Leveling Up on Faith, Family and Folding Chairs with Ciara

What does it take to maintain longevity for over twenty years in the music industry? The power of Ciara’s prayer, y’all! We’re sitting down with the Grammy winner, entrepreneur, wife and mom of four to get into EVERYTHING. She spills the tea about the one song she regrets, keeping her music sexy after motherhood, her relationship with Russell Wilson and whether there’s a Baby Cinco in their future. Plus, she’s revealing an exclusive surprise about her new album, CiCi. You’ve probably seen people all over the internet swimming on folding chairs in the Defying Gravity challenge for her latest single, Ecstasy. Now, Keke and CiCi put it to the test, with a twist! Get the Saks designer brands you love, delivered just like that. New on Amazon. http://amazon.com/saks See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Keke Palmer?

  This episode is presented in partnership with Airbnb. Baby, Memorial Day weekend is all about family, food, and kicking off summer. And with Airbnb, you can celebrate in one of the most loved homes in America. All right, y'all, let's dive in.

• 0:19Speaker 01

  I made a goal sheet, and my first goal I wrote down was to get discovered.

• 0:24Keke Palmer?

  Period.

• 0:24Speaker 01

  And then I said, once I got discovered, I wanted to sell 3 to 4 million albums.

• 0:28Keke Palmer?

  Okay. This is specific manifestation. This is what they were talking about with that Ciara's prayer.

• 0:34Speaker 01

  Oh, God. At the time, I remember that I've never said this before. It's like, I don't want to jinx anything, but I think he's, and I didn't want to say this, and she finished, and she said, "The one?" And I said, "Yes." And he left my house on the elevator, told his friend at the time that came with him. He said the same exact thing that I said. And so, it's just kind of amazing. There's a saying, "When you know, you know." I'll be honest with you. I am, I do want to have a fifth baby.

• 1:04Keke Palmer?

  Yes, girl.

• 1:06Speaker 01

  I do. I'm not gonna even skate around, did I do? I was like, Russ's campaign game right now is so strong. And I said, babe, I said, "These folks is on your side."

• 1:15Keke Palmer?

  Girl, I was in that room for hours.

• 1:18Speaker 01

  You are kidding me.

• 1:22Speaker 01

  Give me the mug right here. Because it says, "What's the T?", right?

• 1:24Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh, me too.

• 1:25Speaker 01

  What's the T?

• 1:25Keke Palmer?

  What's the T?

• 1:26Speaker 01

  Come on, what's the T? Let's go, baby.

• 1:32Speaker 01

  Yes, ma'am.

• 1:33Keke Palmer?

  We nailed it. You're my girl, you're my fan. I am so excited about my guest today. She is someone you have literally grown up with. I have grown up with, y'all. And she's had us dancing in our bedrooms to hits like "One Two Step", "Goodies", "Right At", since we were just kids. And she is only continued to level up over her, what? Grammy-winning, 20-plus-year career as an entertainer, an entrepreneur, style icon, wife, mother of four, and baby. She is just getting started with a sexy new single that's got people on TikTok swimming on folding chairs. Okay, we got a lot to talk to her about. Ciara, welcome to "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer."

• 2:18Keke Palmer?

  You look so good.

• 2:19Speaker 01

  You look so pretty.

• 2:20Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh, thank you.

• 2:22Speaker 01

  I love the hair.

• 2:23Keke Palmer?

  Girl, I had to do the pigtails. I was trying to give Cece to Cece. You know when you kill those pigtails.

• 2:27Speaker 01

  You did that.

• 2:28Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh.

• 2:29Speaker 01

  You may even gonna do it again.

• 2:30Keke Palmer?

  Yes. Now, last, I just saw you literally last week at the Met Gala. You were eating it up. That shortcut? Even though it was a wig, but it didn't look like a wig. I almost thought you cut your hair.

• 2:40Speaker 01

  Oh my gosh, no. First of all, thank you so much. You know, we get to have fun with hairpieces. Like, that's the beauty of it because I love blonde. And I feel like if I take my hair blonde, it's gonna all fall out. So, I like using the hairpieces to have, create what I call hair magic.

• 2:58Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh, yes.

• 2:59Speaker 01

  Right, and so that was really fun, you know.

• 3:02Keke Palmer?

  But it was so tapered to the neck. You know, when you do a wig shortcut, it could really go left. I don't know who did that that night.

• 3:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, that was Caesar.

• 3:10Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh, Caesar, shout out to Caesar. You guys have been rocking for years. I love Caesar.

• 3:13Speaker 01

  Oh my gosh, thank you so much.

• 3:15Keke Palmer?

  He nailed it.

• 3:15Speaker 01

  Thank you, thank you so much. Well, it's so funny because my team in general, I just have to shout them out.

• 3:21Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 3:21Speaker 01

  My makeup artist, my makeup artist, Yolanda Frederick Thompson.

• 3:25Keke Palmer?

  Been with her forever.

• 3:26Speaker 01

  I say the whole name.

• 3:27Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 3:27Speaker 01

  Because when she got married, the name, you know, grew. But she's been with me since my first photo shoot in my career when I was 16 years old. She's actually in the room.

• 3:36Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 3:37Speaker 01

  So, we're going on 24 years of being together, not to date myself. And then there's also Kaia, who's in the room.

• 3:43Keke Palmer?

  Yep, love Kaia.

• 3:44Speaker 01

  And she's a part of my team as well. And we are at least 16 or years, or almost 17 years in. So, my whole team, they've been with me for a long time. And we have done so many things together. And we have so much fun trying things. And, you know, when we get to have moments like the Met Gala, we all feel so proud.

• 4:04Keke Palmer?

  Shout out to Laquan Smith, who you were wearing. I mean, you, Ciara, have been groundbreaking in fashion. I mean, I remember from the beginning, one-two-step goodies, all the way up until now. When did fashion become such a serious thing for you? You know what I mean?

• 4:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, fashion is always been my jam. I was always playing in my grandma's closet, my dad's closet, because I'm a tomboy.

• 4:26Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 4:26Speaker 01

  So, back in the day. When the Ralph Lauren tracksuits and

• 4:30Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 4:30Speaker 01

  And nautical is a thing, I'd be grabbing his shorts. I liked, I liked baggy clothes, I liked oversized. He was also in the military, my mom was also in the air force. But I would pull out the army fatigue outfits in the closet. And also, for some reason, this is coming to my mind. Remember back in the days, the cornstarch, the spray?

• 4:49Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh, yeah.

• 4:50Speaker 01

  With the crease down the middle of the pants?

• 4:51Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 4:52Speaker 01

  The little bitty details, like that was my jam growing up, just like. I was always into fashion and like I said, everything my grandmother did, she always did it big. So my family is kind of like that, you know, they always go big.

• 5:05Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 5:06Speaker 01

  And it's kind of in me, like it's, you know, the sauce is in me.

• 5:09Keke Palmer?

  It's not on me, it's in me.

• 5:10Speaker 01

  It's in me, yeah. So I've always loved fashion and I think it's such an amazing way to express yourself and for people to kind of feel you. Like you can say a lot without saying anything through your fashion.

• 5:21Keke Palmer?

  Without a doubt.

• 5:22Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 5:22Keke Palmer?

  And you were there, it was great to see you reunite with another favorite fashion girlie of ours, Ree. Which I haven't seen you guys connect in solo. You know, I was there on the internet in the Twitter days when it was that beef. So how fun was that? I mean, you now are grown women, mothers. How was it seeing each other again?

• 5:37Speaker 01

  So good. Rihanna is, she is killing the game.

• 5:40Keke Palmer?

  Yeah. You both are.

• 5:41Speaker 01

  Obviously, being women that are, I would say, living our lives as moms. You know, it's really cool to, um, to see how we can do it all. And I think she's another great example of that and she's always so funny and so sweet. It's funny because we actually were, we actually were chatting the last Met Gala together. Um, and so to, to see her now with her new bump.

• 6:05Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 6:06Speaker 01

  You know, another one. Um, it's really cool.

