High Price

"High Price" is a crunk-influenced R&B song, with booming, low-end, creature-feature synths, which features Ciara singing in operatic soprano.[2] Macpherson of The Guardian magazine commented that the song sees the singer "combining outraged soprano braggadocio with thunderous crunk baselines.".[3] Lyrically, the song is an "ode to acquisitiveness"[4] and a "dramatic, swaggering celebration of flashiness"[5]

"High Price" received a mixed reception from music critics. Jon Sargent of Pop Matters called Ciara's operatic style "ridiculously awesome"[5] New York Times writer, Jon Carmanica called the song Fantasy Ride's best and most conspicuous track, while noting its opera-style vocals as a "spooky and ethereal effect that's both innovative and natural".[6] Many critics compared "High Price" to Ciara's previous single, "Oh" (2005),[7] with Allmusic reviewer, Andy Kellman, calling it a "decent revamp", however he thought that the singer's "outlandish operatics" were a new and nice touch.[2] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wasn't pleased with the song, calling it "lyrically obnoxious"[4] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called the song" "ridiculous crunk-pop" and stated that "if it weren't so over-the-top, it would be a supreme failure". He also called the song's vocals and lyrics horrendous, noting the line "I should be an Iraq, shawty, 'cause I am the bomb... Booty look softer than a McDonald's hamburger bun"[8]

Rolling Stone magazine ranked "High Price" at #73 on its 100 Best Singles of 2008.[9]

A music video was due to be released in July 2008, in order to coincide with the song's single release, however with the single cancellation, its release was shelved. A snippet of the video leaked online in July 2010.[10]