Ciara - One Woman Army (2012)

LET ME IN YOUR HEAD
WATCH YOU LEARN SOME
TRYNA SEE YOU SWEAT
WATCH YOU BURN SOME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntfHBPpcon4

this single is everything i need

I am amazed that this is happening but I am also very happy.

not really grabbing me

"""(2012)"""

^ lol

not really feeling this song

was waiting for this to grow on me and it has dutifully obliged

i show you how to move to my tempo
yeah i know you like this tempo

This is okay.

this song isn't very good, but i'm loving them promo pics for this era:

http://necolebitchie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Ciara-One-Woman-Army-Promo.jpg

http://necolebitchie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Ciara-One-Woman-Army-Promo-pic.jpg

please tell me the first one is the cover

http://oi48.tinypic.com/opp9wy.jpg

omg

i accept her apology

dit

new one http://hiphop-n-more.com/2012/08/ciara-living-it-up/

^ very good!

it's sorta generic but the hook is there & it's way better than "sweat"

Ciara's singles art is almost always better than her actual album cover art.

New song is nice

yeah i fuck with this

i like this

"sweat" is amazing though

i'm particularly thankful for "sweat" as an example of r&b in 2012 that's actually made for dancing to rather than ~vibing out~ to in some annoyingly vague way

yeah, totally agree, even as somebody who likes vague vibe-out R&B. "Sweat" is awesome

Feel like it's only a matter of time until there's a minor crunk&B revival, and when there is, I hope Ciara spearheads it. That sound is exactly what radio is missing right now

it is missing. and yeah i think Sweat is pretty beautiful. the chorus is so *weird* in a good way

crunk & b mostly sucked, good riddance

:O

:o|

:)

o_OOOOOOOOOO

ijc

http://www.rap-up.com/2012/09/09/new-music-ciara-sophomore/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dXSwnOvwVI

Okay CiCi....

so it's a sub-par rip off of Promise then?

^ That's still a 9/10 at worst.

oh i'll probably still like it

oh my god that is so shameless. with the vocoder and everything.

excited tho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DLA8Be7P9w&

hey, there's even a spoken word bit!

like this a lot

really like "sophomore" - is there a no-dj version out anywhere?

eh

kind of love this now

the pre-chorus is awesome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5BsvBR14xM&feature=player_embedded

i was just gonna post that. hits my sweet spot obv, even if "got me good" : "gimmie dat" :: "sorry" : "promise"

why is no one else making r&b to dance to though!

Also performed Sorry on tv. She looks so good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Nc8ayAdpM

is "got me good" actually on itunes anywhere?

it's so disappointing that she's gone with "sorry" and "got me good" as singles when "livin' it up" and "sophomore" are out there. I CAN'T HELP YOU IF YOU WON'T HELP YOURSELF CICI

ya livin it up is really a jam, still playing it all the time. been listening to that that old 'urban bass' remix of gimme dat a lot lately too.

ok i love "got me good"

MY BACK IS ACHIN I'M SO IN LOVE>>>>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3vkoSQWtV4

yesssssssssssssssssss

give me all your future&b duets

now this is more like it

i could have told you sorry
but then i bought the rari

that is fuckin fire

yeah! sorry i forgot to post this. i've been jamming it on repeat.

allllllso her remix of turn on the lights is A++ too. don't know if we discussed it but i just want her to do remixes of big rap hits allllll the time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00VWOUnsdmU

that song is not to be besmirched

That Sorry remix is awesome.

The "Sorry" remix is an improvement on the original and the "Turn on the Lights" remix just weakens it tho.

love the new beat and ciara's new parts on the "sorry" remix

future is thankfully kept to a surprising minimum

and is there STILL no no-dj version of "sophomore" nnnghghhhh this song is so amazing

so you say that you're a bacheloooorrrrrrr
well step your game up and get your masteeeeerrrrrssss

Heard "Sorry" on the radio yesterday and it sounded great. A nice reminder of what's been mostly missing from R&B radio this year

yeah i think that song is pretty good

"sophomore" is way way way better

Loving Wake Up No Make Up.

it's brilliant

my mp3 is tagged "featuring future" but he's not on it?

Not on my version either. But it feels a bit short? So perhaps there is a longer version?

it's perfect as it is

this is so good though

TURN UP!

those chimes, those drums <3

on first listen that song sounded pretty grim

uh i'm really loving "body party"? dreamy and gorgeous and "my boo" https://soundcloud.com/ciara/ciara-body-party

i got excited about it on twitter but actually i don't think it's as good as "wake up, no make-up" or the "sorry" remix (or "livin' it up", obviously)

an entire ciara & mike will made it album would be so good though

surely she can parlay this future connection into...something. an album release, maybe

yeah "Sorry" remix is still my favorite track to come out of this whole project

Ciara + Future + Mike WiLL album please.

Like, his production just /suits/ CiCi so well. It's a natural fit that somehow still surprises me.

this song is very good... they approached the sample well

yes yes yes yes yes

I kind of want to hate on this on account sampling "My Boo" being really obvious and overdone at this point but flipping it into a slow jam subverts the cliche just enough.

love this

people really think this is better than "wake up, no make-up" huh

i like this ok i guess

haven't listened yet because the title feels like it describes a basement in a horror movie

Your body is a wonderland party

Ciara + Future + Mike WiLL album please.

Like, his production just /suits/ CiCi so well. It's a natural fit that somehow still surprises me.

