Photographed by Mariano Vivanco for Vogue Arabia, February 2019.
From the story behind her name to how she’s on her way to making sports history, read on for five lesser-known facts about Ciara.
She has a fear of horses
The Level Up singer may have been joined on set by two magnificent stallions belonging to HH Sheikha Fatima Rashed Al Maktoum for Vogue Arabia’s February 2019 cover shoot, but prior to that, Ciara was actually afraid of horses. Her phobia can be traced back to a past family vacation, where a horseback-riding excursion on the beach quickly turned into a nightmare when the singer’s horse got out of control. “It’s funny because growing up I loved horses, and I always admired their beauty. When my ride decided to take off and gallop in another direction, I saw my entire life flashing in front of my eyes,” the star recalls speaking to Vogue Arabia.
She was named after a fragrance
The Grammy award-winning artist was named after one of her parent’s favorite scents, which was a vanilla and musk-infused fragrance from Revlon entitled “Ciara”. The perfume, which was introduced in 1973, is still sold today. Things would come full circle when in 2016, the singer was tapped as the brand’s newest brand ambassador, joining the ranks of fellow celebrity influencers Olivia Wilde and Halle Barry. Speaking to WWD about the partnership, the artist revealed, “my mom had been trying to figure out my name for a long time before I was born. Then my dad bought her the fragrance — the Ciara fragrance by Revlon — from the commissary at the military base. They were in Texas, he bought her the fragrance, and not only did he love this fragrance, but the name also really resonated with her and she ditched all the other names and Ciara became my name.”
Michael Jackson inspired her to pursue a musical career
The singer, who debuted her first single Goodies when she was 18, counts Michael Jackson and Destiny’s Child as inspiration. “I recall his smile and having this memorable moment that made me think that one day, I could do something like that,” the singer revealed, speaking about the first time she saw the King of Pop on television. She admits that her mother wasn’t always supportive of her musical career, and was more adamant on Ciara pursuing an education. However, when Goodies dropped on the airways, her mom became super proud of her.
She had a nomadic upbringing
Ciara was born in Austin, Texas. Her parents were army and Air Force officials, and the artist would travel the globe with them during her childhood years. Some of the places she ended up: Germany, New York, California, Arizona, Nevada, and Atlanta, where her family settled during her teenage years.
She’s a sports investor
The singer and her NFL quarterback husband Russell Wilson became financial partners in The Portland Diamond Project, an initiative that aims to bring a professional baseball team to Portland, Oregon. This means that if Major League Baseball (MLB) were to ever bring a baseball team to Oregon’s capital, Ciara would make sports history as one of the first African-American female owners in professional baseball. “Excited to announce that @DangeRussWilson and I are partners and investors in bringing an @MLB team to Portland! Let’s get ready to play ball!” she tweeted shortly after the announcement.
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