Ciara Leaked 'Promise' After a Record Exec Called It the 'Worst R&B Song.' Then It Hit No. 1

Mar. 15, 2025

Ciara for Bustle.Photo:Emmanuel S Monslave for Bustle

Emmanuel S Monslave for Bustle

Ciaratook a major bet on herself and won almost 20 years ago.

In aninterview with Bustlepublished on Thursday, Feb. 13, the “Goodies” singer spoke about leaking her song"Promise"in 2006 after an executive at Sony called it “the worst R&B record.” Ciara, 39, took matters into her own hands with the risky move.

“We leaked it at an Atlanta radio station and literally the song took off and was a monster,” she recalled. The result? “I ended up having my first No. 1 album. And that week was a big week — it was me,Gwen Stefani,Eminem, everyone.”

Ciara also reflected on spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote her 2010 song “Gimme Dat” as a single and music video — a bet that didn’t pay off with the song rising in music charts like “Promise” did.

Ciara for Bustle.Emmanuel S Monslave for Bustle

“There’s been times when maybe it doesn’t work as well as I thought it would,” she said. “But I’ve been pretty consistent in my belief, so I won’t stop believing.”

In terms of measuring success, Ciara wouldn’t let accolades define them for her with the example of her 2013 song “Body Party” and its No. 1 placement on R&B/hip-hop radio.

“You would think that that metric would automatically classify you for a nomination, right? No. 1 song, moving the needle in a pretty cool direction, I would say, and I don’t have a nomination.”

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“If I was basing it off of the metrics [of awards], then I would feel like I failed,” she added.

Over 20 years since releasingGoodies, Ciara is still embracing music. She was on tour in 2024 withMissy Elliott,Busta RhymesandTimbalandfor theOut of This World — The Missy Elliott Experience, and she brought her family along with her for part of it.

She exclusively told PEOPLEwhat it was like bringing her husbandRussell Wilsonandchildren Future, Sienna, Win and Amorawith her for the summertime leg. “My kids traveled with me, and I couldn’t have done it any other way.”

“They were like little precious babies of a tour having so much fun with Auntie, Missy, and Uncle Busta,” she says. “I mean, it’s just the energy was just incredible.”

source: people.com