A little more than two years after her double-platinum debut Goodies, Ciara has set out to reinvent herself for her follow-up Ciara: The Evolution. But the Janet Jackson-esque singer is at her best when she sticks to the formula that made “Oh” and “Goodies” such smash hits: High-energy, dance-friendly crunk.
Much of The Evolution was written and produced by the singer. The album opens with the track “That’s Right,” featuring crunk-king and Ciara’s mentor Lil’ Jon. The song, a feminist-themed dance track about women making time for themselves, features Ciara’s flowing vocals over Lil’ Jon’s ever-present chants of “let’s go!” and could easily be a future hit for this young artist.
As with Ciara’s past hits, she is at her best when her soulful voice is supported by an exciting, dynamic rapper who speeds up the flow of her songs. With this formula, the standout tracks on The Evolution are “Get Up,” featuring the riding dirty Chamillionaire; “Can’t Leave ‘Em Alone,” featuring 50 Cent; and the aforementioned “That’s Right.”
“Get Up” was a huge hit this summer, and “Promise,” Ciara’s latest ballad about finding the perfect man, has been climbing the pop charts. “Promise” features some impressive R&B vocals and is a nice change of pace from her other hits, but its slow tempo won’t get many fans dancing. Another possible hit without the help of any featured artists is “C.R.U.S.H.,” a Lil’ Jon-produced track about Ciara’s schoolgirl crush on the object of her affection. Lastly, “Make It Last Forever” samples the Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock classic “It Takes Two,” and shows off Ciara’s rapping talent.
While most of the album contains Ciara’s trademark club-ready hits, the last third of The Evolution slows the tempo with “So Hard,” “I’m Just Me” and the Pharrell-produced “I Found Myself.” “I’m Just Me” and “I Found Myself” discuss Ciara’s evolution as a singer and songwriter in the two years since her solo album, and demonstrates the artist’s comfort in her own skin. But surprisingly, it is during these confidence-building ballads that the album falters, especially with “I Found Myself.” The song takes the listener through Ciara’s experiences in her early 20s, and the chorus is shockingly simplistic and enjoyable: “I say/ So long, farewell/ My life’s moving forward/ My ship has sailed/ And I’m so glad it’s over/ My heart is well/ After all that I’ve been through/ I found myself.”
While every song on The Evolution is not a hit, there is plenty of material on this album to satisfy any Ciara fan for the time being. While the title promises a sort of rebirth for the young singer, listeners will be glad to hear that on most tracks – understandably the best ones on the album – Ciara has not changed her recipe for crunk-heavy, get-down-ready hits.
Contact reporter Jason
Koebler at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.
