Say what folk will about Ciara, but there’s no doubt that she’s weathered the storm of the music industry and – despite obstacles – has retained relevance along the way.
This hasn’t been without hiccups though, including the loss of a number of potential hits.
Join us below as we countdown our top 5 underrated Ciara songs…
So Hard [2006]
For many, ‘Promise’ was the slow jam gem that shone brightest on ‘The Evolution.’ And while it was deserving, there was definitely more where that came from.
Also crafted by Bryan-Michael Cox, ‘So Hard’ had the same knock and soulfulness that made the piano ballads such as ‘Be Without You,’ ‘We Belong Together,’ and ‘Promise’ so successful in the mid 00’s.
Dropping it as a single may have been overkill, but it absolute sits “up there” with Mrs. Wilson’s finer moments.
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4. Turn It Up (ft. Usher) [2010]
For an act as high-energy as CiCi, her uptempo’s are oddly quite hit and miss. Indeed, despite pulsating beats, some songs skew so far in the direction of “gym music” that they lack viable radio hooks.
However, this was nowhere near the case for ‘Turn It Up.’
Featuring an on-form Usher, this was a smash-in-waiting.
With Dance dominating the climate at the time, this struck a cool chord between what was on-trend and what would appeal to Ci’s Urban core.
Word on the curb is that this was being readied for the single treatment and then the plug was pulled on ‘Basic Instinct.’
We’re still salivating at the thought of what the video could have been. Sigh.
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3. One Woman Army [2012/2015]
Lifted from the recording sessions that eventually ended up as the ‘Ciara’ album, this was left on the cutting room floor when the 2013 project swerved in a more Urban direction (see: ‘Body Party’).
Belief in it must have been as strong though, because this was actually announced as the title of the LP pre the switch.
And rightfully so! It hit oh so hard and had empowering, relatable lyrics.
In an interesting Britney ‘Radar’-like twist, this popped back up on the tracklist for follow-up album ‘Jackie’ three years later – and still sounded hot.
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2. Go Girl (ft. T-Pain) [2008]
The term “ahead of its time” is thrown around far too often, but it’s truly applicable here.
Sonically, the song sits at the sweetest intersection of traditional and futuristic – with its video solidifying the latter.
Sadly, this was relegated to buzz single status when it didn’t catch on as intended. But we wish she persevered with pushing it – if only to see her slay it live one time.
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1. Dance Like We’re Making Love [2015]
When the “right” single arrives at the “wrong” time…
Hindsight is, of course, 20/20 but we can’t help but feel this should have launched the ‘Jackie’ campaign rather than ‘I Bet.’
It was a magnificent marriage of the mature, the melodic, the current, and the danceable. And, in being so, ultimately harnessed a lot of what folk loved about CiCi and meshed it with the refined woman she is now.
In all fairness, she was between a rock and a hard place in that the masses wanted to hear her address her troubles with Future. Thus making ‘I Bet’ the logical choice.
This, though, was far and away the album’s best bet at a smash – had it been issued first. Especially with “that” video, which easily serves as one of her finest visuals yet.
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