It may be overcast and unseasonably cool when Ciara and I speak on a recent weekday morning, but she’s in full glam mode—sunglasses and all. That’s with good reason: The superstar is zipping around New York promoting her eighth studio album, CiCi (out today), which marks a true return to form for the undisputed queen of “ghetto pop,” as she playfully calls her dance floor-ready style. Case in point: Ciara’s infectious, Latto-assisted single “This Right Here,” which harkens back to the hits—“Goodies,” “1, 2 Step”—that first made her a star 21 years ago, when she was still a teenager.
Here, the proudly independent artist—and doting mother of four—catches up with Vogue to reflect on her new album, her family with New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, and the lasting lessons of her astounding early success.
Vogue: CiCi marks your first album in six years. What took so long?
Ciara: Oh my gosh. Well, honestly, I use the analogy of giving birth. In pregnancy, when you have your first child, you’ve heard over the years that it takes nine months, but pregnancy actually can be 10 months long. And when you get to that point, it’s like, it is time for this baby to come out! So I’ve been working away and working hard at this for some time. I’ve been fortunate enough to share some of the music along the way, and then I just decided, rather than continuing to just give my fans [individual songs], I’m just completing the body of work for my fans who have been rocking with me. I call them my Day 21s, because it’s 21 years since my first album, Goodies, came out. So it’s finally time for them to have this full body of work and I could not be more excited.
What made you give the album such a personal title? I know “CiCi” was your nickname growing up.
Yeah, and my fans also call me CiCi. Sometimes, when I’m on the stage, they say, “Go CiCi, Go CiCi, Go CiCi!” and whenever they chant that it gets real stank, it gets a little extra—something happens when they call me by my nickname. It’s very personal. So this really is me reflecting on the journey. After 21 years, I just feel so blessed that I still love what I do and have the same passion I had as a little girl coming up. The joy that you get when you get to live out your dream is the best feeling in the world, but there’s nothing better than having the best fans in the world that support you along the way and champion your journey, especially being an independent artist… which is not for the weak. It is not easy, for sure. So this project is really a token of gratitude to my fans.
The single “This Right Here” sounds so you, to me. What defines a Ciara song, from your own perspective? What are you usually trying to capture?
I would say there’s always gotta be some bass up in it. You gotta have some nice drums. And not every song is the most hard-hitting song, but I always like a little attitude in what I do. Even when I do a ballad, I can get soft and make it beautiful and sweet, but expect an underlying tone of attitude somewhere in the mix, or an underlying tone of a little bit of bass, and obviously some good urban chords. I think urban chords and urban melodies are really key to me. I call it “ghetto pop,” or “urban pop.”
Your discography is so danceable, which isn’t so common a thing these days. Is it a conscious decision of yours to make music you can move to?
I appreciate you saying that, because that’s always my goal. I always say, I wanna make the world dance, and I think dancing is a big part of my identity and how I get to have fun with music. It’s a staple that brings me a lot of joy as a performer. Dance, to me, is one of the strongest languages that we can speak. Even if you’re not the best dancer in the world, I think all of us like to try to find our groove through dance. It’s one universal language that can connect us all.
When you’re working on music, do you play new songs for your kids?
Absolutely. My kids know pretty much all my music, though if it’s a bit more adult I try to refrain from them hearing those songs. Like, I haven’t played “Ecstasy” for my kids, but somehow their ears found it. But kids keep it honest; they let you know what they think. And I love it—there’s nothing better than a kid’s honesty, because they’re really just coming from a sincere place. When you got the kid’s approval, you know you got something good.
Has having kids changed your perspective on the music industry, at least from the standpoint of how things operate?
Oh yeah, 100%. I always say my kids put the “P” in purpose for me. Having my kids has been game-changing. It’s not easy when you’re a woman of ambition on a mission. I have big goals that I’m trying to accomplish, and it’s not easy, but man, I’m just so grateful and I feel so proud when I look up and I see my four precious babies, and I know that I can still do all that I dream of at the same time. They keep me grounded. I have more than I’m living for with them in my lives and it’s just such a blessing. When I first began, I’m in an industry where it was taboo to have a child. The moment you had a child, you were automatically labeled as older or not focused. So having my babies and being on this journey to go after all that I’m trying to achieve has just been one of the coolest things. When you’re on a mission to succeed, you definitely wanna do your best to accomplish your goals, but you also gotta make sure you live. And for me, being a mom is a big part of living for me. Hopefully one day they’ll look up and be inspired to do their best and go after their dreams, just as mom did.
You’ve had two really poignant days in the past couple of weeks, starting with the city of Atlanta honoring you with your very own day on July 28—which also marked the opening of a dance studio for local kids via your and Russell Wilson’s Why Not You Foundation. What was that like?
I can tell you it was definitely a very significant day for me—and surreal. I was actually on tour with Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes last year and they surprised me with it. But my dear friend and old manager, Ana Williams, who is now working for the city of Atlanta, rallied up everyone, including the mayor, to give me this incredible honor, coining July 28th Ciara Day. It was really significant for both Russell and I. With our Why Not You Foundation, we’ve been on a mission to create these centers all over the world. Our first one was in Pittsburgh and Atlanta was our second one, and there was nothing better than doing it in my hometown. To be able to open it in Atlanta, on a day that was dedicated to me, just filled my cup so much. I believe, ultimately, that’s a big part of why I’m here—to be able to give back and have an impact. It brought me the sweetest joy, and now I’m motivated to come back to the city and keep leveling up on Ciara Day, to do more for the city that made me.
You’ve always been busy with different initiatives, as well as your foundation. What inspired you to dive into charity work in the first place?
It’s always been in my heart. I was always that girl that when you saw those infomercials that say, “Donate one penny to save a kid’s life,” I would. So I was always inspired and touched by ways to help people like that. There’s just something so gratifying about putting a smile on someone’s face, or being able to impact their day. To have a significant impact in someone’s life is an amazing feeling. You gotta have the spirit of servitude. I think it’s so important. My heart has just always gravitated towards helping other people.
You were one of the first public figures granted citizenship in the African country of Benin under a new law, which you marked on Instagram by saying you felt “indescribable joy.” Why was that important for you?
The thing is, I’ve been incredibly obsessed with Africa since God knows when. It’s always been a natural thing for me to have a strong love for the people of Africa. And whether it’s from a creative perspective or performing there, the people there have so much beauty and talent. There’s so much amazingness radiating. It was really an indescribable joy because of the love that the people there showed me. I just walked around smiling all day.
It was really fascinating to hear them speak. Some of the very talented people there talked about how they sometimes feel invisible; the way they’re pushing for their work to be seen. To hear their passion and to understand the history, it’s a special thing. So that was kind of my best way to summarize what I experienced when I was there. It was by far one of the coolest experiences of my life.
Your album Goodies was a record-breaker when it came out 21 years ago. What do you remember about that era of your career?
Oh, man, that was such a special time, because that was the beginning for me. There’s nothing cooler than when you’re a little girl and you have a really big dream to accomplish and you actually do it. It’s the craziest, it’s the most surreal thing. As we would say, it’s having a why not you? attitude. It’s true that when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. So at the time, I remember just feeling an overwhelming sense of joy, excitement, and gratitude.
But I was a little girl, definitely naive, and didn’t know a whole lot. I grew up fast coming into this game so early. You have to put on your big girl pants when you jump into the music industry so young. The world was flying so fast, literally having one song after the other be the top songs in the world. Sometimes, when you are looking to the next moment and the next moment, you can forget to live in the moment. You could be having the time of your life, but you’re also [going through] the motions. So that era taught me so much about being present.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.