I’ve always admired Ciara as an artist. But at times I doubted her ability to present the female body in a respectable light, especially when Ludacris spits his despicable verse about scoring chicks and gropes her in the music video for “Ride.”
For some reason C caught my attention with her new single “Body Party.” When I first listened to it in the WRMC station I couldn’t get enough of her congealing harmonies that immediately took me back to kindergarten days when my babysitter would blast Destiny’s Child on our blingin living room stereo. Her nineties RnB vibes are stronger than ever in this song (despite the synth accompaniment) as subtle cadences dominate the melody; the types of cadences that only the select few of female hip hop artists have mastered without the help of autotune and other techno bullshit.
I was pretty certain that C’s music video for “Body Party” would follow the framework for most of her videos. C’s scandalous garment, goddess body, and celestial dance moves would make you want to watch her carry on in the privacy of your own room, regardless of your sexual orientation. And for a good half of her music video that was the case. But throughout the video C slowly takes the music video in a direction I’ve never seen her take. Firstly, her sidekick is a bohemian blonde who is wearing loose-fit jeans and has a swagger to her walk. Secondly, C doesn’t break out her scandalous dance moves in the reality of the music video, but instead confines them to her psychological fantasy that she wants to make a reality with this dude oh so bad. This emulation of sexual tension doesn’t promote sexual promiscuity, but instead a celebration of the body. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I want my body to be Ciara’s party.
Watch the music video here
YES