Basic Instinct (album)
Encyclopedia
Basic Instinct is the fourth studio album
by American recording artist Ciara
, released from December 10, 2010 by LaFace Records
(Jive
). Executively produced
by A&R agent Mark Pitts, Ciara, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream
, Basic Instinct returnes Ciara to her urban roots with mid-tempo R&B
cuts and bass-heavy dance
songs. Aside from production by Stewart and The-Dream, Ciara collaborated with production by Soundz
, Infinity and T-Minus. Frequent collaborator and friend Ludacris
makes a guest vocal appearance, as does labelmate and fellow Atlanta-native, Usher
. After previous album Fantasy Ride
(2009) suffered numerous leaks and pushbacks, information about Basic Instinct was kept confidential until the first single and album were complete.
Despite keeping more control of the album's contents, Basic Instinct still suffered several pushbacks due the leaking of songs from the album's recording sessions, much like its predecessor. Three singles preceded the album's release including the Ludacris-assisted lead single
"Ride
", which peaked within the top five on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart at number three and the Billboard Hot 100
at number forty-two. The other singles, "Speechless
" and "Gimmie Dat
" failed to impact more than "Ride", and all the singles failed to impact significantly on international single charts. Basic Instinct was well received by critics, on average scoring seventy-two out of 100 according to Metacritic
. Most critics praised the eleven-track set for its strong productions and cohesive themes, which drew comparisons to the early career of Janet Jackson
. However, there were criticism towards the dated and unoriginal sound of the album as well Ciara's soft vocals being overshadowed by the album's production.
Basic Instinct debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200
at number forty-four with 37,000 copies sold, becoming the lowest selling debuting album of Ciara's career so far and continuing a downward trend in her commercial success. In international territories the album was also unsuccessful, most notably reaching top-thirty on the Australian Urban Chart and the UK R&B Chart. On February 14, 2011, just two months after the album's release, Ciara published a statement detailing the issues she experienced with Basic Instinct. She detailed how she alone paid for the music video for the album's third single and how the label refused to promote the singles on U.S. radio stations. Ciara openly criticsed her label for the lack of support with Basic Instinct, as well as her previous albums, and asked to be released from her contract with LaFace Records (Jive), as a result.
and Ciara herself. Stewart described the studio sessions as "feeling good" with the music "having a good vibe". On the record's theme he said "[Ciara's fourth album] is obviously is gonna have tempo to it, but I think it’s gonna have even more substance than the last record. She dances and we always want to bring out what she does that other people don’t." Additionally the trio said that they intended the album to contain no features except for one collaboration with The-Dream, although there would features on remixes. They had wanted to release the album in 2009 but accepted that a 2010 release was more realistic. Later in an interview with Rap-Up
magazine, two songs were name dropped, "Speechless
" which was the aforementioned feature with The-Dream and "Gifted". Both songs where tipped to appear on the album, though on the final track listing only "Speechless" made the album without The-Dream's vocals. In December 2009, Digital Spy
reported that Ciara had begun working Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
, someone she had previously collaborated with for Fantasy Ride
(2009). Milk Recording Studios, in Atlanta, confirmed that Ciara had been recording at their studios with Miles Walker, an engineer who worked on Usher
's Raymond v. Raymond and Mary J. Blige
's Stronger with Each Tear. He mixed tracks for the album, however none of the tracks he mixed for the record made the final track listing.
In February 2010, in another interview with Rap-Up magazine, it was revealed that due to the legal issues and leaks that plagued Fantasy Ride (2009) news about her fourth studio album was strictly confidential and that no news will be released until they were ready to make an official announcement about the album. Since then, Pharell Williams revealed, in an interview in Australia,, that he had also worked with Ciara for the record along with his production outfit, The Neptunes
. When asked what the recording process of her new album was like, Ciara made the following comments to Maxim
magazine "It’s the coolest, can't lie. I go to the studio at, like, noon, and there’s a lot of dancing and, of course, singing. There's a cook who whips up food, and we sit around and joke and record until the wee hours. Then we head home, get up, and do it again. I feel blessed I get to do this for a living." Despite the tight clamp down of information on the new album, Gerrick D. Kennedy from the Los Angeles Times
reported that the "revolving door of pushbacks" with Basic Instinct were attributable to a "slew of poorly received leaked tracks", much like Fantasy Ride.
