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Citation :The Farr Side: Debut makes Sparks fly

By David T. Farr
Sturgis Journal

Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:36 PM CST


America got it right with Jordin Sparks when they voted her the next "American Idol."

She is living her show-winning single "This Is My Now."

Sparks made her awards show debut on the American Music Awards/American Idol Awards show. She was a presenter on the telecast, but all she needed to do was smile to win over the audience.

I say "American Idol Awards Show" because "AI" alumni dominated the categories and acceptance speeches. Jordin should have taken notes because she may very well be up on that stage next year.

Sparks' self-titled debut CD on Jive Records is exactly what it should be - a pure pop record. It's not flashy, nor out of her league. I would describe "Jordin Sparks" as the perfect teen/tween album. She definitely knows where she belongs in regards to her music.

At just 17, Sparks shows such promise as a singer. This record showcases the power of her crystal-clear vocal prowess, something that made her an early contender on "AI." The only thing missing is her own "I (Who Have Nothing)," meaning I wanted to hear her send one out of the ballpark like she did that song on "AI."

The CD opens with her current single, "Tattoo." The song was produced by Stargate, the same team responsible for Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," which is what I thought of the first moment I heard the song. It has the same familiar drum-line and acoustic guitar rhythm that helped "Irreplaceable" strike gold.

"Tattoo" was the perfect song to introduce herself to the three people in America who didn't watch the sixth season of "American Idol." It's a great song and Jordin would have hit big with it whether she won the title or not. It grows on you with every listen.

On "No Air," Sparks is in duet with newfound R&B sensation Chris Brown. This song surprised me the most on the album. Sparks and Brown blend well together vocally. It's a beautiful song that captures the true talent these two young artists possess.

Sparks and Brown could give Rihanna and NeYo a run for their money if "No Air" were to become a single. Rihanna and NeYo are currently on the charts for their duet of "I Hate That I Love You."

The rest of "Jordin Sparks" covers a wide territory: dance, pop, balladry fused with hop-hop overtones, all pleasant to my eardrum.

"Freeze," "Permanent Monday," "Now You Tell Me," and "Next To You" are clear stand outs and worth repeated listens. Hearing Jordin sing these songs made me smile and remember the gal who week-after-week proved why she deserved all the "AI" accolades.

Sparks is on the same path as Kelly Clarkson, musically speaking. Both won me over from the get-go by singing their hearts out on "American Idol." Their music definitely strikes a chord with me.

Sparks may have turned her "now" into forever with the release of "Jordin Sparks."

David T. Farr is a Journal correspondent. E-mail him at farrboy@hotmail.com

source:
http://www.sturgisjournal.com/articles/ ... 864298.txt

Citation :'Idol' Jordin Sparks acts her age on her debut CD



Jordin Sparks' debut CD is a family-friendly affair aimed at her fans -- kids, their parents and grandparents. (AP Photo)

BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY | The Associated Press
   December 2, 2007

When teen music stars approach the age of consent, they often test the boundaries of what's appropriate by taking on projects with adult content. "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks took the opposite approach as she sought out material for her CD debut.

"I wasn't really sure what I wanted to sing about," Sparks said, "but I knew what I didn't want to sing about.

"I wanted to stay away from 'Oh, put your hands all over me'- type things, because I haven't experienced that yet so the fact that I would sing it would be really dumb. Plus I don't feel comfortable singing stuff like that," Sparks, who turns 18 on Dec. 22, said with a giggle.

The endearment factor

It's that kind of wholesome charm, along with her powerhouse voice and striking good looks, that endeared her to "American Idol" audiences this year, making her the youngest winner in the TV phenomenon's six-season history after defeating semifinalist Blake Lewis. And on her Jive Records self-titled debut, record executives - and Sparks herself - wanted to make sure she retained that sweet-as-pie image.

"She's one of the most beautiful people I've ever met on this planet. ... You immediately get a sense of who she is and her values," says Jive A&R executive Jeff Fenster, who helped Sparks and her management team select songs for the album.

"You have to make a record that is representative of who the artist is. We tried to keep that in mind from the beginning of the process," he says. "I said to her from the beginning, a big part of my goal was to help her make a record that she was proud of and represented who she is, and I think she felt that way at the end of the day."

To that end, the "Jordin Sparks" CD is decidedly family-friendly, much like the talent competition that launched her. Thanks to her "American Idol" success, and her age, Sparks' fan base has a large kid contingent, but also includes the parents and grandparents who, along with their children, watched as the Arizona teen went from a potential also-ran to the odds-on favorite to win it all.

Sparks wanted to make sure that she didn't alienate any age group with the material she chose. "I never really thought of targeting a specific audience. I just want to make music and whoever likes it likes it," says Sparks, speaking via phone a few days prior to the CD's release. "I do love the little girls who come up to me and they are just so excited, and I like meeting the older women who are like, 'Oh my gosh we love you....' It's really cool.

"I'm kind of just making good music, so hopefully there's sort of a balance there to where adults will like it, but it's not so adult that little kids won't be able to listen to it."

