VOA标准英语2011--Former 'Idol' Jordin Sparks Gets Persona

Former 'Idol¹' Jordin Sparks Gets Personal on New Album

Singing star Jordin Sparks rose to fame in 2007 on the popular television show American Idol. After winning the title at age 17 Jordin has scored three Top 10 Billboard² Chart hits and appeared in a Broadway musical. Now at 21 Jordin is putting the final touches on her third album.
Many artists who gain fame on the U.S. television show American Idol fade quickly into obscurity. Not so for Jordin Sparks, who defeated thousands of other contestants³ during the show’s sixth season to become the youngest winner ever. Jordin’s life has been a whirlwind ever since.
“It has been nonstop ever since, it has been a steady rise and really cool," Sparks says. "I am just glad that four or five years later people still want to talk to me and want to hear me sing. It is just awesome⁴ … I love being able to do what I do.”
Just getting into the contest was a daunting⁵ task. Jordin was rejected by the judges the year before she won the show.
“I auditioned⁷ in L.A. [Los Angeles, California] and I was told [by the judges] ‘no’ and I was 16 [years old] so it was fine," recalls Sparks. "I thought there was something that needs to happen and I can always audition⁶ next year because I was in the youngest age group at the time.”
That can do attitude and her love of music were apparent at a very young age.
“My grandmother found some tapes … old family videos, and I was just 18 months old and singing ‘Jingle Bells’ before I could even make sentences," Sparks says. She [grandmother] was playing it on the piano and I am singing every single word at 18 months … so music has always been something that is just in my blood … like I was born to do it.
I feel like this is what I am supposed to be doing and I will be doing it after the lights go off and the stage is not there," she adds. "I will be singing to grandchildren or whoever but music is what I always wanted to do and I knew I would be a singer I just did not know when it would happen."
Jordin's debut⁸ single “Tattoo” peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Her follow up hit, “No Air”, was recorded with Chris Brown in 2007 and reached number three.
A second album and other hits followed including her top 10 anthem⁹ Battlefield.
The first single from Jordin’s upcoming third album is "I Am Woman".
“It is definitely different for me [the song]. It has more attitude and a little bit more edgy," Sparks says. "It is a side of me I have always had and I have not been able to show it yet … but it worked out and now I can do that. I have always had a little bit of rhythm but I wanted to step my game up and do something different and it was cool because my fans had no idea”.
The style is different, yet Jordin is confident her fans will embrace her new sound.
“Not necessarily too farfetched that my fans will not know it is me," notes the former American Idol. "I tend, when I get to write and I get to be a part of the music making process, to write from things I have gone through or am going through or things I am thinking of at the moment or the way I am feeling. It is really cool to put songs on a record that I was part of … that I sing and there is a different connection to that song then there is say with somebody who just sends in a song”.
Jordin Sparks shuttled between New York and Arizona to work on the new album, but there are no specifics yet on a release date.
“I am not sure, we are still working on it," she says. "We have got some songs from it is fun to be dancing with you and now we are floating because we are together and a ballad¹⁰ and a song like I cannot believe you said that to me, get out of my sight … different things like that so we are trying to make it all cohesive¹¹. When I heard “I Am Woman” (for the first time) I thought that is the song I need to put out there and for the rest of the album I want to make sure it all fits together”.
Despite a busy schedule that includes a concert tour, her clothing line ‘Sparks’, and a recent Broadway performance, Jordin still has time to give back supporting a number of charities including ‘Alex’s Lemonade Foundation’ which helps raise money for children with cancer.
“Not giving back just does not make sense to me. I get to do all this, travel overseas, and what is all of it if I cannot go and put a smile on somebody’s face or I cannot give back or give a little of my time. I love being able to do things like that," Sparks says.
Jordin Sparks is a true American Idol. Look for her new album before the end of the year.

1 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

2 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

3 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

5 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

6 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。

7 auditioned   

vi.试听（audition的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• None of the actresses we have auditioned is suitable. 我们试听的这些女演员都不合适。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What is that, from some script you auditioned for in the '40s? 什么玩意儿是你40年代试的那些剧本吗？ 来自电影对白

8 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

9 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

10 ballad   

n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲

参考例句：

• This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
• This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。

11 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。