Before I get too snarky, I’ll preface by saying Jordin Sparks has got a sick voice. It’s crazy good. She’s hot, talented, young, huge career possibilities.
However, if her people and label keep navigating her in the direction she’s going, she’s gonna fall flat, and so far with Battlefield she’s fallen flat with just over 78k albums sold.
The album artwork is hot! The first single is great, but generally, first singles shouldn’t be the best song on the album. I’ve tried to listen to this album a few times, but realize half-way though I am pretty bored. Musically, lyrically, it’s pretty uninspired. The songs don’t even push her voice to half of its potential.
The question I kept asking myself throughout this album is “who is this music for?” I couldn’t figure it out. First the bland, forgettable songs (like everything in the middle of the album), that go from being more youthful to middle-aged. Second, the incredibly boring image she’s portraying (I mean, really, her image is more akin to a Lane Bryant advertisement than anything youthful, young, and sexy). When you put them together, you end up with, well, not too much, but it’s at least better than the crap-tastic “Tattoo” video (I mean really, the stylist put her in a youthful moo-moo for that video that you could only see in the split-seconds they didn’t try to hide her body…totally pissed me off).
Future Pop-Stars of America PLEASE NOTE: Lyrically, starting a song with “You know my ringtone, why don’t you answer the phone?” should never happen again. kthx.
There are a few stronger songs, but I’m not sure about their single potential. “Walking on Snow” was a good choice for the beginning and has some radio potential. “No Parade” totally made it onto my iPhone (along with “Battlefield” joining “No Air” for my Jordin Trifecta), as I have a weakness for mid-tempo power ballads, and her voice is pretty awesome in it. “The Cure” would be great if they watered down some of the verses and focused more on the hook/chorus, because those are pretty great. “Faith” and “Let it Rain” were great attempts to showcase her voice, but they ended up missing the mark.
Really though, the thing that probably fails most, is I can’t see any of these songs licensed on any television show, save something 2 people watch on CW network (and once those kids see the image that is Jordin Sparks…well…kids are even more superficial). With the fall television line-up coming into view, if she can’t snag a few meaningful uses of her music on shows that have a good audience, then this will definitely fall fast. After all, tour sales as an opening act can’t support a pop artist too well, and they didn’t really set this album up to make her main act material (perhaps small venues though?).
At the end of the day, if I were her, I’d be a bit pissed at what was happening to my sinking career, probably work on my acting a bit and snag a few roles (why isn’t she acting already?), and get a new creative team…something that would start an album off a bit better than the visual mess that is the “Battlefield” video (though, they at least put her in dresses that had waist-lines!).
Related posts:
- Covers: Jordin Sparks’ “Battlefield”
- Video: Jordin Sparks – “Battlefield”
- Live Performances: Jordin Sparks – “Battlefield”
- Music Video: Jordin Sparks – “S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)”
- Live Performances: Jordin Sparks Does “Battlefield” on Fallon
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August 14, 2009 Collegechick205
I guess for me Jordin Sparks just doesn’t WOW me. She has a BEAUTIFUL voice, no doubt about it. But her image is just BLAH. Nothing about her makes you want to be like..OOOOoo I gotta go get that album. But it’s not her fault, I don’t American Idol knows what to do with R&B artist personally. If you think about it, just about all of their R&B winners are struggling to keep a music career. Which is really ashame, because Fantasia’s CD’s are usually off the chain, just bad publicity. Okay…I’m done with my rant LOL.
August 14, 2009 natalia
i was waiting for someone else to feel the same way i did so i would know i wasnt way off base…. i think she has the voice and potential for licensing hell one of her songs should be on glee she just has a voice that i KNOW is going to last and wont end up like mimi’s but unlike but at least mimi has her image down and i feel jordin doesnt . i know shes comfortable in a her skin but im not sure her team is comfortable seeing her the way she is and if they are they sure arent showing it in her music. i think she tried to hit a couple too many bases with this lp without having a solid successful predecessor to set the tone i guess you could say. but also some songs werent believable to me in the relationship department bc i really havent looked at her in that light and i still dont …. but in the end i still have faith i refuse to give up on her she just needs a great musical director and sometimes its not bad to go commercial if it gives you the freedom the next time around to do it on your own terms… kelly clarkson learned that
August 14, 2009 YTMatt
I totally agree, she seems more comfortable with who she is and her body than the people who are marketing her.
In a day where we’re looking for people who can be sexy no matter their body, they really don’t frame that too well for Jordin. I mean, she doesn’t have to be waltzing around in pasties, but it seems like it took a lot for them to put her in something that had a waist!
It’s not really anything to do with American Idol tho, it’s the management company (19 Ent) and the label, but mostly the management company. They need to be telling Jive to quit screwing up. I mean, even on 19’s page, they don’t mention her new album, and if you go to jordinsparks.com you can see how freaking boring the page is!
I just don’t get it.
August 15, 2009 MENS
SHE FREAKING TALENTED,BUT HER LABEL IS NOT MARKETING HER WELL,SHE HAS MARIAH POTENTIAL IN HER
August 15, 2009 Ivory's Intellect
Her first album was average. Maybe a quarter of the songs were great, while the rest were terrible. When I heard snippets of this album I thought, ‘Here we go again…’
I listened to the entire album on Spotify (lots of free music, and no I don’t work for them!) and fell in love with this album. Like with her first CD, the first half is better than the second but not in a good/bad way. The second half is more for when you want to chill out and just be blown away by her talent.
My album faves are: Battlefield, Let It Rain (exceptional vocals!!), and It Takes More. It’s a shame the public doesn’t want such a talent unless she gets naked or divulges all her personal life for the world to see.
August 16, 2009 Mark
I got the album and I’m liking it for what it is. My problem with her is that I think she being marketed to an audience thats too young for her music. He stuff is for older teenagers, so kids at the Jonas Bros. concert are not gonna buy her stuff.
August 16, 2009 Crispy
Sorry I know it makes me an asshole, but that album art? All it made me think was that she should call Jenny…ASAP! Come on people…you could make Kate Moss look fat cutting of someone’s face right at that angle.