, which starred Sharon Stone
and Michael Douglas
. Stone's character, Catherine Tramell
, was a beautiful, seductive, and stealthy crime writer. Ciara told the interviewer "When you get the record, you’re gonna get a really fun vibe. You’re gonna get an even more sensual side and also confident and cocky. I got like such an attitude on this record, but in such a fun way." One song which follows this theme is "I Run It", Rap-Up described it as a sensual slow jam. The new album is said to sound much like Ciara's debut album Goodies
and her 2006 single, "Promise
", following on from comments made by Tricky Stewart that Ciara was going back to her roots with this album. Meanwhile, she told Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul
magazine, that "Basic Instinct is really about her trusting her instinct and going back to the R&B/urban basics in her music – like where she first started, in the days of "Goodies
" and "1, 2 Step
". In a later interview with Maxim
, she said "The album is about our basic wants and desires. But I have to say, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct was smart, a little shady, and she definitely had a sexy gangsta thing going on."
. On April 20, 2010, the singer revealed a new official website, OnlyCiara to promote the album. She performed singles and previewed tracks from the album at venues in Dallas, Texas
and Governor's Island, New York
, throughout July and August 2010.". Starting in September 2010, when the album is pre-ordered directly from Sony Music digital release store, "Ride" featuring Ludacris and "Ride (Bei Maejor Remix)" automatically become available as instant downloads. The first five hundred fans to pre-order the album were also given to the chance to receive a Basic Instinct poster signed by Ciara with their album Ciara co-hosted BET
's 106 & Park
for four days during the week of November 8, 2010. Later that month, Ciara travelled to Australia
as one of the line up acts for the Summerbeatz
tour, where she performed several of the album's songs as well as songs from her previous albums.
The album's cover was unveiled on July 8, 2010 and met with positive reception. 'Idolator' said "Ciara has been tempting us with her sexy new single 'Ride' ... but if you’re looking for her goodies keep on looking because their not on her Basic Instinct album cover (unless it’s a seductive Playboy-esque fold out). The songstress, who’s music video proved to be too hot for BET, kept things simple for the cover art." Ciara then outlined plans for a mixtape to precede the album's release, in preparation she recorded remixes to Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
's "Pretty Boy Swag
" ("Pretty Girl Swag") and Waka Flocka Flame
's "Hard in Da Paint
", as well as a cover of Young Jeezy
's "Lose My Mind
". When asked by Gerrick D. Kennedy. from the Los Angeles Times
, if the label [ LaFace Records
] had anything to do with the delays in release or late promotion, Ciara replied "I did see a few comments and I said, 'You know what? I one day look forward to being able to share with my fans (things that happen).' Right now, this is about living in a world of possibility and doing my best, .. Getting the record out there, I just want my fans to hear it. This album is really for my fans, and it's good to know the energy and the feedback has been great. It really is just the beginning". In February 2011, following rumors that Ciara had been dropped by Jive Records
, Ciara released an official statement to her Facebook
page. Amongst her complaints, were a lack of funding and support from the label with regards to promoting Basic Instinct. In addition to disagreeing with the label over single choices, Ciara personally funded the $100,000 video for her third single "Gimmie Dat
." "I’m dedicated to my music, performance and to my fans! I’ve tried to be a team player with the label only to have compromised what I truly believed.. And was not given the right opportunity to promote and inform my fans of the release of this album."
", which features Ludacris
, was released as the lead single on April 26, 2010. It peaked at forty-two on the US Billboard Hot 100
, three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It became Ciara's twelfth top-ten R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit. However it was one of Ciara's least successful singles in the UK, only reaching to top seventy-five. "Ride"'s music video was well received by critics such as Billboard
magazine, but aroused controversy due to its sexual dances and outfits, and was banned from BET
and UK music channels. The song's Bei Maejor Remix, which features Bei Maejor
, Ludacris, and Andre 3000
was released as a digital download on June 29, 2010, and was able to chart at seventy-five in Australia. As of November 1, 2010 the "Ride" has sold 680,000 copies in the United States through digital and mobile sales. On September 7, 2010, "Speechless
" was released as the album's second single. It peaked at seventy-four on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Gimmie Dat
" was released as the album's third single on November 2, 2010. It has reached a current peak at sixty-three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was released as the second single in international markets on October 15, 2010, with "Speechless" as its B-Side. An extended play, featuring both songs and their music videos, was released to the same markets, excluding Australia, on the same day. "Gimmie Dat" achieved minor success in the UK. "Turn It Up", which features Usher
, was supposed to be sent to U.S. radio stations on March 8, 2011 however, as of February 8, 2011 it has been removed for radio add lists. Ciara confirmed the single's cancellation in an interview with Rap-Up magazine. On February 14, 2011, Ciara revealed that album did not have the support of her record label behind it and hence she requested a release from LaFace Records
(Jive
), signalling an end to the Basic Instinct era.
