Early life
Ciara Princess Harris was born in Austin, Texas, on October 25, 1985, the only child of Jackie and Carlton Clay Harris. An army brat, she grew up in Georgia, New York, Utah, California, Arizona, and Nevada. She was named after the Revlon fragrance Ciara which was introduced in 1973. During her teens, Ciara and her family settled in College Park, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, where she attended North Clayton High School before graduating from Riverdale.
In her mid-teens, Ciara formed the all-girl group Hearsay with two of her friends. The group recorded demos, but as time went on, they began to have differences and eventually parted ways. Despite this setback, Ciara signed a publishing deal as a songwriter.
Her first writing credit was on Blu Cantrell’s debut album, So Blu, for the song “10,000 Times”. She also wrote the song “Got Me Waiting” for R&B singer Fantasia Barrino’s debut album, Free Yourself. It was when she was writing songs that she met music producer Jazze Pha, whom she called her “music soulmate”. In 2002, the two recorded four demos: “1, 2 Step”, “Thug Style”, “Pick Up the Phone”, and “Lookin’ at You”, which all appeared on her debut album that was released two years later. “1, 2 Step” was the second single released from the album and it was a hit.
Career
2003–2005: Goodies
After graduating from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia, in 2003, she was signed by LaFace Records executive, L.A. Reid, whom she was introduced to by Jazze Pha. She began production on her debut album later that year. In early 2004, she wrote a demo with record producer, Sean Garrett, which came to the attention of Lil Jon and became her debut single “Goodies”. Lil Jon stated later that he knew it would be big seeing how it sounded similar to Usher’s international hit, “Yeah!”.
Ciara released her debut album Goodies on September 28, 2004. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 125,000 copies in its initial week and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Following the release of the album, Ciara was called the “First Lady of Crunk&B”. Goodies had a 71-week run on the Billboard 200, and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 10, 2006. Charting at twenty-two on the Canadian Albums Chart, it was certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. The album charted at 26 on the UK Albums Chart, and spent 20 weeks on the chart. It was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry.
Goodies’ lead single, the title track, featuring Petey Pablo, was released on June 8, 2004. Conceived as a crunk female counterpart to Usher’s “Yeah!”, the lyrical content goes against the grain, speaking of abstinence, rejecting advances because “the goodies will stay in the jar.” Critics hailed it as an “anthem of the summer” and one of the best singles of the year, complimenting its dance-feel and beat, and the irony of the “clever” lyrics. The single performed well worldwide, topping the charts in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and charting in the top 10 of other charts, receiving Platinum certification in the United States. “1, 2 Step” featuring Missy Elliott was released as the album’s second single. The song peaked in the top 10 of many countries, topping the charts in Canada, and went on to become Platinum or Gold in many countries. “Oh” featuring Ludacris was released as the third single on March 5, 2005. The song performed well worldwide, appearing in the top 10 of seven charts, and certified either Platinum or Gold in multiple regions.
Following the success of the album, Ciara released a CD/DVD entitled Goodies: The Videos & More in the United States on July 12, 2005, which featured remixes to “1, 2 Step” and “Oh”, as well as two new songs. The release was certified platinum in the United States. She made guest appearances on Missy Elliott’s single “Lose Control” and on Bow Wow’s single “Like You”, which both peaked at number three in the United States and obtained worldwide success. She was an opening act for Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 and went on tour with Chris Brown and Bow Wow on the Holiday Jam Tour in December 2005. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, Ciara received four nominations for Best New Artist, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “1, 2 Step”, Best Rap Song for Missy Elliott’s single “Lose Control”, and won her last nomination, Best Short Form Music Video for “Lose Control”.
