Rap-Up.com || Review Roundup: Ciara

Ciara’s third album Fantasy Ride drops tomorrow. After several delays, does the R&B princess deliver thrills on her latest effort? Find out below.

Entertainment Weekly: Ride spends a lot of time in the car-pool lane with guests like Justin Timberlake and Ludacris. Still, her solo turn on the morning-after ballad “I Don’t Remember” hints at something deeper under the high-gloss sheen. B

The New York Times: Two of the album’s highlights show how to rescue Ciara, both from herself and from others. On “High Price,” produced by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, her vocals are manipulated to sound like opera, a spooky, ethereal effect that’s both innovative and surprisingly natural. Matched with eyebrow-arching lyrics, it’s the most conspicuous song here, and the best.

Newsday: While Ciara doesn’t really cover any new ground on Fantasy Ride, the ground she’s been mining for three albums is still so fertile that she doesn’t really have to. At this point, the hits seem to just grow themselves. B

The Dallas Morning News: A couple of cuts are particularly bad: “Like a Surgeon” and “G Is for Girl (A-Z).” Those titles are as lame as the songs. It’s pretty amazing that Ciara has carved out a career with nothing more than a pretty face, a lithe body, and a weak voice. At least Janet Jackson was once in control. C

The Guardian (U.K.): Few artists go as hard as she does on her club jams, whether inviting the world to “kiss my swag” over kinetic freestyle beats on “Pucker Up,” combining outraged soprano braggadocio with thunderous crunk basslines on the broiling “High Price,” or gliding smoothly through the delectable, sun-kissed “Echo.” At her best, her pace is furious, and keeping up is exhilarating. 4 out of 5

Los Angeles Times: More agile than powerful, Ciara takes on different styles as if they were disguises: shimmery on ballads produced by Polow Da Don and Tricky Stewart and The-Dream; teeth bared for “Love Sex Magic,” her Madonna-esque duet with Justin Timberlake; and simultaneously sneering and operatic on the daring, Ludacris-fortified “High Price.” 2.5 out of 5

Rap-Up’s Favorite Tracks: “High Price,” “Work,” “G Is for Girl (A-Z),” “I Don’t Remember”

