R&B singer Ciara looks absolutely gorgeous on the latest cover of Paper magazine. The “Ride” singer talked about her romance with rapper Future, opening up to her fans, working with Nicki Minaj and her future.
See highlights and more gorgeous photos below:
On Being a Tomboy
“I don’t wear a dress regularly, but even if I do, you have to put some attitude into it. I like a leather skirt, which gives you some toughness, but a feminine touch too. I like the androgynous thing with a hard edge: I make things rock ‘n’ roll — but still pretty.”
On Being Less Guarded:
“I want my fans to get to learn more about me. I’ve been very blessed with my success, but my music hasn’t given a clear voice to who I am.[…]I thought it was better to be private, but self-reflection helped me to say, ‘You need to live more. If you worry so much about things, your head is going to explode. Just live. Something has to give.’ I was holding back so much that I wasn’t letting myself explore and live.”
On Her Romance With Future:
“He’s very understanding and he’s my best friend. It’s important to have a feeling that you can talk about anything and know a person’s going to be there and support you. When we’re together, it’s not about who we are. I feel very normal, very safe and loved. Being able to speak about it is a whole different thing for me. I’m not thinking or caring too much about what anybody has to say anymore. Once you start over-thinking and worrying, you start getting close to insanity. I want my sanity and a life and happiness.”
On Not Putting Out Bitter Love Songs About Her Exes:
“It’ll come to light. Whatever energy a person gives you, they’ll have to deal with that. I’m not necessarily going to be so direct in a song.”
On Growing Up as an ‘Army Brat’:
“I’m what you call ‘love rich.’ We didn’t have all the money in the world, but I had all the attention. I grew up spoiled with love. I wasn’t trained to sing and dance but I knew I had something special and decided to explore it. I’ve been growing in front of the world, and I want to keep growing.”
On Working with Nicki Minaj:
“She invited me to be on her album, Pink Friday Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up and I invited her to be on mine. I didn’t feel like there was any other person I wanted for that song. She came in and murdered the verse!”
Not shockingly, the two had fun making the video, despite the exigencies of the shoot. “We didn’t sleep. We shot for about 25 hours. After a while, my body kept dancing, but my brain wasn’t there. At the end, I joked, ‘Now, I’m out.’”
On What She Has to Look Forward To
“I feel like my journey’s just beginning. On this journey, there’s much I haven’t done. I still feel like a little kid. I still have my youthful energy and spirit. I’m super excited by my future.”