2006–2007: Ciara: The Evolution and acting debut
On December 5, 2006, Ciara released her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution. According to the singer, the title of the album is “about so much more than just my personal growth – it’s about the evolution of music, the evolution of dance, the evolution of fashion.”The source of the album’s creativity such as the sound and edge comes from Ciara in general. Ciara: The Evolution became Ciara’s first and only number one album on the U.S. Billboard 200, and her second number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts with sales of 338,000 in the first week. The album went on to be certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States, and has sold 1.3 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The album’s international lead single, “Get Up”, which features Chamillionaire, reached number seven in the United States and gained a platinum accreditation. It reached number five in New Zealand. The song was used for the film Step Up (2006) and featured on the film’s soundtrack. The album’s US lead single, “Promise”, reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her third number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Like a Boy” was released as the second international single which reached within the top 20 in the UK, Finland, France, Ireland, Sweden Switzerland, and also in the United States. The fourth and final single from the album, “Can’t Leave ’em Alone”, reached number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song became Ciara’s fifth single to peak in the top in New Zealand, peaking at number 4. The song achieved moderate success in other international markets.
In support of the album, Ciara went on her first headlining tour in October 2006. The tour went to seventeen different clubs in cities throughout the United States. The tour was met with mixed to positive reviews; critics were divided regarding the pre-recorded backing tracks and remarked that Ciara was slightly under-prepared to host her headlining tour, but ultimately praised her energetic choreography. In August 2007, she headlined the Screamfest ’07 tour with fellow rapper, T.I. Critics praised her performance for her gracious dancing and being able to command a sold-out arena. Ciara, along with Chris Brown and Akon, was a support act for Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in the United Kingdom. She made a guest appearance on “So What” by Field Mob. The single went on to become a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. She also appeared on Tiffany Evans’ single “Promise Ring”. The song achieved little success on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
In addition to her music, Ciara made her acting debut in the MTV Films production All You’ve Got in May 2006. In the movie she played Becca Whiley, a teenager who is competing in a volleyball tournament. The movie received mixed to positive reviews; critics said the movie was predictable but still enjoyable.
2008–2011: Fantasy Ride, Basic Instinct and label change
In October 2008, Ciara was honored as Billboard’s “Woman of the Year”, because of her success as a recording artist and leadership in embracing the changing music business. Although her third album was originally scheduled for a September 2008 release, Fantasy Ride was released after several delays in May 2009. The album combines her R&B and hip hop sound from her previous albums along with a new pop and dance sound. While talking to MTV News, Ciara said, “I’m having a bit more fun with my lyrics. I’m not afraid. In the beginning, I was conscious and really protective and somewhat scared about doing some things. With this album I’m not holding back, there’s freedom. It’s just the space I’m in right now.” It became Ciara’s first top ten album in the UK.
“Go Girl” was the first single released from the album. It was originally the lead single from the album, but the single achieved minimum success and was later deemed a promo single. However, the single managed to reach the top of the charts in Japan. The album’s official lead single, “Never Ever”, which features Young Jeezy, was released in the United States in January 2009 and reached a peak of number nine on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single, “Love Sex Magic”, featuring Justin Timberlake, became a worldwide hit, peaking within the top 10 in 20 countries including the U.S., where it peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to be certified platinum in Australia and received a gold accreditation in New Zealand. It received a nomination for “Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals” at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards and also for Best Choreography in a Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. “Work”, the final single, achieved moderate success in international markets.
In July 2009, Ciara headlined the Jay-Z & Ciara Live tour with Jay-Z. Her performance received mixed reviews; critics said although her dancing was top-notch, she seemed disconnected from the crowd. She was also the support act for Britney Spears’s Circus tour, where she performed eight nights at London’s prestigious O2 Arena during June 2009. Her performance received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, who noted her dancing skills as being spectacular and arguably better than Britney Spears’. Ciara made a guest appearance on Nelly’s single “Stepped On My J’z” from his album Brass Knuckles. The song achieved minimal success in the U.S.. Ciara was also featured on Enrique Iglesias’ single, “Takin’ Back My Love”, from his Greatest Hits album. The song became an international hit, peaking in the top 10 of over 15 countries, and being certified Gold in Russia, with sales of over 100,000. In February 2010, Ciara along with Pitbull was featured on the remix to Ludacris’ hit single “How Low”. The following month, Ciara made a cameo appearance in the music video of Usher’s single, “Lil’ Freak”.
