, the track focuses on the singer telling her man how
much his love means to her, and how it his love is kind of like a drug. The
song has simple and sweet quality that is elevated by the lightness of the
singers vocal performance that is airy in tone and which makes the track feel
like she is being honest to the listener. The sound of the track is a simple
electro pop sound with a bouncy groove and vibrant synth notes that just sound
light and fun, and so this is just a sweet way to end the track that also ends
the record nicely in terms of showing a little bit of a different side to the
singer.
3.5/5
Final Review
Ciara is an album worthy of its self-titled title, as the
singer gives us a record that is full of fined tuned track that encompasses a
range of genres and which feels like an artist who really understands herself
and wants to create the best music that she can. The singer’s vocal
performances are always on point, with Ciara using her vocal range to great
effect, whilst the lyrical content creates this mix of sweetness and fierceness
within the record. The guest features on the record are good choices, whilst
each of the producers creates great sounds to the songs that are well
structured and create a cohesive sound to the album. This is a great start to
the singer’s time with Epic records and should see her return to more
commercially successful times.
8/10
Best Track- Body
Party
Worst Track- Keep on
Lookin
No comments:
Post a Comment