Ciara is preparing for the release of her anticipated CiCi album, which arrives Aug. 22. Prior to the LP, the singer sat down for an exclusive Billboard Family interview with her 8-year-old daughter Sienna.
Ciara and her bubbly daughter spoke at length about the forthcoming album, which has origins dating back to the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s been a long time coming with this project, so I like to say it’s a labor of love because I put a lot of time into it,” she explained.
Putting it simply, Ciara says her personal life is what’s inspired her the most heading into her eponymous album, which is her first LP since 2019’s Beauty Marks. “It’s really an extra special gift for my fans,” she added.
The next question drew a laugh out of Ciara when Sienna took it upon herself to answer if her mom should ever work with her husband, Russell Wilson, on music. “No, Dad is crazy,” Sienna said. “His singing’s a little off. Seriously, I’m telling the truth.”
Ciara tends to agree. “I think it is best that Dad plays football and Mommy does music,” she suggested. The Grammy-winning artist teased collabs with Latto and Jazze Pha on CiCi, which also boasts features from Lil Baby, Busta Rhymes, Big Freedia, Bossman Dlow and Chris Brown, according to the Apple Music track list.
The 39-year-old highlighted some of her favorite collaborations from over the years of her decorated career, such as team-ups with Missy Elliott (“Lose Control”), Chris Brown (“How We Roll”) and Ludacris (“Oh”). When it comes to specific moments, she hit on being proud to launch her own record label and winning a Grammy (best short form video for “Lose Control” at the 2006 ceremony).
Ciara also wants to dabble in the Latin market in the future. “I want to sing in Spanish,” she admitted. “Like work with an artist like Bad Bunny would be super cool.”
Look for CiCi to hit streaming services on Aug. 22 and for Ciara to hit the road for a tour. Watch the full interview above.