Ciara: Beauty Marks
Alfred Soto, Spin, 15 May 2019
A DUBYA-ERA STAR whose pop distillations of crunk failed to win her label's confidence at the turn of the decade, Ciara Princess Harris has spent the time since then in search of a context. Among her mononymic peers, the Atlanta native distinguished herself with a perfectly calibrated vocal poise. Whether Lil Jon or Mike Will Made It provided the beats she rode them, imbuing her don't-give-three-fucks attitude with an erotic power. 2015's Jackie, baited with the Future-dissing 'I Bet' and the album track 'Kiss and Tell' (as coolly sinuous as LL Cool J's 'Doin' It'), proved a promising return.
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