With multi-platinum success straight out of the gate, R&B/pop vocalist/songwriter Ciara jumped directly into a chart-topping music career when her first single arrived in 2004, and rode that initial wave for years to come. Early connections with bigger names in the music industry worked in tandem with her burning talent for both songcraft and performance, earning the singer Grammy recognition and multi-platinum record sales from the very beginning. Ciara's time at the top of the charts lasted around five years, and she built upon that early fame by branching out into production, modelling, and acting, as well as collaborating with Missy Elliott, Ludacris, Timbaland, and many others among the biggest names of her time.