Ciara released her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct, on December 14, 2010. She told Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul magazine that the album is about her trusting her instinct and going back to the R&B/urban basics, in the days of “Goodies” and “1, 2 Step”. It was executive-produced by the singer alongside her A&R agent Mark Pitts and writing/production duo Tricky Stewart and The-Dream who also produced records for her previous album, Fantasy Ride. Basic Instinct debuted at number forty-four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies, becoming her first album to not peak within the top three. On the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the album opened at number 11, her only album to not peak within the top two of the chart. The lead single, “Ride”, which features Ludacris, was released on April 26, 2010. It peaked at number 42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number three on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming her twelfth top ten hit on the chart, and number seventy-five on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying music video won the award for “Best Dance Performance” at the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards. “Speechless” was released as the second single from the album and achieved minimal success, peaking at only number 74 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Gimmie Dat”, the third single from the album was praised by critics but failed to become a hit, peaking at only 63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number 27 on the urban charts in the UK. In November 2010, Ciara performed at the Summerbeatz tour alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Akon, Travie McCoy and Ja Rule. In the summer of 2011, Ciara was a part of the Malibu Rum Tour. She performed in seven shows across the US.
In February 2011, following rumors that Ciara had been dropped by Jive Records, she released an official statement to her Facebook page complaining of inadequate promotion and funding from the label. She stated that she received a lack of support from the label, and even paid for the promotion of some singles, such as “Gimmie Dat”, herself. The frustration she felt while working with her third and fourth albums led her to request that she be released from her contract. In May 2011, Ciara was removed from the Jive Records website roster. On July 12, 2011, it was reported that she had reunited with L.A. Reid by signing with his record label Epic Records, and was confirmed in September 2011.
2012–2013: Ciara and further acting
During an interview with Sway in the Morning in February 2012, Ciara revealed that she would be taking her time recording her fifth studio album, stating: “It’s just really about the vibe, and I’ll just tell you that it’s a good vibe going. It’s really important for me to take my time with this record and it’s important for the whole team. It’s really, really good energy.” She has been working on the album with a number of producers and songwriters, including Hit-Boy, Soundz, Diane Warren, Tricky Stewart, and The Underdogs. In an interview, Ciara said “I worked with some people that are very fresh, which I’m excited about… When it comes to artists, when it comes to writers, when it comes to producers, I really wanted to push. We pretty much reached out and worked with a lot of people that I’ve never worked with before, which is really fun.”
During a press conference with MTV in May 2012, Ciara announced her fifth studio album would be titled One Woman Army and said the lead single, “Sweat”, would be out very soon. The single, which features rapper 2 Chainz, premiered online on June 4, 2012, and was to be released via iTunes on June 19, 2012. However, the release of the single was scrapped at the last minute for unknown reasons. On August 13, 2012, Ciara revealed that the official lead single for the album would be titled “Sorry”. On September 13, 2012, the official music video for “Sorry” was premiered on BET’s 106 & Park as well as VEVO. “Sorry” was made available for purchase as a digital download on September 25, 2012, and impacted U.S. Urban contemporary and Rhythmic radio stations on October 9, 2012. In the United States, “Sorry” reached a peak at 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart while charting at number 22 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart listing of the top 25 songs that have yet to enter the Billboard Hot 100.
On October 21, 2012, Rap-Up magazine posted a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of “Got Me Good”, the second single from the album. The song and video, which was directed by Joseph Kahn, premiered on the Sony JumboTron in Times Square in New York City on October 25, 2012. The single was released via digital download on November 6, 2012. “Got Me Good” impacted rhythmic radio on November 13, and mainstream radio on December 4.