• 6:09Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I mean, you guys probably had seen each other in private before then and had y'all, oh, yeah. So this is kind of our, as the audience and the fans, first time seeing you guys.

• 6:17Speaker 01

  And I, I think I mentioned somewhere recently where she had sent me a DM just randomly and just saying, she said, "I'm so proud of you." And it was so sweet, you know, to, to feel that love, to hear that from her. You know, and we were both just sharing about great sentiments. But again, you know, she's been doing, she's done such an awesome job with building her empire. And, you know, it's, it's just, it's good vibes and, um, it's, it's, it's very sweet.

• 6:45Keke Palmer?

  I love to see that and I love that us fans got to see that. It was an awesome moment. Good to see you guys celebrating each other. Now, another great thing about the Met Gala.

• 6:52Speaker 01

  You can't say, but we do know is that our fellas don't miss.

• 6:57Speaker 01

  Sorry. These boys.

• 7:00Keke Palmer?

  Okay, cuz this is, I'm like, all ready, Reg?

• 7:03Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh.

• 7:04Keke Palmer?

  And I'm ready for Cinco. I'm not trying to put the pressure on you. But I mean, Russell keeps telling us.

• 7:08Speaker 01

  My honey.

• 7:09Keke Palmer?

  And you guys were there at the Met Gala. This was his first time with you.

• 7:11Speaker 01

  First time together.

• 7:12Keke Palmer?

  How did he feel?

• 7:13Speaker 01

  That was really cool. He really enjoyed it.

• 7:15Keke Palmer?

  Okay, good.

• 7:16Speaker 01

  You know, he didn't know what he was walking. He was like, what is it like? What, what, like, what are you doing? It's like, it's like a museum, babe. And then we're gonna eat and we're gonna watch a performance and da, da, da. But he was so amazing. Like, I honestly have been dreaming of us going to the Met Gala together for years.

• 7:31Keke Palmer?

  He's always working.

• 7:32Speaker 01

  He was always working on the West Coast when he played for Seattle and, you know, and, and the other teams. And Pittsburgh was a little closer, but not quite in New York. So, you know, when you have that, you know, travel challenge, there's no way to make it to the East Coast because of time goes, you go forward.

• 7:49Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 7:50Speaker 01

  So he wouldn't be able to do practice and then go after. So luckily, being in New York and him being a giant, um, I'm so excited for him. Um, he could leave from practice. He went from MetLife to the Met.

• 8:01Keke Palmer?

  Okay, yes. I know, that's right.

• 8:04Speaker 01

  It was really cool. I was so happy. I was like a little girl. And when we got dressed up for the night, he was in one room and I was in the other. So, you know, cuz he, he's so sweet. He's like, she be having a whole lot going on. And he does too, cuz he was doing like PT work and everything.

• 8:19Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 8:19Speaker 01

  He's like, okay, I'll let you have your space. And then we kind of, you know, he checks in and it's cute. But I didn't see him until he was fully dressed.

• 8:26Keke Palmer?

  Ah.

• 8:27Speaker 01

  And vice versa for me. So it was kind of like walking out like on a wedding day kind of thing.

• 8:30Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh. And I love hearing you talk about the athletic aspect because I remember we had this same trainer for a while. And he was like, you need to know, Ciara's an athlete. You know what I mean? Because you, you did track growing up?

• 8:42Speaker 01

  I ran track.

• 8:42Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 8:43Speaker 01

  I was also a cheerleader growing up. Shout out to the cheerleaders because they had to give the cheerleaders some credit.

• 8:47Keke Palmer?

  My sister was a cheerleader. And absolutely, the cheerleader girls are athletes. People don't realize.

• 8:52Speaker 01

  That takes work.

• 8:52Keke Palmer?

  It does.

• 8:53Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, so I, I ran track.

• 8:55Keke Palmer?

  I love that you're having a comment.

• 8:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, we do. So I understand what he does. And being a performer, it also requires like a great level of athleticism and, you know, coordination and endurance. Like, you know, I can't believe how much I'm loving running these days, like doing cardio with training like cuz I really don't like running, but I I've been liking it lately for some reason. And I think it's just knowing I'm gonna have good endurance for when I hit the stage, like that's important too.

• 9:23Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, and I mean, runner's high is a real thing. When you run it, when you run it, you kind of feel like all floaty, you know what I mean? Burning that all that energy.

• 9:32Speaker 01

  Yeah, when you're running, you know, or training, especially when you don't want to do it.

• 9:36Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 9:37Speaker 01

  That's when something good comes out of it. I be feeling like when I leave the gym, I'm like, I can touch some up, like I feel so good, like I'm so ready for the world.

• 9:47Keke Palmer?

  It's so true.

• 9:48Speaker 01

  I feel so proud of myself too when I really didn't want to do it.

• 9:51Keke Palmer?

  Especially early morning. Five AM, six AM.

• 9:54Speaker 01

  Let me tell you, for the Met Gala, this girl right here was eating air chips, air hamburger, air fries. I said, I'm about ready for that pizza and them real fries. But I was on it because I had to travel and stuff. I had a training session at four thirty in the morning.

• 10:10Keke Palmer?

  That's my girl.

• 10:10Speaker 01

  Okay, I had to get on the plane shortly after. Do a fit, like it was crazy, but I was like, we gonna do what we got to do.

• 10:18Keke Palmer?

  I love that. And that's why you look so amazing. I want to go to your childhood because you mentioned it a minute about, uh, you know, you grew up as an army brat. You know, I mean, where you were Germany, Utah, Nevada, and you're all over the world. How did music find you? Was that something that grounded you growing up?

• 10:34Speaker 01

  That was in me, you know, I I have to give credit to my my mom and my dad and my grandma, my grandpa, just growing up, music always surrounded me. They always played music and they played a great range of music. And then it was really cool when I lived in places like Germany because the music you would hear, there would be so like, you know, world, like you would hear music from all over the world.

• 10:55Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 10:56Speaker 01

  So for me, I think it really helped me as a songwriter. Like melodies is like one of my strongest, uh, you know, things when it comes to writing. Melodies and catchiness, like I can hear a hit pretty good for the most part.

• 11:11Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I think so.

• 11:13Speaker 01

  Um, and I can just know like what's gonna make. You know, what's gonna cut through. And I really believe that a big part of that is because of how I grew up, with how I listened to music and how I was exposed to music.

• 11:25Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 11:26Speaker 01

  So it's always been in my soul and, you know, with dancing, I've always loved dancing. I was, soon as I could walk, I was dancing. I was that little girl.

• 11:35Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 11:35Speaker 01

  Um, you know, so I've always had an appreciation for it. It's always been something special for me, like,

• 11:41Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 11:42Speaker 01

  the day that I knew I was gonna become an artist. I remember I was watching Michael Jackson perform. And I'll never forget it. When he smiled, there was a feeling that I felt. And I was like, I'm gonna do that. And I had goosebumps all over my body. But there's also something about how I hear music. Like, when I hear music, it does something different to me. I think I hear it from a different perspective.

• 12:01Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 12:02Speaker 01

  You know, than probably a good bit of people, but that's the artist in me.

• 12:05Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 12:06Speaker 01

  So I've always just had a strong connection to it. And I was never trained to do any of what I did. I didn't take any classes, vocal lessons. I didn't have anybody teach me choreography growing up until I became an artist. But that was like God's gift to me. And I knew, like, this was ordained for me. Like, God, this is what you gave me. And it's such a gift to be able to do this thing.

• 12:29Keke Palmer?

  And I mean, you started so young. And I mean, OG, uh, Sierra fans are gonna know, you started out in a girl group.

• 12:34Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 12:34Keke Palmer?

  Hearsay, yeah, like, what? So how did you find that group? How old were you and like, why didn't it work out? When did you realize, oh, I'm not a girl group girl?

• 12:42Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 12:43Keke Palmer?

  Sierra.

• 12:44Speaker 01

  So it's funny because, let me tell you, okay, I'll try to do this as short as I can, but the, the, the power of manifestation is real. Okay?

