Jordin Sparks Reacts to Her Grammy Nomination, Confirms Split with 19 Management

Jordin has really impressed me over the last year. Good for her and I hope she continues to do well. Like many, I guess, I was a little underwhelmed by her on Idol, but things have kind of clicked for her, in no small part to her label. Her attitude is one of the reasons I’ve come to really like her. And as top 40 pop goes, she’s as good a tune-carrier (or better) as what I hear most of the time.

Good for Jordin. I never thought for a minute that her split from 19 was anything but a mutual decision. I too was underwhelmed on Idol and I’m not much for her songs because I don’t really like pop much, but she’s done extremely well and I couldn’t be happier for her.

I too, may sing the National Anthem for the NFL playoffs ( you too, too).

I really liked Jordin most weeks on Idol, but Melinda was my favorite that year. However, I too have been really impressed by her accomplishments post-show. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted just how well she would end up doing since her album had a bit of slow start. I’m glad Archie’s on the same label and see great things continuing for both of them. I see them both being remembered as most successful teenage Idol stories.

Congrats to Jordin… and I Â ´m being serious about that JORVID duet… JIVE make it happened…

Like many, I guess, I was a little underwhelmed by her on Idol, but things have kind of clicked for her, in no small part to her label.

And the fact that her label paired her up with Chris Brown on “No Air”. I swear, that girl and her album would have fizzled out just like Blake Lewis if it wasn’t for him.

Hooking up with Chris Brown exposed her to millions of people worldwide that couldn’t give two s@#ts about Idol. 2008 was a killer year for Chris Brown and Jordin owes a LOT of her success to riding on his coattails.

Tattoo was a big hit before No Air, and Chris Brown, believe it or not, had never had a huge hit on the pop charts before that song. So I think he gave her some “cool” and relevancy, and she gave him access to the larger pop audience. It was a bit of a wash, IMO.

Correct me if I’m wrong, and I could well be because I don’t pay attention to her, but didn’t Tattoo do well before No Air came out? No Air was certainly the blockbuster (with a capital B) but I didn’t think she was dying on the vine before that.

Tattoo was indeed a big hit. Top 10 and it stayed top 20/30 for a while. Getting played on the radio seems to be the biggest obstacle for the idols. All I know is, that song played on Houston radio like crazy. In fact, all three of her singles have played in heavy rotation on radio. That is no small feat.

“No Air” was leaked long before the album came out and the Chris Brown fans jumped all over it. Which in turn, exposed them to Jordin Sparks. I really think it helped her.

And you’ve got to be kidding me saying Chris Brown never had a big hit before “No Air”. What about “Run It”? What about “Kiss Kiss”? What about “With You”? And Chris had PLENTY of access to a large pop audience before Jordin. He didn’t need her help at all. SHE on the other hand needed a LOT of his help.

And don’t even get me started with “Tattoo”. That had payola written all over it.

I’m curious (because I don’t listen to radio and I don’t follow Idols) how do you know when it’s payola? How can you say a song is a hit because of payola and not because it appeals? If you asked me 95% of what’s on the radio fairly sucks but then I’m not into mainstream music much. So how do we know it’s payola?

I actually didn’t know who Jordin was until No Air came out because I didn’t watch season 6 but now, I’m a huge fan of hers. I’m glad for her sucess and her grammy nomination! Go Jordin Sparks!

Those were hits of course, but they were not huge POP hits like No Air. At least that’s what I read somewhere, that he had lots of strong R&b songs and had gotten pop airplay, AND was the buzzed about it guy for teen girls, but No Air was his biggest, longest lasting pop radio hit. Of course he was a bigger star than her when they collaborated. But whatever. Its not that serious. The site could have been wrong for all I know.

I actually didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know who Jordin was until No Air came out because I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t watch season 6 but now,

Thank you. You just proved my point.

So how do we know ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s payola?

Most of it is payola. Nothing ever happens organically anymore.

If its all payola then why would Tattoo not matter? It was a hit right? Along with the other payola hits apparently. LOL. And she had it before No Air. And it went platinum. So… I’m just saying… the girl had some success before him. Yes he broke her big, but she wasn’t hiding under a rock begging for fans before him. Geesh.

And donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even get me started with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Tattooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . That had payola written all over it.

Most of it is payola. Nothing ever happens organically anymore.

So why would you want to “get started” with it? If that’s how it happens, then that’s how it happens. Seems to me you said it happens that way for everything. Why should it be different for her?

