Jordin Sparks' Stargate leftover "Colors" leaks

It was only last week that a demo of a song called "Heaven" written by Sam Watters ("Battlefield") sung by Nikki Flores that was reportedly up for consideration for Jordin Sparks to record made its way onto the internet. Now, a new song called "Colors" (or the British "Colours" if you go by the title on YouTube) has also found its way onto the web, only this time the vocals on the track are provided by none other than Jordin herself. Listen to the track below:

As you can tell right away, the song was produced by Stargate. It seems "Colors" was a leftover track that was left on the cutting room floor when Jordin's Battlefield was pieced together, and it's not very difficult to see why. The song is lackluster and sounds like ultimate filler material. Still, it is a little surprising that all these tracks have been leaking as of late. Wonder why, and how strong of a possibility a re-release of the album could be in store in time for the holidays? We'll just have to sit tight and wait patiently.

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Album review: Jordin Sparks' 'Battlefield'

Coming off her certified platinum debut, 19-year-old Jordin Sparks shows evidence of a transformation from a girl into a young woman on her latest disc ‘Battlefield.’ With help from veteran songwriters/producers like Ryan Tedder, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco, Sparks proves that when you surround yourself with experienced, top-notch people, the product is very rich in quality.

Sparks chooses the bouncy, feel-good “Walking on Snow” to begin her album, which reminds listeners of what they loved about the self-titled predecessor. This makes it a little easier to swallow the more grown-up tracks that follow. But before arriving at the “Beyoncé meets Rihanna” style that Sparks described ‘Battlefield’ as consisting of, listeners are met with the album’s first single and title track.

“Battlefield” is a stylized, inspirational call to armor in the game of love complete with a ringing chorus that includes classic Tedder repetition (“Why does love always feel like a battlefield / a battlefield / a battlefield”). This track, which is different than anything that was found on ‘Jordin Sparks,’ opens the door to “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head,” a cover of the 2005 Fefe Dobson song that marks a clear departure from Sparks’ earlier material. Synths are in heavy use here, as they are throughout the album.

This new dancy, upbeat sound is a common theme on ‘Battlefield,’ as it is thread through songs such as the second single, “S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)” and the fun “Emergency (911).” On “S.O.S.” Sparks sounds mature yet immature at the same time, as lyrics like “That crazy chick don’t know who she’s messin’ with / look in her eyes she’s mentally undressing him” mark a new turn for the artist, but the Rihanna-esque sampling of Shannon’s 80’s anthem “Let the Music Play” helps keep the song youthful. “Emergency,” which was co-written by Sparks, is enjoyable (“Why don’t you call me? / aren’t you my boyfriend? / you were supposed to be here like an hour ago”) but does nothing in terms of building her musical repertoire.

In the face of this new sound, it is on the mid-tempos where Sparks’ vocals shine. “It Takes More” is a high point, as the pre-chorus transitions beautifully into a simple yet meaningful chorus. It is the seventh track, however, where Sparks delivers her best performance on ‘Battlefield.’ “No Parade” includes everything a hit song should possess, and her pristine vocals that reach amazing heights in the final chorus are the icing on the cake. The lyrics are also powerful (“There was no parade / no lights flashing / no song to sing along the way / there was no parade / no waves crashing / there was no one else around for days”).

On the ballad front, Sparks really tones it down on “Was I the Only One” and “Faith,” both of which she had a hand in writing. “Only One” remains fairly mellow throughout the song’s 3:21 length and finishes on a soft note, whereas “Faith” builds throughout the song’s duration and proves that Sparks is not only a talented singer, but she shines as a songwriter as well, as lyrics like “When the sky is darkest you can see the stars / when you fall the hardest you find how strong you are” erase the doubts raised in lyrics found in “Emergency.”

Although ‘Battlefield’ maintains a generally similar sound, Sparks experiments with a few styles that are not necessarily her forte. On the T-Pain-produced “Watch You Go,” Sparks experiments with a more urban sound that complements her vocals surprisingly well. Although it is a little different than the rest of the album’s offerings, it holds its ground against the rest of the tracks’ poppier sound. On “Let It Rain,” however, the guitar riffs just do not work out very well, and the song comes off as being more of a lamb than a lion in terms of rock edge.

