Coming off of major success from her 2007 self-titled debut, Jordin Sparks is back for round two in an effort to beat the infamous sophomore slump with her new record, Battlefield. Best known for her upbeat personality, catchy pop anthems, and strong vocals, this new release pushes the boundaries to a more personal level while still maintaining the adrenaline and appeal she displayed with her debut two years ago.

If one thing's for sure, radio will love this album. First single "Battlefield" was penned and produced by hit maker Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic and was at number thirteen in Top 40 airplay at press time. Jordin also worked once again with songwriter, musician, and worship artist Christa Black on the track slow-tempo "Was I The Only One," another potential explosive radio hit (Black wrote "God Loves Ugly" from Jordin Sparks). Lyrically, Battlefield seems to dive to much greater depths than its predecessor, especially when it comes to the ups and downs of relationships. "No Parade," a standout track on the record, laments a broken relationship while "It Takes More" finds Jordin refusing to be taken advantage of. On another positive note, Battlefield manages to avoid the trap of keeping all of the good songs at the beginning of the record and throwing whatever was left over to the last few tracks, as album closers "Faith" and "The Cure" are both well-written cuts with undeniably Christian themes.

When it comes down to it, Battlefield is a well-produced record, which is often hard to say when talking about the pop and R&B genre. Jordin Sparks has certainly grown and become more creative now that her American Idol days are well in her past. Despite monotonous tracks here and there, and a few less allusions to God than ideal, it looks like it's time to add another solid pop album to your music library.

- Review date: 7/19/09, written by Logan Leasure of Jesusfreakhideout.com