January 24, 2008

Jordin Sparks

Liking Jordin Sparks, American Idol’s season six winner, comes instinctively. How many 17-year-olds are as self-possessed, as big-smiling, as committed to having a good time and keeping it real? Probably none. Liking Sparks’ music has been a different story for fans anticipating her debut CD, though. Her gut-busting Idol performance of “I (Who Have Nothing)” was possibly her only prime-time goosebump generator, yet she’s seen an instant progression to diva-dom, as chronicled in reports that found her heading into the studio alongside pop/R&B heavy-hitters Bloodshy, Avant, the Underdogs, and others. Was it a little soon for the relatively green Sparks to be throwing off such big-league, beat-heavy sparks? Well, not hardly, it turns out. The ballads here–songs like “Next To You” and “Just For the Record”–reach out at times with overeager sincerity (forgivable!), but the funkier numbers–”Young and In Love” and the Prince-flecked “Shy Boy,” especially–slam home her positives. Jordin may still be a juvie, but she’s a bona fide pop star. She earns her props as convincingly here as she did on TV. –Tammy La Gorce