Finding her pop balance

It looks as if she has found that balance on "Jordin Sparks," a thoroughly pop CD with a mix of romantic ballads, dance grooves and inspirational anthems (including "This Is My Now," the song she was given to perform in the "Idol" finals). The album's first single, the guitar-infused "Tattoo," got a slow start on radio but has been steadily rising on the Billboard pop chart and is now a top 20 hit.

The CD was crafted with the help of pop's top producers, including Stargate, the team behind Beyoncé's ubiquitous "Irreplaceable." But Sparks makes clear that her contribution was more than vocals, including a co-writing credit on one of the CD's 13 tracks.

"I feel very, very lucky because I had a lot of say in what the album was like," she says. "There's a lot of stuff on the album I could relate to in some aspect."

That's especially true of one of the more personal songs on the album, "God Loves Ugly," which deals with overcoming insecurity about appearance. It may seem like an odd choice for the young beauty, but the song resonated with Sparks, especially after she endured some criticism from an overzealous weight watcher for her full figure after she won the "Idol" crown.

"There are days when I'm like, 'I want to put a bag over my head.' But most days I'm fine and I'm content and I like the way I look and I like my curves," she says. "It was just kind of weird, but I kind of let things roll off my back."

It's that same kind of levelheadedness that Sparks seems to apply to the whirlwind that has become her life since her "Idol" run this year. She credits her close-knit family with keeping her grounded. Sparks (the daughter of former NFL player Phillippi Sparks) always has one of her parents or family members by her side, and relies on their guidance when things start to get unwieldy. "I have my mom or my nana come with me anywhere I go.... It's cool because I have them there if something is thrown at me," she says.

The next few months will be particularly grueling for Sparks as she promotes her new CD. (She performs Dec. 14 at Madison Square Garden.) It will also represent the biggest test of her young career: Will she follow the multiplatinum path of "Idol" winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, or suffer a Taylor Hicks fate and fade from the pop spotlight? Even Sparks admits that the whole thing "is a little bit scary." But she thinks her youth has given her an advantage.

"That's the point of this career for me. I'm excited because of my age - I can grow."

Blake's 'Dream' CD

Blake Lewis, who placed second to Jordin Sparks on the most recent season of "American Idol," will release his debut album "Audio Day Dream" Tuesday.

"Audio Day Dream" (19 Recordings/Arista) will feature the single "Break Anotha" co-written by One Republic's Ryan "Alias" Tedder, Sam Watters and Lewis and produced by Tedder (Timbaland, Leona Lewis).

"This album is exactly how I wanted it to come out," Lewis told an interviewer. "It's like an '80s mix tape, with some hip-hop and electronic influences. I wanted to make a record where every song sounds like it could be on the radio, but my radio. 2000-'80s Blake radio is what I call it."

source:
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/mu ... 8755.story

Citation :
JORDIN SPARKS

Jordin Sparks

19/Jive

** ½

Few albums arrive with lower expectations than an American Idol's first release. Given the lackluster season and dismally amateurish summer tour that led to the most recent winner, 17-year-old Jordin Sparks, one could reasonably expect yet another stinker from the Fox/19 cheese factory.

Surprise. Aside from the clichéd Dream-Comes-True pap every Top 2 finalist has to sing on the season finale, in this case This Is My Now, Jordin Sparks is one of the least crummy Idol CDs.

Producers wisely allow Idol's youngest winner to sing age-appropriate pop/R&B music and largely keep intact her positive, amenable personality that helped her trump beat-boxing phony Blake Lewis on the show. This will keep Sparks' 'tween fans -- and their moms -- happy. Every girl who ever felt like a wallflower at the junior prom will relate to, and celebrate, the uplift behind the inspirational God Loves Ugly.

Other clean-cut songs come via StarGate (Beyoncé, Rihanna), the Underdogs (Chris Brown, Ne-Yo), Robbie Nevil (Disney's High School Musical and Hannah Montana) and Swedish duo Bloodshy & Avant (Britney Spears). You can almost feel the relief coming off Bloodshy & Avant who finally get to work in the studio with a real singer on this CD's club-lite tracks Shy Boy and Young and in Love.

This results in a collection of mostly easy-paced, somewhat generic but nice songs that sound instantly familiar. Tattoo, the first single, has that Beyoncé Irreplaceable vibe. The Chris Brown duet, No Air, a sure-bet hit, has the same ''eh-eh-eh'' refrain Rihanna pumped into millions of homes this summer with Umbrella. There are no vocal showcases for Sparks' long notes a la her televised I (Who Have Nothing) but Idol CDs seldom resemble the karaoke oldies these contestants sing on the program.

Jordin Sparks lacks the verve of Disney's current music but it's likable -- and, for parents who may have to sit through repeat plays on the SUV stereo after picking the kids up from school -- endurable.

Pod Picks:Freeze, Now You Tell Me, One Step at a Time.

HOWARD COHEN

hcohen@MiamiHerald.com

source:
http://www.miamiherald.com/tropical_lif ... 25019.html