Ciara by Dennis Leupold for Essence May 2016

Ciara Princess Wilson (née Harris, born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and model. Born in Fort Hood, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, eventually moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where she joined the girl group Hearsay. She later signed a publishing deal and befriended producer Jazze Pha, who recorded demos that would appear on her debut album. With his help, Ciara signed a record deal with LaFace Records.

In 2004, Ciara released her debut studio album Goodies, which spawned four singles: "Goodies", "1, 2 Step", "Oh" and "And I". "Goodies" topped the Billboard Hot 100, and also topped the charts in the United Kingdom. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and garnered four nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara was also featured on Missy Elliott's "Lose Control" and Bow Wow's "Like You", both of which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2006, Ciara released her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution, which spawned the hit singles "Get Up", "Promise", "Like a Boy" and "Can't Leave 'em Alone". The album reached number one in the U.S. and was certified platinum.

Ciara's third studio album, Fantasy Ride (2009) was less successful than her first two albums. However, it produced the international top-ten single "Love Sex Magic", featuring Justin Timberlake, which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The following year, Ciara released her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, which included the R&B top-five single "Ride", but was met with low sales, continuing a downward trend in her commercial performance. Ciara signed a new record deal with Epic Records in 2011. In 2013, she released her fifth studio album, Ciara, which spawned the R&B top-ten single "Body Party". Her sixth album, Jackie (2015), included the singles "I Bet" and "Dance like We're Making Love".

In 2006, Ciara made her film debut in All You've Got, and later appeared in the films Mama, I Want to Sing! (2012) and That's My Boy (2012). In 2013, she had a recurring role in the US TV series, The Game. In 2016, Ciara signed a signed a modeling contract with IMG. That year, she became a Global Brand Ambassador for the cosmetics giant Revlon. Since making her musical debut in 2004, Ciara has attained eight Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles and four Billboard 200 top-five albums. She has also received many awards, including three BET Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three MOBO Awards, and one Grammy Award. As of 2015, Ciara has sold over 23 million records worldwide. In 2016, she married quarterback Russell Wilson.