Ciara

Last time Ciara promised an Evolution and gave us an album that wasn't much different from her debut. But maybe she was using the term more literally, as in a gradual change over time. Because it's here on album three that the former queen of crunk & b morphs into an entirely different (and rather fantastic) creature (perhaps Super C, her superhero alter-ego?). Fantasy Ride eschews the spare beats and minimalist vocals for a lush, ornately produced dreamscape, ranging from the surreal (the fabulously freaky "High Price") to the sexy and nightmarish (yes, both. See "Like a Surgeon").

After hitting big with "Goodies" in 2004, Ciara hit a fallow stretch in which she seemed to be
spending most of her time feuding with a hip-hop magazine (her claim: they airbrushed her
clothes off) and gossip sites. Nothing says spin control like a hit duet with Justin Timberlake
(the slinky "Love Sex Magic"); "Turntables," a curry-flavored but otherwise similarly catchy
Chris Brown guest spot, serves the same purpose. But with Rihanna and Lady Ga... More >