Jordin Sparks

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

With an all-star team of writer/ producers (Stargate, the Underdogs), 17-year-old "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks gets a first effort that's all over the map—and works. The best news about "Jordin Sparks" is that nobody's trying to mold her into a fly ho or a torchy diva; these 13 songs sound like exactly what she should be singing at this age and juncture in her career.[...more]With an all-star team of writer/ producers (Stargate, the Underdogs), 17-year-old "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks gets a first effort that's all over the map—and works. The best news about "Jordin Sparks" is that nobody's trying to mold her into a fly ho or a torchy diva; these 13 songs sound like exactly what she should be singing at this age and juncture in her career. The overall effect is sophisticated teen pop marked by innocent good cheer and harmony-laden vocal arrangements, although the synthesizer and drum machine-dominated tracks work better in some cases ("Tattoo," "One Step at a Time," "Now You Tell Me") than in others ("Shy Boy," "Young and in Love"). "No Air," Sparks' duet with Chris Brown, has plenty of hit potential, while "Now You Tell Me," with its swelling arrangement and muscular chorus, is the album's gem.

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