ATLANTA (AP) — When Ciara was churning out chart-topping singles like "One, Two Step" and "Like a Boy," she appeared to be on the verge of superstardom, drawing some comparisons to Janet Jackson and the late Aaliyah.
But since the initial platinum-sellers
"Goodies" and "Ciara: The Evolution," she has hasn't lived
up to the hype: She failed to sell more than 250,000 copies of her third album,
last year's "Fantasy Ride."
Ciara says she received the "most negative
energy" as a result of her lackluster sales, with bloggers and other
critics declaring her music career over.
Now the 25-year-old singer, who released her fourth
album, "Basic Instinct," this month, says she's learned not to be
concerned about selling millions of records anymore. In a recent phone
interview, she talked about how she's still making waves in the entertainment
realm.
The Associated Press: On the opening track of
"Basic Instinct (U Got Me)," you lashed out at bloggers and critics.
How important was it for you to get those things off your chest?
Ciara: I wanted to speak to all the haters. I just wanted to
scream out and show how I felt. People are so easy to write you off. I live for
energy like that. The harder they hate, the harder I go. I do believe I will be
here for a while. I'm claiming it and no one ... make me think differently.
AP: How do you feel when people say that your star as singer
has fallen?
Ciara: Even though my last album didn't do as well as my
previous ones, I was still able to go out and make money and tour. Every day is
not always the perfect day. Artists that I have loved and admired, who have had
a long career, have not had every record or song or video that was always the
right choice.
AP: With your previous album not selling well, are you
concerned about what type of numbers you put up for "Basic Instinct"?
Ciara: Selling records are becoming smaller fraction of branding
and building a long-lasting career. You can sell a lot of records, but can you
tour. You can sell records, but where does it go beyond that? That's a part of
building a brand for yourself.
AP: So at this point of your career, going on tour has bigger
precedence over album sales?
Ciara: Absolutely. If you can walk away from your career and are
successful touring, you'll always be straight. Artists like Madonna have been
doing it for years. She may put out one single, do a tour and gross over $200
million.
AP: You are in the blogs almost every other day. Was there
anything you read that rubbed you the wrong way?
Ciara: It used to be funny to me when people would say,
"Oh, Ciara is going Hollywood." And you know what, I have gone
Hollywood. I do want to make Hollywood money. But it doesn't mean that I've
changed who I am as a person. I haven't changed because of the people who I
hang out with now. I'm still the same person as I was before.
Copyright
2010 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/Evan Agostini, file)