• 12:52Keke Palmer?

  Woo.

• 12:52Speaker 01

  So I remember sitting at home and I had missed school this day. I don't know, I think I was sick or something happened. And I was just thinking about my life. I'm like, what am I gonna do, like, post-high school? Because this was a time when people were like signing up for, you know, colleges and all that stuff. Like, I'm in ninth grade-ish and I'm like, What is my thing gonna be?

• 13:12Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 13:13Speaker 01

  And so I, I wrote down a goal sheet. Okay, I made a goal sheet. Um, and my first goal I wrote down was to get discovered.

• 13:21Keke Palmer?

  Period.

• 13:21Speaker 01

  And then I said, once I got discovered, I wanted to sell three to four million albums.

• 13:25Keke Palmer?

  Okay. This is specific manifestation. This is what they was talking about with that Sierra's Prayer. You're doing it every aspect of life.

• 13:33Speaker 01

  I've prayed all my life, girl. Uh, and then my third goal was to have longevity. Okay, so no lie. I swear to you, no lie. Two weeks after I wrote this down, someone asked me to audition for a group. There was like, they knew that I wanted to be a singer because we were all talking about it at lunch. So they remembered that and they said, there's a girl group looking for a third group member. Would you want to audition? And I was like, sure. Like, this is crazy, cuz, you know, I literally just said this two weeks ago. So I sang on the phone, I sounded a hot mess. Like, I don't even know why they wanted to see me after that, cuz it was shaky boots. But, okay, they still wanted to see me.

• 14:13Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh.

• 14:13Speaker 01

  They saw me in person. I auditioned and I made the girl group.

• 14:18Keke Palmer?

  Period.

• 14:18Speaker 01

  And, you know, I was probably like the fifth rotating member of my role. So there was two girls that were in the group, but they kept trying to get this third member right.

• 14:26Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 14:26Speaker 01

  So, you know, that was that. So, did that and I think I kinda came in a little ambitious, like, I'm like, you got these groups here, you got these groups here. We got to be out here, like, we need to be out here, that endurance, we gotta be singing. You know, I was super turned up, but I was super clear on my vision of what I wanted to do. And unfortunately, the group didn't work out. But that was my opportunity. And I knew, I, I knew I always wanted to be a solo artist, but I still felt like this is a great chance, like,

• 14:55Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 14:55Speaker 01

  Let's start here and we'll see where it takes me. And so, um, I signed my first publishing deal when I was like fourteen, fifteen. Yeah.

• 15:03Keke Palmer?

  Come on, band?

• 15:03Speaker 01

  Yeah, admin deal, as they would say. And then I signed my first recording contract at sixteen. So, fast forward to, okay, signed my deal at Arista Records was my dream record label. Okay, I wanted to be signed to Arista. Um, and then my first album I put out, Goodies, remember that goal sheet, right? So I got discovered, check, okay? And then I wrote down how I was gonna do it. Going back to that first goal checker offer thingy that I wanted to check off the list. When I did write down how I was gonna get discovered, I'm putting myself in talent shows, I'm gonna do this, this, and this. I went to go sing the national anthem for my high school. And I remember I cracked in the middle of like the air. And I was like, sorry. The monster. And I kept singing like, but I was like, we're starting somewhere, okay?

• 15:48Keke Palmer?

  Yo, you said, sorry.

• 15:50Speaker 01

  Yeah, sorry.

• 15:50Keke Palmer?

  It's the sweetness, it never dies.

• 15:52Speaker 01

  Yeah. But, but again, fast forward to, I signed my deal at 16 years old with Arista. And then I put out Goodies when I was 17, 18 years old. And then that album sold not only three to four million, I sold five. And then the third goal was to have longevity. And now it's 21 years since my first album, Goodies. So, yeah.

• 16:12Keke Palmer?

  First of all, congratulations, that's incredible.

• 16:14Speaker 01

  Thank you so much.

• 16:14Keke Palmer?

  And I have to ask because obviously in the midst of all that, things don't go. I mean, so much of this went exactly as you had planned.

• 16:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 16:22Keke Palmer?

  But then I'm, I'm sure there were moments that didn't go exactly as planned, even though they might have gone better or went a different direction.

• 16:28Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 16:28Keke Palmer?

  How did you stay faithful in that?

• 16:31Speaker 01

  Oh my gosh, faith is the way for me.

• 16:33Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 16:34Speaker 01

  Honestly, that is like, single-handedly, I would say one of my, I don't wanna say superpowers, but one of my superpowers, like internally, like,

• 16:44Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 16:44Speaker 01

  without faith, you know, I don't know where I would be. Like, there's many times where I've wanted to like, maybe like, you know, I doubted myself or like, something to go how I wanted it to go. And like, I'm like, well, what does that mean? And then you keep trying hard, you keep doing the same thing you know you would, you've done for things to work and it doesn't work.

• 17:03Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 17:04Speaker 01

  Like, what do you do then?

• 17:05Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 17:06Speaker 01

  So for me, you have to double down on your faith, right? It's being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially when it feels dark, right? And so, that's kind of the only way, that's how I stay up, like.

• 17:17Keke Palmer?

  Yeah. What would you say was that first big moment for you, especially having all this consistent success?

• 17:23Speaker 01

  Oh my gosh.

• 17:23Keke Palmer?

  When, when was the moment where you, cause on the outside looking in, it's like Ciara's always been Ciara. But I'm sure there were moments for you where it's like, oh, this, this changed things. Like, was it after Goodies, was it after that?

• 17:33Speaker 01

  Okay. So, yeah, I remember.

• 17:37Speaker 01

  I won't necessarily say the song, but I just remember like having songs back to back to back be like number one song in the world, number two song in the world, top five in the world, top 10 in the world.

• 17:46Keke Palmer?

  Yup.

• 17:46Speaker 01

  Back to back. And there was a song that I did that I really loved, but I did it with an artist and this artist was like on fire, but...

• 17:53Keke Palmer?

  I think I know what you're talking about. I'm not gonna say it.

• 17:55Speaker 01

  Don't say it.

• 17:56Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I'm not gonna say it.

• 17:56Speaker 01

  Cause I don't want people to like...

• 17:57Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah, no. Yup, yup, yup.

• 18:00Speaker 01

  I'm like, should I say it? Cause I've never said it.

• 18:07Keke Palmer?

  Memorial Day is right around the corner and there is nothing more special than gathering with the whole family together to honor this important holiday. And baby, I found the perfect way to celebrate. Booking an incredible Airbnb by a lake and throwing something on the grill. So y'all remember my winter ski chalet up in Big Bear with the gagas? This spot is a year-round paradise. I mean, you're waking up to gorgeous lakeside views, breathing in crisp mountain air, all while the smell of barbecue floats up from the deck. That's the kind of magic I'm talking about. The space was everything. We had a massive deck where the grill master could show off their grilling skills,

• 18:50Keke Palmer?

  all while the rest of us played cards and splashed in the lake. And the game room, huh, your girl might be a movie star, but everyone can catch these hands when it comes to Miss Pac-Man, okay? What makes Airbnb so special is how it brings families together, all with more space for the fam to spread out. Privacy when you need it because you know sometimes the Palmer's need a minute. And locations that hotels could never match. The Memorial Day that's coming up is time to create the precious family memories and moments in a space that feels like home. Whether it's a lakeside retreat like my Big Bear spot or any of Airbnb's most loved homes. These are the places where memories are made. I would love to say, cause I think I know as a Sierra fan.

• 19:34Speaker 01

  Tell me what song you think it is.

• 19:35Keke Palmer?

  I don't wanna say.

• 19:36Speaker 01

  Let's see, let me guess the song.

• 19:38Keke Palmer?

  Can we say the first letter?

• 19:40Speaker 01

  What does it start with?

• 19:44Speaker 01

  What is it, Kiki?

• 19:45Keke Palmer?

  Okay, is it a few words?

