A successful singer-songwriter, Ciara first made herself known in 2004 with her debut album, Goodies. As a teen, she was a member of an all-girl music group called Hearsay- ultimately, it was during that time that her songwriting talents became apparent. At the age of seventeen, she landed a music deal with LaFace Records with the help of Jazze Pha.
Born on October 25, 1985 in Austin, Texas, Ciara Wilson moved around frequently during her childhood due to her parents’ careers in the army. Growing up, she lived in Germany, Nevada, New York, Utah, Arizona, and California. Later settling down in Atlanta, Georgia in her teens, she formed a girl band with two of her friends called Hearsay. Though they recorded a few demos, they ultimately disbanded before releasing any material.
Determined to becoming a recording artist despite the setback, she continued to hone her songwriting skills over the next two years. Eventually, her hard work paid off as she was signed by L.A.Reid’s LaFace Records promptly after graduating from high school in 2003.
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How Ciara Became Famous
On September 28, 2004, Ciara released her debut album titled, Goodies. Produced by Robert Kelly, Bangladesh, Lil’ Jon, and Dre & Vidal, among a few others, it utilized a few elements including hip hop, R&B, and pop. Preceded by its lead single, the album contained thirteen tracks including guest appearances from Ludacris, Missy Elliott, and Petey Pablo; some titles include: 1, 2 Step, Lookin’ at You, Pick Up the Phone, Next to You, Other Chicks, and Thug Style.
A solid debut, Goodies entered the Billboard Top 200 at number three, with over 124,000 sales in the first week; not only that but it also managed to top the US Top R&B Albums chart. Praised by critics, the album also fared well internationally, having charted in Japan, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the UK. By the summer of 2005, the album had spawned a total of four singles, three of which went on to attain platinum certification.
To date, more than 2.7 million copies of the album have been sold in the United States, earning it 3x platinum accreditation. Worldwide, over 5 million units of Goodies have been sold.
Ciara’s Other Music Albums
Two years later, the singer released her second album titled, Ciara: The Evolution. Consisting mainly of ballads and uptempo R&B, it came packed filled with eighteen songs, many of which included guest appearances from artists such as Pharrell Williams, Chamillionaire, 50 Cent, Lil Jon, and Elvis Williams.
Shortly after its release, the album shot to the top of the Billboard Top 200 and Top R&B Albums charts with over 338,000 sales in the initial week. By January 2007, Ciara: The Evolution had gone platinum with over one million sales in the US.
Then in 2009, after a three-year long break, Ciara released her third album, Fantasy Ride. A collaboration with many producers including Benny Blanco, Black Elvis, The Clutch, Dr. Luke, and Jasper Cameron, it boasted thirteen tracks some of which included Like a Surgeon, Ciara to the Stage, Keep Dancin’ on Me, Tell Me What Your Name Is, and I Don’t Remember. A week later its original release, the album entered the Billboard 200 at the third position with 81,000 sales.
Though not as big of a hit as her previous titles, Fantasy Ride went on to become her third album in a row to debut within the top 3 in the United States. It eventually also gave rise to three commercial singles: Work (with Missy Elliott), Love Sex Magic (with Justin Timberlake), and Like a Surgeon. According to Niel Soundscan, approximately 195,000 copies have been sold in the US so far.
Since then, Ciara has released three additional albums, Basic Instinct in 2010, Ciara in 2013, and Jackie in 2015. Of the three, Ciara ended up being the most successful, with over 200,000 domestic sales.
Ciara’s Career Accomplishments
Since her music debut in 2004, the 31-year-old star has sold more than 23 million records across the globe. As far as accolades go, she’s also received a fair amount including three MTV Video Music Awards, three BET Awards, three MOBO Awards, and a Grammy Award.
As of 2017, eight of her singles have reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 including the titles Goodies (Feat. Petey Pablo), 1 ,2 Step (Feat. Missy Elliott), Oh (Feat. Ludacris), and Get Up (Feat. Chamillionaire).
Ciara’s Love Life
Since last year, Ciara has been married to Russell Wilson, a professional quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. After dating in early 2015, they got engaged in March 2016, after which they tied the knot in Cheshire, England on July 6, 2016. A few months later, they welcomed a daughter into the family.
In the past, the singer was engaged to American rapper Future, with whom she also has a son with. A year after the engagement, they separated in August 2014.
Ciara on TV and Film
Over the past few years, the singer has also made a handful of guest appearances on TV. So far, she’s appeared in the shows America’s Next Top Model, The Game, Idols South Africa, and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. In 2015, she was also a celebrity contestant on the game show, I Can Do That.
As far as film goes, Ciara co-starred in the sports movie, All You’ve Got alongside Adrienne Bailon, Jennifer Pena, and Sarah Mason in 2006.
Ciara’s Snapchat Name – Ciara
In April 2016, Ciara announced through her official Facebook page that she had joined Snapchat. If you’d like to add the singer to your friend’s list, you can do so by clicking here.
Ciara’s Other Social Media Accounts
Ciara’s Facebook Account
If you’d like to follow the singer on Facebook, you can do so by liking her official page at @ciaramusic.
Ciara’s Twitter Account
Want to keep up to date with Ciara? Why not join over 8 million other fans in following her on Twitter at @ciara?
Ciara’s Instagram Account
Now you can also add the singer on Instagram- you can find her on the photo-sharing app at @ciara.
Ciara’s Youtube Account
If you feel like watching some of her official music videos, then you should head on over to her Vevo Youtube channel at @CiaraVEVO.
