Singer Ciara is back with her fourth CD, ‘Basic Instinct,’ a project exclusively produced by The Dream and Tricky Stewart that the singer said she made specifically for her fans.

“It’s important to make sure I think of my fans and to make sure that I cover them. With this record, they will be covered all over and that’s really exciting,” she told BlackVoices.com, during a recent interview in New York City. “Out of all my albums, this is the one that’s most dedicated to my fans and I made this album with my fans in mind. I wanted to them to feel like, ‘Yo, CiCi is really holding us down!’”

Called by many her “make or break” CD because of the lackluster performance of her 2009 release ‘Fantasy Ride,’ Ciara declared ‘Basic Instinct’ is a return to the sound that made her a star, while yet incorporating her growth as woman.

“‘Basic Instinct,’ the title, is basically me taking it back to the basics of where I started. Taking it back to the base. Giving you the attitude, the aggression and the energy while still giving you the new me and the place where I am right now. It’s definitely going to give you the place where I’m at as a woman,” she explained.

Part of Ciara’s maturity has been realizing that she can’t obsess over the tabloid stories and paparazzi pictures that once stressed her out.

“Let me be honest with you, it can be if you let it,” she acknowledged.

A media magnet who is often photographed while out with her friends Kim Kardashian and LaLa Vazquez, Ciara confessed that she’s now better at coping with the media scrutiny.

“There were points where I use to think so much about what they say,” she continued. “I’m honestly in a place where I’ve decided to have fun. They’re going to say something regardless of what you do, so you might as well let go and really enjoy yourself. I plan to be here for a long time – that’s my goal – so I don’t think it ever stops. Its one of those things where you have to build a thick skin, have fun and be like, ‘whatever!’”

Tired of ongoing gossip stories about an alleged rivalry with fellow R&B star Keri Hilson, the 25-year-old singer opted to reach out to Hilson and squash the rumors by appearing on a live Ustream video together.

“There never was really a beef,” she offered. “No one should be in the space of talking about stuff like that, not as women at least. I feel like we all should be reaching for the top and there should be nothing but love amongst us. It was important for that to be in the universe and to kind of end it because that really does not matter. That was the goal. It was all about spreading love.”

Though music is her passion, the Austin-born, Atlanta-bred singer has branched out and done some acting. The singer starred opposite Adrienne Bailon (‘The Cheetah Girls’) in the 2006 MTV film, ‘All You’ve Got.’

In the summer of 2007, Ciara shot the film ‘Mama I Want To Sing’ where she played the lead character Amara Winter.

More than three years later, the movie has yet to be released.

“Well, it’s funny because at this point, I couldn’t tell you all the details to be honest with you,” the ‘Goodies’ singer said about the delay. “I’m sure it’ll definitely come out whenever everything is finalized and when it’s supposed to.”

Ciara said she enjoyed her time on the production and anticipates fans seeing the film.

“It definitely was a fun experience. I worked with Hill Harper (‘C.S.I.: NY’) and Charles Randolph-Wright (‘Preaching to the Choir’) – he was really sweet. Patti LaBelle – who is so down to earth – is also in it. I also worked with Billy Zane (‘The Deep End’) – he was really nice. It was a really fun experience and maybe when the time is right, it’ll come out.”

Black Voices

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