chart, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies. Consequently, it marks the first time in Ciara's career that one of her albums has missed the top three, as well as continuing a downward trend in success. Her second album, Ciara: The Evolution
(2006) topped the Billboard 200 while her debut, Goodies
(2004) and last album, Fantasy Ride
(2009) charted at number three. On the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart. Basic Instinct opened at number eleven, again becoming Ciara's lowest charting album of her career thus far. Her first two albums topped the charts while Fantasy Ride peaked at number two. When asked about chart performance on the eve of the release of Basic Instinct, Ciara told Gerrick D. Kennedy from the Los Angeles Times
:
In the following weeks, Basic Instinct continued to tumble down the charts. In week two it registered the eighth biggest fall on the Billboard 200, dropping fifty places to number ninety-four. On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart is registered the seventh largest fall of the week, only falling eleven places to number twenty-two. In February 2011, online rumors were circulated that Ciara had been dropped from Jive Records
due to te album's lack of commericial success. In an official statement, Ciara revealed that she never had the support of her label on the album. Aside from funding one of the album's music videos, and paying for the radio release of "Gimmie Dat
," she revealed that the label no longer saw her as commercially viable. Consequently due to Basic Instincts performance, Ciara has officially asked to be released from her recording contract.
Basic Instinct made its Swiss Chart debut at number eighty-three, making it Ciara's lowest charting album in Switzerland since her debut, Goodies, which reached number fifty-two back in 2004. Additionally, in the United Kingdom it is Ciara's lowest charting album having missed the Top 100 on the UK Albums Chart
, in comparison to her previous albums which all reached at least the top thirty. It did, however, debut at number thirty on the R&B Albums Chart
, as well as managing a slightly better peak in Australia where it reached number twenty-two on the ARIA Urban Chart
. In France it debuted at number forty-six on the French Digital Albums Chart, where it remained for one week before falling of the chart.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 72, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and called it Ciara's "most consistent and unified release [...] one of 2010’s finest pop-R&B albums". Entertainment Weekly
s Simon Vozick-Levinson gave Basic Instinct a B+ rating and viewed that The-Dream and Tricky Stewart's contributions "play towards Ciara's strengths" due to their "caffeinated synthpop
beats and wiggling melodies". Jon Pareles
of The New York Times
commented that the album "never deviates from an underlying two-bar, three-chord vamp, but its synthetic orchestrations vary unpredictably while Ciara’s voice curls around the repeating chords on multiple paths". BBC Online's Matthew Horton called it "one of the best RnB albums of the year [...] vibrant, addictive and sleek, a calling card for modern RnB shorn of filler and gauche imitation", writing that Ciara "really becomes the new Janet Jackson, mixing sugary vocals and tempered aggression and rolling over the beats in time-honoured [Janet] Jackson
fashion. Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
called it "a svelte and cohesive collection that serves up one glitzy guilty pleasure after another", stating "It's pretty rare that a singles artist decides, seven years into her career, to make her first concerted effort at an album that works as a front-to-back listen."
However, Los Angeles Times
writer Randall Roberts found that "the lyrics don't matter" and wrote that the album "offers enough android booty bass action to satisfy those who like their rhythms complicated but repetitive and hooks foreseeable from a mile away, but pleasant enough when they arrive". USA Today
s Jerry Shriver gave it 2 out of 4 stars and viewed The-Dream and Tricky Stewart's production as "sometimes incompatible with their client's soft, breathy (and pleasant) pop voice". New York Daily News writer Jim Farber criticized the album's producers, writing that the production resulted in Ciara's soft "R&B vocals turned to mush on badly produced album". Ken Copabianco of The Boston Globe
described it as a "safe, rote effort" and stated "Some songs are tart and have attitude but many are nondescript. The emotionally demanding cuts lack conviction". Allison Stewart of The Washington Post
wrote that "she hasn't the gravity to carry off lesser songs" and called the album "a personalized mea culpa that's meant to make it okay to like Ciara again, a feat that remains beyond her limited powers of persuasion". MTV UK
's Joseph Patterson criticized some of its sexual themes, but described the album "as a credible comeback from a classy lady who it seems is having a bit of an identity crisis", concluding that "With it, Ciara has shown just enough that she knows how to stay current without forgetting her roots, only it comes a little late".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American recording artist Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, released from December 10, 2010 by LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
(Jive
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
). Executively produced
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
by A&R agent Mark Pitts, Ciara, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, Basic Instinct returnes Ciara to her urban roots with mid-tempo R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
cuts and bass-heavy dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
songs. Aside from production by Stewart and The-Dream, Ciara collaborated with production by Soundz
Soundz
Soundz is a producer specialising in Hip-Hop and R&B genres. Soundz has produced many songs of these genres, including "Look at Her" by One Chance, and has produced a lot of content for artists Pitbull, Trina, Young Boss, Ciara, Brandy and Rihanna....