On April 15, 2013, the same day the album’s track listing was revealed, it was also announced that the album is not titled One Woman Army anymore and that the new title is Ciara. Due to their low performance on the charts, the label decided not to include “Sweat”, “Sorry”, and “Got Me Good” on the tracklist. Instead, it was later announced that a new song titled “Body Party” would serve as the lead single. It was released in March 2013 and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the U.S. Billboard “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” chart. The second single was “I’m Out” featuring Nicki Minaj. The album was released on July 9, 2013. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 59,000 copies in the U.S. The album became Ciara’s fourth album to chart within the top three of the Billboard chart. The album charted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Aside from music in 2012, Ciara also starred in two movies during this time. She starred in the straight-to-DVD film, Mama, I Want to Sing!. She played Amara Winter, a preacher’s daughter who was discovered by a well-established musician. She appeared as Brie in the 2012 comedy film, That’s My Boy. Ciara made an appearance as herself playing Lauren London’s best friend on the Season 6 premiere of BET’s The Game which aired on March 26, 2013, she continued to be a recurring cast member throughout the season.
2014–2016: Jackie and motherhood
In September 2013, producer Mike WiLL Made It revealed that Ciara had begun work on her sixth studio album. In December 2013, Ciara confirmed she was in the process of making a new album. During an interview with Rap-Up magazine Ciara revealed that recording for her sixth album began around Thanksgiving of 2013 and she would be releasing new music “really soon”. In late January 2014, Ciara premiered a live version of a song entitled “Anytime” at the Degree Women Grammys Celebration in Los Angeles, on February 2, 2014, Ciara premiered the studio version, produced Boi-1da and Katalyst featuring her then-boyfriend and rapper Future. After her engagement to Future, Ciara revealed to W in April 2014 that her sixth studio album would be predominantly inspired by her then-fiancé. Ciara gave birth to her first child in May 2014, a boy fathered by Future. After claims of Future’s infidelity during their relationship had surfaced, it was reported that the couple’s engagement had been called off. Following their very public break-up, Ciara’s album release was further postponed to 2015, and during this time the singer “quietly” recorded new music, while concentrating on motherhood.
“I Bet”, the lead single from her album Jackie, was released on January 26, 2015. In May 2015, Ciara embarked on her first headlining tour in six years. The month-long Jackie Tour kicked off on May 3, 2015, in Chicago and included stops in New York, Boston, New Orleans, Dallas, and Los Angeles. The first round of US dates wrapped May 31 in San Francisco. Ciara’s sixth album, Jackie, was released on May 1, 2015. It includes the singles “I Bet” and “Dance like We’re Making Love”. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 with 25,000 units (19,900 in sales), and has the lowest first-week sales amongst her first six albums.
After appearing in the US talent show, I Can Do That, she host the 2016 edition of the Billboard Music Awards. A few months later, she announced during the red-carpet of the American Music Awards that she was pregnant.
2017–2021: Beauty Marks and entrepreneur projects
During 2016, Ciara worked on her seventh studio album and stated that the album would feature her undertaking a new musical direction. On January 27, 2017, it was announced that Ciara had signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records. On July 17, 2018, Ciara released the single and its accompanying music video, “Level Up”. The song was the first single from her seventh studio album Beauty Marks, released on May 10, 2019. In addition to “Level Up”, the album spawned the singles “Freak Me”, “Dose”, “Greatest Love” and “Thinkin Bout You”. Ciara performed “Thinkin Bout You” at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.
In July 2019, it was announced that Ciara would appear as a judge alongside David Dobrik and Debbie Gibson in a new musical competition on Nickelodeon titled America’s Most Musical Family. On December 23, 2019, Ciara featured on the remix of longtime friend Blanco Brown’s “The Git Up”.
After taking a break from music to focus on her pregnancy, Ciara released a song and video titled “Rooted”, featuring Ester Dean, on August 13, 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, Ciara and her husband Russell Wilson embarked on several business projects, opening the fashion house The House of LR&C, and signed a first look deal with Amazon Studios to start Why Not You Productions.
