Jordin Sparks (album)
Jordin Sparks is the self-titled debut album by the American pop and R&B singer Jordin Sparks, released on November 20, 2007, in the United States, and November 27, 2007, in Canada. In the United States, it debuted at number ten on the "Billboard" 200 with sales of 119,000 copies in the first week. It has produced four top twenty singles, with "Tattoo" reaching number 8 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, and "No Air" reaching number three. The album has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, her best-selling album by far. Sparks supported the album  with the "As I Am Tour" and "Jesse & Jordin LIVE Tour". The album was certified Platinum for sales in excess of 1,000,000 by the RIAA in the US on December 12, 2008. Background. Sparks won the sixth season of "American Idol." On August 17, 2007, it was announced Sparks had signed to 19 Recordings/Jive Records/Zomba Label Group, becoming the first "Idol" to join the label group, the second being David Archuleta the following year. All past "Idol" winners and runners-up are or were signed with the RCA Label Group’s J (Fantasia, Ruben Studdard), Arista (Justin Guarini , Taylor Hicks, Blake Lewis) or RCA (Kelly Clarkson, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, Diana DeGarmo and idol successor David Cook) labels, with the exception of Carrie Underwood signed to Arista Nashville. Sparks has stated that she recorded some songs for the album but the bulk of the recording was done in Los Angeles after the tour was over. She said the album would be "Top 40, radio-friendly, uplifting stuff" hopefully mixing "the pop rock sound of inaugural "Idol" Kelly Clarkson with the R&B edge of Beyoncé". Release and promotion. Jordin confirmed on her MySpace that the  official track listing as well as the release would carry bonus tracks at Wal-Mart, Sony, and the iTunes Store. An exclusive video of the photoshoot for "Jordin Sparks" was posted on Sparks' YouTube channel in October, where snippets of "Permanent Monday", "Overcome" and "One Step at a Time" could be heard. There are two available covers of the album, one for the US and Canada, and one for the UK and Australia, although the US and Canada cover was available in the UK and Australia (in stores and on iTunes) until "No Air" came out in those countries, in  which the new cover was released. The song "Permanent Monday" was featured in the Salt Lake City audition episode on the 8th season of "American Idol". The song "Young and In Love" & "This Is My Now" were featured in spirit episodes of MTV's "The Hills". Reception. The album entered the "Billboard" 200 at number ten, and has since sold over one million copies. It was released in the UK on April 14, 2008 but did not enter the UK album charts until July 2008, where it peaked at number 17. The album was certified Platinum in the U.S. on  December 12, 2008. Critical response to the album has been generally favorable. "Billboard" stated Jordin brought "a first effort that's all over the map—and works" while sounding "like exactly what she should be singing at this age and juncture in her career." "Entertainment Weekly" gave the album a B+ saying her debut "is as much effervescent fun as any post-Idol bow" and added "Idol has crowned winners with even bigger voices, but it hasn't given us one who's any easier on the ears."