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Ciara opens up about the journey to owning her masters

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Gotham/FilmMagic

In a new interview for the ABC News special Sound of Freedom – A Juneteenth Celebration, airing Friday night, Grammy-winning singer and now record label owner Ciara opens up about owning her recording masters. For her, ownership is about the freedom to create the kind of art she wants to without seeking the approval of others.

“I’ve done this for almost 15 years. I’ve been in this these systems for so long. It’s like I can’t keep doing it this way,” Ciara says of the feelings that led her to own her masters. “I want to be free, like, I want to go and really be able to execute my vision how I envision it, not have to wait for someone to approve a budget. Not having to wait for someone to tell me what direction I should go in.”

Ciara’s journey to ownership started with her 2018 song, “Level Up,” which wouldn’t have been released if it’d been up to her then record label, she says. 

“I had to meet with the new CEO, and I had my game plan. I had this song called ‘Level Up.’ I had the video for this song as well. I had a whole vision for my project, and I sat down, and I talked to him, to the CEO at that time,” she says. “Like you know, once the meeting was over, and I knew he didn’t want to go forward with my project, I was like, this is my chance and I’m going to ask back for my masters…I’m literally going to level up.”

The record label ended up returning them to Ciara for free. Now, she says she’s in control of her legacy.

You can catch more of Ciara’s interview tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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