Jordin Sparks: Friends Don’t Treat Me Different Since ‘Idol’ Win

During a chat with the Boston Herald’s ‘The Edge’, ‘American Idol’ season six champ Jordin Sparks said her family, which includes former NFL star Phillippi Sparks, have helped to keep her grounded. “I’ve only been home about a week and a half out of this whole year since ‘Idol’ started, so it’s been pretty crazy,” the 17-year-old tells Lauren Carter. “It’s been like two days here, half a day there. But when I do go home I get to see some of my closest friends, and the cool thing is they don’t treat me any different. They treat me exactly the same. Because I am still the exact same person. It’s just that things around me have changed.” Sparks releases her self-titled debut album Tuesday on Jive Records.