Ciara wrote “1, 2 Step” with Jazz Pha two years before it appeared on her 2004 debut album, Goodies. Pha produced “1,2 Step” using the blip aesthetic of ’80s electro music and Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock” as a blueprint. He invited Missy Elliott to appear on the single, and she paid tribute to Teena Marie by lifting her rap from “Square Biz.” Ciara footnoted her single “Goodies” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You” in her lyrics. The bubbly energy of “1, 2 Step” caught on quickly with the masses, and fans were dancing along to Ciara and Missy’s moves in the video. “1, 2 Step” was part of the South’s Crunk & B wave that went mainstream thanks to artists like Lil Jon and Crime Mob. Ciara’s second single Goodies and second top 10 hit was Grammy nominated and won BET, ASCAP, and Teen Choice Awards. “1, 2 Step” is a seminal track from early 2000s pop and southern rap. Ciara released her seventh studio album, Beauty Marks, in 2019. In 2024, she joined Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes for the Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour.
