Music Album: Ciara by Ciara

Two years and a few since the release of her last studio album, Ciara returns with her self-titled new effort. The album is her first for Epic Records and sees her team up with her mentor LA Reid for what many have considered to be the album that will see her return to musical prominence. She sticks to the urban r&b formula that she has explored on previous albums, but shows a bit more growth with lyrical content that make the songs sound very personal.

The album’s first single,’ Body Party’ sees her dive deeper into the slow-tempo r&b cuts that dominated her last album, but what makes the song even more special is the growth she exudes vocally. It would not be a Ciara album if she did not provide us with the hip hop influenced bouncy type of jams that have become a necessity for every album she has released since her debut – ‘I’m Out’ (Featuring Nicki Minaj) and the smack-talking ‘Keep On Looking’ are perfect examples of these. At a certain points, it might seem like there is nothing new or fresh that make the album stand out, but with songs like ‘Overdose,’ ‘Read My Lips,’ and her second collaboration with Nicki Minaj, ‘Living It Up’ – they are proof that she has the ability to produce her own blend of urban pop and switch up her musical style – not drastically as she did with the Fantasy Ride album.

Ciara isn’t a great album, but it certainly is a good one - that is the problem. We know Miss Harris can give her audience good music- she just needs to find the space she was during the Goodies and Evolution eras. She has given us great music before, so we know it is in her to give it to us again.