• 19:46Speaker 01

  It's two words. So you have a different song in your mind?

• 19:50Keke Palmer?

  No, what is it? What is it? Tell me, tell me.

• 19:51Speaker 01

  Oh, no.

• 19:52Keke Palmer?

  You have to tell me, please.

• 19:53Speaker 01

  I have to tell you.

• 19:53Keke Palmer?

  You have to tell me now.

• 19:55Speaker 01

  Okay, so here's the deal. Because I don't want people to take this wrong.

• 19:57Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 19:58Speaker 01

  But at the time, I remember that I've never said this before. I'm like, am I gonna say this? But at the time period, I had this song.

• 20:07Speaker 01

  I feel wrong for saying it.

• 20:08Keke Palmer?

  I'm very excited for this.

• 20:08Speaker 01

  Because I never like sang. Because I don't want people to like, okay. So I had this song. Let me just, let me preface it first.

• 20:14Keke Palmer?

  Yes, please, yes, yes, yes.

• 20:15Speaker 01

  So I had a feature song with an artist who I really loved.

• 20:19Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 20:19Speaker 01

  Okay, this artist is amazing.

• 20:21Keke Palmer?

  Okay? Yeah.

• 20:22Speaker 01

  And they were on fire.

• 20:24Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 20:24Speaker 01

  But at this time, they had probably like 25 records at radio.

• 20:28Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 20:29Speaker 01

  That were all like great records and features. So by the time I did it, I was like 26.

• 20:35Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 20:35Speaker 01

  Okay?

• 20:36Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 20:36Speaker 01

  And I felt like creatively, that wasn't necessarily what I wanted to do at that moment. But I mean, I loved the record. You know, I was super excited about it. And I believe in the record. It was just more so like the strategy, timing of like, guys, this is the best record to do. So.

• 20:55Keke Palmer?

  I don't know if I'm gonna say it.

• 20:57Speaker 01

  But the song, it didn't work so well. And that was "Go Girl" with T-Pain. That was a big moment for me because.

• 21:04Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 21:04Speaker 01

  And I love T-Pain.

• 21:06Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 21:06Speaker 01

  He's amazing, right? But at that time period, it was like my label kept saying, you gotta do this. You got, and every feature I've had in my career that I've done was because like, one, first of all, I wanted to work with him. And we did that. But I've always, I was very intentional about like timing and how we were releasing the records. And at that time period, unfortunately.

• 21:26Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 21:27Speaker 01

  There was just so many records. So by the time someone goes to radio with a song featuring T-Pain, they say, well, we got.

• 21:33Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 21:34Speaker 01

  Right.

• 21:35Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I mean, there's feeling and then there's strategy with music that I think a lot of times people don't think about.

• 21:40Speaker 01

  Timing is everything, you know, and so my label really, really pressed me about that. And unfortunately, that didn't work. And it was a bit of a, it was, it was a process after that. Like for me to try to like, get things back on track. And, and me and my label just wasn't in sync, we weren't in sync at that time period.

• 21:58Keke Palmer?

  And I feel like what's so interesting about you is because you always gave sexy and grown, but when we met you, you were a kid. You really, yeah, I mean, how old, seventeen?

• 22:05Speaker 01

  I was a baby, I was seventeen, well, I came out of high school, yeah, so eighteen years old is when I met the world.

• 22:12Keke Palmer?

  So we also saw you grow up. Like, I remember when your music changed and when I started seeing fashion change. You just became a woman and that impacted your music. I mean, it went from being the Atlanta princess to the Atlanta grown ass woman, you know what I mean? And we all watched that happen, so I'm, I'm sure for you, yes, sound was changing, music was changing, your relationship with your label was changing, what they expected from you. How did you, like, for you, did you always see the North Star of where you are now?

• 22:41Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 22:42Keke Palmer?

  You did.

• 22:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, because, you know, it's amazing, that goes back to faith.

• 22:46Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 22:46Speaker 01

  Right? Is like, what you don't know is when you have this beautiful dream of what you want to make happen in your life.

• 22:53Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 22:53Speaker 01

  It looks beautiful, right? When you dream, dreams are beautiful. Dreams are like, big and they're like, perfect and they're like, it's a dream.

• 23:02Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 23:03Speaker 01

  Right? It's like a movie, but what you don't think about when you're dreaming big is the in-between stuff. And the in-between stuff is like, sometimes it's not pretty and it's hard and it's ugly. I mean, ugly.

• 23:17Keke Palmer?

  It is, it's so true.

• 23:19Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's why I named my, my record label Beauty Marks Entertainment. I had a song called Beauty Marks because I said, "All the scars you get from the obstacles you face in life are your beauty marks." So that was like my way of looking at my life personally and professionally like, you know, God, you're so good. Like, God, you're so faithful.

• 23:35Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 23:36Speaker 01

  You know, things didn't feel so pretty when I was going through them. But like, they actually have a way of becoming beautiful. Like, the ugly does turn into pretty because you get so much from it. Right? You gain so much wisdom from it. You get better, you get stronger because of it. And that underlying thing is faith.

• 23:51Keke Palmer?

  Yes. What you're talking about is perspective. And sometimes I wish that was something that can bottle up, you know, and just give to people.

• 23:57Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 23:57Keke Palmer?

  Because it's like, you're not really any different from your heroes. It's the way that you think.

• 24:01Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 24:01Keke Palmer?

  You've got to be able to control the way you see things, the way you reframe things. And something you said, I think it was in, was it Parents Mag in 2025? That being naive in the beginning of your career benefited you.

• 24:13Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 24:14Keke Palmer?

  In what ways, you know, would you say? Because I love that.

• 24:17Speaker 01

  Because I said that, like, when I was this little girl with this big vision, like, I was committed to it. Like, I wasn't thinking about, like, you know, I'm a girl. I'm a young girl. I'm also a black girl.

• 24:28Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 24:29Speaker 01

  I didn't think of any of those things when I walked in rooms. I just thought about what I wanted to do. And I think that having that, what is it? Naivety? How do you say naivety?

• 24:38Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, naivety, yes.

• 24:40Speaker 01

  Having that perspective and just being so gung ho about what I wanted to do. And when I was told no, no was good for me because I was like, okay, you're gonna wish you said yes. And I was like, okay, well, it pushed me.

• 24:53Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 24:53Speaker 01

  But I think having that perspective allowed me to walk into rooms confidently with my vision, committed to my vision, and to actually make things happen.

• 25:02Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 25:03Speaker 01

  You know, because if I thought about all these things that you don't know actually can work against you, then I'm already walking to the room with my shoulders down.

• 25:11Keke Palmer?

  That's right. I think that's so powerful. And I think it's so amazing that something that you teach your girl, you know, because it's like, I felt the same way growing up with my mom. Now, I was aware of things, but also I felt like that awareness doesn't mean that I have to carry that in the room with me. And I think I still hold on to that naivety as much as I can today.

• 25:29Speaker 01

  Well, you know what? It's just simply believing. Because I think about those that have come before me, you know, especially with men in particular.

• 25:37Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 25:38Speaker 01

  They be committed to the cause.

• 25:40Keke Palmer?

  Okay, too committed.

• 25:41Speaker 01

  And they say, they say what they want.

• 25:44Keke Palmer?

  They do.

• 25:45Speaker 01

  No, they do. And it's like, why can't we say what we want? Like, right? Like, or even if it's a successful woman, like, it's so inspiring when I see a woman do her thing. You know, it's like, I can do that, right? So to your point for my girls, I want them to know, like, if you believe in whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it, right? Listen, it may be hard.

• 26:05Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 26:05Speaker 01

  But you can do it.

• 26:07Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 26:07Speaker 01

  And so I hope that when they look at me, I'm an example of that. Like, that's important to me.

• 26:12Keke Palmer?

  How do you think that motherhood impacted you? Because I know for me, like, I thought I was strong and I thought, you know, but after I had my son, I'm like, whoa, I could do something. Like, so what was something that changed in you that when you started, you know, having your children? Where you're like, oh, my gosh.

