Ciara's got the 'Goodies'

NEW YORK — "Juicy man!" Ciara coos as her son, Future, 1, toddles into her hotel room. "Hi, mommy's boy! Come on! I gotta do an interview. Say hi!"

He's clad in an Adidas Darth Vader sweatsuit, and the singer, 29, gushes over him after spending the day promoting her sixth studio album, Jackie.

She's split from Future's father, a rapper also named Future, and keeps her circle pretty tight. Her dad is her nanny, which makes being a working single mom that much easier for the Austin-born Army brat, who was raised all over the world.

"He goes everywhere with me," Ciara says. "It just works out. He's very easy. He's a super-easy baby."

And she's happy with her boyfriend, Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.

"Good stuff," she smiles. "Life is really sweet. I'm having some pretty amazing days, for sure."

She's on tour, with a Las Vegas show on June 5, and she's also one of the competitors on NBC's new series I Can Do That, (Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET/PT). Ciara, Joe Jonas, Nicole Scherzinger and three other celebs learn and perform new acts each week. Ciara performs with illusionists Penn & Teller and learns how to double-Dutch jump-rope.

"In our world, as artists, the only time I'm allowed to express myself is through song," she says. "I thought it would be really fun to challenge myself and to allow my fans to see another side of me. I face challenges like they do.

"I used to always be very private, and in this new phase of my life, I want more. I want to grow. Why not try something out of your comfort zone?"

Anyone doubting Ciara's vocal prowess needs only to spend a few minutes with her and baby. He claps, squeals and shimmies when mom bursts into song.

It's either a super-cute mommy moment, or a savvy promotional move, or both. Regardless, Ciara remains buoyant and upbeat. She's not at the superstar level of a Beyoncé or J.Lo, but she has made an impact in music, releasing her first album in 2004, and yielding the hits Goodies, 1,2 Step and Oh. She also ventured into acting with Adam Sandler's 2012 comedy That's My Boy.

"I'm learning as I go," she says. And she has a new maturity from motherhood.

"Every decision is that much more important to get right because it can affect my son, down to my business decisions. It starts with me and how I run my world. I have that extra fire underneath my butt to push myself. Giving up is not an option."