Member Since: 9/6/2012
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The Boston Globe better STAN!
Quote:
Ciara brings attitude, big hits to House of Blues
The R&B singer Ciara might be known for the way her feather-light voice curls around next-generation beats, but on Thursday night at House of Blues she came out snarling. Ciara’s new album “Jackie,” which came out Tuesday, opens with a dizzying kiss-off where she fires back at a rival: “You wanna get up in my head, don’t ya?/ Deep down inside you wanna be me so bad, don’t ya?” she croons sweetly before ripping through a rap touting (in slightly grittier language) her brazen nature.
...Thursday’s lively, dance-packed show was a reminder that Ciara had garnered quite a few monster hits over the last decade; the gender-flipping “Like A Boy,” the pillowy Miami-bass homage “Body Party,” the Quiet Storm update “Promise.”
It also showcased “Jackie,” a fairly solid R&B album full of boasts, toasts, and roasts — as well as assists from Top-40 alchemist Dr. Luke. The first single, “I Bet,” is a breakup track squarely aimed at her ex, the Atlanta MC Future; she even lightly mimics his flow at the song’s more scathing moments, which she clearly reveled in while performing it Thursday.
But “Jackie” is more a statement of how satisfying post-breakup life can be, particularly when the past stays there; tracks like the bouncy “That’s How I’m Feelin’” and the focused “All Good” prove the maxim about living well being the best revenge, while “I Got You,” dedicated to her son, doubles as a statement on how romantic love isn’t the only type that can provide inner strength.
Ciara’s voice possesses sylphlike qualities, which made her choice to cover Sade’s romantic devotional “Cherish The Day” seem odd on paper; Sade Adu’s rich, warm vocals define her band’s lush, stretched-out balladry. But Ciara packed lovestruck lines like “You show me how deep love can be/ This is my prayer” with emotion and tenderness, while her shout-out to Ginuwine’s raunchy “Pony” — slipped into her own glitchy 2010 single “Ride” — doubled down on her eroticism, and thrilled the already-hyper crowd.
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