― twinkin' and drinkin' and ready to fly (Alex in Montreal), Monday, March 4, 2013 3:19 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

well it does seem mike will lies on the polow continuum

people really think this is better than "wake up, no make-up" huh

― lex pretend, Monday, March 4, 2013 5:59 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

i think you're the only person i've seen really hype that song

yeah it was never even a promo single like sweat/got me good/sorry/body party was it?

pretty terrible song in any event, do not want to hear ciara's version of "tony montana"

haven't listened yet because the title feels like it describes a basement in a horror movie

― 乒乓, Tuesday, 5 March 2013 00:20 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

gagas love game always & still makes me think abt a spinoff of the saw franchise

this is great

people really think this is better than "wake up, no make-up" huh

― lex pretend, Monday, March 4, 2013 5:59 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

i think you're the only person i've seen really hype that song

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, March 5, 2013 12:32 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah i don't know whyyyyy though. the beat is just incredible, those chiming sounds and twinkling synths and huge bass and background gothic choirs and "ride" quote, and i love ciara when she turns her swag on, not just when she's doing the soft sexy shit. "wake up, no make-up" is the logical next step after the "sorry" remix, it's hazy/druggy r&b done right

I think Wake Up No Make Up is *almost* as good as this one. There was some backlash because Rihanna had already done the Mike Will thing, I guess?

right, i forgot, mike will can only produce for one singer ever, though if it's rihanna literally reusing "bandz a make her dance" will be fine

Wasn't the "problem" that Wake Up sounded like Pour It Up, which sounded like Bandz? I loved it anyway, just saying that I understood that to be the issue people had with it. This time around Future is the story rather than Mike Will Made It, and apparently that's more easily digestible, not least since there's romance involved.

"Wake Up" doesn't really sound like either of those songs imo. a bit like "Tony Montana" and a bit like "Karate Chop," but not as similar as "Pour" is to "Bandz."

Wasn't the "problem" that Wake Up sounded like Pour It Up

but it doesn't

i didn't really see anyone having issues with "wake up", no one really talked about it, but i'd guess that the ~story~ wasn't buzzy enough as you say. SIGH @ people, etc

(also if these people are the rap internet it stands to reason they prefer ciara sexy and naked to ciara swagging like a rapper)

true

(also if these people are the rap internet it stands to reason they prefer ciara sexy and naked to ciara swagging like a rapper)

ok stop

'wake up no make up' sounds like soulja boy

I dig it

"Wake Up" isn't even one of the (twelve!) songs listed in the 'recorded tracks' section of the wiki page for the album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_jshVXEQsc

this is what's up

haha i like how it inserts the word "pussy" into the "put your hands on my [moan]" part. "Got Me Good" might still be my favorite of her recent singles, it sounded so great with horns when she did it on the VH1 Divas thing.

https://soundcloud.com/bmore-djpierre2/neww-bmore-dj-pierre-got-me

this is also what's up

it is. would love to hear ciara over these insane uptempo bmore beats for original songs

al did you hear this bmor eedit of the new destiny's child?
http://soundcloud.com/schwarz420/dc-nuclear-baltimore-club-edit

oh i had not! schwarz is my boy, though. i was very proud of Pharrell on the orig for finally using the "Think" break instead of doing his own half-assed Bmore drums

and a dope jersey club edit of "Sorry"

http://soundcloud.com/djkmillz/ciara-sorry-dj-k-millz-club

really into 'body party' now, don't even particularly know why either

at first i thought ships' 'tony montana' comparison was a bit of a sour stretch but now i'm wondering if maybe future didnt put one of his mystical all-consuming romantic spells on it for real

lol you mean "Wake Up"? cause that's the one that i said sounded like "Tony Montana"

oh! my bad. i think cos i'd already read that future co-wrote bp i already had it in mind etc

hats off to another irl lol dn btw

:)

Do we know what songs are going to be One Woman Army yet? Body Party, Sorry, Got Me Good, Sweat, Wake Up No Makeup, Sophomore?

lol

I assume Future Albini (at least co-)wrote "Wake Up..." too?

yeah he did

Lex is right about "Wake Up No Make Up".

It makes me want a How To Be A Lady style effort helmed by Mike Will Made It.

it's o....k. there have been at least three better songs associated with this campaign.

she's released a 10-song track listing via instagram (?!) http://instagram.com/ciara/

1. I'm Out (feat. Nicki Minaj)
2. Sophomore
3. Body Party
4. Keep On Lookin'
5. Read My Lips
6. Where You Go (feat. Future)
7. Super Turnt Up (feat. Ciara)
8. DUI
9. Livin' It Up
10. Overdose

- YASSSS Livin' It Up and Sophomore made the cut
- but no Got Me Good or Sweat? Got Me Good wasn't that much of a flop surely?
- or Sorry, for that matter? she shoulda chucked the Future remix on
- (feat. Ciara) ?!?

Got Me Good wasn't that much of a flop surely?

her only single to date to not even make the r&b charts

No Wake Up, No Make Up? Damn...

yeah wtf @ track 7

obv just a typo... i'd wager it's another nicki feature. didn't she say in an interview that she was on two joints?

"super turnt up" ft. nicki would def have some potential

seems pretty idiotic to especially create a graphic and still include a typo like that http://instagram.com/p/YHMH5SyHvA/

the other Ciara will be her rap "persona"

someone on twitter told me that it's another future joint, so i imagine it'll turn up elsewhere as "future ft. ciara"

the other Ciara will be her rap "persona"

I WOULD ACTUALLY LOVE THIS

the album is also now self-titled

http://25.media.tumblr.com/639a6f919f94a2b55e2209e24c3d55cb/tumblr_mlc3aahrnf1qelbsoo1_500.jpg

there's two Ciaras on that cover. The plot thickens...

maybe she finalized the cover photo and then went "wait, 'one woman army' doesn't quite work with that picture"

Terrified by those horrifying, Photoshop-elongated forearms

ciara feat. ciara would have been great

makes sense with the cover

lol yes

wait where's sorry, they made that song grow on me and where is it

PS i've been late to this thread but body party remix is cray

link??

https://soundcloud.com/defreshest/body-party-bootleg-produced-by

think the orig body party sounds so good 2 my ears & ive played it so much that no remix could possibly improve it

yeee i wrote about that kutcorners/marvel bootleg like two weeks ago? it's great

omg it's so good on a saturday night

the kutcorners mix isn't good enough for me to like a rando fb page in order to d/l

kinda forgot about "body party", it's nowhere near as great as "got me good" or "sweat" or "sophomore" or "wake up..."

"feat ciara" = she raps on this song. it's pretty dope.