2022–present: The Color Purple and Cici
In March 2022, it was announced that Ciara had joined the cast of The Color Purple as Nettie Harris. The Color Purple was released in the United States on December 25, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Ciara appeared on the cover of the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, making her the third musician to do so since the issue launched in 1964.
On June 29, 2022, it was announced that Ciara had signed a new record deal with Republic and Uptown Records, in partnership with her label, Beauty Marks Entertainment. Ciara’s eighth studio album will be released through the partnership. The first release from the deal was announced to be the single, “Jump”, released on July 8, 2022. In September 2022, it was insinuated that Ciara had collaborated with Summer Walker for a second time. On September 28, 2022, Ciara released the uptempo single “Better Thangs”, which features Walker. The official music video, directed by Mia Barnes premiered online on September 30, 2022. On choosing Walker to collaborate with, Ciara divulged “I’ve always done collaborations because it felt right, it was authentic. It felt like the artist was going to bring a certain flair to this song that it needed… I played [Summer Walker] a few songs on the album and […] this is the one song that I thought was perfect for her, but I wanted it for her because she also really liked it.” The single has reached 13 on the US Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart, becoming Ciara’s first top twenty hit on the chart. In November 2022 a remix of “Better Thangs” featuring rapper GloRilla was released.
On March 24, 2023, Ciara released the single “Da Girls”, which was followed on April 14, 2023, with a remix with Lola Brooke and Lady London. Ciara then appeared as a guest performer during Jackson Wang’s Coachella performance; the pair performed XG’s song “Left Right”, and a medley of Ciara’s songs: “Lose Control”, “Level Up”, “Goodies” and “1, 2, Step”. The set also included a short snippet of Wang and Ciara’s song “Slow”, which was released as a single on the same day. On April 25, 2023, the pair released the official music video to “Slow”, featuring dance-heavy choreography. On May 12, 2023, Ciara released Versions, an EP with remixes to “Da Girls”, featuring Derrick Milano, Lay Bankz and the previously released Girls Mix. On June 30, 2023, Ciara released “Get Loose” with Agnez Mo. In August 2023, Ciara announced her EP, titled CiCi would be released on August 18, 2023. The lead single from the EP was “How We Roll”, which also features Chris Brown as co-lead. On August 18, 2023, Ciara released CiCi; the music video to the EP’s second single, “Forever”, which features Lil Baby, was also released the same day. On November 3, 2023, Ciara released a remix to “How We Roll”, with a featured rap from Lil Wayne. On November 10, 2023, Ciara released the single “Fantasy”, in collaboration with Canadian EDM trio Keys N Krates.
On June 21, 2024, a remix of Hulvey’s 2023 song “Altar”, featuring Ciara, was officially released. On July 30, the singer announced her single “Run It Up” featuring Bossman Dlow was released August 9, 2024. She followed this release with “Wassup”, a single in collaboration with rapper Busta Rhymes, on September 27, 2024. In the summer of 2024, Ciara embarked on the Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour as a supporting act for Missy Elliott, alongside Rhymes; the tour lasted for 24 dates across the United States.
On April 4, 2025, Ciara released the single “Ecstasy”, garnering universally positive reviews, and announced that her eighth studio album, CiCi (an extension of the EP of the same name), would be released on July 11, 2025. Ciara featured on the cover of the May 2025 issue of L’Officiel USA, sharing details of the upcoming studio album, and discussed her career and family. On May 9, 2025, British DJ Flex (UK) released the single “So & So”, featuring Ciara, which contains re-recorded vocals from her 2006 single “Get Up”.
Personal life
In 2013, Ciara became engaged to rapper Future, with whom she has a son, born on May 19, 2014. She ended their engagement in August 2014.
Ciara and her now-husband Russell Wilson meeting Barack Obama and Shinzō Abe at the White House in 2015
Ciara began dating NFL quarterback Russell Wilson in early 2015. They announced their engagement on March 11, 2016. They married on July 6 at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England. Ciara took Wilson’s last name when they married. She and Wilson have three children together, born in 2017, 2020 and 2023 respectively.
Ciara identifies as a Christian.
