Speechless

Album: Basic Instinct (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is a song from Basic Instinct, the fourth studio album by Atlanta-based R&B singer Ciara. The song features American R&B and pop singer The-Dream, who also co-penned the track along with his songwriting partner Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. Ciara relocated to the West Coast to work on Basic Instinct with Tricky and Dream, who previously collaborated with the Atlantan on two tracks from 2008's Fantasy Ride, "High Price" and "Like a Surgeon."
  • The-Dream was a major contributor to Basic Instinct. Ciara discussed with The Boombox how the R&B hitmaker's input gave her a renewed vision for making music: "The beauty of music is that it allows you to express yourself and paint a picture. I've really approached things differently than I did with a lot of my records. I let Dream also be a part of laying my foundation and I 'm not afraid to say that because anybody will tell you that the way that I've written my records over the years is definitely different than the way that I've approached these records. I wanted fresh energy and having Tricky and Dream, and Dream in particular, allowed some of the lyrics to be a little bit different than in my past. So he may make a story from something that I'm going through, [some of the music] was definitely [from] some personal experiences, some things that happen around me... things that inspire me. I get inspired from many different places. It just depends on the day."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pete Anderson

Pete AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Pete produced Dwight Yoakam, Michelle Shocked, Meat Puppets, and a very memorable track for Roy Orbison.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Brenda Russell

Brenda RussellSongwriter Interviews

Brenda talks about the inspiration that drove her to write hit songs like "Get Here" and "Piano in the Dark," and why a lack of formal music training can be a songwriter's best asset.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.