"overdose" is The EDM One, i think it might be the best song on the album

whole thing is mostly bangers, think "body party" might be the only ballad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7KSkZxt_zo

tsk this thing shouldve been ALL ballads

"feat ciara" = she raps on this song. it's pretty dope.

I knew it!

the Body Party video is quite something btw

YESSSSSS

it's amazing, i love it.

hope the bangers don't suck

Totally on board for an album full of Ciara bangers, 1) someone's gotta rep for movement in r&b b) since when have Cici bangers ever sucked, it's her home territory

Turn It Up was a real sad moment for me personally. and generally speaking i can't think of many recent CiCi bangers that have meant much to me. even Gimme Dat is out of rotation these days

is High Price a banger? cuz i still play that weekly p much

High Price isn't just a banger, it's a bomb

The Gimmie Dat video is still everything, deserves all the awestruck responses the Body Party video is getting

all the Ciaras at the end are A+++++

ciara+future would make a cuet couple

love the corny acting in the video

i thought Ci and Future WERE a couple

haha oh

jordan hugged ciara apparently

lucky!

they ARE a couple

:-) makes the song all the better

Totally on board for an album full of Ciara bangers, 1) someone's gotta rep for movement in r&b b) since when have Cici bangers ever sucked, it's her home territory

― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 19:25 (33 minutes ago) Bookmark

i do get why you would continue grinding this old axe but let us not sacrifice 'promise' for it. 'body party' bangs harder than any of the uptempos have for years and that's a known fact

true nuf

the tracks aren't really uptempo... there's nothing like "got me good" or "gimme dat" on it. it's just kind of a hard, agressive album... there's nothing as sensual as "body party"

"super turnt up" is maybe the most electrik red sounding track i've heard since the electrik red album was released

too bad they bit the idea for body party from spree wilson
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/1557463/spree-wilson-talks-life-in-technicolor-album-all-I-need-controversy

too bad for spree wilson, i guess

also lil jon tried to give the "goodies" beat to chingy :-O

there's nothing as sensual as "body party"

"sophomore" remains on the track list though?

i do get why you would continue grinding this old axe but let us not sacrifice 'promise' for it. 'body party' bangs harder than any of the uptempos have for years and that's a known fact

i would NEVER sacrifice "promise" but that's nonsense about "body party"

The Gimmie Dat video is still everything, deserves all the awestruck responses the Body Party video is getting

― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, April 24, 2013 2:35 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm

really tired of people trying to call dibs on SAMPLES, especially of really well known songs. sucks for you spree wilson but you didn't write "my boo" so fuck outta here!

what's the big dealio about the 'gimme dat' video, it's the same one she always does

nice of beyonce to lend her stay in the 'diva' warehouse i suppose

impression I got from the piece is that it was more than just the sample. wouldn't necessarily criticize ciara too much for what is basically standard snafu procedure for everyone. though it does make that whole "written by *~Ciara and Future*~! <3" bit of copy even more pandering in retrospect.

The Gimmie Dat video is still everything, deserves all the awestruck responses the Body Party video is getting

― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, April 24, 2013 2:35 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think the editing is kinda weak on the first 2/3 of Gimmie Dat. Still alright overall but pretty sloppy in parts.

"Rico Wade and Ray Murray are my heroes," he says, "We've been making music together but they're almost like big brothers. I remember once Rico asked me, 'What you need? You need anything?' And I'm like, 'Nah.' Because I just want to prove myself, you know?"

yeah man ur like the cousin rico never had. oh wait

Lol I just find the Body Party video lolworthy. Ciara is beautiful, but it is way too corny and silly to represent the sensual depth of the song! Silly interludes with the guy by the pool? Ciara doing acrobatic, ridiculous crawling moves in front of the fire place when the Mr. is seated in his chair smoking a cigar? Come now...

I tell ya, I am glad I got to know the song before I saw the video, that's for sure. Only possible video that would do this song justice would be too NSFW for the networks probably.

ha that's exactly what's so great about this video. it takes all these ingredients that should be goofy as hell but totally pulls them off. the pool interlude is a+++

Electrik Red? Now I HAVE to hear this album.

That Tricky/Dream vibe is how "Body Party" won me over

xp otm

Bangers, slow jams, same same. I just want a new Ciara album.

here here

http://www.spin.com/articles/ciara-album-preview-body-party/

#futuresqueezebeefs

"EDM"

http://funfive.net/images/Kill%20Me%20Now.jpg

body party over hymn tho http://soundcloud.com/dubbeldutch/hymn-x-body-party

nice of beyonce to lend her stay in the 'diva' warehouse i suppose

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 23:18 (1 week ago) Permalink

i kno this was so weird

wait so sweat is on the album right? sorry i can't be bothered to scroll up at the moment

no, neither is "sorry", neither is "got me good"

seriously they really should've at least put the "sorry" remix on as a bonus track to capitalise on the fascination with the cici/future coupling

plus it's really good and doesn't deserve to be lost in the "some remix dumped on the internet" vortex

i can't believe how much that song won me over

first time i heard it was on my transistor

xxp ha, yeah, I was gonna say also cause it's the best song so far to come out of this project besides "Body Party"

"body party" hits top 40 thanks heavily to people watching the video on youtube

#hereads

no idea why i wasn't panicked for it before, but "livin' it up" clicked for me in a big way yesterday and it is WONDERFUL and i am v. glad that both it and sophomore are on the album

a.k.a. once again, belated recognition that lex was right about these songs being wonderful.

Ciara: "I'm Out" featuring Nicki Minaj

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/1563162/ciara-nicki-minaj-assisted-im-out-song-leaks-listen

Oh, that's the censored version I think, this is the explicit: http://www.mrldavis.com/new-music/new-music-ciara-ft-nicki-minaj-im-out/

fuck with this.