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34 Comments

pussycatdolls.lapunk.hu
May 4th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM OF 2009!!!
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4REAL
May 4th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
WOW I LOVE THE ALBUM. I THINK SHE SGOULD GET A 4 OUT OF 5 BECAUSE SHE WORKED REALLY WELL WITH THIS ALBUM. CREATIVELY AND VOCALLY SO GREAT JOB CIARA FOR DOING YOUR THING
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staytrue
May 4th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
what are those dallas people talking about…like a surgeon is the best song on the album.
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Kyle
May 4th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I am so excited to get my copieS tomorrow. I’ve been waiting for so damn long for this album.
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AnTwaun
May 4th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
The hype is really up on Fantasy Ride, only 13 tracks & each track is amazing in its own way. i cant wait to get my 3 copies tomorrow. this is album everyone can buy & enjoy & just let it play through. Best female album of 09. so far. Yay Super C. were wishing for the best.
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BOBBY
May 4th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I LOVE CIARA WOOOOOOOOOOOO
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FANTASY RIDE MAY 5 2009
May 4th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
³ hours till we hop on the Fantasy Ride
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Marquis a huge ciara fan
May 4th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH FANTASY RIDE MAY 5TH PEOPLE GO GET IT INCLUE’S THE HIT’S NEVER EVER FEAT JEZZY AND LOVE SEX MAGIC FEAT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE………YES I CANT WAIT
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Jay
May 4th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Fantasy Ride is the truth, best believe that! Ciara really made a masterpiece of an album! Every single song is amazin! Can’t wait to get my copies too! Fantasy Ride tomorrow baby yea!!!
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Dillon_68
May 4th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I have all of her cd’s, and personally she improves on every one, so in other words, FANTASY RIDE IS HER BEST TO DATE!!!!
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Mach
May 4th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I love it.. can’t wait to get a copy as well
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Nick
May 4th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
This is not Ciara’s best album. This is pretty weak, and No it is NOT the best album of the year. Ciara is fading and her singles wont do much either.
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itsmeniccas
May 4th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
@ nick y dony u go and chew on beyonce’s clit. ITS CIARA TIME !!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HATERS R GOIN MAD!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. KARMA IS A BITCH PEOPLE MINE WAT YUR SAYING BCUZ CIARA’S BEST ALBUM TO DATE ITS BETTER THAN SOME R&B CHICK… I WONT CALL DA NAME LOL
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itsmeniccas
May 4th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
SOME PEOPLE R MAD BCUZ SHE GETS A LOT OF GOOD REVIEWS BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY HAHAHAHA SORRY BUT CIARA IS DOIN IT BIG AGAIN.
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Corey
May 4th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Nice round of reviews Rap-Up! Ciara pulled through and the album is the best of 09!!
Get it guys support Ciara Fantasy Ride in Stores Tomorrow May 5th!
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enrique
May 4th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
i cant believe that fantasy ride is finally coming out! after a long year and a half. thats how long ive waited 4 2morro. and 2morro, i will finally be getting my copy of fantasy ride!!!!!!!!!!
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ugh
May 4th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
good cd, too bad half the tracks leaked way before the cd even had a release date. i wish record companies would keep up with the privacy of the artists and not leak all the tracks
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crunkpoet
May 4th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
i am soo happy for her and will be gettin the album!
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Catie
May 4th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
“I Don’t Remember” is way too similar to Britney’s “Blur”. I can’t listen to it without going into “Blur”, which was better crafted.
Anyways, i might buy the album, the reviews were decent and i’ve liked most of the songs that were leaked (especially “High Price”).
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LOVE SEX MAGIC
May 4th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I love the album it’s a good mix of pop/dance and R&B
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Ciara turnin me on
May 5th, 2009 at 12:46 am
I loved the album. fav tracks r Turntables, Love Sex Magic, When I, Work, Echo, Lovers Thing, Keep Dancing & High Price. #1 would b Turntables
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Dominicano
May 5th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Dallas ppl r crazy like a surgeon is the best dam song off the album besides work wit missy
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Nick
May 5th, 2009 at 5:02 am
OMG “Ciara turnin me on” all of the tracks you listed as your favourites are mine too (I also really like “I don’t remember” which you didn’t list)! CiCi’s best album to date by far! Not a single track I dislike or skip!
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mimi
May 5th, 2009 at 5:58 am
i loved it!! my fav tracks: like a sergeon, g is for girl like gangsta!, high price!! and echo (on the delux version)
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pappy
May 5th, 2009 at 9:03 am
did they not hear ciara to the stage..
she damn there boned everyone who listen to it on the record..
i hope ciara to the stage is the next single..
do u agree?
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tyler
May 5th, 2009 at 9:36 am
The best tracks are “turntables” (dont care wot any1says bwt chrisbrown his presence on the song is great), “love, sex and magic,” “high price” and “like a surgoen”
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tyler
May 5th, 2009 at 9:38 am
@ pappy i agree
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FANTASY RIDE - MAY 5TH 09!
May 5th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Still on the way to get the album. Be back later with my review.
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mzzprincess
May 5th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
AMAZINGG! i love this album 5/5 baby!
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bass_man
May 5th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
got my album today after school!
it’s good!
The Evolution is still her best, that album’s amazing.
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`shawtaye.
May 5th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
She still looks like Trey Songz on her album, despite that amazing!
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Jay
May 5th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
@shawtaye you sound stupid! How the hell she look like him I love the cover, Ciara look hella sexy!
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`shawt-aye.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:00 am
STFU it`s my opinion. If i say the cainrows make her look like Trey Songz’ when he had cainrows then it does! i`m sure a lot of people would agree.
STANS MAKE ME SICK.
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AM
May 7th, 2009 at 4:32 am
High Price with Ludacris, Work with Missy Elliott and What’s Your Name Is are my fave of the fantasy ride cd. I also love the duet with JT and never ever. I’m from portugal and I think that CiCi’s cd is amazing, i loveeeeeee ittt
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