Jordin Sparks
News (Page 3)

Might Jordin Sparks soon pull a Jennifer Hudson?

While it's ambitious for the American Idol champion to be clearing away a spot on her mantel for an Academy Award, it sounds as though the young star wouldn't mind a movie role here or there.

She said as much to MTV in a recent interview:

"I would love to do some acting," Sparks said. "I did musical theater back home, and I love being on the stage and acting out. It's so cool to become a different character for a little bit, so if the opportunity comes along, I'd love to do a movie or Broadway. If I ever actually have the time, I'd love to do it."

Click here to read the full interview.

U Weekly just came out with its list of Hot Hollywood Power Players. And last season's American Idol champion was named The People's Choice.

Here's what the excerpt about Jordin Sparks said:

In a subpar American Idol season of gimmicks and forgettable faces, Sparks, with her powerful pipes and girl-next-door good looks, was the show's saving grace - and, at 17, its youngest winner. Now, she has a Jive Records deal, a built-in fan base of millions, and an expectation to become the next Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood.

Sparks told the magazine of her upcoming album (due out November 20), it "had to touch me when I listened to it."

We applaud Jordin Sparks for her virtue.

The latest American Idol champion recently talked about her vow of chastity, saying she's only gonna sleep with one man ever: her husband.

“My parents gave me a purity ring and talked to me about waiting until I'm married to have sex. It wasn't forced; it just made perfect sense," Jordin said.

She went on to explain how incredible that first experience with be:

"It's going to be awesome to say to my husband that I waited my whole life for him."

He's number-one! A lucky man will be the only person to ever sleep with Jordin Sparks.

No offense to Blake Lewis.

But he isn't exactly the romantic type, at least not as far as Jordin Sparks is concerned.

"It makes me laugh. We went through this whole experience and it's like I can't even look at him that way," she told Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo on New York's Z100.

However, being the subject of celebrity gossip isn't the only downfall to her this Idol winner's new fame.

"I can't really go to the mall anymore," Sparks said. Even though she's tried everything to be able to go out in public and not get recognized – including wearing hats and hoodies – she sticks out "like a sore thumb."

A major reason? Those lovely curls. Once fans spot them, they recognize this artist in an instant.

Not that she's complaining.

"Everything is coming so fast. My life is just turned upside down. But I love it and I want to do it for as long as I can," she told the radio DJs just moments before they premiered her first single "Tattoo."

The track, which describes the scar left when a relationship ends, was one of the first songs she considered for her debut album after winning American Idol in May.

"I didn't even get through the first chorus before I was like, 'I need to have this song!'"

We have no doubt Jordin Sparks will live up the past success of American Idol winners such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood - but someone needs to tell this 17-year old that.

"They've risen the bar so high and I'm like, 'I hope I can reach it,'" the most recent winner told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I'm trying to reach it! I just really hope that when (my CD) comes out it'll be great and maybe as good as theirs. And hopefully it'll sell well and people will like it."

Sparks offers a taste of the disc with her new single, "Tattoo," to be released on AOL's PopEater music blog Friday and to radio stations Monday. The tune about ending a romance had the Jordin seal of approval from the beginning. It was love at first listen.

"Right after I heard the first chorus, I was like, 'I wanna sing that song. I have to have it. I wanna sing it,'" she said.

Sparks, the youngest winner in the Fox show's six seasons, said her debut album, set for Nov. 20, will be a musical mixture of styles including pop-rock — in the edgy key of Clarkson, one of her role models — and the dramatic ballads that made her stand out on the "Idol" stage. She hopes to add some country, too.

This girl's got goals — among them, to "maybe win a couple Grammys ... Maybe be happy with somebody. Maybe act in a movie. Maybe do Broadway."

Sparks is still coming to terms with fame. Seeing her picture in glossy magazines is surreal. But she'd rather be in the spotlight than out of it.

"I wouldn't trade this experience for anything," she said. "It's just been so amazing. You know, it's hard because I go outside and I'm instantly recognized and I'm like, oh my gosh, because it happened overnight, literally."

Sparks, who is out on the American Idol tour, remains tight with her fellow finalists.

"It's abnormally weird how well we still get along," she said. "We're still like any dysfunctional family where we get on each other's nerves, but, at the end of the day, we're still just like, 'Hey, you wanna hang out?'"

The gang recently saw the hit comedy, Superbad, which has no shortage of R-rated raunch.

"It was so funny and I feel bad because I didn't expect it to be as vulgar as it was," Sparks said. "But I laughed anyway!"

A pair of exciting tidbits for Jordin Sparks fans:

First, the American Idol winner has signed with Jive Records, the same label that represents Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and the Backstreet Boys.

In a statement, she said: “American Idol has truly been a life altering experience. [This] is hopefully the beginning of another dream opportunity for me to deliver the kind of meaningful music I love. I can’t wait to share this next chapter of my story with all the fans that have supported me so far.”

Clive Davis, who has guided Idol winner careers in the past - and argued with Kelly Clarkson - said of the signing: “Jordin is a terrific young singer who has found a great home at Jive. [They] know how to patiently nurture career artists, and Jordin Sparks hints of a legacy and longevity waiting to be fulfilled.”

Also, Jordin's first single, "Tattoo," will be released August 27. We cannot wait.

As they see the end of this year's American Idols Live tour, Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis are hard at work on their debut albums.

Both singers told Billboard.com they've been using off-days for recording, and both hope to have their efforts out before Thanksgiving. Sparks' is untitled so far, while Lewis' has dubbed his "Audio Daydream (ADD)."

"I'm feeling a little bit of pressure because it's coming up so fast," said Sparks. "But I have full confidence that we'll finish it by the time we have to."