, Infinity and T-Minus. Frequent collaborator and friend Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
makes a guest vocal appearance, as does labelmate and fellow Atlanta-native, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
. After previous album Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride is the third studio album by American R&B singer Ciara. It was released on May 3, 2009 in the UK by RCA Records and May 5 in the United States on LaFace Records. The album combines R&B and hip hop sound from her previous albums along with a new pop and dance direction.The album...
(2009) suffered numerous leaks and pushbacks, information about Basic Instinct was kept confidential until the first single and album were complete.
Despite keeping more control of the album's contents, Basic Instinct still suffered several pushbacks due the leaking of songs from the album's recording sessions, much like its predecessor. Three singles preceded the album's release including the Ludacris-assisted lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
"Ride
Ride (Ciara song)
"Ride" is a song performed by American recording artist Ciara. The song features American rapper Ludacris. It was co-written by Ciara, Ludacris, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream, and produced by the latter two. The song serves as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct. The song...
", which peaked within the top five on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart at number three and the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number forty-two. The other singles, "Speechless
Speechless (Ciara song)
"Speechless" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, The-Dream, and Tricky Stewart, with the latter two producing the song as well. Taken from her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, the song serves as the second single from the album...
" and "Gimmie Dat
Gimmie Dat
"Gimmie Dat" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, along with its two producers Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Kenneth "Soundz" Coby for her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct . "Gimmie Dat" is an uptempo dance song, featuring speedy, kinetic beats and a...
" failed to impact more than "Ride", and all the singles failed to impact significantly on international single charts. Basic Instinct was well received by critics, on average scoring seventy-two out of 100 according to Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Most critics praised the eleven-track set for its strong productions and cohesive themes, which drew comparisons to the early career of Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. However, there were criticism towards the dated and unoriginal sound of the album as well Ciara's soft vocals being overshadowed by the album's production.
Basic Instinct debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number forty-four with 37,000 copies sold, becoming the lowest selling debuting album of Ciara's career so far and continuing a downward trend in her commercial success. In international territories the album was also unsuccessful, most notably reaching top-thirty on the Australian Urban Chart and the UK R&B Chart. On February 14, 2011, just two months after the album's release, Ciara published a statement detailing the issues she experienced with Basic Instinct. She detailed how she alone paid for the music video for the album's third single and how the label refused to promote the singles on U.S. radio stations. Ciara openly criticsed her label for the lack of support with Basic Instinct, as well as her previous albums, and asked to be released from her contract with LaFace Records (Jive), as a result.
Recording and production
In September 2009 Tricky Stewart revealed what had widely been expected, that the singer had been working on her anticipated fourth studio album. At the time the project was set to be produced solely by trio of Tricky Stewart, The-DreamThe-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
and Ciara herself. Stewart described the studio sessions as "feeling good" with the music "having a good vibe". On the record's theme he said "[Ciara's fourth album] is obviously is gonna have tempo to it, but I think it’s gonna have even more substance than the last record. She dances and we always want to bring out what she does that other people don’t." Additionally the trio said that they intended the album to contain no features except for one collaboration with The-Dream, although there would features on remixes. They had wanted to release the album in 2009 but accepted that a 2010 release was more realistic. Later in an interview with Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
magazine, two songs were name dropped, "Speechless
Speechless (Ciara song)
"Speechless" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, The-Dream, and Tricky Stewart, with the latter two producing the song as well. Taken from her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, the song serves as the second single from the album...
" which was the aforementioned feature with The-Dream and "Gifted". Both songs where tipped to appear on the album, though on the final track listing only "Speechless" made the album without The-Dream's vocals. In December 2009, Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
reported that Ciara had begun working Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, someone she had previously collaborated with for Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride is the third studio album by American R&B singer Ciara. It was released on May 3, 2009 in the UK by RCA Records and May 5 in the United States on LaFace Records. The album combines R&B and hip hop sound from her previous albums along with a new pop and dance direction.The album...
(2009). Milk Recording Studios, in Atlanta, confirmed that Ciara had been recording at their studios with Miles Walker, an engineer who worked on Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
's Raymond v. Raymond and Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
's Stronger with Each Tear. He mixed tracks for the album, however none of the tracks he mixed for the record made the final track listing.