In a culmination of all the sounds and styles found on ‘Battlefield,’ Sparks brings it home on “The Cure,” which is the most beautiful offering on the album. Her vocals are pure and angelic, and the simple song structure maximizes the effect felt on listeners.

The deluxe edition includes the bonus tracks “Papercut” and “Postcard,” the former of which Sparks also co-wrote. Neither song is amazing, but they are definitely an extra incentive to spend the extra few bucks.

Looking back at what Jordin Sparks has to offer on ‘Battlefield,’ it is amazing to think of how far she has come since winning ‘Idol’ back in 2007. The fact that she has been able to harness her vocal talents and mature in such a short span of time is remarkable, and her ability to conform to the style of music that’s in at the moment while maintaining her originality and individuality. Although it is not perfect, ‘Battlefield’ should be looked to as a model album for up and coming artists to draw influence from.

Battlefield drops on Tues., July 21, and is now available to pre-order on iTunes and Amazon.com.

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Jordin Sparks' 'Battlefield' to be released July 21

Jordin Sparks' sophomore album Battlefield is now set for a July 21 release date, coming one week later than first reported. According to an official press release courtesy of Jive Records:

19 Recordings/Jive Records artist Jordin Sparks is set to release her sophomore effort Battlefield on July 21st. Sparks is off to a great start with the album launch. This week the lead single and title-track "Battlefield" is the No.1 "most added single" at pop radio, according to industry monitoring service Mediabase. Sparks recently premiered "Battlefield" on American Idol.

As for Jordin's personal thoughts on the album, she said the title reflects "strength" and "perseverance," adding:

"I think the range of songs and topics on the entire album are ultimately about strength in life, love and in staying true to yourself."

Songwriters and producers slated to make appearances on Battlefield include Dr. Luke, T-Pain, Ryan Tedder and Stargate.

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Preview of Elliott Yamin's album

An album preview of Elliott Yamin's forthcoming sophomore album Fight For Love was leaked recently, featuring clips of the album's 12 tracks. Listen to the preview below:

This time around, Elliott is sure to pull out a few more radio-friendly R&B offerings with pop-tinged hooks. From the album's extremely catchy first single and title track to the mid-tempo love track "You" and the radio ready "Apart From Me," things are sounding promising for this era.

Fight For Love comes out Tues., May 5, a week from today, and features production by big named industry figures including Jermaine Dupri and Stargate.

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Track review: Arch's "Crush"

Debuting over a week ago on New York's flagship Top 40 radio station, Z100, David Archuleta's first post-Idol single, "Crush," has been making headway on radio. After only one day of airplay, "Crush" was able to debut on Billboard's Pop 100 (#93) and Pop Airplay (#57) charts. After taking one listen to the track, it is not hard to imagine why it has bad such preemptive success.

David Archuleta strikes first for the seventh season of American Idol with "Crush," a stylized mid-tempo about a subject 17-year-olds deal with on a regular basis.

"Crush," produced by Emanuel Kiriakou (Celine Dion, Taylor Hicks), starts out pretty generic, as Arch's "ooohs" swim in and out of the piano sequence and overused hand claps. But as he moves into the pre-chorus the song builds in excitement, as if the listener does not know what to expect, but knows it will be something big. Then guitar riffs introduce a melodic sugar fest accompanied by Arch's innocent vocals, leaving the target demographic feeling like they are floating through Candyland. The chorus resembles something JoJo would have put out in 2006, but the pop-rock and r&b elements mixed together keep "Crush" relevant.



Despite the many positive elements of the song, it is not without a few low spots. For example, there are a few songs that sound like they were ripped off for the sake of producing "Crush" together. The Stargate-esque drum beats in the pre-chorus could have been in any song they produced, whether it was Jordin Sparks's "Tattoo" or Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." And the chorus echoes many similarities to JoJo's "Too Little, Too Late."

David Archuleta did not win Idol. But the fact that he is under Jive Records' control should put his fans at ease, as "Crush" demonstrates that his career is on the right path.

"Crush" will be available at all major digital retailers on Tues., Aug. 12. Arch's album is scheduled for a Nov. 4 release.

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