Album Review: Ciara – CiCi
2 min read
Ciara is a name eponymous with early 2000s pop music. After her platinum selling debut Goodies rose her to heady heights alongside contemporaries like Timbaland and Missy Elliot, her subsequent ventures saw her branch out into as many creative fields as possible, from modelling to production to acting. It’s been six years since her last full length release Beauty Marks, but this latest release CiCi has been in the works since 2023, first being released independently as an EP. Now, in its complete form, Ciara has treated fans to an extensive collection of new music.
Made It kicks off the record with its trap inspired beat, the lowkey vibe easing listeners in with Ciara singing about being free and making it to where she wanted to be. How We Roll follows with the first and somewhat surprising contribution from Chris Brown. Their voices pair wonderfully together, creating the sultry flow that leads the track and elevates it to one of the standout moments. Run It Up with BossMan Dlow and Dance With Me with Tyga feel like throwbacks to a simpler time in pop music, the latter especially leading with an excellent verse for Tyga and breezing over its runtime with great melodies and vague but compelling lyrics about convincing someone you’re into to dance with you.
There’s a whole host of fantastic features on the album, including rap legends Jazze Pha and Busta Rhymes, the tune he features on Wassup an all out throwback rap record, but its the songs that Ciara takes solo that really stand out. BRB is a bounding drum and bass tinged tune packed with sound effect layers and a great vocal, while Type A Party incorporates guitar and a melodic nod to the classic It’s My Party. Ecstasy is another soulful inclusion, flowing like a 90’s ballad but mixed with a modern beat at its centre. It’s lustful and low-key. The final two tracks on the album hold anything one-two-punch of big features, Forever featuring Lil Baby and Winning with Big Freedia. The latter is the more memorable, and makes for a true bounce-inspired finale.
CiCi is a collection of songs that shows an artist still wanting to expand their sound and experiment in the pop field. Some of the tunes are clear throwbacks but have been done with the modern finesse of someone that understands the assignment. Great songwriting throughout, fun features, and an excellent range.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