In February 2010, in another interview with Rap-Up magazine, it was revealed that due to the legal issues and leaks that plagued Fantasy Ride (2009) news about her fourth studio album was strictly confidential and that no news will be released until they were ready to make an official announcement about the album. Since then, Pharell Williams revealed, in an interview in Australia,, that he had also worked with Ciara for the record along with his production outfit, The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
. When asked what the recording process of her new album was like, Ciara made the following comments to Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
magazine "It’s the coolest, can't lie. I go to the studio at, like, noon, and there’s a lot of dancing and, of course, singing. There's a cook who whips up food, and we sit around and joke and record until the wee hours. Then we head home, get up, and do it again. I feel blessed I get to do this for a living." Despite the tight clamp down of information on the new album, Gerrick D. Kennedy from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that the "revolving door of pushbacks" with Basic Instinct were attributable to a "slew of poorly received leaked tracks", much like Fantasy Ride.
Title and concept
In an interview with 'MaximoTV' on April 12, 2010, Ciara announced that the album would be titled, Basic Instinct. The title was inspired by the 1992 film of the same nameBasic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
, which starred Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
and Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
. Stone's character, Catherine Tramell
Catherine Tramell
Catherine Tramell is a fictional character, a psycho-killer, in the film Basic Instinct and its sequel, Basic Instinct 2 . She is played by Sharon Stone in both films...
, was a beautiful, seductive, and stealthy crime writer. Ciara told the interviewer "When you get the record, you’re gonna get a really fun vibe. You’re gonna get an even more sensual side and also confident and cocky. I got like such an attitude on this record, but in such a fun way." One song which follows this theme is "I Run It", Rap-Up described it as a sensual slow jam. The new album is said to sound much like Ciara's debut album Goodies
Goodies (album)
Goodies is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on September 28, 2004 via LaFace Records. After writing songs for several established acts, Ciara's talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies...
and her 2006 single, "Promise
Promise (Ciara song)
"Promise" is a R&B song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones, and Elvis Williams, it is the official lead single and second release in the North America from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution...
", following on from comments made by Tricky Stewart that Ciara was going back to her roots with this album. Meanwhile, she told Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
magazine, that "Basic Instinct is really about her trusting her instinct and going back to the R&B/urban basics in her music – like where she first started, in the days of "Goodies
Goodies (song)
"Goodies" is the debut single by American recording artist Ciara. Written by herself, Sean Garrett, LeMarquis Jefferson, and Craig Love, the song is produced by Lil Jon and features label-mate Petey Pablo. It was released worldwide from June 2004 as the lead single from her debut album of the same...
" and "1, 2 Step
1, 2 Step
"1, 2 Step" is a R&B/dance/hip hop song recorded by Ciara and Missy Elliott for Ciara's debut album Goodies . Written by Ciara and Missy Elliott and produced by Jazze Pha, it was released as the album's second single in October 2004 in the United States and the second quarter of 2005 ...
". In a later interview with Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
, she said "The album is about our basic wants and desires. But I have to say, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct was smart, a little shady, and she definitely had a sexy gangsta thing going on."
Marketing and promotion
On April 19, 2010 the album's official promotion began with the release of a viral video for the album's title song "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)". The song sees the singer speaking about the return to her R&B/urban roots and ditching the pop sound of previous records. It's music video was directed by Phil the God and features a cameo from The-DreamThe-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
. On April 20, 2010, the singer revealed a new official website, OnlyCiara to promote the album. She performed singles and previewed tracks from the album at venues in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Governor's Island, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, throughout July and August 2010.". Starting in September 2010, when the album is pre-ordered directly from Sony Music digital release store, "Ride" featuring Ludacris and "Ride (Bei Maejor Remix)" automatically become available as instant downloads. The first five hundred fans to pre-order the album were also given to the chance to receive a Basic Instinct poster signed by Ciara with their album Ciara co-hosted BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
for four days during the week of November 8, 2010. Later that month, Ciara travelled to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as one of the line up acts for the Summerbeatz
Summerbeatz
Summerbeatz is a 2010 concert tour held in Australia featuring Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Akon, Ciara, Ja Rule and Travie McCoy with special guests Stan Walker and DJ Nino Brown.- Background :...
tour, where she performed several of the album's songs as well as songs from her previous albums.
The album's cover was unveiled on July 8, 2010 and met with positive reception. 'Idolator' said "Ciara has been tempting us with her sexy new single 'Ride' ... but if you’re looking for her goodies keep on looking because their not on her Basic Instinct album cover (unless it’s a seductive Playboy-esque fold out). The songstress, who’s music video proved to be too hot for BET, kept things simple for the cover art." Ciara then outlined plans for a mixtape to precede the album's release, in preparation she recorded remixes to Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
's "Pretty Boy Swag
Pretty Boy Swag
"Pretty Boy Swag" is the first official single released by Soulja Boy from his third studio album The DeAndre Way. The song was produced by G5 Kids and is thought to be about Wesley "CaliSwagg" Washington. Pretty Boy Swag has peaked at number #1 on Atlanta radio stations Atlanta Radio Hot v103 and...
