Music

Review: Self-titled debut from Jordin Sparks earns 'B'

By Chris Hansen Orf, Get Out

November 18, 2007

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During her charge to victory on “American Idol,” Jordin Sparks’ best moments on the show were when she used her mature voice (at 17, she was the youngest contestant ever to win the competition) to belt out such ballads as Shirley Bassey’s “I Who Have Nothing” and Martina McBride’s “Broken Wing.” The singer’s worst moment on the show, when she tackled Bon Jovi’s rocker “Livin’ on a Prayer” (which caused “Idol” judge Randy Jackson to say, “You are definitely not the hard-rock girl”), showed that rocking out was not Sparks’ strong suit.

On her self-titled debut CD, out Tuesday, Sparks sticks to her strengths, eschewing up-tempo beats in favor of using her booming pipes to deliver an album heavy on contemporary R&B ballads and mid-tempo pop tunes. Kicking the disc off with “Tattoo,” which became a Top 20 single after its release in August, Sparks establishes the framework for the rest of the 13-song album — pretty piano, soaring melodies and drum-machine beats abound, and at the center of it all is Sparks’ voice, which has, remarkably, gotten better since she was crowned the “Idol” champ in May.

There are some misfires on the CD, such as the sluggish “Freeze” and the nursery school rhymes that litter “Shy Boy” (not Sparks’ fault; she did not write a song for the CD). But the highlights here — the acoustic guitar-driven ballad “Just for the Record,” the melodic pop of “One Step at a Time” and the disc’s best cut, the crunchy rock/pop of “Now You Tell Me” — prove that Sparks can hold her own with some of contemporary R&B’s best voices.

While the careers of some former “Idol” winners have flourished (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are stars), some have languished (Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks sold records initially but have since faltered ), and while it remains to be seen whether she will have staying power on the charts, Sparks has gotten herself off to a good start with this slick contemporary R&B debut.

Grade: B

Contact Chris Hansen Orf by email, or phone (480) 898-5684

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