• 26:26Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh.

• 26:26Keke Palmer?

  I'm actually this girl?

• 26:28Speaker 01

  Come on now.

• 26:28Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 26:29Speaker 01

  Let me tell you, when I look up at these four kids, I be like, aight, Cece, you're doing, you're doing some things, Cece. I'm not gonna lie, because these kids be, they be trying me out. I be like, oh, my gosh. I be tired. I swear.

• 26:44Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 26:45Speaker 01

  My car is my office. And then, and then sometimes you sitting in the car and you think you in pure tranquility, and then one of your kids come knocking on your door. I say, oh, my gosh. It's a kid on every corner in my house.

• 26:58Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my, the four kids is a beach.

• 27:00Speaker 01

  I'm not gonna lie. But you know what? When I look up and I see them, I just feel so proud. I feel like you're really doing something. Like, it puts the P in purpose for me. You know, I remember when I had my first baby, when I had Future, he was born nine pound, ten ounces. Yes, ma'am. And then I say, I was like, you. Like, I was in the kitchen, like, yeah, I did that. The doctor said, I said, I was like, out of it. I was like, right up the lab, I was like, how much does he weigh? Looks like nine pounds, ten. I said, yeah, I about rose up from that bed, like, I did what? You know, like, but you feel so proud.

• 27:40Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 27:41Speaker 01

  You know, like, it's, it's, it's really a blessing and I, I don't know, I just feel motivated, like, you know, to go even harder. That's a lot of work, I'm not gonna lie. Like, being a mom is a full-time job.

• 27:53Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, it is.

• 27:54Speaker 01

  I don't know if people really understand that, like, you know, even if a mom is a stay-at-home mom, that is a job.

• 27:59Keke Palmer?

  It's true.

• 28:00Speaker 01

  Right?

• 28:00Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, you never rest, because you're always wondering and worrying and concerned, you know, about that child.

• 28:05Speaker 01

  Listen, you don't sleep.

• 28:07Keke Palmer?

  Mm-mm.

• 28:08Speaker 01

  That is a real thing, and let me tell you something, because I say I got my four precious babies, and I got Russ. That's my big baby. Okay, so this how it go in my house, okay? He wake up at 4:30 every day for football.

• 28:21Keke Palmer?

  I love that.

• 28:22Speaker 01

  Okay, so we start there, and then we got the little ones at 6:30. I'll be like, how, I, I just had to say, Lord, this is my life. So we gonna, we gonna, we gonna accept it, so then I can accept that I don't get to sleep. Oh my gosh, what is such a blessing.

• 28:40Keke Palmer?

  It is such a blessing, and I mean, your music, when I think about how that's impacted your music, you've always, like I said, had sex appeal, whether it was Tomboy Chic, or just going full Sexy Love, Sex and Magic. Um, do you feel like there was an expectation with your artistry that, oh, now that you have kids, or that you're married, that now your music will change, you know, or who you are as an artist should change?

• 29:00Speaker 01

  You know, it's funny, I used to be scared to live my life in full for many years, because in our industry, it was taboo. Like, to have a baby made you all of a sudden become old, or like, it's a wrap. Like, that was how we kinda came up in the industry.

• 29:16Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 29:17Speaker 01

  You know, so, um, gosh, I was gonna say.

• 29:20Keke Palmer?

  I was just, you know, we were going on the thing of like, how it impact your music, now that you, you know.

• 29:24Speaker 01

  So now, but the thing is, is that people are living. You have to live.

• 29:29Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 29:29Speaker 01

  We have to live as, you know, we're human, just like anyone else in that regard, and and that, to me, makes my life more full.

• 29:37Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 29:38Speaker 01

  Right, and it's, to me, it's, there's no greater feeling than waking up with the love of my life every day, and knowing that he's there, and knowing that we're building a family together, and we'll build, we're building a legacy together. I feel so blessed that we're also doing things together, whether it's through our Why Not You Foundation, or, you know, we have three brands.

• 29:56Keke Palmer?

  Congratulations on that.

• 29:57Speaker 01

  Thank you so much, you know, we have three brands, you know, Russ's kids' brand with Nike, and, you know, and that's growing, and our kids are a part of that, we do the photo shoots together, and, you know, and then to just be out here doing my thing, and grinding, and finding my, I don't know, you know, it's, it's, I feel empowered.

• 30:17Keke Palmer?

  And you're empowering so many of us.

• 30:19Speaker 01

  Thank you so much.

• 30:20Keke Palmer?

  To see that we can do it all, you know, and that's what we need. We love to see that. We love to see each other win because it just continues to raise the bar and say, "Why not? Why can't I have it all? Why can't I live this full?"

• 30:29Speaker 01

  Why not? Like, but doesn't life feel good when you, you come here, you're working so hard too? I, I've gotta give you your flowers.

• 30:38Keke Palmer?

  You gotta stop saying.

• 30:38Speaker 01

  No, no, I'm serious because you have been doing this for so long. And you, your face is a baby face forever.

• 30:46Keke Palmer?

  You wanna talk.

• 30:46Speaker 01

  For real, I'm serious. But you have evolved in such a beautiful way.

• 30:52Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh.

• 30:53Speaker 01

  And when I saw that you were also having your first child, I know what that feeling is like. That is such a blessing, right? How, don't you feel so good when you go home from a hardworking day to your baby?

• 31:06Keke Palmer?

  Yes, and he's here too.

• 31:08Speaker 01

  See what I'm saying?

• 31:09Keke Palmer?

  Literally. It changed my life. And I think especially with, I'm sure you can relate, starting so young and so much of the purpose is just like who I dream of and how I can be and, and you writing that and writing that and writing that. And then that baby comes and you realize it's so much bigger than that. And that you had so much more to give and why.

• 31:27Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 31:27Keke Palmer?

  And it just changes. It's like, how did y'all try to make people believe that being a mama would make things less? It makes things more.

• 31:35Speaker 01

  No, no, no. Honestly, I'm not gonna lie.

• 31:38Keke Palmer?

  Girl, I never felt so sexy.

• 31:40Speaker 01

  That's what I'm saying. Cause I'd be like, I woke up today, I went to the gym, I took my babies to school.

• 31:47Keke Palmer?

  Ooh.

• 31:47Speaker 01

  Then I went to a couple of conference calls. Then I, I got myself a little lunch.

• 31:51Keke Palmer?

  I know that's right.

• 31:52Speaker 01

  I kept the day moving. I picked them up from school, took them to baseball, took them to horseback riding. Then I came home and then I saw my man, you know what I'm saying? Oh, she doing that. Like, she's doing that, you know what I'm saying?

• 32:03Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh, yes.

• 32:04Speaker 01

  That's like purpose. Like that is, and I remember running into a few of my friends and them telling me. They were like, "I wish I would've, you know, actually had more kids." Like, they were telling me that, and that actually really helped me because I'm like, you know, you gotta live, right?

• 32:21Keke Palmer?

  You got to.

• 32:22Speaker 01

  Because biological time, we can't get it back.

• 32:24Keke Palmer?

  No.

• 32:25Speaker 01

  And, and at some point in time, things do slow down. So, these kids, you know, that's our legacy. And, and they're entertaining. It's walking TV shows every day. And everybody got a different station with different programming.

• 32:39Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 32:40Speaker 01

  It is funny and fun.

• 32:42Keke Palmer?

  My son is on Blippi.

• 32:43Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh.

• 32:44Keke Palmer?

  I'm cool with him. Blippi is his Jay-Z. When I tell you?

• 32:47Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh, Blippi be turning up.

• 32:49Keke Palmer?

  Up.

• 32:49Speaker 01

  Water, child. Blippi, got the song in your head, right?

• 32:53Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 32:53Speaker 01

  I mean, listen, we got everything.

• 32:55Keke Palmer?

  This makes me think about that, that your, your single, "Run It Up", where you say, "No matter how many points I put up on the board, just believe me, you know they gonna hate. I'm in a league of my own, I'm a wife, I'm a mom. I go pick my kids up in a rave. You ain't gotta worry, you know that we straight."

