Ciara never once wanted to follow in the footsteps of other young singing sensations. She admired them, of course, but never wanted to be just like them. Instead, the former high-school track star, now a beautiful 23-year-old R & B diva, found her inspiration on . . . ESPN. We like her already. “I take my motivation from athletes—basketball players in particular,” she says. “I love LeBron James because he’s my age and full of ambition and drive. I love Michael Jordan. You can tell he chose to work hard to set himself outside the pack. There was so much pressure, but he pulled through every time. That energy motivates me.”
At this year’s Super Bowl, it was the New York Giants’ David Tyree who thrilled her. “The way he held on to that ball that Eli Manning threw—I felt what he had inside,” she says. “He wanted it that badly. When it comes to my career, there’s nothing more exciting than being successful at the highest possible level.”
Ciara, whose third album, Fantasy Ride, debuts next month, has just wrapped up a daylong photo shoot. Yet she bounds into the makeup room and offers her visitor a firm, earnest handshake that exudes confidence and energy. Her appearance also makes an impression: She has changed out of a plunging white gown into a simple gray T-shirt, black leggings, and a pair of Uggs. But she still looks stunning and radiates the kind of youthful confidence that comes only from achieving lofty goals early in life.
Like many of her idols on the court and gridiron, Ciara found her ambition early. “When I was growing up in Atlanta,” she says, “I was always striving for something. I was always setting goals and trying to be somebody.” She burst onto the music scene in 2004 with her debut album, Goodies. It spawned hit singles with Missy Elliott and Ludacris, sold 3 million copies, and earned her two Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. She cowrote every song on her follow-up, The Evolution, which sold more than 1 million, and she’s hoping her fans will equally embrace Fantasy Ride.
Ciara admits that it’s hard to find time for dating, concentrating as she is on her music these days. But she does know this: She won’t waste her time with men who don’t possess the intensity of focus that she does, who aren’t always moving the ball forward. “I like for a guy to have his own thing going on, to have strong drive and focus—because that motivates me,” she says. “You can tell it’s there when you talk to him, but it also shows in the way he carries himself—how he moves around a room. That confidence shows through, that swagger. It’s really intriguing to me, and I need to see this sort of great potential before I even talk to him.”
Ciara Shows How to Keep Your Focus—in Life and Love
1. Concentrate on What’s Inside
“During the first 6 months of getting to know somebody, it’s fun. But even if you want to move fast, you need to pump the brakes every now and then so you can learn about the person behind that cute face. You do that by building a friendship.”
2. Don’t Let Her Consume You
“Even when you’re in a relationship, keep yourself on course. It’s natural to veer off and be consumed by your other half’s world, because love drives you to do that. You’re so happy and all you want is more and more of that person. That’s fine, but never lose sight of your own priorities.”
3. Keep It Simple
“You don’t have to accessorize with big, gaudy chains. Less is more. You can make a much stronger statement with a white T-shirt and jeans. And always have nice shoes—we notice that.”
4. Learn with Lightness
“I like to go out to dinner. I like to go to the movies. These are things that give you the opportunity to learn about a person’s tastes—what they laugh at. That says a lot.”
5. Mind Your Manners
“It’s important for a guy to be a gentleman. I like some toughness, but not too much. He has to take the time to understand who I am. A lot of times, men are like, ‘You’re fun. You’re cute. I like you,’ and I think, Are you listening to what I’m saying? You should get to know me—the things I like and the things I don’t like—’cause I’m doing the same with you.”
Simply BEAUTIFUL!!!! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
I CANT wait till “Fantasy Ride” drops!!!
aww, aint that nice. :thumbsup: beautiful chick
She looks okay. Nothing earth shattering. Derek Blanks took great photos of her. Ciara should work with him more.
this girl cannot take pictures . she need to get some tips from Rihanna
i agree malolm she isnt photogenic at all.
she’s fly. very pretty girl
Very pretty pictures. Very pretty. :brownsista:
She looks good, but there aren’t outstanding pictures.
Flawlessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss,,,,Need I Say More…… Ciara You Are The Most Beautiful Woman In The World. No Words Spoken Can Describe Your Beauty. Ciara You Are The Greatest Entertainer Aliveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…………Shout Out To Mrs. Jacklyn Harris You Did An excellent Job,,,,,,,,,,,,,This Young Lady Is Truly A Champion
I’m sorry, she’s a little boring here :thumbsdown:
She is beautiful
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” = She’s cute, but her dancing skills are deadly.
5. Mind Your Manners
I agree
I agree Lindy!! She always have looks lost and clueless in her pictures. Especially when she tries to be sexy. Hope her album does good.
I like the pictures with the hat on and when she’s laying down in the white dress. They can delete the other ones. :thumbsup:
Nice interview. She sounds well spoken and is sharing things that youngs girls should listen up to. Good for her.
Better than the VIbe pics.
They airbrushed her in the Vibe pics. She sued supposedly because they airbrushed her clothes off. If that is the magazine you’re talking about. She’s pretty. She is one of the best dancers of our generation. Her and Chris Brown represent. They are so serious, focused, and dedicated with their work and everything they do. They always give 100%. I try to emulate them. They are great role models. It is good to have down to earth people to emulate.
:iagree: SHE IS A KILLA ON THE DANCE FLOOR N NO AT EVERYONE WANTS TO BE TRASHY IN THEIR PICS