Ciara On Keri Hilson Comparisons: 'I'm Way Past That Mentally And Creatively'

It doesn't take much analysis to peep the similarities between Ciara and Keri Hilson. From their tomboyish allure to high-attitude tunes and ATL loyalty, both girls' images are almost seamless. But if you're the butt of comparison, who wants to admit that? Certainly not Ciara.

"There's a very, very strong difference between myself and Keri. So I'm not even in that space to go there. I'm way past that mentally and creatively... It's best that I give my fans what they want," Ciara told XXL in their October issue when asked if Hilson had jacked her swag. "It would be crazy to say I haven't heard that question before, but mentally I'm not even there..."

The 24-year-old chanteuse is also not phased by the ever-growing popularity of competitors like Rihanna and Beyoncé: "I honestly don't feel like my spot has ever been taken. If you place Rihanna and Beyoncé aside of each other, you would be able to see clearly that there's a difference...I'm just pushing to be the best in my own world.'

Still at work on her 4th album, Basic Instinct, due out early November, CiCi blames the delay (Basic Instinct had an original release date of August 14) on a surge of production constantly arriving her way.

The visual for Ciara's second single "Gimme Dat" premieres in October.