Howd she do it?
Im always reaching for the next step.
Ciara speaks in mantras.
She is a greatest-hits collection of catchphrases, a walking playlist of motivational bon mots.
The three most powerful forces on Earth are the three Ms, Ciara says.
Its music, money, and medicine.
Music can give you a feeling that money cant buy sometimes.
And then music can also heal you in a way that sometimes medicine cant, right?
So true, bestie.
Ciaras body of work is timeless.
She got me if I needed a prayer.
Having a friend to be there for you in this business is what you gotta keep going.
Ciara, who will turn 40 this year, is too successful to be underrated.
I think thefunis whats carried me and sustained me.
Ah, yes, you might be thinking,the golden rule have fun!
But Ciara doesnt gatekeep.
Shes not hiding the keys.
And she doesnt conceal her losses either.
Ciara Princess Harris was a 14-year-old living in the suburbs of Atlantawhen she outlined her plan for world domination.
Then she wanted to sell 3 million or 4 million records.
(Check Goodiesalone has gone quadruple platinum in the U.S.) Lastly: She wanted longevity.
Its this item on the to-do list that feels like the biggest miracle of all.
Seeing her made me feel like I could do it, too.
Her sound was so smooth and Southern.
When she hit the scene, it was something I felt like I had never heard or seen before.
When streaming took over the industry, Ciara was ready for that, too.
This is an artist with a catalog built for the shuffle feature.
Ive just kept my faith steady and Ive never stopped believing, she says.
Im always reaching for the next step.
Even if I fall and feel like I took two steps backward, Im still looking up.
She has thrown down for that belief more times than she can count over the course of her career.
Because of its success, I ended uphaving my first No.
And that week was a big week it was me,Gwen Stefani, Eminem, everyone.
Nearly a decade later, she found herself in a similar situation.
Talk about betting on yourself and taking risks, she says.
Sometimes, of course, the bet doesnt pay off.
But Ive been pretty consistent in my belief, so I wont stop believing.
I love a beautiful woman whos not afraid to be strong, Colby says.
Imitating Ciara, it should be noted, can come at great expense for overall joint health.
One of my fans told me he broke his leg trying to do one of my dances.
But even she has had to confront the limitations of ones corporeal form.
That was a little out-of-body for me, she says.
Its not the first time Ive had to do this.
Ive been there before, but your body changes as you get older.
Im trying to embrace every step.
But Ciara isnt one to dwell on the downbeats: Im like, Ive got to give myself somegrace.
Her positivity is as relentless as a Theragun.
I also was kind of loving this fourth-baby version of me.
She watched me in amazement, and that made me feel like Im doing something, she says.
When your daughter looks at you and wants to mimic you or be like you a little bit?
Just dont ask her about turning 40 in October.
Dont even say it, OK?
she says, laughing.
She covers her face with her hands.
Im not old yet, Im not declaring that Im hanging on to my 30s by a thread.
(They married the following year.)
Communication rules a nation, she says.
What I will give my husband credit for is he can communicate really well.
Its the quarterback in him.
Hes so used to having to do that anyway.
Its a big part of his everyday life.
And as an artist, its a big part of hers, too.
I love communicating, she adds.
Sometimes you got to say the ugly before you get to the pretty.
Tending their marriage is a matter of always competing, she says.
you gotta still turn up the sexy.
He walks through the door, and Im like, OK!
Because he intentionally went in to go get sexier, to get cute.
For me, the same thing.
Theres always a nice, classic, sensual CiCi record, she says.
My album is never complete if it doesn’t have that.)
The two have kept up their tradition of having date nights every Friday.
Search for the beginning.
Ive never said that before, she says, pausing to consider.
How does Ciara reconcile that with her competitive streak?
She sits up on the couch, activated.
Ill give you an example, she says.
1 atR&B/hip-hop radio.
You would think that that metric would automatically classify you for a nomination, right?
She says this casually not complaining, just stating facts.
But you get to dictate the terms of your success.
If you live by the cheers, then you die by the boos, she says.
I think theres something to that.
You might miss out on whats going to happen foryou.
The encouragement is starting to fly almost faster than I can keep up.
Keep on pushing, keep on believing, keep on being you.
Run your own race at your own pace.
Her eye contact is reaching you-better-take-notes-on-this levels of seriousness.
Oh my gosh, Im not even prepared to move my body, she says.
And then youre living in your core.
Put that on future Ciara self-help books, Ciara workout tapes, Ciara podcasts.
