Ciara stopped by the ESSENCE offices to promote “Basic Instinct,” her fourth studio album, out today. She opened up about her new album, her controversial video “Ride,” and her thoughts on 2010.

Almost a decade after smash hits “Goodies” and “1, 2 Step”—and three years after her previous disc, Basic Instinct—Ciara is back with a new single (“I’m Out”) and album (Ciara, out July 9). Here, the ...