THE UNDISPUTED PRINCESS OF CRUNK & B-CIARA
In an industry that is simply teeming with talented music artists who have been around for years, carving out space for oneself is no small feat. But Ciara was not one who was going to settle for just a little bit of space. She had her eyes set on the throne and when she went ahead and stated her claim on it, no one could deny that she deserves it. Ciara was born to rule the hearts of millions with her music and no wonder she is called the First Lady of Crunk &B music. There is simply no one else in the entire industry like her.
Born as Ciara Princess Harris in Austin, Texas, she had to travel the world and live on various army bases when her father used to get transferred from one place to another. Losing a lot of friends but gaining loads of experiences along the way, she continued to garner dreams that will ultimately shape her destiny. In her early teens, she got a piece of paper out and wrote down her life’s goal, to become a professional singer. And this goal is what drove her to achieve heights that no one could have expected of her.
She joined a girl group, worked on writing Ciara songs, left the group, landed a publishing deal, and found a “music soul mate” when she met producer Jazze Pha. Life was moving pretty much on fast forward for her as far as her career was concerned. Soon she was collaborating with Sean Garret and was co-writing her debut track- “Goodies” for the album of the same name. Critics hailed it as an “anthem of the summer” and one of the best singles of the year, complementing its dance-feel and beat, and the irony of the “clever” lyrics.
When the album released, it was an instant hit! Debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200 and selling 124,750 copies in its initial week, “Goodies” went ahead and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It had a seventy-one week stint on the Billboard 200 and was certified three times-platinum by the RIAA. Soon Ciara pictures were plastered all over the internet and Ciara music videos became the most streamed items on Youtube. She has become a famous and famed artist till then.
With help from Pha, Garrett, and Lil Jon, Ciara released her self-titled debut in September of the same year. The follow-up singles “1, 2 Step” featuring Missy Elliott and “Oh” featuring Ludacris both broke the Top Five in the U.S. in 2005. That same year she won four Grammy nominations including one for the Ciara music video of the collaborative effort with Missy Elliot called “Lose Control”.
Since then her journey to success has been a roller coaster ride. Critics have commended her talent by saying that she possesses a reedy, agile voice, capable of conveying the only three emotions that an R&B singer needs- sexy, sassy and sad. She truly rules the R&B industry with her voice and her music!
About the Author:
James Griffith is a freelance writer from London specialising in writing hiphop r&b music and uk grime music articles. Over the years he has developed an extensive knowledge of urban music and urban music artists and is considered one of the leading authorities on this subject. With a passion for Hip hop and R&B music since childhood, James Griffith brings great knowledge and a great understanding of this exciting music genre and his articles are both informative and entertaining too.
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