Jordin's first Spark commentaries

I did buy Jordin Sparks self-titled debut CD last week and gave it one spin through. Meanwhile, my husband saw it and actually said, WHY did you buy this?? And my response was that it’s Idol, it’s clean, she’s 17 and I want to support her career and give my girls, both aspiring singers ages 5 and 10 someone to listen to and maybe even look up to….reason enough, says moi.

I wasn't holding out much hope of anything great, thinking that her winning Idol anthem "This Is My Now" made we hope that was her"Then", even after her effervescent performance this summer during Idols Live...and it's been noted that Jordin Sparks is the lowest-debuting Idol CD in Idol history, beating out Fantasia's 2004 debut album, Free Yourself (and not in a good way).

Since I don't feel like I've spent enough time with it to cough up any meaningful commentary or opinion, I've hobbled together a quickie compilation of reviews for you, which gives a pretty good idea of what this album offers....overall, it's being well-received and she should be proud!

Entertainment Weekly graded this album a B+, which on their scale is quite good (keep in mind that Some Hearts was given a C when it was first reviewed, saying that it “under whelmed”! ha!) EW described it as “R & B flavored, froth-pop, embellished with just enough vocal flourish” and called it “effervescent fun.”

Rolling Stone gave this CD three and a half stars out of four, deciding it was “hip hop-flavored R & B” and described Spark’s voice as being ”funked out without pushing too far into adulthood” (which I can agree on) but softened to say that her voice isn’t as strong as it was on the show.

USA Today’s Idol Chatter wrote that Jordin’s debut CD played to her strengths, citing her “clear, appealing vocals and bubbly enthusiasm” in a “consistently captivating sequence of songs.” Hmmm.

MSNBC (yes, they apparently do music reviews) called the album “tame” but “upbeat” and liked Jordin’s wholesome appeal, likening that appeal to Disney Channel stars like that of Hannah Montana.

Finally, Billboard called Jordin’s debut CD “sophisticated teen pop marked by innocent good cheer and harmony-laden vocal arrangements” which I think says it all.

So, will you buy her CD? Time will tell how it stands up against other Idol efforts...