The influence of the South on pop culture is well known to anyone who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The 2000s kids who didn’t grow up in the city and spent time watching 106 & Park on weekday afternoons knew Atlanta for what it had to offer musically. They came to the city to watch the 1996 Summer Olympics, to parlay through 1999 for Freaknik, or to try to spot their favourite celebrity at the now-defunct (and iconic) Gladys Knight’s Chicken & Waffles up until its closing in 2017.
When talking about Atlanta, there are a few musicians you simply cannot leave out, but one in particular made a strong breakthrough with her album Goodies in 2004 and hasn’t looked back since. Ciara’s reign as the “Princess of the South” was established by her track record of producing upbeat songs, which included the album’s title track, the Missy Elliott-assisted “1, 2 Step,” and “Oh,” which featured fellow Atlanta native Ludacris.
A super multi-hyphenate performer today, Ciara (who has subsequently added mother, clothes designer, and record label owner (among other things) to her long resumé) continues to give us music to dance to, even though we really don’t know how.
The musician is providing us with a mouthwatering and delicious gift worth talking about in a new collaboration with Rice Krispies Treats. Reward, which was released on June 21, is the summertime tune we all need. If you agree, the singer has the ideal “treat” for you: you’ll be able to join her in the future music video.
Ciara recently spoke with Kitchn’s News & Culture editor while promoting the new song and confessing her love for RKT. She shared all the specifics on what inspired the song, how viewers can participate in the video, her go-to quick and easy meal, the ideal method to upgrade a sandwich, and more.