YASSSSSSSS @ this

hit 'em with the backshots, hit 'em with them ass shots
take 'em to the bank then i hit 'em where the cash drops
I DO IT BIG - I'LL HIT 'EM WITH THE CAPS LOCK
i'm gonna ball, i'll hit 'em with the mascot

love how this is pretty much "i'm legit" part 2

Super Turnt Up premiered on radio like an hour ago.

http://www.rap-up.com/2013/06/07/new-music-ciara-super-turnt-up/

probably the best track on the album

beat + pre-chorus are so good

this shit kinda sounds like a classic to me

her rap is also awesome

yeah, good joint from Ciara Featuring Ciara

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/01/Jibbs_Featuring_Jibbs.jpg

theres my baaaaby/he be puttin it down
i love my baaaaby/we go round and round

^this part is dope

one woman army leftover "boy outta here" leaked as well

http://lil-misty.tumblr.com/post/52409102436/this-didnt-leak-ive-had-it-for-like-2-months

This leaked. It's really good.

This is really good. Still probably like basic instinct more? But it's pretty consistent and the final version of livin' it up feat nicki is great.

man "livin it up" just feels like a massive, huge hit to me

i don't think it will be, but what a pop song

Ciara's faux Nicki Minaj verse on "Super Turnt Up (ft. Ciara)" is the saddest thing.

Makes me wonder if T.I. will try to sign her now, though

i love "livin' it up"

haven't heard the rest but will prob listen once it comes out

Listened to it three times, and I'm pretty disappointed in it so far tbh—it's a very slight album, which I usually like, but here it's not doing it for me. But there are some songs I could see being big growers so I am holding out hope.

Albums is also helping me appreciate how amazing Basic Instinct was.

Ciara's faux Nicki Minaj verse on "Super Turnt Up (ft. Ciara)" is the saddest thing.

so wrong, it's brilliant

man "livin it up" just feels like a massive, huge hit to me

i don't think it will be, but what a pop song

i know right? and nicki's addition just enhances it. i don't know how her label can have this song and do nothing with it...

tbh it feels really weird having a ciara album come out in a normal fashion ie without 3/4 of it having leaked and there being about 10 inexplicably excluded tracks

three listens and i basically love it - she has disappointed me so rarely

I can't find this >_<

click my name rev

i v briefly flicked thru this yday and was kinda dissatisfied to the point of irritation but we'll see

mainly tho i just wanted to say how very, very much i adore the way nicki says "gunbutt u cos u shady"

is the leak weirdly sourced or is there a hella sloppy dj watermark in the official release of "sophomore"

thanks rob

i think that rap is good, weird to me that people think it's terrible

The songwriting on this one is a huge step down from the last one

i think this is a solid 7/10 album like the last one, with a few of the best songs of her career, just liket he last one

if that's what her career has settled into, i'm down

i'm so into nicki devoting half her "livin' it up" verse to AFFIRMING ciara's greatness

SURELY it has to be a single

Overdose is so great! Super obvious but so perfect.

yeah im really into overdose & dui

The song w Future is sugary sweet too

I don't understand how "Sorry Pt 2" is not on this album way better than the Future joint they used

eh the only thing less likely to end up on an album than an early flop single is the remix to that single

that track was awesome though

i think this album is pretty great

'evolution' is really her only GREAT album (and even that is pushing it) and this one is just another solid listen with a few true highlights that you'd play two years from now

'great' a v versatile word in that post

I don't think she has a truly GREAT album but I thought the last one was
pretty close.

'great' a v versatile word in that post

― some dude, Thursday, June 27, 2013 7:32 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark

hahahaha i know

ehhh I can take a few songs off of this and leave the rest

Definitely. Loving the few atm

ehhh I can take a few songs off of this and leave the rest

― The Reverend, Thursday, June 27, 2013 7:48 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

this is true but also true for all of her albums basically

rrrrright. I think this one has the lowest hit percentage so far tho

and "Body Party" is the only one I'd put on a best of Ciara mixtape

tonight, ciara and nicki are janet and michael

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-TTNdyIMAE

<3

also "body party" is the worst song on this album

Needs more dance routines.

is the synchronised twerking scene not enough for you!

wow ciara is bringing it, pretty excited for the album

"body party" is the worst song on this album

are you saying this to give the album high praise or to remind ppl of your contrarian opinion on "body party"

it's lex's "adore" of this year

"i'm out" is some foul rock city nonsense

er "adorn"

are you saying this to give the album high praise or to remind ppl of your contrarian opinion on "body party"

both really, i like "body party" but it's not really that special. i say this as someone who will stan for both "sweat" and "got me good"

i think "body party" has had a lot of love-via-association because obviously "my boo" is a classic but it's become a sort of taste signifier as well, and people are weirdly fascinated by ciara and future being in a couple

nah ships is right, it has something elemental ur seemingly not able or willing to connect to

it's not even the most slow jam on the album! i find "sophomore" so much more elemental.

*best

i guess it'll be of some consolation that on the evidence of this album ciara herself is the only other person in the world who hasnt got a fucking clue why 'body party' is popular

i'm very relieved she didn't try to reprise it at all!

"i'm out" and "body party" are prob the two worst songs on this album

no idea why they're pushing "i'm out" as a single when they have another song with nicki on here that's super pop

maybe it's cuz her raps are so foul

i lightweight enjoy 'read my lips' and 'where you go'

i like the one with future and the super sad indie guitar strumming, also the last two songs really bop.

can't say i can get down w/ this '"body party" is the worst' business

if anything the implied proximity (or whatever, something more nuanced than sample/interpolation )to 'my boo' was an obstacle to me initially, but then it becomes more arresting for passing the challenge it sets itself

besides she and future have great chemistry on record together beyond being a cute (albeit perhaps kinda stiff) couple, it's not simply the kylie & jason ting "weird fascination" accuses it of being

idk after her decades of struggle and all those fingers pointed at record labels it just kinda seems wack and basic to me to shrug past 'body party's flukey vindication that sumptuous yet disarmingly immediate tendresse might just be her forte. ain't nobody tryna hear more kid's tv presenter screwface swag from her as the years roll by like tumbleweed

lex, would have liked to see you contribute a blurb to the "I'm Out" reviews at the Jukebox. A few people liked it quite a bit more than I.