• 33:09Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 33:09Keke Palmer?

  What, what, I mean, you were probably in the energy we're talking about right now when you wrote that song. But I love how we still get that Atlanta CC, but it's evolved in a new language, in a new environment. And I think that's really dope.

• 33:22Speaker 01

  Thank you so much, thank you. Shout out to Boss Man D-Lo.

• 33:25Keke Palmer?

  Hey, Boss Man D-Lo.

• 33:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, Boss Man, because he hopped on that record so quick for me. Um, it's real, like, that's my life, right?

• 33:32Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 33:33Speaker 01

  Um, you know, you, sometimes you, no matter how much you do, somebody gonna always have something to say, and that's just what I've accepted, and I'm okay with that.

• 33:42Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 33:42Speaker 01

  Right?

• 33:42Keke Palmer?

  You seem so Scorpio Unbothered.

• 33:44Speaker 01

  Come on, now.

• 33:45Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 33:45Speaker 01

  You got to be.

• 33:46Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 33:47Speaker 01

  Because you know what? We think about, again, I go back to the greats before. It's like, greater you're great, the more they hate. Like, that's a real thing, right?

• 33:53Keke Palmer?

  Yep.

• 33:54Speaker 01

  And so, when they have something to say, that's a good thing.

• 33:57Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 33:58Speaker 01

  It's a good thing.

• 33:59Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 33:59Speaker 01

  Right? So, I've really mastered, like, my own personal, like, art of reading commentary.

• 34:06Keke Palmer?

  Girl, and that is because you're you, you know what I'm saying?

• 34:09Speaker 01

  You're so sweet.

• 34:10Keke Palmer?

  Now, I want to just ask quickly about this fifth baby, you know what I mean? Like, do you, when do you know you're ready for it? If you, you know what I mean, gonna be ready for that?

• 34:24Keke Palmer?

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• 35:07Keke Palmer?

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• 35:48Speaker 01

  We just gonna go where God leads us, you know? I'll be honestly, I'll be honest with you. I am, I do want to have a fifth baby.

• 35:58Keke Palmer?

  Yes, girl!

• 36:00Speaker 01

  I do. I'm not gonna even like skate around, did I do? I was like, Russ's campaign game right now is so strong, and I said, babe, I said, these folks is on your side.

• 36:09Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 36:09Speaker 01

  Now, what's going on? Listen, the day I had Amora, our smallest baby, our most recent baby.

• 36:15Keke Palmer?

  Amora.

• 36:16Speaker 01

  I swear, he said something else about a fifth baby. I said, that's disrespectful. You talking about a five right now.

• 36:22Keke Palmer?

  And I'm still on the bed.

• 36:23Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh. No, but honestly, I definitely want to have, I want to have another one, for sure. Yeah, and we'll see where like time takes us. I will tell you this, I am not going to wait forever. I'm gonna be honest, I'm not, because I do, this, I keep getting a little older. But I do feel like my youngest self. But that is a real thing, so we'll see what happens.

• 36:45Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, what was it about Russell? Because at the time you met him, you were getting out of a situation. How did you know you were open to this great love? Like, did you see that around the corner? Or has it surprised you?

• 36:56Speaker 01

  I thought I was gonna be single for a long time, before he came into my life. And, you know, there's this saying, when you know, you know. And I'll never forget the day that he came over to my house. Because, okay, so we were gonna go out to eat, like, at a restaurant. But the reality is, is that when you do that in our world,

• 37:15Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 37:16Speaker 01

  people preset the situation for you. So automatically, your boyfriend and girlfriend, you don't even have a chance to date like normal people.

• 37:22Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, because you're celebrities, yeah.

• 37:24Speaker 01

  So we met in private, and I always say, I'm like, you know, we were meeting as friends. He was like, I wanna be, I wanna come be no friends. You know, he says that to me, but he's, I don't know what you're talking about, but, you know. But we were really, you know, building and talking as friends. And he came over to my house, and at that time period, my dad was there.

• 37:44Keke Palmer?

  Oh, wow!

• 37:45Speaker 01

  And my son was there, okay? And I remember calling my best friend Yoli, who's in the room, before he came over. It's like, Yoli, you know, what do you think, blah blah blah? And he's, she's like, it's gonna be fine. Like, you know, it's gonna be, it's okay. Because I've honestly felt safe out the gate, even from our conversations we've been having. I did. So, you know, he came over, and it was, we literally talked on, I forgot to eat. Like, we both forgot to eat. We were supposed to get some food, but the food came much later. But, you know, we talked, and it was, it was, he was different. Like, I'm not gonna lie, like, our conversation just at start, and that moment was different.

• 38:26Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 38:27Speaker 01

  And so, when he left, you know, I remember calling Yoli, and I said, Yoli, it's like, I don't wanna jinx anything, but I think he's, and I didn't wanna say this, and she finished, she said, the one? And I said, yes. And he left my house on the elevator, told his friend at the time that came with him, he said the same exact thing that I said. And so, it's just kind of amazing. There's a saying, when you know, you know. When you know, you know. And it's different. I was, I literally was saying to someone the other day. You know, I said, listen, you know, in my life, I think I've, as a woman, I've kind of felt the need to preserve sometimes and like protecting myself.

• 39:10Keke Palmer?

  Of course.

• 39:11Speaker 01

  When it comes to love, right? Not saying that I didn't try.

• 39:14Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 39:14Speaker 01

  But there was like an ounce of like protection that I would have. And when you're in this place in life, when you're married, you know, the, the all that's off, like it's vulnerable at the highest level. And I said, if I could take a picture, if I could visualize my heart in his hands, right? And he's holding it, he's holding it up high and he's not letting it fall.

• 39:42Speaker 01

  And so, that's the place you want to be in to me when it comes to love, like, you gotta be able to, you know, to feel that way. And he should feel the same way, right? And so, you know, when you know, you know, and it's, it's honestly a blessing and I feel like I'm really working towards something every day because we're doing it together. Like, we're in this thing together, right? And so, um, I just feel so blessed. I really do. Like, this is all God's working.

• 40:09Keke Palmer?

  Yeah. That, I really love and receive. And I think it's so good to hear that. And I love when you share that. You don't have to share those personal things. Um, but it's so good for women to hear. And guys too, love on somebody. You know what I'm saying? And have that peace. Yes.

• 40:21Speaker 01

  If you're gonna love, love big. Don't be love bombing. What, what camera do I talk to? Listen here, y'all. Don't be love bombing folks, hyping them up to then let them down. Like, male or female, don't do it. Cause it ain't even right. Like, don't be afraid to love. Like, love big, you know?

• 40:39Keke Palmer?

  Love big, don't love bomb.

• 40:41Speaker 01

  Don't love, love big, don't love bomb.

• 40:44Keke Palmer?

  Something good.

• 40:45Speaker 01

  I like that.

• 40:46Keke Palmer?

  Okay, so 7-Eleven.

• 40:47Speaker 01

  Kiki and Cece.

• 40:48Keke Palmer?

  Uh, Kiki and Cece eats. I have to talk about this album because I got a sneak peek, okay? We're out. And the records are recording. No one's ever said that before, but they were recording. And I just. Love that we're getting this album.

• 41:01Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 41:01Keke Palmer?

  Let's talk about CeCe.

• 41:02Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 41:03Keke Palmer?

  We're at CeCe now. What is that time in between that brought us to this great record?

• 41:07Speaker 01

  Yes, this project has been a labor of love for me. Um, it, it comes out, as you said, 7-Eleven. Um, I'm excited for that day and, and CeCe's kind of like that. It's my nickname and, you know, growing up, people was that, look at little CeCe. Look at CeCe go. Uh, but my fans, they also say to me, hey, CeCe. Or if I'm on a stage, they're like, go CeCe, go CeCe, go. And every time they, I'm like, that list start turning up. I start getting real stank with that thing, you know? So, so CeCe just felt very fitting because, to be honest with you, you know, I feel one, a genuine and a personal connection with my fans through them calling me CeCe and just what that's, that nickname has meant to me. But I just want to say thank you to my fans. You know, I've been doing this thing independently.