" ("Pretty Girl Swag") and Waka Flocka Flame
Waka Flocka Flame
Juaquin Malphurs , better known by his stage name Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper signed to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. He is a Southern hip hop artist best known for his singles "O Let's Do It", "Hard in da Paint" & "No Hands", along with his debut album, Flockaveli...
's "Hard in Da Paint
Hard in da Paint
Hard in da Paint is the second single off American rapper Waka Flocka Flame's first studio album Flockaveli.- Background :Hard In The Paint, just like Let's Do It, was originally a mixtape track. The song was produced by up and coming producer Lex Luger.- Music video :The music video was shot and...
", as well as a cover of Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
's "Lose My Mind
Lose My Mind
"Lose My Mind" is the first single released from Young Jeezy's upcoming album, Thug Motivation 103. The song features rapper Plies. The song was also released on Jeezy's mixtape "Trap or Die II". It is nominated for Best Rap Performance By Duo or Group at the 2011 Grammy's.-Music video:The music...
". When asked by Gerrick D. Kennedy. from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, if the label [ LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
] had anything to do with the delays in release or late promotion, Ciara replied "I did see a few comments and I said, 'You know what? I one day look forward to being able to share with my fans (things that happen).' Right now, this is about living in a world of possibility and doing my best, .. Getting the record out there, I just want my fans to hear it. This album is really for my fans, and it's good to know the energy and the feedback has been great. It really is just the beginning". In February 2011, following rumors that Ciara had been dropped by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, Ciara released an official statement to her Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page. Amongst her complaints, were a lack of funding and support from the label with regards to promoting Basic Instinct. In addition to disagreeing with the label over single choices, Ciara personally funded the $100,000 video for her third single "Gimmie Dat
Gimmie Dat
"Gimmie Dat" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, along with its two producers Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Kenneth "Soundz" Coby for her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct . "Gimmie Dat" is an uptempo dance song, featuring speedy, kinetic beats and a...
." "I’m dedicated to my music, performance and to my fans! I’ve tried to be a team player with the label only to have compromised what I truly believed.. And was not given the right opportunity to promote and inform my fans of the release of this album."
Singles
"RideRide (Ciara song)
"Ride" is a song performed by American recording artist Ciara. The song features American rapper Ludacris. It was co-written by Ciara, Ludacris, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream, and produced by the latter two. The song serves as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct. The song...
", which features Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, was released as the lead single on April 26, 2010. It peaked at forty-two on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It became Ciara's twelfth top-ten R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit. However it was one of Ciara's least successful singles in the UK, only reaching to top seventy-five. "Ride"'s music video was well received by critics such as Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, but aroused controversy due to its sexual dances and outfits, and was banned from BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
and UK music channels. The song's Bei Maejor Remix, which features Bei Maejor
Bei Maejor
Brandon Green, better known by his stage name Bei Maejor, is a Grammy nominated American recording artist, songwriter and record producer.- Life and career :...
, Ludacris, and Andre 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
was released as a digital download on June 29, 2010, and was able to chart at seventy-five in Australia. As of November 1, 2010 the "Ride" has sold 680,000 copies in the United States through digital and mobile sales. On September 7, 2010, "Speechless
Speechless (Ciara song)
"Speechless" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, The-Dream, and Tricky Stewart, with the latter two producing the song as well. Taken from her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, the song serves as the second single from the album...
" was released as the album's second single. It peaked at seventy-four on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Gimmie Dat
Gimmie Dat
"Gimmie Dat" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, along with its two producers Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Kenneth "Soundz" Coby for her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct . "Gimmie Dat" is an uptempo dance song, featuring speedy, kinetic beats and a...
" was released as the album's third single on November 2, 2010. It has reached a current peak at sixty-three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was released as the second single in international markets on October 15, 2010, with "Speechless" as its B-Side. An extended play, featuring both songs and their music videos, was released to the same markets, excluding Australia, on the same day. "Gimmie Dat" achieved minor success in the UK. "Turn It Up", which features Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, was supposed to be sent to U.S. radio stations on March 8, 2011 however, as of February 8, 2011 it has been removed for radio add lists. Ciara confirmed the single's cancellation in an interview with Rap-Up magazine. On February 14, 2011, Ciara revealed that album did not have the support of her record label behind it and hence she requested a release from LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
(Jive
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
), signalling an end to the Basic Instinct era.