Aw, this video just makes me smile! I’m so happy for her! I really wasn’t much of a Jordin fan while she was on Idol, but she has won me over in the past year. There’s no doubt that having a duet with Chris Brown helped her, but with three platinum-plus pop hits, I think she deserves a large portion of the credit for her success. All the payola in the world can’t force people to buy your music.

Anyway, congrats to Jordin and good luck to her! I’d love to see her take home a Grammy.

If she starts writing/recording a new album in January 2009, when would it be expected to be released (barring any Axl Rose type craziness)? Also, I’m curious, how soon after releasing their first albums did the successful Idols who came before her(Clarkson, Underwood, Daughtry) begin work on their second albums? (Oh, and I’m not talking Christmas albums.) All I know is Daughtry who is supposed to be releasing next year yet he released back in November 2006, IIRC.

Also, I am not trying to start anything and confess that I did not watch AI during Seasons 2-6, but I am puzzled by the general perception of many posters here of Jordin as a big success. Is it mainly about the generally low expectations that people had of her after S6, coupled with low expectations on album sales due to the music industry’s decline? Don’t get me wrong. I think she would be considered moderately successful if she was just any other new artist signed to her first major label. But coming off Idol, it seems she would have been expected to do much better. Or do we as AI fans generally feel much better when someone manages to create enough of a fan base outside of Idol however large or small (relatively speaking) it may be?

All I’m saying is that she’s still around, doing as well as she is due in LARGE PART to Chris Brown. He exposed her to people that would have other wise never have heard of her.

I really think she would have fizzled out after “Tattoo” (which came out quickly on the heels of her Idol win) if she didn’t have that duet.

I’ll be curious to see how the next album fairs. Because I don’t think she’ll ever top “No Air”.

Ok snuffle, I get that. Yeah, I don’t know if she’ll ever top No Air either. For someone who has had as many big hits as he has and is damn near platinum in album sales, she has very little buzz. So I’ll be curious to see what happens next with her, because I don’t know if she’s defined enough in the public mind for people to be interested in what she does next.

Keel, I think she gets respect in Idol-and because she is the only AI alum to start so small and actually go on to have successful career anyway. Plus, platinum albums are nothing to sneeze at these days, barely anyone is getting them.

I don’t know anything about payola or how it works or if it exists. And I’m just a consumer like everyone else (granted, with an unusually high interest in idol, lol), but I do feel like I have a good ear for a catchy pop song. Even if I don’t like a song, as with Pink’s “So What” or Britney’s “Womanizer”, I can sit back and understand why a song is a hit and scores on the charts and sells. “Tattoo”, while no pop masterpiece, is a catchy pop song. It was played often because people liked it. Or enough people, I should say, to warrant frequent spins. She has a nice voice; she sang it well enough. It’s pretty banal stuff, but it’s a nice fit for top 40. I don’t know if payola intially got her played, again, I know nothing about all that. But the catchiness of the song kept it on the charts and on the radio. I know that.

Keel, I think there has been a perception by many in the media that post Carrie and because Daughtry didn’t win, that Idol (or the machine of it) was getting it wrong and was on the downhill slide. Jordin’s win on the show itself didn’t do anything to change that perception. I don’t think anyone expected her to do well. But, like tinawina said, she has succeeded. Is it Daughtry or Carrie-sized? No. But she came off the show with little to no strong fanbase. They didn’t show up in massive numbers to buy her album upon release. So she has built her success, hit by hit. Or jive has, I should say. And as recent posts by Kirsten and Soundscene and MJ have underlined lately, 1 million albums sold is not shabby at all these days.

Well, all I’m saying is that she didn’t fizzle for whatever reason(s). Everybody has their reasons for fizzling or not and and I think for each there are many reasons why or why not. I think she’s on her way to a nice career and I’m happy for her. No, I won’t buy her music, but there’s only one Idol who has gotten me to buy their music and vote. I’m not an Idol fan. I watch Idol but I’m so not into even what most of my favorites have sung. Still I’m happy for anybody who realizes their dreams whether it be due to Idol or whatever a person strives to achieve.

because I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know if sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s defined enough in the public mind for people to be interested in what she does next.

Exactly. Right now I think when most people think “Jordin Sparks”, the first thing that comes to mind is “No Air” with Chris Brown.

ETA: I don’t think she has a strong enough persona to stand on her own. She and her label will have to work hard to make her stand out the next time around. Because in my opinion Chris Brown was the crutch that got her through this time.

I like Jordin and I’m glad she’s doing well. I’m not surprised that the 19M thing was mutual — I’m guessing they had the option to continue after a year or so and decided to part ways.

As for what “doing well” means — Jordin probably had the smallest buzz of any winner coming off AI. She had a solid fanbase but not a Crazy one like we have this year for the Davids, or even to the extent of Melinda’s or Blake’s (believe it or not) during her season.

