'Idol' odds 'n ends: New (old) Jordin Sparks tracks a'leakin'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>It seems Jordin Sparks is now getting the Kelly Clarkson treatment, as a few songs have leaked over the past week including "Die Tryin'" and "Alive." Listen to "Die Tryin'" complete with annoying DJ voice overs below:

You can also listen to a clip of "Alive" here. Both songs were most likely leftovers from the Battlefield era, so it's probably unlikely either will appear on her forthcoming third album. Still, not a fun situation for Jordin.

>The nominees for the 2010 Teen Choice Awards were revealed Monday, and as usual there was no shortage of Idol-related entries in the various categories spanning music and TV. See a list of all categories including Idol-related entries below:

Choice TV: Reality Competition Show
“American Idol”
“America’s Next Top Model”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Project Runway”
“Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew”

Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star
Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, “Jersey Shore”
Lee DeWyze, “American Idol”
Brody Jenner, “The Hills”
Bret Michaels, “Celebrity Apprentice”
Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, “Jersey Shore”

Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star
Crystal Bowersox, “American Idol”
Kristin Cavallari, “The Hills”
Lauren Conrad, “The Hills”
The Kardashians, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, “Jersey Shore”

Choice Music: Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Jason Derulo
Drake
Adam Lambert
Usher

Choice Music: Female Country Artist
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson

Well, some of those look like they'll be a cakewalk (Carrie's, Adam's), but others will be a little bit tougher (Crystal's). The 2010 TCAs will be broadcast on FOX on Mon., Aug. 9.

>Although he's been out of the Idol picture for the past two seasons, it would be out of character for Nigel Lythgoe to keep his opinions of the show he produced for seven seasons. In a recent article published by Canada's Times & Transcript, Nigel was quoted as saying Season 9 "wasn't a vintage year" among other things. Per the article:

"The team took their eye off the ball a little bit and was more worried about the judges and what was happening with them than it was regarding the talent last year. It became about Kara (DioGuardi) joining and making the fourth judge, Paula (Abdul) leaving, Ellen (Degeneres) joining and Simon leaving and much more about them and concentrating on that than on the talent that they were finding."

Even though Nigel can be annoying much of the time, he's right on the money here. However, I wouldn't put it past Nigel to be using this strategy in the hopes of plopping himself at the judges' table in the spot reserved for the "acid-tongued Brit."

>Crystal Bowersox is currently collaborating with Wayne Wilkins ahead of her forthcoming debut studio album, and as Billboard reported yesterday, Crystal is already impressing him with her songwriting experience. Per an article on Billboard.com:

"She's the real deal," producer/songwriter Wayne Wilkins -- who hit the studio with Bowersox on Wednesday (June 16) -- tells Billboard.com. "I've only worked with a couple of 'Amerian Idol' contestants before, and in terms of songwriting, she's the most developed on that front. She literally could sit in a room with anybody, grab a guitar and start writing."

Wilkins has previously collaborated with Jordin Sparks on "Battlefield" and David Archuleta on songs like "Touch My Hand," and he said Crystal already brought an album's worth of material to the table. The two have also been writing with Priscilla Hamilton. Sounds like things are running pretty smoothly over in Camp Crystal.

>Speaking of upcoming Idol-related albums, Fantasia's team updated us on the status of her upcoming release, including a title, track list and album cover. For starters, Fantasia's third studio effort is titled Back to Me, and it will be released on Tues., July 27. Per the press release:

Comedian, actor and radio personality Steve Harvey also became involved in the album process by coming up with the album title after a recent radio interview with the songstress. “Steve Harvey suggested the album title and it describes perfectly where I am in my life right now,” states Fantasia. “I’ve willingly let the world into my life through my book, the Lifetime television movie and now the VH1 reality show. Now, it’s time to go back to how things used to be when America first laid their eyes on me on American Idol. I want to focus everyone’s attention back to me and back to music that everyone can relate to and enjoy.”

The album's lead single, "Bittersweet," is currently #9 on the Urban Adult Airplay chart. Back To Me is now available to pre-order at Amazon.com.