Jordan Sparks: Battlefield The National
Jive Jordin Sparks, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson – a raft of seemingly interchangeable punchy popstrels have swept the charts of late – all singing of surviving heartbreak with the same breathy yearning.
Sparks, like Clarkson, is a product of American Idol, having won the sixth series with a record-breaking 74 million votes in 2007. And clearly she is on the same road as her predecessor, moving among R&B, pop and the odd “fierce” warbling with all the dexterity you’d expect from a talent show winner.
Unlike their British counterparts, of whom only Leona Lewis has really achieved worldwide musical success, American Idol winners seem to be able to combine an element of credibility with pop appeal.
Clarkson, the first season winner, can’t move for Grammys. Neither can Carrie Underwood, the season four winner. And then there’s Jennifer Hudson, who was a finalist in the third series, and has since gone on to break into acting, winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls, as well as a Grammy for her eponymous 2008 album.
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