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Ashanti may call herself the princess of hip-hop soul, but the coronation was premature. On her crunked-up debut, Ciara is the R&B singer who oozes TLC-sass, round-the-way-girl swagger and Aaliyah-worthy sex appeal. She's accessible enough that other women want to emulate her street-savvy style, and from one listen to the Lil' Jonproduced and Petey Pabloassisted title track, "Goodies," it's obvious what the fellas want from the Atlanta belle. But -- sorry, boys -- as she croons, "If you're looking for the goodies, keep on lookin' cause they stayed in the jar." To her credit, not only is Ciara chaste, but she also has a fine singing voice -- reminiscent of Beyoncé without all the self-indulgent trills. The daring pairing of her honey-dipped vocals with propulsive Dirty South production, predominantly by Jazze Pha, makes Goodies such a refreshing listen. For instance, the percussive "Lookin' at You" sounds inspired by a black college marching band, and "The Title" is a contemporary doo-wop ditty that samples L.T.D.'s "Love Ballad." The disc also features an impressive cast of collaborators including Missy Elliott, who co-wrote and adds a guest rap on the disco skatereminiscent "1, 2 Step"; Ludacris on the bass-heavy gem "Oh"; and R. Kelly, who wrote and produced the mid-tempo valentine "Next to You." Indeed, Ciara's got the Goodies. Come and get some. Tracy E. Hopkins, Barnes & Noble