"i think "body party" has had a lot of love-via-association because obviously "my boo" is a classic but it's become a sort of taste signifier as well, and people are weirdly fascinated by ciara and future being in a couple"

you're not the only person who thinks this. ("it's become a sort of taste signifier," actually, could describe SO MUCH.)

yeah, i would say that the "my boo" sample did definitely have that effect. like i'm pretty sure the pitchfork people would have called it 'best new music' for that alone.

but idk, there is something really beautiful and euphoric about the melody (not just the part lifted directly from "my boo", lol) and the way she sings that song. i find it really powerful but i guess i understand if not everyone likes it as much.

i quite like "i'm out"!

"Body Party" is the best track on the album, and nothing else is remotely close. It makes the rest of the album feel dispassionate.

'my boo' has certainly been a tediously predictable taste signifier for the last half-decade but i don't think the idea of taste signifying really applies to the audience responsible for 'body party's relative success

but idk, there is something really beautiful and euphoric about the melody (not just the part lifted directly from "my boo", lol) and the way she sings that song.

― dyl, Monday, 1 July 2013 17:12 (6 minutes ago) Bookmark

this. "i-i-i can't lie, i won't lie", "i'm having SO MUCH FUN WITH YOU", you feel that shit the way you rarely ever do with ciara. 'my boo' becomes a cliche fallen onto in heart-flooded helplessness rather than opportunism

the kutcorners remix of "body party" is soooooo >>>>>> anyway

"i'm having so much fun with you" is the essential line for me :)

sumptuous yet disarmingly immediate tendresse might just be her forte

it can certainly be one of her fortes but even in that lane stuff like "i run it", "sophomore", "you can get it" (and like "promise", duh) just hits so much harder. i guess i like "body party" as much as some of the other stuff cici's done over other people's beats like "shut em up" and "deuces"

ain't nobody tryna hear more kid's tv presenter screwface swag from her as the years roll by like tumbleweed

I AM HERE FOR THAT

the kutcorners remix of "body party" is soooooo >>>>>> anyway

― J0rdan S., Monday, 1 July 2013 17:29 (17 minutes ago) Bookmark

one of the easiest "not even gonna listen to that" decisions of my life

anyway as j0rdan implied the song on this album, the really transcendent untouchable genius one, the one that makes me ~feel~ ~helpless~ ~joy~, is quite obviously "livin' it up"

http://i.imgur.com/p2GZ5Uo.png

lawl

i also find that uncharacteristically authoritative "I JUST BEEN THROUGH A BREAK-UP" a tremendous opening statement and kinda more emotionally affecting than any lovey stuff

lex, would have liked to see you contribute a blurb to the "I'm Out" reviews at the Jukebox. A few people liked it quite a bit more than I.

oh i think i am not one for the jukebox any more; obv i am a fan of yours, katherine's, al's and a few others, but a lot of the newer names have very annoying opinions.

"canadian club" lmaNO

I AM HERE FOR THAT

― lex pretend, Monday, 1 July 2013 17:47 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark

i'll be sure to arrange a padded cell for you next to longneck's

"Livin it Up" is good for a smile or two, but it's not the surefire hit in waiting you guys are painting it as. It sounds sort of thin and obvious to me, like the kind of song Cyndi Lauper would make to try to sound like she was hip to current sounds.

to all my ladies that be livin it up we say
stfu

if anything the implied proximity (or whatever, something more nuanced than sample/interpolation )to 'my boo' was an obstacle to me initially, but then it becomes more arresting for passing the challenge it sets itself

besides she and future have great chemistry on record together beyond being a cute (albeit perhaps kinda stiff) couple, it's not simply the kylie & jason ting "weird fascination" accuses it of being

idk after her decades of struggle and all those fingers pointed at record labels it just kinda seems wack and basic to me to shrug past 'body party's flukey vindication that sumptuous yet disarmingly immediate tendresse might just be her forte. ain't nobody tryna hear more kid's tv presenter screwface swag from her as the years roll by like tumbleweed

― r|t|c, Monday, July 1, 2013 7:28 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

whole post otm, "My Boo" sample was def a hurdle it set for itself. also it survives just as well w/o the sample.

that Kutkorner remix is not what's up tho :/

also otm re: "I'm having so much fun with you" if that doesn't capture the essence of falling in love what does?

"I'm Out" is a better Nicki song than Ciara song. Wouldn't have been offended by the former keeping it for herself. Such a holler-along is a waste of CiCi.

good vid tho. love Ciara's gold fronts and "Harris" shirt

xp otm. i would sell what little is left of my soul to have two more nicki verses on that shit instead

[watches video] ok yeah this does make it 10x better though, someone point me to the tumblr where all the gifs at

i hope i got loads of americans furtively googling kylie & jason btw

baby put your phone down
you should turn it off

we in the zone now, don't stop

<3

That's not my favorite Ciara song, but it's definitely my favorite Ciara vocal performance

"I'm Out" is a better Nicki song than Ciara song. Wouldn't have been offended by the former keeping it for herself.

Yep. Wouldn't have minded if Miguel had been above the credits for "#Beautiful" too.

i also find that uncharacteristically authoritative "I JUST BEEN THROUGH A BREAK-UP" a tremendous opening statement and kinda more emotionally affecting than any lovey stuff

yes, it is an amazing opening line

(i still am into the lovey stuff tho)

bonus track "backseat love" is nice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOBK1kFFYF8

backseat, windows up, that's the way i like to...

nb yeah the earlier leak must have been dodgily sourced, official version of "sophomore" doesn't have those dj drops

thank god

"I'm Out" is a better Nicki song than Ciara song. Wouldn't have been offended by the former keeping it for herself. Such a holler-along is a waste of CiCi.

Cosign. She is TERRIBLE at these, just completely unconvincing, and there's a preponderance of them here. The best tracks here are the lighter pop ones - Body Party, Read My Lips, Livin' It Up. So much of a better look for her than the dead-eyed Rihanna impression on Sophomore.

