Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
New single released on AOL music blog today
By Erin Carlson Associated Press
Published on Friday, Aug 24, 2007
Given the multiplatinum, Grammy-winning successes of fellow American Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks is feeling pressure to make her own mark on the music world.
It's a lot to live up to.
''They've risen the bar so high and I'm like, 'I hope I can reach it,''' the bubbly 17-year-old told the Associated Press on Wednesday. ''I'm trying to reach it! I just really hope that when (my CD) comes out it'll be great and maybe as good as theirs. And hopefully it'll sell well and people will like it.''
She offers a taste of the disc with her new single, Tattoo, to be released on AOL's PopEater music blog today and to radio stations Monday. The poppy tune about ending a romance had the Sparks seal of approval from the beginning. It was love at first listen.
''Right after I heard the first chorus, I was like, 'I wanna sing that song. I have to have it. I wanna sing it,''' she said.
Sparks, the youngest winner in the Fox show's six seasons, said her debut album, set for Nov. 20, will be a musical mixture of styles including pop-rock in the edgy key of Clarkson, one of her role models and the dramatic ballads that made her stand out on the Idol stage. She hopes to add some country, too.
This girl's got goals among them, to ''maybe win a couple Grammys. . . . Maybe be happy with somebody. Maybe act in a movie. Maybe do Broadway.''
Sparks is still coming to terms with celebrity. Seeing her picture in glossy magazines is surreal. But she'd rather be in the spotlight than out of it.
''I wouldn't trade this experience for anything,'' she said. ''It's just been so amazing. You know, it's hard because I go outside and I'm instantly recognized and I'm like, oh my gosh, because it happened overnight, literally.''
Sparks, who is out on the American Idol tour, remains tight with her fellow finalists. That includes Sanjaya.
''It's abnormally weird how well we still get along,'' she said. ''We're still like any dysfunctional family where we get on each other's nerves, but, at the end of the day, we're still just like, 'Hey, you wanna hang out?'''
Given the multiplatinum, Grammy-winning successes of fellow American Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks is feeling pressure to make her own mark on the music world.
Get the full article here.
