Love Sex Magic
"Love Sex Magic" is a song by American singer Ciara from her third studio album, Fantasy Ride (2009). Featuring fellow American recording artist Justin Timberlake, the song was written by Timberlake and his production team The Y's and Mike Elizondo. The Y's and Elizondo also produced the track. The song was released as the lead single from Fantasy Ride internationally and was the second single from the album released in the United States, on March 3, 2009.
"Love Sex Magic"
The song reveals a complete departure from Ciara's previous style, neither a sensual ballad nor incorporating Crunk&B influences. It embraces an electro sound also strongly incorporating funk music via a retro 1970s-style guitar presence and also elements of disco and soul music. Many critics noted the similarities between the song and music on Timberlake's album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). Critics gave the song mixed reviews, complimenting the song's funk and retro feel and the chemistry present between Ciara and Timberlake. The song would later go on to be nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
"Love Sex Magic" peaked at number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ciara's fifth top ten hit as a lead artist, her eighth including features, and her first since "Get Up" in 2006. Outside of the United States, the song peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The music video also exhibits a retro feel inspired by the Crazy Horse cabaret show and features Timberlake, Ciara, and several different kinds of foreplay, as well as Ciara dancing. For its routines it was nominated for Best Choreography at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Ciara has performed the song on television a number of times, including on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and with Timberlake on Saturday Night Live.
Composition[edit]
With "Love Sex Magic," Ciara moved in a more pop direction than her past music.[6] Jordan Sargent of PopMatters noted that while a pop fan might see the singer "back in her mind creatively," a Ciara fan would see the song as "signal[ing] the end of the singer's career as it once was." Sargent stated that the song "sounds nothing like the chrome-plated crunk&b nor the moonlit balladry that Ciara has staked her name on."[7] Musically, the song is a dance-pop-R&B number which makes use of electro and funk music,[6][1] as well as displaying disco and soul influences.[7][8] The song has a minimalistic dance beat, with a "funky, retro 70s style R&B guitar" as the backdrop.[6] Lauren Carter of the Boston Herald said that the song is influenced by Timberlake's disco-funk work on FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), stating that "it sounds like a reworked version of his bass-heavy dance number "Sexy Ladies."[9] Carter commented that Timberlake was "ushering Ciara away from her typically crunk-laced stylings in favor of JT’s electro-slide."[9] Ann Powers of The Los Angeles Times said that the song was "Madonna-esque."[10] Both Ciara and Timberlake provide verses, accompanied by vocal whims and falsetto.[9]
Chart performance[edit]
Love Sex Magic debuted at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In its second week, the single jumped to number 27 on the chart.[16] In its third week, the song rose to number ten, becoming Ciara's fifth top ten single.[16] It was her first top ten entry since "Get Up" in 2006.[16] "Love Sex Magic" appeared on multiple Billboard component charts, reaching number fourteen on the Pop Songs chart,[17] number eighteen on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart,[18] and eighty-three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[19] The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of a million digital copies in the United States.[20]
Although the single did not rank among Ciara's most successful singles in the United States, it performed well overall in international markets.
In Canada, the song debuted at number nine on the Canadian Hot 100, and would later peak at number six.[21]
In Australia, the song debuted at number six on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, peaking at number five the next week.[22] It spent fourteen weeks on the chart, and was eventually certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipments totaling 70,000 copies.[23]
In New Zealand, the song debuted at number fourteen on the New Zealand Singles Chart.[24] It remained stagnant the next week until it peaked at six on the chart the following week.[24] Having spent thirteen weeks on the chart, the song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), for shipments totaling 7,500 copies.[25]
Across Europe, the single charted in the top ten of seven charts, and the top twenty of four others.[22] Due to its numerous chartings in Europe, the song peaked at number six on the European Hot 100 chart.[26]
In the United Kingdom, "Love Sex Magic" debuted at number six on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number five the following week. The song spent seventeen non-consecutive weeks on the chart, as well as topping the UK R&B Chart for two weeks.
In the Republic of Ireland, the song peaked at number four on the Irish Singles Chart, climbing from number seven the previous week.[27][28]
Music video[edit]
Background[edit]
The Diane Martel-directed music video for "Love Sex Magic" premiered on March 22, 2009.[29] In an interview with MTV News, Ciara said: "It's all about showing another side of me with this video. I'm basically giving you a show you'd see in Vegas—and it's my love, sex and magic show. He's the voyeur and I play with him a little bit. I got my inspiration from the Crazy Horse show and just from the shows [in Vegas], period. It's giving you the elements of love and sex and magic."[5] In a later interview about the video, Ciara stated that she had to lick Timberlake's ear, and at one point, he was licking her neck and they were "freestyling." Martel wanted them to do something "edgy," so they found a "cool way to do it."[2] Ciara noted the different pauses in cuts in between the tapings, commenting "so it's licking on the neck, again, then his biting on my neck, again. It was really funny."[2] The singer would later elaborate on the Crazy Horse show reference in an interview with Blues & Soul, explaining that she had so much respect for the show that it became her reference. On working with Timberlake, she said, "Justin is one of the most easy-going, down-to-earth, hard-working and passionate artists you could ever work with. And, with both me and him, our goal was just to make the best video we could possibly make together, and to give the fans something a little fun and a little unexpected."[30]