Did Ciara steal Beyonce’s music video style?

Ciara’s “Love Sex Magic” vs. Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. The styling for the two videos seems more than coincidental

Hip hop R&B artist Ciara may have received a little too much inspiration from Beyonce. In her new video “Love Sex Magic” featuring Justin Timberlake, many have noticed distinct similarities between her look and Beyonce’s – similar blonde afro wigs, leopard print unitards, black leotards in front of a white background, and even choreography are just a few of the similarities. Turns out, Ciara may have been getting some inside help, enlisting insiders in Beyonce’s camp to borrow clothes and steal dance moves.

Apparently, the 23-year-old singer was so desperate to duplicate Beyonce’s success with her latest video, the Timberlake-fueled “Love Sex Magic,” that she managed to infiltrate Beyonce’s wardrobe — jacking animal-print catsuits, window treatment-inspired shades, and blond afro wigs left and right. The Queen of Crunk & B even recruited an insider from Mrs. Carter’s camp — a shady backup dancer/informant — to feed her stolen moves.

[from Honey Magazine]

Ciara, of course, denies the whole thing, saying that she was “inspired” by Beyonce’s Vegas show (as well as her costume designer) and that the whole thing is “petty.”

People are talking about the similarities between Beyonce’s choreography and your choreography. I know what you were going for…
Right, I got inspired by the Vegas show, but go ahead. What do you want to know?

How do you even address that? Have you seen the screen grabs?
I don’t think there’s really anything to address. I think it’s very, very funny. And you know what my response is to that? For the ones that have something negative to say? They must have really enjoyed it that much to go and nitpick it, because it’s something they pulled up and was like, “Yo!” There were a couple of things in there that I’ve never seen. I think that it’s important for us as artists to be original and to create something new, so it would be really silly of me to go and create something you’ve already seen. So not one time were any of my references another artist. My references were clearly inspired from shows that I’ve actually seen. It goes to show how creative we can be and how close the worlds are. I did my first video with my metal outfit. I was inspired by Thierry Mugler. Now, from my understanding, Beyonce is using Thierry Mugler for her tour. It just is what it is. It’s very petty to me. When people nitpick something and they say negative things, my response to that is they really must have liked it that much. They just said, “This just can’t be! We gotta find something!” That’s also the definition of a person having too much time on their hands to do nothing. That’s how I look at that.

[from Honey Magazine]

Recently, Marianne Faithfull accused Kate Moss of stealing her look, and Christina Aguleria was accused of borrowing Lady Gaga’s look. But there are also differences. This isn’t really like the Christina Aguleria/ Lady Gaga feud, because that occurred before Lady Gaga was even really a name. In fact, it was the controversy that caused much of Gaga’s meteoric stardom. In this situation, it’s between Beyonce and Ciara – both big names in the industry.

My favorite line from this interview is: “It goes to show how creative we can be and how close the worlds are.” There is a world of difference between being inspired by something and actually copying the look – which is exactly what Ciara did. Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” video (while some of the choreography was taken from a ’60s dance routine), was totally different than any of the videos out right now. SNL even did a skit about it. So when you wear a black one-sleeve leotard with a white background in your own video, there are going to be comparisons. And it’s not as if the similarities stop with the leotard. There are the afro wigs to consider, as well as the futuristic get-up and leopard skin unitard. Honey Magazine has a side-by-side of the two stars’ looks for your viewing pleasure. I would recommend checking it out.

Ciara is shown below outside a Knicks game on 3/27/09. Credit: FamePictures

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38 Responses to “Did Ciara steal Beyonce’s music video style?”

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  1. eggy weggs says:

    Yeah, but Beyonce ripped her moves off Bob Fosse’s “Mexican Breakfast” choreography. That was “inspiration” too. Ciara probably overstepped her boundaries by a good bit, but really, there’s nothing new under the sun.

    • jessigarcia says:

      I love beyonce&ciara both.
      But the person who stole moves&ideas was beyonce…
      And when I say that I mean…
      She stole moves from ashantis good good music video

  2. lara says:

    First, Beyonce is a terrible dancer. Technically good, but no soul or passion whatsoever.
    Beside the stupid arse-shaking and the over-sexed outfits (which seem mandatory among today’s female hip-hop singers) I don’t see that much similarities. Beyonce did not invent the black and white style.

  3. Cece says:

    Eggy Weggs…I was just going to comment on the Fosse inspired moves in both single ladies and Get bodied. In fact…the entire get bodied video was taken from Fosse.

