When it comes down to numbers, Ciara is one of the biggest R&B stars of her time.
If you were to ask a random person on the street, however, they probably wouldn’t think the same.
Most people would immediately list off stars like Beyonce and Rihanna, setting aside debates about if these ladies would actually fall into the pop category. Even names like K. Michelle tend to find their way to people’s minds before Ciara’s.
It’s an unfortunate but true fact.
The reality of the situation is that Ciara is arguably not considered a household name — at least not the way she was when she was behind massive hits like “Goodies” and teaching everyone how to “1,2 Step.”
But since then, she has still been a consistent creator of smash hits like “Body Party” and “Ride.”
It’s the conundrum of Ciara and the name that, somehow, isn’t as big as the singles and album sales behind it.
But with a new lease on life, a newfound sense of empowerment after joining motherhood and a track record that still boasts more than 23 million records sold, 2015 could very well be the resurgence of the woman who had once been deemed the “First Lady of Crunk & B.”
Her 2010 album Basic Instinct has been her only album to not make its way into the top five on U.S. charts, but she believes her recently released album Jackie could mark the beginning of a new era for her career that came at just the right time.
“You know what I think,” she said during an interview with The Guardian after being asked why she hadn’t managed to achieve the same weight in the music industry that’s held by stars like Beyonce and Rihanna. “Everything’s about timing. I’ve had records just as big as those artists. I’ve had No. 1 songs around the world. My biggest competition is me.”
She expressed a clear amount of faith in her own abilities and added that she doesn’t find the need to compare herself to other singers.
“There’s no doubt in my mind how high up this train can go,” she continued. “I faced those challenges. I don’t see myself beneath Beyonce and Jay Z; I don’t see myself above them. I’m in my own world, hungry to grow.”
And there’s certainly been quite a few opportunities for growth as Ciara navigated her relationship with hip-hop star Future, who is also the father of her son Future Jr.
In her latest album, she makes no efforts to conceal her feelings toward the rapper who reportedly cheated on her, causing the relationship to crumble.
In an ironically sweet tone, she disses an unnamed woman with “Brazilian hair” and a “silicone ass” on the track “I Bet” as she flaunts her own natural beauty.
But the album chronicles a lot more about the songstress’s journey than her public breakup.
It also gives an honest look into her life as a mother with a moving lullaby dedicated to her little boy.
“I lay my life down for you; I’ll crawl over broken glass; I will stand in the flame,” she said as she recited the lyrics during her interview with The Guardian. “Take the bullet, take the blows, I would take all the pain.”
She added that she still gets “goosebumps” singing the song and reiterates the fact that she would give her own life for her son.
It’s this kind of image of Ciara — a woman who fell in and out of love and now embarks on a journey as a devoted mother — that the public hasn’t seen from her in the past.
There is finally a beloved, beautiful blip on Ciara’s record that reminds people she isn’t an icy beauty queen with the perfect life.
“Over the years, there was a perception I was trying to be too perfect,” Ciara admitted. “I’m far from perfect.”
So as she makes her move to make her relationship with the public a more vulnerable one, she has also started utilizing social media and being vocal about her opinion — even if it earns her a little backlash.
When commenting on the unrest in Baltimore, the songstress admitted that it’s important to “fight for what you believe in” but also urged protesters not to “tear the town down.”
Some more radical-leaning critics took issue with all the Black celebrities who condemned the protesters’ actions, which sparked an even greater discussion about the history of political strategy in the Black community.
Either way, it was something that reminded everyone that Ciara was a person with her own set of ideas and perceptions of the world around her.
If she can combine the widespread appeal of her “Crunk & B” days with the intimacy and vulnerability that has been present in her newer music, it’s quite possible that Ciara may finally boast a name as impressive as her record sales.