I think the fact that she started with the lowest debut of any winner and is still around a year later, with good radio exposure and decent sales, when other winners started big and then disappeared by this point, is impressive too.

Having Chris Brown on No Air definitely helped, but I wouldn’t give all the credit to him. Jordin got to show off her pipes on that song in a way she couldn’t on Tattoo, and it’s a catchy/pretty song just on its own.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think she has a strong enough persona to stand on her own. She and her label will have to work hard to make her stand out the next time around. Because in my opinion Chris Brown was the crutch that got her through this time.

I think she has already proven that she can stand on her own. Tattoo and OSAAT have been big hits for her, and C Breezy is nowhere to be found on those tracks. The fact that those two songs have sold as well as they have (plus a nearly platinum selling album) tells me that people are buying into Jordin Sparks and her music, not just the Jordin/Chris duet. Sure, No Air helped expose her to new audiences, but it couldn’t guarantee that the listeners who enjoyed the song would eventually become a fan of hers and buy her other music.

I don’t much like Jordin (as I’ve mentioned) but I think after No Air, her One Step at a Time did very well. I just don’t see how it can all be attributed to one thing or two (Chris Brown and payola–though it comes out that everything is attributable to payola so we’re down to Chris Brown). I think people like her and her voice on the radio. She has a lovely voice. Why should there need to be another reason.

ETA to say it’s not that I don’t like Jordin, it’s that I don’t like her music…I don’t like 95% of the Idol’s music so I should make no nevermind to most.

Well I personally can’t see people eagerly awaiting her sophmore album like they would be, say, Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood.

Outside her calling everyone “sluts” at the MTV Music Awards, she’s never talked about. She’s got no buzz or excitement surrounding her. I find her painfully average. Good but nothing special.

Tattoo also spent 6 weeks in the top 10 on Billboards.

This was Tattoo sales at it’s peak during Christmas.

10 9 Sparks*Jordin Tattoo 106398 -52 219837 966281

I can’t see them awaiting her album either because from what I’ve seen, she a singles seller. Albums will definitely follow, and she’ll eventually go platinum or not as with other singles artists but I don’t think they are expecting her to sell albums like Kelly or Carrie. Different genres sell differently and I believe her’s is a different model. I just can’t see downplaying the success she’s had because it’s been fairly ok to good from an album standpoint. I’m sure she’s going to have a sophmore album, I’m pretty sure she will have some at least moderate hits, and I’m 100% sure I won’t be buying any of it. It doesn’t take away for me from the success she’s had. Did I like what she said about promise rings? No! Was I offended, yes! Does that make me think (or even hope) she’ll be less successful, not in the least. I guess I just don’t see that she’s not on the road to success.

I loved jordin on AI6, and I love her album!!!!! I am one of the dedicated fans that is eagerly waiting for more from her. I don’t really care for Chris Brown music, but I absolutely loved their duet. Most of the songs on her album that I like most have not been released as singles, but I really like all 4 of them that have made the top 20.

Go Jordin!!! I am definitely one, waiting for your new album

I think she has a good voice, but I don’t like her music that much. Decent meaningless pop, but that’s about it. But I have consistently heard all three of her singles on Top40 where I am, and that’s more than I can say for my fave (DC). So I guess it depends who you ask,but at least for those who pay attention to artists on Top40, she’s somewhat known. And FWIW, I remember John Mayer even pimped Tattoo on his blog a while back. I’m a big JM fan, so I keep up whenever he blogs his randomness, and I think he called it a great pop song, and listed it as one of like 5 songs he liked at the time. I personally don’t feel the lyrics, but I think a lot of folks liked that song, and I couldn’t think of ulterior motive why JM would pimp it if he didn’t actually like it. Anyway, I’m not exactly on the edge of my seat for next album, but she has a great pop voice, lots of potential, seems sweet and works hard, so provided she improves as an artist and puts out better material, I’d be interested.

Congrats, Jordin.

I think that even if Jordin’s second album is not huge, which is not a given, she has alot of potential in the entertainment world. She’s got a great personality and I could see her down the road getting into acting or even becoming a co-host on a talk show like The View or something! She will do well.

I think I live under a rock cause I discovered Chris Brown through No Air.

Not a big fan of her, but I am actually anticipating her 2nd album as I’m curious to how different it is from the first. It has to be better in quality as this time she will have more time to work on it and Jive is giving her more creative freedom, so we’ll get a glimpse what kind of artist she is.

I’m one of those people who are drawn more to voices than personalities, and imo Jordin has a good pop voice.

