A year ago, when most 17-year-olds were finishing their last days of high school and preparing for college, singer Jordin Sparks was declared the youngest winner of American Idol.
Now, almost a year later, the 18-year-old artist will perform for Penn State students at the Bryce Jordan Center, joining opening act Flo Rida.
Bernie Punt, the Jordan Center's director of sales and marketing, said those who attend the concert can expect an intimate show from the Jordan Center's second Idol winner to appear at Penn State this month.
"We're having the show with an intimate theater setup," Punt said. "We're surprised because we thought we'd have a lot more high school students buy tickets, but we're getting a lot of Penn State students. I think that's because they can relate to her because she's the same age as young college students."
In the past year, Sparks has achieved pop fame through her collaboration "No Air," which she recorded with fellow 18-year-old artist Chris Brown. The single, which has been steadily climbing the U.S. pop charts and has so far peaked at No. 3., has helped her achieve pop fame. Another piece of her popularity puzzle is her first single "Tattoo," which she recorded before she was even legally old enough to get a tattoo without parental consent.
"I'm really excited to go to the concert because I really like Jordin Sparks," Allison Rosenthal (freshman-business) said. "I was a big fan of hers when she was on American Idol and I really like the collab she did with Chris Brown."
This past January, while most Penn State students watched Super Bowl XLII in their living rooms, the Glendale, Ariz., native opened the game by performing the national anthem.
Coincidentally, Sparks' father, Phillippi Sparks, at one time played for this year's eventual Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants. Sparks' father also played for the Dallas Cowboys during his career. The singer often credits her ability to deal with fame at such a young age to her father's career.
Richard Aquila, professor of history at Penn State Erie, attributes Sparks' monumental Idol win to America's changing times, with Sparks becoming the first biracial artist to win the contest and the youngest winner in the show's history.
"Popular culture is a very democratic kind of culture," Aquila said. "It reflects the changing times in the United States. There are connections there with other forms of popular culture. Who would have thought even 20 years ago that we would have a woman and a biracial candidate running for president?"
Though the performer gets star treatment before and after her shows, the main thing Sparks wants in her dressing room before this weekend's Penn State show is what every girl loves: chocolate.
Punt said Sparks requested chocolate, along with items such as tea, coffee and raw vegetables.
"She's a normal performer. There's nothing diva about her," Punt said.
One way Sparks may keep herself grounded and in touch with her fans is through her MySpace.com page, which she updates regularly with photographs and blogs, including a video blog called "A Day in the Life of Jordin."
The teen is also open on her page about being a devout Christian. Last summer, she created controversy when she posted a picture on her MySpace page next to a man with a "Stop Abortion Now" sign.
Sparks' opening act, Flo Rida, is no stranger to being a young artist in the industry, either.
Flo Rida, whose name is a play off his home state of Florida, began his rap career as a hype man for Fresh Kid Ice of 2 Live Crew, touring nationally with the group at age 18.
Ten years later, Flo Rida achieved Billboard Chart history with "Low," the longest running Hot 100 No. 1 song since Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." His current single "Elevator," featuring rapper and producer Timbaland is currently making its way up the Billboard charts as well.
"I really like 'Get Low,' " Vinisha Lad (freshman-science) said. "And I also like his songs 'Hypnotize' and 'Roll It.' I'm going to the concert just to see him, and it's my first concert at PSU so I'm stoked."
Penn State and the University of Illinois are the only two schools that will feature Sparks and Flo Rida performing together. The concert will bring a different combination of music to Penn State, with Sparks' pop/R&B act following Flo Rida's hip-hop set. This summer, Sparks fans can also catch her opening for Alicia Keys on her "As I Am" tour.
Punt offered one last incentive for die-hard aficionados of the young starlet -- a handful of $99 VIP tickets that offer fans front-row seats and a backstage meet-and-greet with Sparks.
"A true fan of Jordin Sparks," he said, "is not even going to blink an eye."
