Ciara’s journey to the top
Ciara was born in Austin, Texas in 1985, and hasn’t stopped moving since. With her father in the army, she never stayed in one place for long, putting in time in Germany, New York, California, Arizona, and Nevada. It was in Atlanta that Ciara caught hit girl-group Destiny’s Child performing on TV during a day home from school. This lucky incident caused her to dedicate her life to music and performing.
Ciara’s first musical output was as part of a similar girl-group called Hearsay, but like Destiny’s Child, they eventually disbanded due to individual conflicts. Ciara’s first hit song was one she wrote for Fantasia Barrino, which appeared in 2004–the same year as Ciara’s own debut album, Goodies.
Everybody remembers Goodies for its two big hits, the title track and the electro-inspired “1, 2 Step”. “Goodies” stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 weeks, a record tied only by Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” in 2008. However, the album as a whole was also well-received, with Entertainment Weekly comparing it to a progression on the late Aaliyah’s sound. Ciara also became notable for her early tomboy style—she usually appeared in baggy jeans with strawberry-blond hair, making her easy to recognize.
Since then, Ciara has released two more albums (with one upcoming) in a constantly evolving style. She has also appeared on a number of collaborative tracks, the latest of which are “Ride” featuring Ludacris for her 2010 album Basic Instinct as well as the track “Hot Toddy” on Usher’s album Versus. Her fashion style has caught on, too: she signed a contract with Wilhelmina Models in 2009 and has appeared in the German and French editions of Vogue. Ciara’s star shows no sign of fading anytime soon, especially if she continues to bring her own distinctive flair to everything she does.