• 41:50Speaker 01

  This is my second album release under my label imprint, Beauty Marks Entertainment.

• 41:53Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 41:53Speaker 01

  And, you know, um, I just want to say thank you to my fans for their support on the journey because they have single-handedly held me up. Like the moment I took the risk and leap of faith to launch Level Up, right?

• 42:06Keke Palmer?

  Yep.

• 42:06Speaker 01

  That was my first independent release. And my fans helped me bypass any approval system that existed. Because I, I've been through the journey for many years where you have to get the approval from the CEO of a company or, uh, this group has to like it. This marketing team has to like it. That's not fun. So I had the vision, you know, of Level Up and what I wanted to do. And within one click of a button, launching it on my platform, through my imprint, directly to my fans, they said, this is the jam. Like, so for me, my fans are the reason why I, I stand as an artist. They're the reason, they're the backbone to my world as an artist. So I just wanted to say thank you to them on this project.

• 42:51Speaker 01

  And I'm giving them these records that I've been working on for almost five years. They have gotten a taste of some of the records so far. But I'm also here to tell you, Kiki. Okay, so the tracklist has been, some people have seen it in this moment of my pre-save and pre-sell, my, you know, pre-download era of CeCe because the album's not out yet. But that tracklist is not going to be the same when the album comes out. And I'm

• 43:17Keke Palmer?

  Now wait a minute.

• 43:18Speaker 01

  Yes, I'm so

• 43:19Keke Palmer?

  Are the records I heard?

• 43:20Speaker 01

  Okay, so the records you heard.

• 43:22Keke Palmer?

  Are the correct.

• 43:22Speaker 01

  You heard the new, yes, you've heard the new.

• 43:24Keke Palmer?

  It's good, y'all.

• 43:26Speaker 01

  She's so so.

• 43:27Keke Palmer?

  And I love because I'm getting so many of the different eras and essences of you. And it reminds me, goes back, I'm telling you, all the way back to One Two Step, Goodies, Oh, all of that. I hear so much. I mean, you also have, you know, Lotto, fellow Atlanta native

• 43:42Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 43:42Keke Palmer?

  on there.

• 43:43Speaker 01

  Produced by Jazzy Faye.

• 43:44Keke Palmer?

  Produced, I mean, you and Jazzy, I mean, that sound, you and him, that sound changed everything, growing up. And we're like, who the hell is Ciara? Like, it, you know, so I love on this new album how we get elements of that still evolved and we're getting new sounds that represent where we are right now. But I feel the essence of that with the essence of all these other elements that you've brought into your artistry. And so it's really fun.

• 44:08Speaker 01

  Aww.

• 44:09Keke Palmer?

  You got Tyga on there.

• 44:10Speaker 01

  Yes, we actually made our song live on his Twitch together.

• 44:14Keke Palmer?

  Twitch is something, ain't it?

• 44:16Speaker 01

  No, it honestly

• 44:17Keke Palmer?

  It's a whole world.

• 44:17Speaker 01

  It's a whole, and he kept saying W's in the chat. I'm like, what is W's in the chat? Girl, I said, I gotta get down with the lingo. Because you know, because it's like a whole new world in the streaming space.

• 44:27Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 44:27Speaker 01

  But he, he is so dope, such an incredible artist and also an incredible soul. He actually just recently taught me how to play Bacharot.

• 44:36Keke Palmer?

  Oh, Bacharot.

• 44:37Speaker 01

  We ran to each other in Vegas and he sat down and like

• 44:39Keke Palmer?

  That's like rich people's game.

• 44:43Speaker 01

  You're so funny, you're so funny.

• 44:44Keke Palmer?

  Thank you.

• 44:45Speaker 01

  But no, it was really fun playing that. But honestly, beyond that, like, we, we made this song live and the fans were showing so much love. It was W's in the chat.

• 44:54Keke Palmer?

  W's was in the chat across the world.

• 44:55Speaker 01

  But yeah, no, Tyga, there's a song I have called Made It.

• 44:58Keke Palmer?

  Yep.

• 44:59Speaker 01

  Which really like speaks to like, you know, my life in a big way. You know, and, and, and people have been showing me so much love on Ecstasy.

• 45:07Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I'm like, I mean, come on, the Ryan Gravity Challenge, like,

• 45:10Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 45:10Keke Palmer?

  I just love how you've always done it because for me, I remember the, obviously there's One Two Step, there's Goodie, but when Ryan, my mom walked in, I was with my friend, my best friend, we're in the room and I was like, she was watching me, she was letting me know if I was hitting it.

• 45:23Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 45:23Keke Palmer?

  And I was like

• 45:23Speaker 01

  Your friend was.

• 45:24Keke Palmer?

  Ryan and And she, I'm like, am I doing what CeCe did? I'm like, am I doing, do I look like CeCe? She was like, yes, girl.

• 45:30Speaker 01

  Wait a minute.

• 45:31Keke Palmer?

  Girl, I was in that room for hours.

• 45:33Speaker 01

  You are kidding me.

• 45:38Keke Palmer?

  Girl, about to the big, big, big.

• 45:39Speaker 01

  How old were you then?

• 45:40Keke Palmer?

  Probably sixteen, seventeen. And I was like, I need to be see. I put the outfit on, girl, it was too much.

• 45:45Speaker 01

  Ooh.

• 45:46Keke Palmer?

  So you, you just keep doing it. And then there's now a bunch of us on the foldable chairs.

• 45:50Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh.

• 45:51Keke Palmer?

  Trying to defy gravity. How do you come up with this stuff?

• 45:53Speaker 01

  Let me tell you, I gotta shout out, um,

• 45:56Keke Palmer?

  This is crazy.

• 45:56Speaker 01

  Taylor Terry. She is, um, this amazing dancer. But I've also known Taylor for some time through my dear friend and creative director, Jamaica Kraft.

• 46:08Keke Palmer?

  Oh, Jamaica.

• 46:09Speaker 01

  Jamaica started with me when I was just fourteen years old. Okay, so you talk about twenty-four years in the room with my makeup artist. We're like twenty-six years, okay? So she introduced me to Taylor. And then Taylor came through with the choreography. And when I saw the chair dance, I was like, this is insane. I was like, I wanna do that. And I thought it was gonna be really hard. And then I got into the room and I'm like, okay. I was scared, I was scared of the chair. I was scared because I was like, what's gonna happen? And then I got on the chair and I was like, oh, my gosh. This is actually really like smooth and like dope. And so I did it. And it's been amazing to see how people have just loved it and been trying it.

• 46:44Keke Palmer?

  Okay, so you've done it with everybody. I know I gotta let you go soon, but we have to do this because I see you doing with all the girls. But I figured that we could do the Defying Gravity Challenge and level it up.

• 46:53Speaker 01

  Hey, let's go. I see you did that.

• 46:56Keke Palmer?

  And I'm gonna ask you some questions while, while we do the Defying Gravity Challenge. But we're gonna level up by putting things on our back.

• 47:02Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh.

• 47:03Keke Palmer?

  As we do it.

• 47:04Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 47:05Keke Palmer?

  Are you down for this?

• 47:06Speaker 01

  I'm down. I've been doing this before. Let's go.

• 47:07Keke Palmer?

  I'm so excited.

• 47:08Speaker 01

  Yay.

• 47:14Keke Palmer?

  Tell me why Tropical Smoothie Cafe has your girl feeling more blessed than Sierra's Prayer. With only the freshest smoothies, bowls, and made-to-order wraps. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is serving exactly what you need to turn your everyday into a mini-vacation. Now, they did not come to play, y'all. The naturally sweetened detox island green smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Ooh, it has spinach, kale, mango, pineapple, banana, and fresh ginger. You name it. That Caribbean jerk chicken wrap with the kale and apple slaw upgrade. Ooh, yes, honey. Eating your fruits and veggies has never been this fun. It's serving exactly what I serve at every Met Gala. Pure excellence. And don't even get me started on their Chia oatmeal pudding bowl.

