Jordin Sparks Lights Up the Stage

Here’s a riddle for you (not a hard question for those die-hard American Idol fans): Who was the youngest ever Idol winner at the age of 17, was never in the bottom three, made the first huge musical touchdown of her career by winning season six of American Idol and is known for her soaring vocals which catapulted her to the top of the charts? You better have guessed Jordin Sparks! The same bubbly personality we witnessed on American Idol was evident even on the phone as Sparks talked with Youthink about the worldwide release of her much anticipated sophomore album Battlefield and her musical journey from winning local music competitions in her hometown of Phoenix to hitting stardom.

There’s no arguing that Idol was Sparks’ big break and it was a competition she had set her sights on. “I was always a fan of the show!” she exclaims. “I remember watching it when I was 12 and I was like, ‘I wanna do that!’”

While Idol fans may recall Sparks’ breathtaking performances during season six, what they may not know was that this was not her first attempt at making it onto the Idol stage. When she first auditioned, she was turned away, but her determination brought her back. “I auditioned for the show when I was 16,” she recounts. “When they told me ‘no,’ I was like, I wasn’t gonna stop singing just because somebody was like, ‘Uh, no.’ So I just kept going and I went back home and kept singing, did a local competition that if you won, you got sent to the audition city. And so that’s what happened; then I went on to win the whole thing, which is definitely very crazy!”

What’s also crazy for the 19-year-old is the fact that she recently had the opportunity to open as a special guest on the North American leg of the Jonas Brothers World Tour. Our interview took place just before she left and she was excited about hitting the road with the popular trio. “I’m actually looking forward to everything!” she says giggling. “But at the same time, I hear the boys like to pull pranks and I have to keep up my guard because I think they might pull pranks on me and I’m kind of nervous!”

While she may be nervous about being the victim of the Jo Bros’ pranks, Sparks has nothing to be nervous about when it comes to her music. Although still relatively new to the business, she already has many accomplishments under her belt. Following up her self-titled 2007 Gold album (with the Grammy-nominated tracks No Air and One Step at a Time), Sparks has recently released her latest album Battlefield. So what makes it stand apart from her debut? “I think the biggest difference is just growth in my voice and in me as a person,” she explains. “I got to write a lot more on this album so it’s gonna be really cool for my fans being able to hear my heart and what I’m thinking about. It’s a well-rounded album and there’s a little bit of everything.”

From small beginnings in local competitions to finally standing in the ultimate singing competition spotlight, the cheery songstress still has her feet planted firmly on the ground. She says, “Honestly, I think I’m still me, the quirky, bubbly, outgoing girl that people saw in the audition room, and I think the biggest thing that has changed is that I’m still the same girl, just in extraordinary circumstances. I get to sing for my job and it’s so amazing but I still am processing the fact. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it ever.”

With passion, optimism and gratitude, Jordin Sparks has continued to build her career post-Idol... and we certainly can’t wait for more chart-topping tunes from this bright new spark!