Jordin Sparks Is Almost 20 Years Post-’American Idol’ and Finally Saying What She Really Thinks

There’s something kind of wild about realizing the girl who belted “No Air” on the radio is now a full-grown mom and nearly two decades into a career that started on American Idol. But that’s exactly where Jordin Sparks is right now.

The Grammy-nominated singer famously won the hit TV singing competition in 2007 at just 17, becoming the youngest champion in the show’s history. The win launched a career that included chart-topping hits, Broadway runs in In the Heights and Waitress, acting roles, and a steady presence in pop culture ever since.

Now, on her podcast What’s Your Spark?, Sparks is pulling back the curtain a little more than usual. On a recent “Ask Me Anything” episode, the “Tattoo” singer answers fan questions about everything from new music and motherhood to why she sometimes feels overlooked in the industry—and why she still wouldn’t change a single thing about her journey.

Below are some of the highlights, adapted from the episode.

Do you think you’re underrated as an artist?

“If I’m going to be completely honest and transparent, I do have my moments because I know what I can do. I know the talent that I have, the gift that I’ve been blessed with, and I know that I’m supposed to be sharing it. So sometimes it does get frustrating to kind of feel like I’m overlooked in some ways with my music. But I don’t underrate myself, if that’s a thing…I know what I can do, so I don’t really worry…What’s meant for me will never miss me…

…Next year will be 20 years since I won American Idol. Can you believe it? I’ve had a longevity that I think—I don’t know if I could be underrated with the longevity that I’ve had…Success is in the eye of the beholder. I feel like I’m doing great. I’m doing fantastic. I think social media has kind of skewed success for a lot of people or what it looks like. Sometimes the more views and more likes equates to success, but those things can be bought. And sometimes views can just be because people are curious, not necessarily because they want to support something. I’m not saying that people that have a ton of them aren’t getting supported. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m just saying that what I see as success for myself may be different than what people on the outside looking in view it as. But I love my life. I really don’t need any more, any less.”

When can we expect new music?

“I have a lot of songs that are just kind of waiting to be released into the universe and I’m trying to figure out which ones I want to put out first. There’s like a couple that were from one producer that I really enjoy, but if we can’t get in contact with him, then we’re going to have to move to some other songs. But they’re all good songs. I’m hoping maybe beginning of summer I’ll be able to drop something. Whether it’s going to have a video or anything like that remains to be seen. Everything comes out of my pocket. I’m not signed to a major label right now. So, you know, I got sports to pay for, okay? I got private school to pay for. I would love to put the music out and hopefully you guys will love it when you hear it because there’s some good stuff.”

How do you stay so relatable?

“It’s not something that I am constantly thinking about because I feel like that would make it a little inauthentic if I was always like, ‘Oh, I have to be relatable to every single person.’ I honestly just am the way that I am. I knew that I wanted to do music, but the applause and the fame and all this stuff that I do have, that was never the goal. I just wanted to sing…

…And if all of it went away, I would still be singing and I would still be who I am. I would have to credit that to the way my parents raised me, my grandparents, my brother. He’s my ace. And he will let me know if my feet are flying off the ground or if it’s time for me to actually have the audacity to go for what I want. We’re all just trying to make it.”

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the last year?

“I’ve gone through a lot in my life. I have been in the public eye since I was very young and I’ve lived my adult life in the public eye. So I’ve had to learn how to share certain things, keep certain things private. And sometimes what I’m learning is that now if an emotion comes and it’s overwhelming, I have a hard time not letting it kind of simmer or stay there…

…I have a lot of big feelings. I’m very empathetic. I’m very sensitive. I feel things very, very deeply and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. One of the biggest lessons that I’m learning and that I’m currently working on is to be able to breathe through it and to also acknowledge it without grabbing on to it or without letting it kind of take me out of the moment that I’m in. Always a work in progress, right?”

If you could go back in time, what would you redo?

“I honestly don’t have anything. And I’m not saying that to be like, ‘Oh, my life is perfect.’ Because it’s not. And I’ve been through a lot of challenges and a lot of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t be the person I am now if I didn’t go through all of those things. And even the things that were really, really sucky, I wouldn’t change them…I would go through all of it again, all the craziness, all the crazy relationships, I would go through all of it again just to get to the point that I’m at now.”

Listen to the full episode on What’s Your Spark? with Jordin Sparks, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

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