Whenever you're introduced to the public at a very young age----whether it's to a teacher, a job internship, a stage or screen---- those years as an ingenue can be hard to shake, especially when one literally comes of age in the spotlight.
Consider, for example, Jordin Sparks: at the age of 17, she became the youngest-ever contestant to win American Idol, a record that still stands today. Her winsome persona, coupled with her effervescent soprano, had lent itself to more pop stylings until her breakout film role alongside the late, great Whitney Houston in 2012's Sparkle, which demonstrated she could effectively tap into traditional R&B. That's what is reinforced with her latest single, the sinuous slow burn of a ballad, "Call My Name."
Whenever you're introduced to the public at a very young age----whether it's to a teacher, a job internship, a stage or screen---- those years as an ingenue can be hard to shake, especially when one literally comes of age in the spotlight.
Consider, for example, Jordin Sparks: at the age of 17, she became the youngest-ever contestant to win American Idol, a record that still stands today. Her winsome persona, coupled with her effervescent soprano, had lent itself to more pop stylings until her breakout film role alongside the late, great Whitney Houston in 2012's Sparkle, which demonstrated she could effectively tap into traditional R&B. That's what is reinforced with her latest single, the sinuous slow burn of a ballad, "Call My Name."
When you're still figuring out what matters in a partner, the outside may be what turns your head. But now that Sparks in her early 30s (yes, it's been that long), the Phoenix, Arizona native is channeling her seasoned, sultrier side as she sings breathy praises to the man who captured, and gently tends to, her fragile heart: "Sometimes I feel weak, sometimes I'm exhausted/sometimes I feel vulnerable, say to myself 'you're on your own'.........that's until you." Remember those runs, dips, croons and soaring notes Jordin gifted us with in Sparkle's finale? They're all present and accounted for, and that's what makes "Call......." such a worthy gem. Sparks issued the single two months ago, and now has released the associated video.
The older you get, the wiser you often become, so a partner that simply makes your toes curl is no longer enough......you yearn for someone who can also soothe your soul. That's what "Call My Name" embodies, all while reminding you why we rooted for Jordin Sparks in the first place and how she continues to win.
By Melody Charles
Jordin Sparks - "Call My Name"