"Read My Lips" and "Livin It Up"'are awesome yes. I think Ciara evokes uncomplicated fun better than just about anyone.

the organ on "sophomore" >>>>>>>>>

also how is that a rihanna impression?! I FOR ONE SUPPORT CIARA'S SWAG.

What does that 'oh na na' bit evoke if not Rihanna?

I FOR ONE SUPPORT CIARA'S SWAG

She doesn't have any swag, that's the problem. Or at least it's the wrong kind of swag for her. She's at her best when there's some softness to her performance (even on tracks like 'Ride'), but 'Sophomore' just sounds rote and unconvincing.

Maybe I mean lightness rather than softness. She doesn't have the vocal presence to pull half of these songs off.

Yeah, I'd put up "Got Me Good" as a recent example of an uptempo Ciara track that benefits from more lightness of touch.

ciara's swag dates back to "pucker up" and "high price" which iirc was before swag even became a widespread thing. it worked then and it works now

a bit too much of the discourse i've seen around ciara recently has pretty much implied she's only good when she's being sexy

also i think this album contains her most convincingly authoritative vocal performances yet starting from the top with "I JUST BEEN THRU A BREAK-UP"

everything about 'got me good' is cringe 2 tha xtreme

a bit too much of the discourse i've seen around ciara recently has pretty much implied she's only good when she's being sexy

Dunno how you could infer that from my post given I was giving Sophomore as an example of a track that's just wrong for her.

you guys know that "Gimmie Dat" was awesome, right?

xp think he must've been referring to tim & rev's reign of slobbering terror

or it was just maybe a super lame attempt to twist the discussion idk

ciara is not particularly "sexy" tbh, a preference for her softer side pertains to a different appeal

not really sure what distinguishes 'gimmie dat' from any other of her cluelessly démodé 808 dance class chintz tbh

just saying that, while "Promise" 4eva and all that, there are songs like "Gimmie Dat" that i love too much to go with this 'lightness/softness only' dogma

fun, not sexy

Even "Body Party" (and espesh the remix) works more on a fun axis.

I'm having so much FUN WITH YOU

that ciara excels at fun (and even soft at times) does not mean she's only worthwhile in those modes

i don't really think of "livin' it up" as fun in any case, it's joyous but very serious about it

Ciara is always serious about her fun. She raises it to a higher plane.

Incidentally I half agree with you (it's matt who is being hardline here) - I think of fun as being her best mode but not her only mode.

Like, "Read My Lips" is the most blatant ode-to-cunnilingus since "Where Life Begins", but she sells it so straight it's hard even to notice.

ha that is v true, it sounds ridiculously innocent

Still think its a consequence of a label not having much idea what to do with her and therefore she ends up with all these awkward poses that aren't particularly well suited to her voice. 'Gimme Dat' is great but she sounds so weedy during the "this one here's a banger" bit, but I'll take that over the screwfacing and dead-eyed sexface that's on offer here.

Like, "Read My Lips" is the most blatant ode-to-cunnilingus since "Where Life Begins", but she sells it so straight it's hard even to notice.

― Tim F, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 7:40 AM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you realize that "Kisses Down Low" was a sizable hit here a few months ago, right?

Yeah, this is more along the lines of "Where Life Begins" in terms of endless silly jokes though, "Kisses Down Low" is kinda straight to begin with.

but most of those poses have been consistent over her entire career? like there's a direct line between "goodies", "bang it up" and "get up" through "work and "pucker up" and "i'm on" and "gimmie dat" winding up at "got me good" and "i'm out". that's, like, her most on-brand thing to do.

if there's anything that doesn't quite suit her it's the vaguely EDM stuff she occasionally tries like "turn it up" and "overdose" (though her inherent lightness rescues them from being particularly bad, and here "overdose" is just a pretty strong song).

imo this is probably her most fun album yet, in a way that fantasy ride might have been if it wasn't so botched - "livin' it up" harks back to "echo" as one of her most carefree songs to date etc.

the ciara screwface is the VERY FIRST THING she ever did. idk how this is somehow something she's not suited for.

"Overdose" is surprisingly strong, yeah.

I don't know, I feel like she was never really screwface on any of the early singles even if the music was. The tension was part of the appeal.

I'm not even down on it but there's a flintiness to "I'm Out" and "Super Turnt Up" which you don't get on say "Goodies".

i'm just running through the album for the first time right now and just got to "Read My Lips," loooool is that an interpolation of Petula Clark's "Downtown"?

what i love about "super turnt up" (and "sophomore") is how she elides screwface and softness

like "super turnt up" could be the most voluptuous thing (those backing vox!) except every so often you'll get a buzzsaw synth or a screwface grunt or a featuring-my-alter-ego rap

Incidentally I half agree with you (it's matt who is being hardline here) - I think of fun as being her best mode but not her only mode.

I suppose it's less that I'm being hardline about what mode she should be in and more that... she has a voice and persona (or lack of one) that is left particularly exposed by heavy-handed production and songwriting and a good third of this is fucking heavy-handed.

Matt otm

ciara is not particularly "sexy" tbh,

What I liked about her classic-era stuff was the way she sounded like she was thinking about what a delicious time she could be having instead of actually having it. I admire how she keeps a distance from the experiences in her songs.

how unlike you to have interpreted her that way

LOL, why is she not my diva again?

I just relistened to some bits of The Evolution and it is really remarkable how much her voice has...evolved over the years. The flintiness Tim refers to is very noticeable when you listen to her old material. It's nothing but a +ve imo.

I was kind of challopsing with my earlier "Body Party is the worst song here" but now I've lived with the whole thing for a while it is genuinely the only one I ever skip

the more i listen to this the more it sounds....filler-y idk. even the songs i like a reasonable amount (dui, overdose, livin it up, keep on looking) def have a certain tired generic-ness to my ear that is a lil disappointing imo

body party remains one of the best songs of the year by anybody imo

THE best. (not that it's been a super-strong year for singles or anything, but you know)

the more i listen to this the more it sounds....filler-y idk

Ditto. I want to like this a lot more than I do.

you guys know that "Gimmie Dat" was awesome, right?

