Jordin Sparks

 

 

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It would be nice if there were some variety in the song styles on this album, but, alas, the material is stylistically repetitive - a mild, hip-hoppy monotony. Only three of the songs are genuinely bad ("Shy Boy," "See My Side," and "God Loves Ugly"), but that's too many for one album, and the rest are just not memorable. Jordin's voice is strong and enjoyable, but her talents are wasted on the material produced on this album.

The way American Idol is supposed to work: mass audiences familiarize with and internalize young, shining a-sexual kids on television who do cheesey Ford and Coca Cola commercials, and then someone wins because of the votes of that mass audience. The kid (or grey-haired man) who wins does mass promotion then lays low while producing their debut album (just so that they still have some cred as a real artist and people forget their association with the TV show in the first place), then about half a year later, the album hits stores and the show's producers boast that it's a platinum debut, then....? Then the centre-of-attention kid who won has to understand they got their foot in the door, they got some press and a record and an extreme makeover, and usually, we don't see them again until The Surreal Life a few years after their career didn't last past television.

Generally, the formula works. Yet, it shouldn't be the only criteria for the release of these albums. They rush them out to promote a face from TV... but what about the album? Most people will disregard the quality as long as their favorite is smiling on the cover and the album is called something like "This is Me". Well... that doesn't work for THIS reviewer. That being said, this is the last time I will mention the word 'Idol' in this review.

The bulk of Ms. Sparks debut sounds exactly like Beyonce's "Irreplaceable", and the tracks that don't are a lot more emotionally investing and imaginative. The new-age flavored "Freeze", the Kelly Clarkson-esque and perhaps strongest song on the album "Now You Tell Me", and the airy pop ballad "Permanent Monday", and another gem, "God Loves Ugly" which sounds out of context on an album and would perhaps be more suitable as a Broadway show-stopper are all solid pop tunes that will have Jordin's fans happy that they got what they voted for. "This is My Now" is one of the better obligitory winner singles, and suits Jordin's voice and upbeat persona. By far the worst song on the album is "See My Side", which is nothing but garbagey faux-techno chill dretch -- the synthesizers in the background are jarring and Sparks' watery voice combined with them is like a cupcake laced with shards of metal.

Although it's not a bad disc, it's stil not the most memorable of albums and really offers nothing original to the table. If the market is being saturated with a bunch of GOOD singers, shouldn't they at the very least bring something new to the spectrum of popular music? I always wait with baited breath for one of them to crush the mould but if they WERE hard-edged and different beforehand (someone like Bo Bice comes to mind who blew us all away with his deep, rootsy voice), this process will water them down to nothing (for example, Bice's first single "The Real Thing"). I still keep the faith that one day, someone will refuse to release such manufactured, bland throwaway material and do something SERIOUS. However, it was not Jordin Sparks.

... and by "smolders" I mean that she glows and is smokin' hot, but thanks to some damp material she falls just short of igniting the fiery album I was expecting.

Pretty, bubbly, young, a great performer and with an amazing voice, Jordin Sparks nails some winners in this album, which already has three hits under its belt:

1. This is My Now - the song she sang to take the American Idol title from Blake Lewis (Granted, he was at a disadvantage due to not being able to change up the song to better suit his style)
2. Tattoo - Definitely mainstream pop, a catchy song geared towards radio and television saturation. (I still like it) Co-written by Sparks.
3. No Air - Hot, hot song with hottie Chris Brown (need I say more?)

Other songs to look out for:

One Step at a Time - An upbeat, funky song, well suited to her voice

Now You Tell Me - An ideal pop song for an Idol graduate

Next to You - Mid tempo song carried by the chorus

Just For the Record - Another mainstream pop song

Not that hot:

"Freeze" - Self-explanatory. She sings well, but it's not a really good song. Co-written by Sparks

"Shy Boy", "See My Side", "God Loves Ugly" - Monotonous

"Permanent Monday", "Young and In Love" -Unmemorable

This debut album proves that Sparks has the voice to soar to greater heights, but she needs some edgier material to push her above the rest of the mainstream crowd.

Amanda Richards

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