On the strength of Jazze Pha and Lil Jon productions like “Goodies”
and “1, 2 Step,” Atlanta singer Ciara rose to fame in 2004 as crunk’s
queen. But five years is an eternity in contemporary R&B, and so,
after sanitized ’07 follow-up Ciara: The Evolution, the
modern-sounding Fantasy Ride apes Britney Spears in its Euro-pop
sounds and constant innuendo. “Make sure you grab a sucker on the way
out the door / And make your next appointment and come back and get
some more,” she chants on “Like A Surgeon,” which is somehow not the
Weird Al parody of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.” Contributors including
Danja, Polow da Don, Young Jeezy, Chris Brown and The-Dream are part of
the problem as well; Ciara has always had trouble distinguishing
herself amidst R&B’s ever-changing flavors-of-the-month roster, and
it’s especially difficult for her here. Crashing walls of drums and
heavily layered synths smother her vocals on the tracks; lyrically, she
can’t seem to decide if she’s an innocent nymph or seasoned slut.
Despite its title, Fantasy Ride is more akin to a nightmare
— confusing, full of indecipherable symbols and likely to leave
you sweaty without knowing why.
This article appears in May 21-27, 2009.