Sparks: ‘I couldn't ask for anything more’

America's newest teen sensation, Jordin Sparks, took a long, roundabout route to stardom, after being turned down at her initial “Idol” audition, she recalled Thursday on TODAY.

Jordin, who, at 17, became the youngest “American Idol” winner ever on May 23, told TODAY host Matt Lauer that she dreamed of making it into the competition since she was 12 years old. But when she was turned down by producers who were screening potential competitors in Los Angeles last year, Jordin was forced to find another way.

“You almost didn't make the show. What do you remember from that time?” Lauer asked Sparks during a live interview on the Plaza.

Jordin recalled entering a local competition after being turned down in Los Angeles and winning an all-expenses-paid trip to another regional audition in Seattle. This time, she made the cut.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“It was amazing. I made it to Hollywood, and then I made it to the top 100,” Jordin gushed. “I was like, I can't believe I made it this far. It was just so crazy.”

Now that she's been crowned “American Idol,” Jordin is enjoying a new Sony Records contract and all the trappings of her new-found fame.

“It's everything I could ever wish for. I asked for it. I got it. And now I'm doing it,” the Arizona native said. “It's so amazing. I couldn't ask for anything more.”

‘Jordin music’
Jordin, who performed her new single, “This Is My Now,” live following the interview, said she plans to build her career on an eclectic mix of what she called “Jordin music.”

“I love all different types of genres, so I kind of want to put it all together,” she told Lauer. “Just fun music that can people can roll down their windows to and blast and have a good time.”

The runner up in “Idol's” sixth season, 25-year-old Blake Lewis, also performed live on the Plaza on Thursday.

Both Jordin and Lewis are scheduled to tour with the show's other top 10 finalists this summer.

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