Commercial performance
Basic Instinct debuted at number forty-four on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies. Consequently, it marks the first time in Ciara's career that one of her albums has missed the top three, as well as continuing a downward trend in success. Her second album, Ciara: The Evolution
Ciara: The Evolution
Ciara: The Evolution is the second studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on December 5, 2006, by LaFace Records. The album is separated into five sections, with each showcasing a different side of Ciara's artistry...
(2006) topped the Billboard 200 while her debut, Goodies
Goodies (album)
Goodies is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on September 28, 2004 via LaFace Records. After writing songs for several established acts, Ciara's talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies...
(2004) and last album, Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride is the third studio album by American R&B singer Ciara. It was released on May 3, 2009 in the UK by RCA Records and May 5 in the United States on LaFace Records. The album combines R&B and hip hop sound from her previous albums along with a new pop and dance direction.The album...
(2009) charted at number three. On the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. Basic Instinct opened at number eleven, again becoming Ciara's lowest charting album of her career thus far. Her first two albums topped the charts while Fantasy Ride peaked at number two. When asked about chart performance on the eve of the release of Basic Instinct, Ciara told Gerrick D. Kennedy from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
:
In the following weeks, Basic Instinct continued to tumble down the charts. In week two it registered the eighth biggest fall on the Billboard 200, dropping fifty places to number ninety-four. On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart is registered the seventh largest fall of the week, only falling eleven places to number twenty-two. In February 2011, online rumors were circulated that Ciara had been dropped from Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
due to te album's lack of commericial success. In an official statement, Ciara revealed that she never had the support of her label on the album. Aside from funding one of the album's music videos, and paying for the radio release of "Gimmie Dat
Gimmie Dat
"Gimmie Dat" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. The song was written by Ciara, along with its two producers Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Kenneth "Soundz" Coby for her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct . "Gimmie Dat" is an uptempo dance song, featuring speedy, kinetic beats and a...
," she revealed that the label no longer saw her as commercially viable. Consequently due to Basic Instincts performance, Ciara has officially asked to be released from her recording contract.
Basic Instinct made its Swiss Chart debut at number eighty-three, making it Ciara's lowest charting album in Switzerland since her debut, Goodies, which reached number fifty-two back in 2004. Additionally, in the United Kingdom it is Ciara's lowest charting album having missed the Top 100 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, in comparison to her previous albums which all reached at least the top thirty. It did, however, debut at number thirty on the R&B Albums Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, as well as managing a slightly better peak in Australia where it reached number twenty-two on the ARIA Urban Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. In France it debuted at number forty-six on the French Digital Albums Chart, where it remained for one week before falling of the chart.
Critical response
Basic Instinct received, on average, positive reviews from music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 72, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and called it Ciara's "most consistent and unified release [...] one of 2010’s finest pop-R&B albums". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Simon Vozick-Levinson gave Basic Instinct a B+ rating and viewed that The-Dream and Tricky Stewart's contributions "play towards Ciara's strengths" due to their "caffeinated synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
beats and wiggling melodies". Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commented that the album "never deviates from an underlying two-bar, three-chord vamp, but its synthetic orchestrations vary unpredictably while Ciara’s voice curls around the repeating chords on multiple paths". BBC Online's Matthew Horton called it "one of the best RnB albums of the year [...] vibrant, addictive and sleek, a calling card for modern RnB shorn of filler and gauche imitation", writing that Ciara "really becomes the new Janet Jackson, mixing sugary vocals and tempered aggression and rolling over the beats in time-honoured [Janet] Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
fashion. Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called it "a svelte and cohesive collection that serves up one glitzy guilty pleasure after another", stating "It's pretty rare that a singles artist decides, seven years into her career, to make her first concerted effort at an album that works as a front-to-back listen."
However, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Randall Roberts found that "the lyrics don't matter" and wrote that the album "offers enough android booty bass action to satisfy those who like their rhythms complicated but repetitive and hooks foreseeable from a mile away, but pleasant enough when they arrive". USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Jerry Shriver gave it 2 out of 4 stars and viewed The-Dream and Tricky Stewart's production as "sometimes incompatible with their client's soft, breathy (and pleasant) pop voice". New York Daily News writer Jim Farber criticized the album's producers, writing that the production resulted in Ciara's soft "R&B vocals turned to mush on badly produced album". Ken Copabianco of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
described it as a "safe, rote effort" and stated "Some songs are tart and have attitude but many are nondescript. The emotionally demanding cuts lack conviction". Allison Stewart of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
wrote that "she hasn't the gravity to carry off lesser songs" and called the album "a personalized mea culpa that's meant to make it okay to like Ciara again, a feat that remains beyond her limited powers of persuasion". MTV UK
MTV (UK and Ireland)
MTV is a 24-hour general entertainment channel operated by Viacom International Media Networks.The channel was launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localization strategy in 1997. MTV UK was launched on 1 July 1997. The channel was set up to provide audiences with local artists and more relevant...