  4. Renee says:

    Ciara’s song sucks anyway…who cares what the trashy video is like.

  5. Bill Ohara says:

    For one, Ciara isn’t the first to have copied Beyonce and to the writer above. When you are inspired/ copy from an artist before your generation that is fine, but when you copy from an artist in your generation, that makes it copying especially when you don’t state the other person as an influence. Take for example Rihanna. Rihanna is mostly a pop artist who can’t sing or dance much but who has hit songs. When she came out in 2005, for almost 3 years she was called Bajan Beyonce. Google it. They also called her the Beyonce clone because she took too much from Beyonce who was still a relevant. Rihanna copied Beyonce’s hair, clothes, image, performances, videos, identity. She really took alot but the only difference was that she put Beyonce as her idol and influence. Unlike Ciara.
    Both are wrong, Both need to follow people from the previous generation, but it only makes Beyonce that much bigger, because she isn’t even an icon yet, but yet everyone is following her.

  6. Enonymous says:

    Both videos look the same as any other hip hop/R&B videos around (of any female or male artist), it only takes some ass shaking, ugly costumes and a crappy song and vuala.

  7. truth says:

    I HARDLY think that C has to steal dance moves from Beyaki. She is a dancer in my opinion.

  8. truth says:

    Um, why’d my comment get deleted? I didn’t say anything bad?

  9. truth says:

    What I said was that Beyonce is a biter in the first place, so how can people say she invented anything?

    She’s build her whole career on copying other people. Tina Turner anyone?

  10. Blah Girls says:

    where have you beeeeeen!?

  11. truth-SF says:

    9. truth:
    April 7th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
    What I said was that Beyonce is a biter in the first place, so how can people say she invented anything?

    She’s build her whole career on copying other people. Tina Turner anyone?
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    truth, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Besides, atleast Ciara knows how to dance very well. Beywoulf just girates too hard all over the place like she’s having an epileptic seizure.

  12. Girl from Denmark says:

    Why does pretty much all women in music videos have to act and look like strippers/poledancers?
    I am aware that sex sells and is a “good” way to get attention. But really, I think that when you had you have had your hits and all that why not act with some more class and dignity?
    Stars are rolemodels to many kids, there is a certain responsibility there. At least in my opinion.

  13. Michael, Bitch. says:

    I’m so sick of ya’ll.

    The thing is, Ciara claims that she wants to be original, but she’s been doing the same shit since she came out. She did that stupid Matrix back bend in her first video, and SHE’S STILL DOING IT! Two albums later! SERIOUSLY! She has grow as an artist truly, and she’s been the same! Getting stale and running out of ideas!

    She needs to go back to that Ciara that was inspired by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, and stay true to her musical heart. Because now she is just doing what she think is “safe” and what she think is “hot”.

    If you do what the fuck you want to do with your music, and you PLEASE your fans every single time like Beyonce does, than you won’t have a problem toppling the U.S.’s largest selling album of 2008 in three months, killing Madonna, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift in album sales this era, and having an excellent tour.

    I love Ciara as a person, but musically, and now visually, she has left me uninspired to purchase her shit.

  14. Ana says:

    I got more of a Janet Jackson or Lady Gaga vibe from Ciara’s music video than stealing from Beyonce.
    Beyonce’s body grosses me out. I can’t figure out why.
    Everybody is wearing leotards right now (don’t ask me why!)

  15. Lia says:

    I don’t care whether Ciara copied or not!!!! The only thing I care about is why do people even care about whether she stole it or hmm maybe even inspired by it!!! It’s not even that big of a deal!!!! Grow up and get a life nothing in this industry is original!!! All of these artist got their inspiration from somewhere Beyonce got hers from Tina Turner and The Supremes, Ciara got hers from Aaliyah and Janet, Chris Brown got his from Micheal, Alicia Keys got hers from Beethoven, Prince, and Stevie Wonder so what’s the big deal!!! If yaw worried about it so much then yaw

  16. Channel says:

    Actually Beyonce has copied other people’s style from this generation the Upgrade u video she got that from Like A Boy when she was imitating Jay Z and there was two of her. I saw a lot of Mary the Queen in that video. In that Soldier video I saw a lot of SWV and especially TLC!!! In her Suga Mama video in the beginning when she was smoking that cigar it reminded me of Mya’s video My Love Is Like Woah when she was smoking in the beginning. In her Me Myself and I video she did the whole backwards thing just like Coldplay did!

