Rank: 2/5
If anyone could be considered an original “American Idol” winner, it would be Jordin Sparks.
Eight years ago, the fresh-faced “Idol” winner released three, successful radio hits from her self-titled album. She then released a less-successful follow-up album in 2009, with the songstress taking a hiatus afterward.
It’s been six years since a proper studio album, and the insatiable thirst for new music from Sparks has died down. Sparks is now left with a waning popularity trying to find a coveted audience.
“Right Here Right Now,” Sparks’ new album, fails to replicate the catchiness and character of her debut and sophomore albums.
Listening to the first track, “Work from Home,” the original Sparks is nowhere to be found. Weak lyrics and a subpar verse from rapper B.o.B set a less-than-stellar tone for the album. It sounds like a Beyoncé reject track and is not worth a second listen.
One of the record’s major problems is that it tries to be too modern.
Mentions of Instagram on the track “Double Tap,” featuring rapper 2 Chainz, sounded try-hard and almost tacky for an artist of Sparks’ caliber.
Nearing the latter half of the album, “Casual Love,” a Shaggy collaboration, gives the otherwise boring album a reggae influence. The song feels out of place on an otherwise R&B influenced album.
After a lackluster collaboration with artist Elijah Blake titled “Unhappy,” the album comes alive with a track worth listening to called “Tell Him I Love Him.”
The song is a classic ballad that shows off Sparks’ famous voice and is a timeless R&B track that could be enjoyed by any age group. It’s the one track worthy of downloading from “Right Here Right Now.”
The final track of the album “It Ain’t You,” produced by hip-hop superstar DJ Mustard, is almost cringe-worthy. The song, which attempts to be a club anthem, almost sounds like a parody of a more popular Big Sean song.
Ultimately, the album has a lot of misses and very few hits. Fans looking for songs like “Tattoo” and “Battlefield,” keep searching because it can’t be found here.