Ciara is coming at us with her most personal album to date.
In what is evidently a tribute to the enduring legacy of The Legendary Miss Britney Spears‘ indie-experimental mixtape Britney Jean, CiCi, creator of one of 2013’s best, most overlooked pop records (including the missed hit of the year, “Overdose”), is publicly airing her grievances and laying it all out there, a little more personal (raw) style, on her forthcoming studio album, Jackie.
Why Jackie? “I Named My Album #JACKIE After My Mom Because I Can Now See The World Through Her Eyes,” she tweeted. See? She’s really going there.
To kick off the campaign, the singer posed for a fierce spread in L’Uomo Vogue, in which she described the sound of her upcoming sixth studio album.
“It will be an authentic album, true,” CiCi explains. “I’ll talk with an open heart of my emotions a woman, a mother, my ambitions, but also of my vulnerability, my happy moments and sad ones. You know, now that I have Future [Future Zahir Wilburn], my angel, I’m happy.” She is a mother. She is our friend. She is happy! She is CiCi Jean.
And that’s not all: In conjunction with the spread, Ci just dropped the album’s lead single, “I Bet,” out of nowhere…and she’s mad. Real mad. (It’s her “Perfume,” basically.)
Set across a throwback R&B beat that heavily recalls Usher‘s “U Got It Bad,” the singer comes for her ex (Future) with a variety of stinging, shaming lines. “Is that your bitch over there giving me the ugly stare? The one with the silicone ass and the Brazilian hair?” Well, damn.
In usual Ciara fashion, it’s a melodic midtempo ballad that’s chock full o’ hurt feelings.
And, also in usual Ciara fashion, it’s a lead single that probably shouldn’t be a lead single, and will likely to relegated to “buzz single” status within a week before she gives us two to three more attempts over the next few years.
But hey, this is Ci’s personal journey. Are you coming along for the ride (REFERENCE)?