― some dude, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 3:31 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's not production style I'm talking about at all here (although a lot of the production moves on this album lose me too), it's vocal style and her vocals on "Gimme Dat" are fairly light too. I like her best on uptempo cuts when she just locks in becomes part of the beat instead of straining against it like she does on "I'm In".

As far as slower dance cuts where she takes a heavier vocal style like "Goodies" and "High Price" go, they work because she's doing that weird, imperious shriek at the top of her range instead of bellowing midrange notes like a sad Rihanna facsimile. And while I love "Goodies", I'd never claim it was her best vocal performance.

did ciara just say she's "driving under the influence of your love" on a song called DUI? foh

On an album full of discount-ass songwriting, that is the true low point

no wait, 2 songs after that, she 'overdoses on your love' on a song called "Overdose." i give up.

lol yeah you're not wrong

now i cant unhear those where i was able to not pay attention before thx

hahaha. yeah earlier "Sophomore" sounded good but now i'm dreading going back to it.

This album is doing well from what I can tell. Good for her, it's been a long time coming. Though it looks like Jay-Z's last minute announcement and release of his album is kinda blocking her from getting the #1.

I'm liking this a great deal, particularly "Read My Lips" and "DUI."

The hook on "Overdose" is lame, yeah, but she sounds great against the retro electronics on the intro and verses. Same on "Where You Go."

"Livin' It Up" is so head and shoulders the standout here I'm amazed it's like track 10

and it can jettison the Minaj part

"Body Party" at #25, "I'm Out" at #50!

second half > first half.

imo "keep on lookin'" and "i'm out" are the only really dud tracks, and honestly "i'm out" just deserves a better chorus hook (i've had "I JUST WENT THROUGH A BREAK UP / oo yea yea yea" in my head for a week)

second half > first half.

otm.

I may be alone but the opening beat of "Overdose" makes me indescribably happy.

nah, same here

I could take "Body Party", "Super Turnt Up", "Keep On Lookin'" and Nicki's parts of "I'm Out" and leave the rest. Easily her weakest album imo.

i remain completely entranced by "super turnt up"

so much drama accumulated in the verses

xp Yup.

took me a while to take to "where you go" bc guitar strums are a weird look for mike will but it's a really endearing song

idek what is up with you ppl who would ditch "livin' it up"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhrAMXoClsw

xp

oh lol wait i guess guitars only happen twice. only bits of the tune i remember though

"Where You Go" is so so "Someone To Call My Lover"

if only!

"where you go" is a pleasant deep cut but it's def not on that level

i will forever defend "keep on lookin'" and "i'm out" though

hq version of "boy outta here" sounds amazing too

listening back to her albums the other day i was super unimpressed by "the evolution" outside of the singles and like three other tracks

I forgot to mention that I like-don't-love "Lover."

it wasn't quite as much singles-and-filler as goodies (deep cuts off her debut: "hotline" and maybe "next to you" and that's it) - it was possibly overrated because it wasn't just singles-and-filler? evolution deep cuts keepers: "i proceed", "bang it up", "c.r.u.s.h.", "make it last forever", "get in, fit in". although "can't leave 'em alone" was both single and filler ;_;

I have to thank my sister for singling out "Hotline" as a joint before I'd learned to take CiCi seriously

the high end on "hotline" >>>>>>>>>>

i don't like "hotline" that much

"pick up the phone" is my favorite ciara song

i'm listening to "goodies" now and god, it sounds so...weird. like i was so obsessed with this song, it's the start of me stanning for this poor child, but it sounds so different 9 (!!!) years on

remind me to pitch A DECADE OF CIARA next year

"C.R.U.S.H." might be my favorite of her songs.

although "can't leave 'em alone" was both single and filler

Her part of the hook is real pretty. As for the rest, well, 50 Cent was still hot shit in late 2006.

i still think that if anything could have altered the course of her career it would've been sticking with "high price" as the lead fantasy ride single as originally intended

enjoying the album quite a bit but i still have no idea why you guys like body party, it's bad.

she's not up to singing it

no, you two aren't up to hearing it

that's the most flattering thing you've ever posted

*too busy doing body rolls to talk to ppl who don't like "Body Party"*

i'll be considering this one for my top albums this year. i've been coming back to it very often.

the mid-album stretch of the "your love got me leanin'" song and the "driving under the influence of your love" song and the "don't let me overdose, I took your love, I think I took too much" song is R&B songwriting hell.

it's kinda sad that they probably won't release "livin' it up" as a single given that the last one was also a "feat Nicki". guess that song will be the "echo" of this era

xpost

i like that section.

although when it comes to R&B songs called 'DUI', Nikkiya's 'DUI' > Ciara's 'DUI'.

Nicki is the female Weezy, so maybe Ciara is the female Birdman and Nicki will be on all her singles from now on

hahaha

this album p much sucks

Not sure what is less comprehensible, people thinking this album is a masterpiece or people thinking it sucks.

http://i.imgur.com/sDDuM2h.gif

does anyone think it's a masterpiece?

it's one of my top 10 albums of the year but that's just par for the course w/cici

this is great but i may actually like the alunageorge album more?

jesus it's not THAT bad

haaaaaaaaa

haha awesome

u mad

why even bring that up tho

because i'm listening to both albums right now, both came out stateside this year, i prefer the alunageorge, they're both pop singers?

ciara vs. alunageorge seems a weird comparison

I've been playing both in repertory. Dunno what to tell you. I'm enjoying Laura Marling and Baloji above both of them but those feel notably less applicable.

it's neither a masterpiece nor does it suck. all i said was that i've been coming back to it a lot and considering it for top 10.

guess that song will be the "echo" of this era
what's "Echo?"

I'm pretty sure that "hola hola hey" thing in "Livin' It Up" is lifted from "Electric Boogie," but the song is good enough that it only bothered me for 10 minutes or so.

