Ciara Preps “One Woman Army”

Ciara’s won Grammy Awards, BET Awards, and MTV Awards, and she was named Billboard‘s Woman Of The Year. She’s sold more than seven million albums, scored eight Top Ten singles, toured with Jay-Z, Britney Spears, and T.I., and collaborated with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, R. Kelly, Usher and Missy Elliott. At 26, singer/songwriter/actress Ciara‘s already had an extraordinary musical career, and with the release of “Sorry,” the first single from her fifth album, One Woman Army, Ciara’s soaring again.

One Woman Army is a deeply personal record; it exposes a softer side of Ciara. While she continued to flex her considerable strength, Ciara allowed herself to be emotionally open and honest in writing and recording the songs for One Woman Army. “I can sometimes be afraid of my own vulnerability,” she said. “But this time I let myself face it. I let myself feel. I let myself be real. I let myself hurt and be healed.”

There are songs that are trademark Ciara in their undeniable beats and fierce vocal work, including “Got Me Good,” but Ciara’s extended far beyond her comfort zone with the material on One Woman Army. Working with The Underdogs, Rodney Jerkins, Soundz, Jasper Cameron, Josh Abraham and Jermaine Dupri, Ciara’s created an album that’s authentic, emotionally honest, and easily her most ambitious to date.

The passion for Ciara has remained steady with her legions of fans since her 2004 debut, reaching fever-pitch this summer when the news broke that she’d reunited with her former mentor and early champion, LA Reid, who signed Ciara to LaFace when she was only 16. When LA took the helm at Epic last year, Ciara was one of the first artists he signed, and One Woman Army is the much-anticipated product of their reignited partnership.

“Sorry,” the album’s first single, became a topic of conversation in the blogosphere after Ciara tweeted a hand-written excerpt of the song’s lyrics. “You said all the right things/But the one thing you didn’t understand/was that all you had to say was… ‘I’m sorry.'” She didn’t identify the subject of the song, but it wasn’t just the mystery that got people talking – it was the promise of new music from Ciara, who released her last record in 2010.

Ciara’s talent is amplified by her beauty and her magnetic screen presence. An accomplished actress, the video for “Sorry” is her first on-film endeavor since she co-starred in this summer’s comedy, “That’s My Boy,” featuring Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg. Much like One Woman Army, the “Sorry” video reflects Ciara’s evolution as an artist; it showcases a surprisingly gentle Ciara. “Sorry” will premiere on BET’s 106 and Park on September 13th. (A video for “Got Me Good” will be available concurrent with the single’s release on October 8.)

With “Sorry” about to be released, and “Got Me Good” on the horizon, Ciara’s once again in the spotlight. One Woman Army may be a bold departure for her, but she’s headed for a familiar destination: the top of the charts.