How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Not applicable
Value for Money
Good
Advantages:
A credit to the reality television format
Disadvantages:
I still like Leona Lewis better
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
=== "When I look at Jordin I see diabetes, I see heart disease, I see high cholesterol" - MeMe Roth ===
Whilst when we get a winner of our reality music competitions they manage to dominate the charts, at least for a few weeks following their victory, the UK has been more reluctant to grab hold of America's reality show winners. That's not to say they love anything we've came up with from 'X-Factor', as Simon Cowell is still working hard on his campaign to feed Leona Lewis to the larger audience. Jordin Sparks became the sixth winner of American Idol in 2007, and they are now on their seventh season - this is a show the same as 'Pop Idol', which we tired of after just two seasons yet across the pond the competition still manages to garner record ratings. The most well known of these American Idol winners is probably the original winner, Kelly Clarkson, who had some modest success here.. however, now Jordin Sparks shall be trying to 'crack the UK' with a different genre of music in mind.
At just the tender age of 17, Jordin was the youngest winner in history, however being so young didn't mean she missed her fair share of controversy. The National Action Against Obesity group sensationally claimed that Jordin was not a vision of health, and rather of 'unhealth', and was a reflection of todays compromised health society. On her audition that would see her qualify to the Hollywood round of the show, Simon Cowell criticized her for being, 'too cute'. Despite all this, upon her victory Jordin became the first winner to sign to Jive Records, famous for also being Britney Spears' label. 'Jordin Sparks' is the name of her self-titled debut album, released worldwide in November '07 yet getting absolutely no exposure or promotion in the UK. This was a quickly produced album, aproximately six months, compared to the almost a year Cowell spent working with Leona Lewis. Critical response was very positive, with the album peaking at #10 in the US chart.
"Idol has crowned winners with even bigger voices, but it hasn't given us a one who's any easier on the ears" - E! Weekly
1. Tattoo (3.54) 2. One Step at a Time (3.26) 3. No Air ft. Chris Brown (4.24) 4. Freeze (4.13) 5. Shy Boy (3.22) 6. Now You Tell Me (3.07) 7. Next to You (3.17) 8. Just for the Record (3.56) 9. Permanent Monday (4.12) 10. Young and in Love (3.24) 11. See My Side (3.44) 12. God Loves Ugly (4.15) 13. This Is My Now (3.51)
Similar to how Leona Lewis' album, 'Spirit', featured her X-Factor winner single as a bonus track, 'This is my Now' was the winners single from American Idol 6. The track was the winner of a songwriting competition of which thousands entered, and was actually the first time I heard Jordin as the winning performance was all over YouTube. During the final, Cowell famously said that Jordin's performance wiped the floor with her opponent, sounds familiar? This then prompted complaints that the song was better suited to Jordin, who went on to be only the second winner not to peak at #1 with a winners track. 'This is my Now' only peaked at #15, although this could be put down to the track only being released digitally. Everything about the song is exactly the same formula that you see from winners singles.
'Tattoo' would be the first real single release, and the head track to the album, which out did her winners single peaking at #8 in the US charts and #3 in Canada. An official release to the UK market is expected late March '08. Written by the same team that has worked with Beyonce Knowles and Ne-Yo, as well as writing the worldwide hit, "You're Beautiful" for James Blunt, the premise behind the song is of someones love sticking with her like a tattoo. Whilst many had this down as a definate chart topper, criticism came saying the song was too similar to 'Irreplaceable' - Beyonce and a mix of Rihanna and JoJo records. Despite not being true R&B, featuring guitar melodies, the video is getting airplay on MTV Base.
"If I should die before I wake, it's cause you took my breath away" - Jordin Spark featuring Chris Brown
'No Air' is without a doubt one of my favourite tracks on the album, as it features the perfect partner for her in 18 year-old Chris Brown, who is famed for his performance of 'Thriller' at the World Music Awards as well as now Rihanna's new bit on the side. Whilst many could say that singing about someone leaving meaning you can't breath is every bit as cheesy as her first two singles, there is something that works incredibly well about this ballad, and I'm sure it's working exactly how they hoped it would for the young audience. The longest track on the album, I love every second of it, and definitly had to be the second single release. Still fairly new to the US chart, its current peak is #13, making it Jordin's second biggest success and showing there is more appeal to the artist from her debut album rather than just her weekly appearances on American Idol.
There are still ten other tracks to discuss on the album, as if her three releases don't make this worth the money alone. Production appears to have been done to a near perfect level on this album, with tracks sounding how you would expect them to, 'Freeze' sounding icey cold. Tracks also have bubbly beats and defining moments that will stay in your head, such as the chorus to 'Shy Boy'. Around track six the album seems to go on a run of slower songs, and as nothing lives up to the standard of 'No Air', things go slightly amiss from 'Now You Tell Me' to 'Permanent Money'. I think 'Young and in Love' sounds like a crossover between a Britney Spears and a Hiliary Duff song, but that could potentially lead to being material for a third single release from the album. Obviously the management team behind Sparks think a lot of people that voted for her to win were the younger audience, and that is representative of an album that is mostly about love, with 'God Loves Ugly' thrown in at the finish as a feel-good song for those who do not feel the most beautiful and also expresses Jordin's religious beliefs. Jordin Sparks won the Best New Artist award from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. I thought the word 'coloured' was racist.
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