  17. India says:

    I really don’t care for female artist like Ciara, Beyonce, Rihanna, Britney or other females who take off their clothes and get by with their looks!!! If you are truly that talented then you shouldn’t have to reveal your body for attention!!! I love real sistah’s like Alicia, India Arie, Jill Scott and more!!

  18. Marianne says:

    Now Beyonce has a “style”? Funny, I always thought she was a cheap carbon copy of Tina Turner. She always wanted to sing like Aretha, but she never will. There’s absolutely nothing original about Beyonce. And even with all her lack of creativity, she still gives smug statements to magazines like :”I feel I can call myself a diva now” or something of the kind. Diva my big pale ass. Considering these facts, Ciara is not copying Beyonce, because there’s nothing good to copy about her, really.

  19. *michka* says:

    um i think you must have WAY too much time on your hands if you notice stuff like ‘similarities between video clips’

  20. Samantha says:

    RIHANNA COPIED BEYONCE IN 2005-27007
    AND NOW CIARA COPIED BEYONCE.
    GO BEYONCE. GO GET THAT ARTIST OF THE DECADE AWARD GIRL

  21. Samantha says:

    Oh and Mariane, even if Beyonce copied Tina Turner 1) You suppose to copy from the previous generation and NOT from the artist that is still out and hot. 2) Atleast beyonce’s talent can match if not surpass Tina’s. 3) Beyonce has introduced many trends to popular culture I’m sure you can count atleast 6, how many has Ciara introduced 4) Ciara should have atleast admitted it and be a woman about it. 5)Beyonce as a vocalist, dancer, performer, entertainer and powerhouse celebrity is NOT match for Ciara

  22. Danielle says:

    Really Now. Beyonce And STyle do not even belong in the same sentence. If I could recall her outfits – ALL Hideous. (Corset – Aahh! Where was the fashion police when you needed them!) Who cares who copied who. I don’t watch none of her videos BUT I did see part of Beyonces video and it reminded me of Ciaras “Like a Boy” Point Blank – Beyonce Isn’t Miss Diva, Get over yourself Beyonce. Jay-Z isn’t that fine girl. Diva huh.

  23. FF says:

    Oh please, all these artists are styled, re-mixed and produced by the same people and feature guest spots in their songs and videos BY THE SAME PEOPLE.

    Accusing them of ripping each other off while they splash around in their incestuous gene pool of ideas is as stupid as saying chickens ripped off ostriches because they both have wings.

    The only thing I can accuse them of is a dearth of ideas period.

    Also, I’m getting fed up of Beyonce claiming ‘edginess’ just because she put on some designer duds, a cyberhand, and superthick eyeliner.

    No one was really mixing it up until Rihanna decided she wanted to follow HER OWN style. If Rihanna really copied Beyonce it was when her record company were forcing her into the same mould that all the other starlets get forced into. Hence I’m back to the same thing I said above: accusing them of copying each other when they’re all managed, styled, written, remixed, produced, micro-managed by the same people is redundant.

    They’re all disposable so that if one doesn’t take a song then it gets passed on to the next clone. That’s the whole reason they all look, sound and dress alike.

  24. ol says:

    so hot, so sexy body, as a woman, i do admire her, dead gourgeous, fed up with Bionce

  25. So Glossy says:

    Way to go Ciara, love the look the skill and the attitude. Watch out! its only bad when competition comes around, and thats what all the she copied came from. Go Girl Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  26. Unique says:

    IT’S NOT LIKE CIARA TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I THINK CIARA SHOULD HAVE KEPT DOIN WHAT SHE WAS DOIN BECAUSE IT WAS WORKIN FOR HER. EVEN THO IT HURT ME TO SAY THIS BEYONCE DOES DRAW FROM OTHER PEOPLES WORK, BUT PEOPLE STILL COPY HER AND TRY TO DO WHAT SHE IS DOIN.

    LIKE IT OR NOT BEYONCE IS THE QUEEN OF THE MUSIC SCENE AND PEOPLE BE FRONTIN WHEN THEY SAY THEY DON’T LIKE B. THEY JUST DON’T WANT CIARA OR OTHER PEOPLE WHO BE JOCKIN BEYONCE TO BE MARKED AS A COPYCAT SO THE TRY TO TURN IT AROUND BY MAKIN BEYONCE LOOK BAD!!!!!!!GO BEYONCE

  27. BEBE says:

    CIARA GOES FROM COPYING AALIYAH AND JANET JACKSON TO TRYIN TO COPY BEYONCE.

    NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY BEYONCE IS DOIN HER THING AND SHE IS DOIN IT WELL.

  28. Jessi says:

    I completely agree. Beyonce will still remain one of the best loved and one of the hated. Even Nia long, bitch ass, had something harsh to say just because she couldn’t even star in a small film of a movie like ‘Obsessed’. I hate dumb ass clowns who try to criticize Bee like she’s doing something wrong. Stop hating the Diva.

    Beyonce has growing fans and that’s why she’s the most largest growing female to get rich in the music industry. Blahh!! GO BEYONCEE!!!!!

  29. fedup says:

    CIARA IS NOT COPYING BEYONCE!

    What a load of bullshit!! The videos don’t even look similar. I don’t see how Ciara’s copying Beyonce’s style, when IT ISN’T BEYONCE’S STYLE TO BEGIN WITH!! Beyonce’s not the one who came out with the window treatment shades, It was Kanye. Beyonce’s not the one who first started dressing “futuristic like”, it was Rihanna and Lady Gaga…So how come Beyonce can steal from everyone and not get accused, but Ciara has a tiny bit of resemblence to B and all of a sudden it’s a crime???

    Also, funny how Beyonce stole Ciara’s ENTIRE idea with the “If I were a boy” video (Ciara did that years ago with “Like a boy”)…why isn’t Beyonce getting any shit about stealing, when she’s one of the most UNORIGINAL artists today??? Seriously, how come B gets away with everything. Even her signature sparkly dresses and big hair are SO obviously taken from Tina Turner. Not cool, B, you’re nowhere near Tina’s talent or charm!

    I’m really fed up with Beyonce, too.

    Oh and no you’re not “supposed to steal from the previous generation” what on earth?? A good artist doesn’t steal from anyone, they have their own style. Or at least they get inspired by other people, but they don’t copy them from head to toe…

  30. fedup says:

    Oh and Mariane, even if Beyonce copied Tina Turner 1) You suppose to copy from the previous generation and NOT from the artist that is still out and hot. 2) Atleast beyonce’s talent can match if not surpass Tina’s. 3) Beyonce has introduced many trends to popular culture I’m sure you can count atleast 6, how many has Ciara introduced 4) Ciara should have atleast admitted it and be a woman about it. 5)Beyonce as a vocalist, dancer, performer, entertainer and powerhouse celebrity is NOT match for Ciara

    Beyonce can’t touch Tina, let’s start with that. Beyonce’s songs stink in comparison to Tina’s song. Beyonce’s voice and energy on stage FAIL when compared to Tina. The copy is always worse than the original, let’s just say that.

    And once again, just because someone is from another generation DOES NOT mean you can copy them, that’s ridiculous. An artist creates, they don’t copy. Therefore anyone copying from other artists, past of present, is not an artist but a copycat…

  31. La Shirley says:

    Between you and I, the only one who can complain about being ripped here are the Strippers around the world … way too much pole dancing !

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  33. tones says:

    I thought the song was called Love Sex Magic, so the video is supposed to be sexy and look like a magic show, which is what it looked like. The video to Single Ladies was too stupid to me. But I guess no one thinks Beyonce copied If I Were a Boy off Like a Boy, I guess not.

  34. te says:

    beyonce steals from everbody

  35. te says:

    if you are a true artist the only one to say you coied from them should be your choreographer you put your moves in they put theirs in beyonce shouldnt be copying nobody because she said she does her own songs and videos and dont want to be like anyone the only one i know is a original and noone copied her dances then but now beyonce, brittany spears,aaliyah,ciara couple have admitted being friend with ms.jackson but beyonce wont admit it for all ya true fans of beyonce click on beyonce copies everybody watch all parts also beyonce lies hear her own words fake ass beyonce and she wears a booty pad all those web sites and how she copied her video who run the world girls copied from africans she copied 3 people in that billboeard awards 1st latino singer 2nd african group 3rd janet jackson feedback when janet did the solo part with the ball and she had the nerve to copy janet hop to a stand and lean her hair over thats when i knew she copied from janet

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  37. Momo says:

    Wayyyyyy beyond relevant anymore but still wanna reply hehe…. C’s vid is so not similar to that of B’s… It actually has more of the movie Flash Dance than B’s vid . But I do agree, nobody is really original anymore these days, shame..