Love, sex but no magic

After giving us hit singles like Goodies, Get Up and Promise from her earlier two albums, Ciara is back with her third album Fantasy Ride.

The album boasts of numerous collaborations with artistes like Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Missy Elliot and Ludacris and even strains of A R Rahman's Kehna Hai Kya from the film Bombay.

So what does the 14-track album has to offer? Well, except for one single, not much really. The album, which has comic artwork of the pop singer in itsy bitsy costumes, starts off with Ciara To The Stage, a slow number with nothing much going for it.

Love Sex Magic is up next featuring the sassy Justin Timberlake. This funky and catchy number is easily the pick of the album.

After this energising number Ciara dishes up High Price featuring Ludacris. Ciara's rather high voice in this one gets lost in the heavy bass notes which has neither a hook or groove though the rap bit by Ludacris breaks the monotony a bit.

Ciara draws inspiration from A R Rahman in Turntables, featuring Chris Brown. Strains of Kehna Hai Kya starts of this number with Brown piping in his bit. Fast and forgettable.

The lyrics of Like A Surgeon urge us to be patient but that's asking too much as this number goes on and on in a monotonous beat.

Following the Surgeon is Never Never featuring Young Jeezy. The song begins with a tune from Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' 1972 single If You Don't Know Me By Now, which was marvellously covered by the band Simply Red.

If You Don't Know Me By Now has become If That Boy Don't Love You By Now. Despite attempts to jazz up this number, it really doesn't go anywhere. Not bad, but not good either.

The next number -- titled Lover's Thing -- is yet another collaboration, this time with The-Dream. Ciara takes the high note again in this wispy number with some catchy hooks.

Lover's Thing is followed by Work, featuring Missy Elliot. This fast number bears Missy's trademark beats which sounds like a bunch of army recruits going through a very energetic workout!

Sirens, heavy bass and fast beats is what provocative Pucker Up is all about. Here the word 'kiss' is repeated over and over again though no amount of kisses is going to save this one from mediocrity.

By now, the album is proving to be anything but fantastic as Ciara gives us the A-Z of being a girl in G is For Girl. Another forgettable number.

Keep Dancing On Me is marginally better even though it is melancholic at places while Tell Me What Your Name Is tries to be a little different by combining slow vocals with fast beats.

Funny thing about the next track I Don't Remember, because that's what this album should have been named instead.

By now, the end never looked so good as Echo, a song celebrating Ciara's cool curves, wraps us this album, which is a real letdown.

Here's a tip: Skip the album. Listen to Love Sex Magic on the radio instead.

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