Another thing I am certain, people will continue to underestimate her. Go Jordin!

Jordin also hits a particular demographic of girls teens who like their music reassuring and upbeat. I have a gaggle of nieces in this niche.

Top40 radio is really all that’s available to them on the radio but they are not ready for the likes of T. I. and his career tips for young ladies. So they retreat to mixes made of Sparks, Archuleta, anything from So You Think You Can Dance, Taylor Swift and so on.

Since kids pass through this phase and on to the next one, the challenge for Jordin would be to either put out another record with an ability to to do the same for the next teen cohort, or team up with songwriters to find some songs that would let her grow up alongside her current fans.

Jordin is a sweet kid and while on Idol I liked a couple of the songs she performed but for the most part I thought she screamed a lot or her voice was gooey ickey bubblegum sweet pop–music I can’t stand. Felt like I was having a sugar rush. The way she sings I would think she would strain her voice too much. I think she’s a singles artist for the most part right now. For right now, I can’t see her as an artist who could handle a solo concert putting out hit albums but always be touring with other bigger stars. But hey, if that’s what it takes then good for her. I think her label has done a fantastic job for her because if they didn’t, we wouldn’t even be discussing her at all because she would have fizzed out. I stand by my opinion that No-Air pairing with Chris Brown got her noticed outside the A.I. bubble after Tattoo. That was a very smart move. I’d expect that if she can hang in there and do less sweet gooey pop, she just might surprise everyone.

Tattoo was a big hit before No Air, and Chris Brown, believe it or not, had never had a huge hit on the pop charts before that song. So I think he gave her some à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“coolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and relevancy, and she gave him access to the larger pop audience. It was a bit of a wash, IMO.

I’m sorry, but I have to correct you, Tattoo was not really a big hit. Most people outside of the AI world didn’t even know who Jordin was until she did No Air with Chris Brown. I pay attention to the music industry and trust me, Chris Brown was definately a way bigger star before No Air came along. I like Jordin and all, but if it wasn’t for No Air, her career would’ve turned out differently. Seriously, doing that duet got her noticed in other genres rather than just cheesy pop music. There’s a reason why she’s was nominated for No Air and not Best New Artist, once you can break out of the AI mold, and not just referred to as that person from American Idol than you’ve made it.

I don’t know if anyone realizes this, but most people don’t even know that Jennifer, Chris, Kelly, or Carrie are from American Idol. People just know them as musical artists. My point is when people stop constantly referring to you as that person from American Idol than you know you are respected as an artist.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sorry, but I have to correct you, Tattoo was not really a big hit. Most people outside of the AI world didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even know who Jordin was until she did No Air with Chris Brown. I pay attention to the music industry and trust me, Chris Brown was definately a way bigger star before No Air came along. I like Jordin and all, but if it wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t for No Air, her career wouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve turned out differently. Seriously, doing that duet got her noticed in other genres rather than just cheesy pop music. Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a reason why sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s was nominated for No Air and not Best New Artist, once you can break out of the AI mold, and not just referred to as that person from American Idol than youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve made it.

I don’t agree with some of that. How does a Top-10 single that sold nearly 2 million in digital downloads not classify as a big hit? That alone tells you that she was at least gaining recognition. While I do agree with you that No Air definitely expanded her recognition, I believe that’s more due to the song’s cross-format sound than the mere fact that the song had Chris Brown on it. Not every pop song that features an urban artist automatically achieves crossver success. As for why she didn’t get a Best New Artist nomination, that’s actually anyone’s guess. Many people thought she was going to get one, but were pretty suprised that she didn’t. Same can be said about Leona Lewis. Did she not get a BNA nod because she didn’t break out of the X-Factor mold? Never mind the fact that she sold millions worldwide and “Bleeding Love” was a worldwide smash. The Grammy’s are pretty unpredictable. There’s sometimes no telling who or what’s going to get nominated, let alone win.

Neither Jordin nor Leona deserved a BNA. There should be a Grammy for Best Over Hyped Promotional Spending. Leona would get nominated for that.

I, on the other hand, felt they both did deserve nominations but to each their own I guess….

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sorry, but I have to correct you, Tattoo was not really a big hit.

There’s only 4 ways for “Tattoo” to be a bigger hit than it was.

For it to be the #1 song on Top 40, be the #2 song on Top 40, be the #3 song on Top 40 or be the #4 song on Top 40.

Because it peaked at #5 in Top 40 radio–the largest format in the nation. It sold 1.75 million copies total so far. It’s still getting played on AC radio.

Jordin was a success before “No Air”–whether you noticed it or not.