NEWS
EVENTS
An Interview with Ciara
RnB/Hip Hop | Tuesday 18th June 2013 | Camille
We were lucky enough to be able to catch up with a lady that has blazed to success and has sold in excess of 7 million albums worldwide. She gave you classic hits like ‘Goodies’, ‘1,2 step’, ‘Like A Boy’, ‘Love, Sex, Magic’ and ‘Ride’. She has collaborated with cutting edge artist like Usher, Ludacris, Missy Eliott, 50cent, Young Jeezy, Justin Timberlake, T-pain, 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj and she has toured with A-list artist like Jay Z and T.I. She has won numerous awards including 3 BET Awards, 3 MTV Music Video Awards, 3 MOBO Awards and 1 Grammy Award. She has appeared in feature films and she has a recurring role in BET’s ‘The Game’. This is singer, songwriter, dancer, model and actress known as - CIARA!
Ciara, how are you doing?
I’m great. Thank you for all the Love.
You’ve done some tremendous work
I’ve been very blessed.
So it’s been just over ten years now that you’ve been in the game is it?
Yeah in front of the world, but there is the other 4 or 5 years that have happened prior to that, you know that’s the part before getting to have a song played in front of the world. My first song was Goodies but there are those years before you put out any song. I mean when I was like fourteen years old, that no one saw; So ten years in front of the world, fourteen years overall.
Well you have done some tremendous work in that time. You’ve got the new album ‘Ciara’ coming out on the 8th of July in the UK. And you’re new single ‘Body Party’ is OUT NOW as well. So music is being good to you right now?
I can’t complain I am very thankful.
You’re from Atlanta but you moved around a little bit when you were younger. What’s the reason for moving around? Also what’s your musical background? Did you grow up in a musical household?
Well we loved listening to music in my house and my mom and dad would always play those good old school records round me, so I had a strong connection to music from when I could understand or listen or hear. I travelled around because my father was in the military and my mom was in the air force. So I’m a military baby.
Is that what has given you a global prospective in your music?
I definitely feel like I have been influenced by having a young experience of travelling and experiencing what that’s like. Ever since I could walk it’s influenced me in a great way.
As well as being an incredible dancer you are also an accomplished songwriter. Tell us about those talents and how they developed in you
Well when I was about fourteen I signed my first publishing deal. I’ve always had a writer’s instinct from the very beginning and I get inspired by the things that I go through, I get inspired by life and I get inspired by love. I really enjoy writing, it’s very freeing and it’s a kind of release. Writing is also something that you can get really excited about too, you can get really turnt up on writing as well. So that’s a little bit about it. With the dancing I have just been blessed. God has blessed me because I never took any dance classes when I was growing up. I have just always had a very strong connection to dancing. I was just given something special I feel.
The album ‘Goodies’ sold 3 million records in the United States alone. What was the inspiration behind making that album?
That first album was just more about my first time being introduced to the world. I was really thining about what statement I wanted to make, and with the song ‘goodies’ I wanted to say something to young girls like myself as I was then. The album was also just about having a good time and giving. I was making sure that I was clear in reference to my style and what I stand for creatively and my vision. I just wanted for it to be heard, I wanted for it to be seen, I meant it to be heard exactly the way that I wanted to paint that picture.
So after ‘Goodies’ came the album ‘The Evolution’, what did that mean to you?
Well I had just come off my first album and I was younger then and it was really about showing my first steps into becoming a young woman.
The album ‘Fantasy Ride’ and the single ‘Love Sex Magic’ really made you a household name. What creative space were you in when you made that album?
With that album I was in a very creative space and I was just trying a lot of different things. I had a great time and being able to work with Justin was just really cool for me. There are some songs on that album that I really love, that one day I would want to perform on stage, even if they weren’t singles.
You worked with Ludacris on the single ‘Ride’, what was that collaboration like?
Ludacris is my good friend, he’s like family to me and that record was pretty straight forward. It was actually written by The Dream and produced by Tricky. When I heard the song I thought it was really infectious and I loved the aggressiveness of it musically and lyrically. It’s really fun song.
You’ve toured with A-list artist like Jay Z and T.I. what has been your most memorable experience on stage?
My most memorable experience was probably this performance that I did for ‘VH1 Divas’ I really loved that performance. I performed with these young girls called ‘The Ink flavas’ and I had my dance squad and I did a tribute to Michael Jackson and that was really fun.
You’ve performed with A-list artists and you’ve collaborated with A-listers as well, like Usher, Missy Elliott, Ludacris, Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz. Which collaboration stands out the most for you?
Honestly everyone has been amazing and everyone has their own unique style so every experience was different. But the early times when Missy didn’t know who I was and liked my music from the beginning and embraced me at a young time in my career. That was very special to me.
You have a recurring role in BET’s ‘The Game’. Is your film career something that is going to run alongside the music? Is it always going to be a secondary thing?
I definitely want to do a lot more within film, it’s just all about timing at the moment. I want to make sure that I can make everything make sense, but I definitely want to do a whole lot more in film.
You’re single ‘Body Party’ is out at the moment, and you’ve got the remix as well with B.O.B and Future. I understand you wrote that song with Future?
Yeah me and Future wrote the song together and it was produced by Mike Will.
You are in a relationship with Future so was it like working together? Do you ever have to separate the personal relationship from the working relationship?
No I think we both go into the studio with the same goal in mind, just to make the best record we can possibly make. If anything it probably makes the experience even more special, because of what you share with the person.
What can we expect from the album ‘Ciara’ that comes out on the 8th July in terms of production and collaborations?
This album is going to be filled with lots of energy and lots of love, and it’s true to me. It’s true to me musically and personally. This album is about my fans being able to have a new experience with me and being able to go on a new journey with me. That’s my mission and hopefully when you get this record, you will be able to experience just that.
So what else can we expect from Ciara? When it comes to fashion you are at the cutting-edge, are we going to see a clothing line coming out soon as well?
Absolutely I definitely have plans to do that. I have so many things that I want to do. I also want to hit the road, I am ready to tour. I am also ready to just keep growing. And may all of these cool things fall in place. I am going to keep working hard to achieve all of my dreams.
Your single ‘I’m Out’ featuring Nicki Minaj is gaining popularity at the moment
Yeah we just launched it in the states and we’re just getting started with it, I am also in the process of editing the video and I’m really excited about it.
So if anyone wants to follow you to find out what’s happening in the crazy world of Ciara right now what’s your Facebook and twitter and all of that?
Twitter.com/Ciara and my Instagram is Ciara and you can go to my website onlyCiara.com.
Well thank you so very much Ciara!
‘Ciara’ is out on 8th July
Interviewer: Mr. Wonder
Transcriber: Noelle Asiedu