She's recorded four songs so far - including one with the production team Stargate - in Los Angeles, Omaha, Neb., and Chicago, with a session scheduled for this week in Pittsburgh. She plans to do the bulk of the recording back in Los Angeles after the Idols Live! tour finishes on Sept. 22.

"It'd kind of Kelly Clarkson's pop edge, a little bit," Sparks said, "and I recorded a ballad-y type song, like a power vocal song, and then I recorded just a really fun, fast one. I'm trying to mix everything together. I'm loving all the songs I'm recording, so hopefully that will come off the album when you listen to it and you'll be able to feel the emotion."

Idols Live! tour mate Chris Richardson has been writing songs with both Sparks and Lewis for their albums, which wukk be submitted for consideration. Lewis says he's recorded eight songs so far, working with producers such as Sam Hollander, Mike Elizondo and J.R. Rottem.

"It's your favorite '80s mix tape," Lewis said, "very inspired by Michael Jackson, Prince, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, the Cure. It's all over the map, really - very influenced by '80s hip-hop, old school breaks, whatever."

"They're letting me down the album I've always wanted to make," said Blake, who's written 11 of his own songs for the set.

Sparks and Lewis are both signed with Sony BMG by virtue of their Idol finishes, but the rest of the crew is awaiting word on whether they'll receive an offer later this month.

Richardson, meanwhile, is also planning a "rock and soul" album he says will be "a mixture of Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz." He's also writing for Phil Stacey who, like Haley Scarnato, plans to make a country album.

Gina Glocksen hopes to record "something pop/rock, like ... Pink," while LaKisha Jones has her eye on a gospel/spiritual album.

USA Today spoke with Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis soon after the sixth season of American Idol ended.

Here's what each had to say about Kelly Clarkson and more...

What do you think has made Kelly so successful?
Jordin: She really set the standard. She was a total raw talent, and I love her edge. She's my favorite.
Blake: I think she has one of the best voices in the record industry. And she reminds me of my mom, with her nice bluesy quality.

Did she give you any advice?
Jordin: I met her at the finale. She basically just told me that it's sucha cool experience and to have fun with it.
Blake: She's actually right across the way right now, so I'm gonna try to go over there and say hi.

So, how did you brace yourself for the judges'comments every week?
Jordin: It's always such a blur -- I kind of didn't hear what they said sometimes.
Blake: I never listened to them, honestly. And a lot of their stuff is a bunch of malarkey.

Was it frustrating to not get free rein on song choice?
Jordin: Sometimes -- when there were too many songs I wanted to sing. You can only pick one, so that was hard.
Blake: Yeah, [the] restrictions suck. I don't really like singing other people's stuff.

As she leads the American Idols Live tour, Jordin Sparks is the subject of a recent article in her home state Arizona Republic. Here it is...

For years, Olivia Nunley simply walked upstairs to a home nursery to watch close family friend Jordin Sparks sing and play guitar for her three young daughters.

To get the same show this time around, Nunley followed slightly different protocol: she stood in line and bought tickets.

"It's so foreign . . . its like our Jordin isn't our Jordin anymore," the Peoria resident said.

On Wednesday night, thousands of concertgoers embraced Sparks as their own when they saw the hometown girl sing as part of the 2007 American Idols Live concert tour when it stopped at Glendale's Jobing.com Arena.

An estimated 14,000 fans filled the arena. Several in attendance said they came solely because of Sparks.

The show was the American Idol winner's first Arizona concert since she taped the show's hometown visit episode in May at Westgate City Center. The tour includes the top 10 competitors of last season's Idol, including Sanjaya Malakar, who sang backup on several songs.

Before the concert, Sparks answered questions while sporting a jersey that read "Glendale's got game," a present given to her by Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs during her Westgate performance.

In an interview with The Republic before the concert, Sparks said she has not been asked to sing the national anthem at the 2008 Super Bowl hosted by Glendale, but that regardless she would try and get tickets to the game.

"I'm a football freak, I would love to sing at the game if I can," she said.

Shortly after the interview, several familiar faces gathered outside at the arena's will-call box.

Many were regulars from the Tuesday night viewing parties held at Westgate while Sparks was on American Idol.  Just like at the parties, hundreds of fans toted glittery Jordin posters and wore Jordin T-shirts in the Westgate courtyard.

Sandra Witt and her daughter, Danielle, wore hot pink and white "team Jordin" shirts. The pair drove from Tucson to support the Arizona headliner.  Sandra said she is proud that Sparks is a local, but also because she is the show's first biracial winner.

"She's been very inspiring to my daughter and very positive. We can relate to her very well because we come from a mixed family," she said.

Sparks and the other traveling Idols had little time to take in Valley attractions. The group left soon after the concert for San Diego.

"It's so weird to be home, but not actually be home," Sparks said before the show.

The concert did offer a little time to spend with family and friends. A handful of Sparks' former high school classmates and young cousins visited with her backstage.

To welcome the other contestants to her hometown, Sparks' uncle made gift baskets that included T-shirts and John Deere hats. The group also went to Sparks' house for a home-cooked turkey dinner.

"Her entire family has just been so welcoming," said Haley Scarnato.

Is Jordin Sparks dating Chris Richardson?

TMZ reports that the American Idol winner has fallen hard for this Justin Timberlake clone. Previous rumors of Jordin and Blake Lewis as an item are false, but the celebrity gossip site says the 17-year old truly is smitten with C-Rich.

We wonder how Lauren Conrad feels about that.

Sources on the tour say Sparks' family is trying to keep her mind focused on music. But that's a tall order. Have you seen Chris Richardson?!?