"echo" is maybe THE great lost ciara song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EuZOBbQ-DQ

everything about it screams ubiquitous summer jam, accompanied by a video featuring insane choreography on streets and maybe in parks, except for the fact that she just shoved it on to fantasy ride as a bonus track and no one heard it

the quality on that youtube video could be better. either way, the beat is a bit too mechanical. sounds a bit lumbering/severe. was listening to goodies and 1-2 step today as i found the cd i bought way back at hmv (2 for a tenner) and hadnt even unwrapped it. both still sound amazing. lil jon is/was underappreciated.

post-evolution and prior to 'body party' i think the only one that's really for real stayed with me is 'ciara to the stage'

handful of amuse-bouches along the way of course but ultimately not what i wants for dinner

Naw, man, "Ride" is the very def. of success without effort.

"Ride" was garbage, the whole Ciarius alliance was mostly a bust, rtc otm

HIGH PRICE
ECHO
PUCKER UP
WORK
I'M ON
BLAUW
RIDE
GIMMIE DAT
GIMMIE DAT (URBAN BASS REMIX)
HEAVY ROTATION
WANTS FOR DINNER
I RUN IT
SPEECHLESS
DEUCES
SHUT 'EM UP
WAKE UP, NO MAKE-UP

^^10/10 keepers between the evolution and ciara let us not FRONT here. all better than "body party" too FYI

the evolution is her worst album imo

there's good stuff all over fantasy ride and it's leftovers + every single off the-dream album is fire

lex's list looks mostly good... "heavy rotation" is one of her best album tracks imo and there's good slow songs all over that record

i'd say "ride" is her best single after all the stuff on the first album

yeah i didn't even include the stuff that i really like but is just, like, 8/10, not quite in the top tier or whatever... "you can get it", "rattla", "yeah i know" etc

just backing up and rtc's pic of this era is, of all things... "ciara to the stage"???????????? like not even i particularly rep for that one

Not sure what is less comprehensible, people thinking this album is a masterpiece or people thinking it sucks.

― Tim F, Monday, 19 August 2013 12:15 (3 days ago) Bookmark

so now how many more times a day will lex have to shriek the same spiel before u realise cici has always been the proxy arena for the cold war against stansmanship

it's important to give in to one's inner stan for a select 2-3 artists imo

it's only noticeable b/c few other people are with me though, no one notices when i stan for beyoncé

What's the sample in "Echo?" This is gonna drive me nuts all day now. There's a 2006-ish song that uses a very similar synth pattern.

i'm with you on the ciara stuff?

honestly where i stand, 'goodies' is brilliant singles some good album tracks and a bunch of filler, the evolution is her worst and least consistent record despite again having killer singles

fantasy ride is like 60% pretty damn great but horribly mismanaged, and usher track aside, 'Basic Instinct' is front to back her most consistent and enjoyable listen.

the new one doesn't have quite as many highs for me as the last one but is still more consistent than the first two, if lacking in anything as massive as her best work, body party aside.

the evolution is her worst and least consistent record

jesus christ this thread is the worst and least consistent

Did Jord really just say "Ride" is better than "Promise"?

"promise" is way better at the very least by virtue of coming first. lyrically & vocally i think it could be argued that "devotion" is more impressive. "promise" to me is just a virtuosic producer and his most virtuosic.

― kushighway (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 10 October 2009 21:48 (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the word "just" kind of degrades how amazing and singular and groundbreaking i think the production is

― kushighway (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 10 October 2009 21:50 (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

not to put too fine a point on it but 'promise' trounces 'devotion' line for line and e.r deliver not a single one of those to the effect ciara achieves. i seriously can scarcely believe i find myself even having to argue that here.

― r|t|c, Saturday, 10 October 2009 22:05 (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

WELL i was never a huge fan of ciara as a vocalist so i think if anything her & e-red break even. "devotion" might have weaker lyrics overall due to stuff like the hors d'oeuvres line but i love the "expose my devotion" lyric above all

― kushighway (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 10 October 2009 22:11 (3 years ago) Bookmark

if Jordan didn't say it, i will - Ride is better than Promise.

fwiw i don't concur that 'ride' is "garbage", it's pretty okay, but just idk... i guess my inner stripper has higher aspirations

promise to ride is like mount olympus to a tin shack, stop embarrassing yourselves people

ciara to the stage has a similarly blurry quality as Ride in my book. both of em are perfectly hazy. these days Ciara to the stage and Like a surgeon are p much the only Cici songs i listen to.

oh and I don't remember.

Ride is better than Promise.

But neither is as good as AlunaGeorge, right

well yes i overlooked "promise," i was making a generalization

It's ok, the misunderstanding outed the real lunatics

tin shack >> garbage. I could at least listen to my iPod playlist of Ciara tracks in my tin shack.

speaking of garbage: lol I forgot "Love Sex Magic"

al yer an analyzer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpMIcAiPwCU

I kinda remember that one fondly as one of the more pleasant stops on Timberlake's latter day parade of blandness tbh. Xp

in what universe is LoveSexMagic more pleasant than Ride

LoveSexMagic is one of the most embarrassing songs of the millennium, i think JT had more chemistry with madonna

So she's pregnant, I really hope this doesn't spoil her ability to dance brilliantly and coo sensually over immaculately produced midtempos

so uh

i just had a private listening party for this album wit my boyfriend 2 years too late or whatever. and it's kind of ... great.

Saw this thread revive and briefly got really excited like "oh yeah maybe this album is going to finally come out" then I remembered that it already did and I got a little sad.

yea but like, it was really weird because i kind of assumed it didn't do so well, but when we were listening to it, there were at least 2 or 3 songs that i swear i heard a bunch of times

(besides body party)

She's been talking about a new album coming again soon despite the fact that she's about to give birth.

Still find it funny in this thread that over the space of 2 months j0rdan went from saying that The Evolution was her only GREAT album to calling it her worst album.

sorry again for being tardy to the party but, i really can't get over some of these tracks

that one with nicki that opens the album w/ the explicit video p much made my night the other night