Music lovers who’d written off Grammy winning stageblazer Ciara after the unforgiving dismissal of her third and fourth albums, ‘Fantasy Ride’ and ‘Basic Instinct’ respectively, were in for a rude awakening when her self-titled project dropped in 2013.
A return to prominence of sorts for the dancing diva, the album waltzed its way to a top 5 debut on the Billboard 200 courtesy of the modern-day slow jam ‘Body Party’ and other supporting cuts. The truest test of her commercial relevance in the day’s music market, however, would be passed if the reignited momentum could carry on to its follow-up. The answer to the challenge would arrive in a somewhat unlikely single choice: ‘I Bet.’
Perceived as a clear clapback to her highly publicized relationship woes with former fiance/rapper Future, ‘I Bet’ was greeted with mixed reviews as some praised the singer for the tune’s brazen content while others expressed disappointment over its dated sound. A slow, but steady climb up the Billboard Hot 100 (thanks to promotional appearances and radio play) would prove ‘I Bet’ a sure bet – a “winner” in some contexts given the unfavorable treatment “pure R&B” tracks were receiving on the pop charts in 2015.
However, that relative “win” would not be enough to launch the song’s parent album, ‘Jackie,’ to the heights of any of its predecessors:
Despite its featured number, ‘I Bet,’ earning the songstress the only platinum plaque for a female R&B single released in 2015, ‘Jackie’s debut numbers were Ciara’s lowest to date. With 25,000 SPS to its first week credit, the album premiered at #17 on the Billboard 200.
Granted, its promo push did see Ciara visit a number of top outlets (print and broadcast) and even light up New York’s Times Square with adverts, but some fans cried those funds could have been more strategically spent. In addition, ‘Bet’s follow-up single – ‘Dance Like We’re Making Love’ – was selected after a confusing set of announcements christened other ‘Jackie’ cuts as ‘Bet’s official successor. Boasting a glossy, Dave Meyers-directed video and Ci’s oft-envied choreography, her performance in ‘Dance’ did get much applause from viewers, but that praise did not translate into a noteworthy chart performance.
What was the dancing diva’s misstep? Since the ‘Jackie’ campaign was afforded a traditional promo push that many of Ci’s contemporaries would beg to have, especially for her genre of choice, was it the music that hit a sour note? Or, did Ciara simply curtail her promotional efforts in the wrong direction?
In other words: what caused the failure of ‘Jackie’?