's Joseph Patterson criticized some of its sexual themes, but described the album "as a credible comeback from a classy lady who it seems is having a bit of an identity crisis", concluding that "With it, Ciara has shown just enough that she knows how to stay current without forgetting her roots, only it comes a little late".
Track listing
Notes- Track listing and credits taken from album booklet.
- The opening track, "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)", samples "Eye of the TigerEye of the Tiger"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
" by SurvivorSurvivor (band)Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
. - Track four, "Heavy Rotation", contains a portion of "Baby Baby", written by Rogers Andrell, Brian Flemming and Gerald J. Coats.
Personnel
Credits for Basic Instinct adapted from Allmusic.- The Agency – ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Alex Al – Bass
- Chris Bellman – Mastering
- Christopher "LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
" Bridges – Composer - Ciara HarrisCiaraCiara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
– Executive ProducerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, Composer, Primary vocals - Martin Cooke – Assistant Engineer
- Steven Dennis – Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Lauren Evans – Background vocals
- Iain Findlay – Assistant Engineer
- Yolonda Frederick – Make-Up
- Chris Galland – Assistant Engineer
- Jesus Garnica – Mixing Assistant
- Steven Gomillion – PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Josh Goodwin – Vocal Engineer
- Mark Gray – Mixing Assistant
- Josh Gudwin – Vocal Engineer
- Kuk HarrellKuk HarrellThaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
– Vocal Engineer, Vocal Producer - Travis Harrington – Mixing Assistant
- Jaycen Joshua – Mixing
- Dennis Leupold – Photography
- Giancarlo Lino – Mixing Assistant
- Chris Bellman - Audio masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Mike Molina – Composer
- Monte Neuble – Keyboards
- Terius "The-DreamThe-DreamTerius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
" Nash – Executive Producer, Producer - Luis Navarro – Assistant Engineer
- Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – Engineer
- Mark Pitts – Executive Producer, A&R
- Zachariah Redding – Assistant Engineer
- Marni Senofonte – Stylist
- Kelly Sheehan – Engineer
- Jason Sherwood – Assistant Engineer
- Kenneth "SoundzSoundzSoundz is a producer specialising in Hip-Hop and R&B genres. Soundz has produced many songs of these genres, including "Look at Her" by One Chance, and has produced a lot of content for artists Pitbull, Trina, Young Boss, Ciara, Brandy and Rihanna....
" Colby – Producer, Composer - Christopher "Tricky" StewartChristopher Stewart (music producer)Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
– Executive Producer, Composer, Producer - Anthony Taglianetti – Assistant Engineer
- Brian "B-Luv" Thomas – Engineer
- Michael Thompson – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Pat Thrall – Engineer, Vocal Effect
- Randy Urbanski – Assistant Engineer
- Courtney Walter – Art Direction, Design
- Tyler "T-MinusT-Minus (producer)T-Minus , is a Canadian hip-hop and R&B producer from Ajax, Ontario. He has produced for artists such as T.I., Ciara, Nicki Minaj, Plies, Ludacris, LeToya Luckett, Birdman, Lil' Wayne, Wale and Drake, & August Rigo among others.-2006:Drake - Comeback Season:* 00. "Replacement Girl" T-Minus (born...
" Williams – Composer, Producer - Kiyah Wright – Hair Stylist
- Andrew Wuepper – Engineer, Mixing
Charts
| Australia Urban Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
22 |
|---|---|
| French Digital Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
46 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 83 |
| UK R&B Albums Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
30 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
44 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
11 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | December 10, 2010 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
88697720922 |
| Germany | Digital download, CD | |||
| Sweden | 886977209222 | |||
| France | December 13, 2010 | |||
| United Kingdom | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
88697720922 | ||
| United States | December 14, 2010 | Digital download, CD | LaFace LaFace Records LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful... , Jive Records Jive Records Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African... |
886977209222 |
| Brazil | CD | Sony Music | ||
| Japan | December 15, 2010 | Standard edition (CD) | Sony Music Japan Sony Music Entertainment Japan is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry.... |
SICP2848 |
| Deluxe edition (CD+DVD) | SICP2846 | |||
| Netherlands | December 24, 2010 | Digital download, CD | Sony Music | 88697720922 |
External links
- Basic Instinct at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...