• 47:59Keke Palmer?

  You want some morning motivation that balances craveable deliciousness and guilt-free indulgence? That's the one. The Chia Oatmeal Pudding Bowl with some almonds and fresh strawberries will have you grooving like Normani at 8 a.m. So, go on, order ahead. Take the scenic route and earn rewards with the Tropical Smoothie Cafe app. Download it today or visit tropicalsmoothiecafe.com to find a cafe near you. You're on Tropic Time now at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

• 48:32Speaker 01

  All right, you ready, Kiki?

• 48:33Keke Palmer?

  Yes. Okay, guys, Mia Sierra about to do the Defying Gravity Challenge. While I ask her these rapid-fire questions, I'm already scared.

• 48:38Speaker 01

  Don't be scared.

• 48:39Keke Palmer?

  And Lauren, my producer, is gonna put stuff on our back.

• 48:42Speaker 01

  Do not go slow, because this is a beast to do this alone.

• 48:44Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh. Okay, so you've collaborated with the greats, but who are you still dying to work with?

• 48:50Speaker 01

  Oh, I want to work with Bad Bunny.

• 48:52Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my.

• 48:52Speaker 01

  Because I like to learn how to speak Spanish I'm learning right now.

• 48:55Keke Palmer?

  Come on.

• 48:56Speaker 01

  ¿Hablas español? Me llamo Sierra.

• 49:00Keke Palmer?

  Okay. Okay, first thing you eat when you back in the A.

• 49:04Speaker 01

  Ooh, I like to get me some good old fried chicken, candy yams. What is on my back?

• 49:11Keke Palmer?

  She is really stacking.

• 49:12Speaker 01

  I love my soul food meal.

• 49:13Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh, me too. I love soul food. Okay, you have four kids. Oh, my gosh, damn, I'm losing already.

• 49:18Speaker 01

  Get bread, get the bread.

• 49:20Keke Palmer?

  You have four kids, Sierra's winning. You have four kids, what's on your baby-making playlist?

• 49:24Speaker 01

  Ooh.

• 49:25Keke Palmer?

  Are we listening to the Joneses?

• 49:26Speaker 01

  I was like, I'm listening to myself on this. I like, what, I'm about to say what I like on my playlist?

• 49:31Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 49:31Speaker 01

  Ooh, I like songs that don't say a lot of words.

• 49:35Keke Palmer?

  Oh, so she likes ambiance. Are we listening to jazz?

• 49:37Speaker 01

  I like, like, Art of Noise kind of music.

• 49:39Keke Palmer?

  Ooh, you're so unique.

• 49:40Speaker 01

  That's a lot of information. Kiki, get the tea today.

• 49:42Keke Palmer?

  The girls are unique.

• 49:43Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh, what's she about to put on her back now?

• 49:44Speaker 02

  A little stapler action.

• 49:46Keke Palmer?

  Favorite song to perform on tour?

• 49:48Speaker 01

  Ooh, ooh, Sisney. No, put it back on the back, put it back on the back. Come on, put it on the back.

• 49:54Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 49:55Speaker 01

  You know what? Lauren ain't stacking it right. That's what's happening.

• 49:57Keke Palmer?

  That's Lauren.

• 49:57Speaker 01

  I ain't, no leg either. I'm just flat now. I like performing one-two-step. I like performing Level Up. I like performing goodies.

• 50:06Keke Palmer?

  Ooh.

• 50:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, and I can't wait to perform X.

• 50:09Keke Palmer?

  That's gonna be so fun.

• 50:10Speaker 01

  Are you moving your legs? Yes, I'm moving. Oh, you are? Okay, I have not been moving one leg. I've been out here straight leg.

• 50:15Keke Palmer?

  Okay, football season or award season?

• 50:17Speaker 01

  Ooh, football. Ooh.

• 50:18Keke Palmer?

  Ooh. Do you like being a wag?

• 50:21Speaker 01

  I like football.

• 50:24Keke Palmer?

  We are so into it right now.

• 50:27Speaker 01

  Oh my gosh.

• 50:27Keke Palmer?

  Okay, what else? You're the hottest wag ever. Okay.

• 50:30Speaker 01

  Oh, you're so sweet.

• 50:30Keke Palmer?

  Date night in or out? Y'all love going out.

• 50:33Speaker 01

  It depends. I love going out. I love eating.

• 50:35Keke Palmer?

  But I feel like you're such a date, fun date in person. You probably would do something like making sushi. Yes.

• 50:41Speaker 01

  I'm not moving, Jack.

• 50:43Keke Palmer?

  Okay, last one.

• 50:44Speaker 01

  Yes, yes, yes.

• 50:45Keke Palmer?

  Baby Cinco.

• 50:45Speaker 01

  I do like sushi, by the way.

• 50:47Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I saw you make it once.

• 50:48Speaker 01

  I do like Mexican food. I think I'm Mexican.

• 50:49Keke Palmer?

  Me too. I do think I'm Mexican, too.

• 50:52Speaker 01

  For real.

• 50:53Keke Palmer?

  Shout out to our Mexican people. Love y'all.

• 50:55Speaker 01

  Hola.

• 50:56Keke Palmer?

  Baby Cinco, boy or girl?

• 50:58Speaker 01

  Ooh, ooh, whatever. God, hey.

• 51:00Keke Palmer?

  I love that.

• 51:01Speaker 01

  Hey, what is on those on the back right now?

• 51:03Keke Palmer?

  Everything, and now we're done.

• 51:04Speaker 01

  A glass of water's on the back? Nah, yeah, we just kept it cute. Oh my gosh, do we nail it? Okay, wait, let me see. Give me that mug.

• 51:10Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 51:11Speaker 01

  Hand me the mug. Give me the mug right here. Cause it says, "What's the tea," right?

• 51:15Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh, me too.

• 51:15Speaker 01

  What's the tea?

• 51:16Keke Palmer?

  What's the tea?

• 51:16Speaker 01

  Come on, what's the tea? Let's go, baby. Ooh.

• 51:23Speaker 01

  Yes, ma'am.

• 51:23Keke Palmer?

  We nailed it. You're my girl. You're my fan. Ooh, y'all, that was a time. Now, I might be sore from Defying Gravity tomorrow, but it's okay. It's so clear why Ciara's been in the game for, what, more than two decades? She's taken risks, ignored others' expectations, and consistently bet on herself. That's that Cece energy, honey. I think sometimes we feel like things are out of our hands or that we need to wait for permission to get what we want in life. But by living with intention, we become the masters of our own stories. And as we evolve, grow older, get into relationships, or become parents, those intentional decisions we make only unlock more potential for greatness. Now, that's T-Bone.

• 52:05Keke Palmer?

  I hope y'all enjoy it, and I'll see you next time because you know it's your girl.

• 52:21Speaker 03

  There are books that change how you see the world, and there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and The Fire Next Time, to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead, the president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership, and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create.

• 53:04Speaker 03

  Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of A Great Book with Barack Obama ad-free right now, plus access each audiobook discussed in the series. Download the Audible app today.

• 53:21Speaker 04

  Hi, I'm Kenya Barris.

• 53:22Speaker 05

  And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.

• 53:28Speaker 04

  We'll sit down with extraordinary guests from the worlds of art, film, literature, comedy, and wellness to hear from their unexpected stories of success.

• 53:35Speaker 05

  And who do we have this season? Well, we'll talk with Grammy-winning artist Anderson Paak, athlete Rich Roll, portrait artist Amy Sherald, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, legendary writer David Sedaris, and many more. These conversations are more intimate than last season, wouldn't you say?

• 53:52Speaker 04

  I would. Listen to season one of The Unusual Suspects wherever you get your podcasts, and sign up for a free trial Audible to listen to season two in the Audible app or by subscribing to Apple Podcasts.