The girl who put Glendale, Arizona, on the map is working hard to earn her keep as the American Idol 6 champ.
SHE may not have been the favourite to win the American Idol (AI) extravaganza earlier this year, but Jordin Sparks proved she had the guts to create her own destiny. A record 74 million votes were cast in May, heralding Sparks as the youngest AI winner and setting in motion a series of events that would drastically change her world.
Over the phone from New York in a recent interview, she sounds mature. Her answers are not the type you’d expect from a typical American high school student. And indeed, she is not. From July to September, Sparks – along with nine other AI finalists – went on a 56-city tour. She’s managed to record an album in that time as well. And she hopes to graduate along with her classmates soon.
Not bad for someone who only turns 18 in December. But Sparks is not your average teenager. She’s had “success” written all over her for a long while now and she has a long list of accolades to prove it, too – from the Coca-Cola Rising Star 2002 to taking the top spot at Glendale, Arizona’s Youth Fest in 2003, to NBC/PAX America’s Most Talented Kids, 2005.
Her debut album, Jordin Sparks, under the 19 Recordings/Jive Records label, is set for release in the United States on Nov 20.
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Jordin Sparks: ‘It ( American Idol) opens so many more doors than just singing – there’s acting, going to Broadway, being able to write songs – you really don’t have to win to be successful. I mean, look at Chris Daughtry.’ |
