Jordin Sparks

Biography

Jordin Brianna Sparks Smith (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of American Idol at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her 2007 self-titled debut studio album was met with critical and commercial success; it peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200, received platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over two million copies worldwide. The album was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "Tattoo" and "No Air" (with Chris Brown)—the latter received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and remains the third highest-selling song by an American Idol contestant—with three million digital copies sold in the United States.

Sparks's second studio album, Battlefield (2009) debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200. Its lead single of the same name reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Sparks the only American Idol contestant to have their first five singles peak within the top 20 of the chart. After a five-year absence from music, she signed with Salaam Remi's record label Louder Than Life, an imprint of Sony Music to release her debut mixtape, #ByeFelicia (2014). Her third studio album, Right Here Right Now (2015), was met with continued critical praise despite a steep commercial decline. Sparks' fourth album Cider & Hennessy was released in 2020. Her fifth, No Restrictions, followed in 2024.

Throughout her career, Sparks has received numerous accolades, including an NAACP Image Award, a BET Award, an American Music Award, a People's Choice Award and two Teen Choice Awards. In 2009, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 91st Artist of the 2000s Decade. In 2012, Sparks was ranked at number 92 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music". As of February 2012, she had sold 1.3 million albums and 10.2 million singles in the United States alone, making her one of the most successful American Idol contestants of all time. Following the release of Battlefield, Sparks ventured into acting, pursuing television and Broadway. She made her stage debut as Nina Rosario in the musical In The Heights (2010), and her feature film debut as the titular character in Sparkle (2012). Sparks has also released several perfumes, including Because of You... in 2010 as well as Fascinate and Ambition in 2012.

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