Global R&B-pop icon Ciara has reemerged with a long-awaited studio album, marking her first major project in half a decade. Released on Friday, August 29, 2025, CiCi stands as the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s eighth studio album and her second project under her own independent imprint, Beauty Marks Entertainment.
The artist expressed her excitement about the creative journey behind the record, emphasizing how much of her personal and professional life was intertwined with its making. “I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, they would say, went into this project. It’s funny because … I literally gave birth to two babies while I was making it. So, a lot has happened,” Ciara shared, reflecting on the demanding balance between her music career and motherhood.
Far from a simple comeback, CiCi builds upon the foundation of her 2023 self-titled EP, featuring all seven tracks from that release. Among them is her collaboration with Chris Brown, How We Roll, which achieved commercial success by climbing to the top of Billboard’s R&B digital song sales chart. These tracks now sit alongside fresh material, giving fans both continuity and new creative expression from the star.
Ciara was quick to dismiss the idea that she had taken a lengthy break from music, pointing out that she has consistently remained active. “I was still actively putting out music on the project. So, it’s not like I was five years chilling,” she said. For her, the years leading up to CiCi were less about absence and more about growth—musical, personal, and familial.
Two decades after the release of her 2004 debut Goodies, Ciara maintains the same passion for her artistry, underscoring her love for performance and connection with audiences. “I love being on the stage. I love creating music. I love engaging with my fans and the people, those things fill my cup,” she said. Her words reflect not just commitment to her craft but also an enduring enthusiasm that has fueled her career for over 20 years.
She added that her approach to music is deeply tied to joy and fulfillment, quoting a familiar adage: “There’s a saying, when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. So, I’m like, if I ever stop loving the process and experience, then I stop.”
While the music industry has grown accustomed to rapid releases and streaming-driven output, Ciara embraces a slower, more intentional creative rhythm. Some fans and critics have raised questions about her measured pace, but Ciara explained that life outside the spotlight is equally important to her identity as an artist. For her, music and family are not opposing forces but intertwined aspects of her reality.
“Not everything is about music,” she said, stressing that growth as a person—whether through motherhood, marriage, or personal evolution—also shapes her artistry. With CiCi, Ciara not only offers her fans new music but also a portrait of resilience, balance, and authenticity, demonstrating that her journey as an artist continues to be as dynamic as her life itself.
