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Ciara Gets Brutally Honest About Her Lowest Moments In The Music Industry

“You can love this thing so much and it will never love you back the same.”

In a recent Instagram Live session, Ciara opened up to evangelical leader Judah Smith about her journey in the music industry. During the conversation, Smith noted that Ciara has always been humble and grounded despite her decade-long career in entertainment.

  •  “I don’t forget where I came from...and so I’ll never take any of my blessings for granted,” she responded, adding that she couldn’t reach this point in her life going through some ups and downs that allowed her to find herself. Even though she has accomplished a lot since her debut album Goodies came out 16 years ago, Ciara said there’s still a lot she hasn’t done that she wants to, like win another Grammy or go on a proper world tour. 

  • “I’ll be honest. In this generation we’re living in, I feel like things are so convenient that it creates a false perception of success and if you’re so consumed with being successful, you lose who you are in the process,” Ciara voiced. “That’s one thing I’ve always said. I’m really afraid of losing my soul and losing myself.” 

    “At one point in time, I loved [the] music and entertainment [industry] so much that it was like I would do whatever it took to be successful,” Ciara continued. “The reality is, you can love this thing so much and it will never love you back the same.”

    “You’re gonna have records that won’t work. You’re gonna have business things that you may fail [at]. The reality is it doesn’t hold back. You fail and it’s up to you to figure it out. You gotta dig spiritually and you gotta have faith. I’m glad that I had that before this industry. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been a lost soul at many different moments in my life and especially in the tough times.”

  • Continuing in the conversation, Ciara also recalled a “frustrating” recording experience for her third album. Although she didn’t mention the title or her label, she released Fantasy Ride under LaFace Records 2009. She had just finished recording one of the singles for the album when the label made her re-do it. Ciara opted not to name which song it was, but said the experience did “hurt [her] a little bit.”

    “It was really frustrating because I felt like they were trying to force a sound on me that I’d already kind of done, like regurgitating a sound that I’d created,” she said. “It didn’t feel like the right direction...my studio experience recording that song was not good either. I didn’t have the best experience with the producer.” 

  • Listen to the rest of the conversation below.

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