I’ve felt pretty eh about "Tattoo," the debut single from American Idol champ Jordin Sparks (currently up to No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100), since the first time I heard it. Yet while its brand-new video raises some perplexing questions — why isn’t Jordin freaked out by the handsome fellow following her around the boardwalk? How come they end up together even though the song is about an ill-fated relationship? Why do her friends seemingly vanish into thin air, then suddenly reappear? — I’ve found five good reasons the clip deserves a round of applause.
1. Jordin smiles early and often throughout the video. And who doesn’t love smiling? Well, other than the seemingly 90 percent of artists who’ve shot videos in the last decade. And pretty much every celebrity or model who’s done a photo shoot in that time period, too. So good on Jordin for bucking the Glum Gertrude trend and flashing her (flawless) teeth. She’s young, talented, and gorgeous, and she’ll probably earn more before she turns 20 than you will in your entire lifetime. Why look anything but elated, right?
2. Jordin hasn’t been starved down to a size 2 by the folks at her label. And really, when was the last time you could say that about a debuting female pop artist on a major label?
3. I see ponies! Carousel ponies, more accurately, but they still fall under the all-important equine umbrella.
4. Jordin isn’t trying to hide or disguise her Idol roots. If she were, then there wouldn’t be a Blake Lewis cameo at video’s end, now would there?
5. So much lustrous hair! And don’t pretend it doesn’t count — especially in the DVR era, where you fast-forward through all those glorious Pantene ads that used to regulate your emotional temperature.
Any other reasons to love (or hate) the "Tattoo" clip? Have at it in the comments section below.
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1. The guy is a little too stalkerish
2. What’s with the random placing of them against a black curtain?
3. She does look beautiful, but I hope she gets better material to work with. Her and Kat McPhee are being wasted.
The aforementioned Blake Lewis cameo rocks, especially how happy they look to see each other. It almost seems like he surprised her on set and someone spontaneously decided to include some footage of him. In his adorable hat!
Her smile is gorgeous, indeed. She seems to break character a little at the end — not that the “character” in question is too far off from her usual persona.
this might be a little too simon of me to say, but i thought it was boring. and those black and white shots of her were terrible. she looked a hot mess. i like jordin well enough, but this song and video just go to show that she’ll be the most boring idol since kimberly locke.
I love this video….it definitely enhances the song…and Blake at the end — priceless!
Kimberley Locke is not boring. She is being given awful material that dulls an incredible voice. Anyway…
This video is fun. I love that she is not afraid of smiling, her hips, or creepy men that lurk behind her. I truly think this season will give us more stars than any other has. I’m looking at you Jordin, Blake, Melinda, Chris R., Phil, and Gina.
Not much for the “writhe around on a disheveled bed in equally disheveled clothing” that’s so ubiquitous (and her youth makes that a little creepy), but the song itself isn’t bad. Much better than the overproduced, horn-filled messes that usually inflicted by the Idol machine (and which essentially ruins any possibility of a hit). Too light for my taste, but not bad. Video doesn’t make much sense, but she’s lovely and has a great voice, so that makes up for it.
The hat. Gotta love a good hat.
Pretty wholesome video. Its actually kind of ironic that eventhough the song is a metaphor, the ONLY tattoo visual throughout the entire video is during Blake’s cameo at the end, when you can see the tattoo on his arm along his wrist! Perhaps thats the real reason he cameos! Hahaha Surprised you didn’t catch that one Slezak!
While the song is eh (she has a huge voice, she should use it!).
The video could have been her smiling for five mintues and it would have been great.
She should be the poster girl for those Dove ads for real beauty!
Metaphoric cheese, horrible song, and Sparks can do better than this. Her record company must decide if she is going to be a singer or a curvy Barbie Doll.
This video once again proves that hollywood has no idea what music is let alone good music. They just want another teeny-booper dancing across the screen ala Britney Spears. It’s no wonder Christina Aguilera’s voice was unknown for so many years. All Hollywood wants is no talented bimbos who can’t sing running across a stage when they can’t dance. Hopefully a good song writer will come along and write the bomb song that will really take advantage of Jordin’s great voice and pretty smile.
BTW, the guy isn’t stalking with her, he’s flirting with her and vice versa. Geez!
Don’t care for the song, though she does have a great voice. The video is boring for the most part. Blake’s cameo at the end interjects somewhat of cool vibe. Like the hat there Blake. With all that being said, she is a bautiful girl, and it is nice to see someone her age that is not a size 0.
Jordin needs to drop weight, STAT.
still not sure about the song and i wasn’t feeling the video. the sole highlight is the brief appearance of Blake Lewis. that’s reason enough for me to sit through the video.
Ugh…Blake
The song has grown on me. It plays on my Yahoo Jukebox quite a bit, and for a while I even forgot it was her. It’s catchy, and it is climbing up the charts. At least it isn’t DOA like Blake’s single…that thing is really terrible.
Blake is the best part of that video.
I was ready to come here and BASH! but, she’s so adorable, and that smile does melt hearts. One thing though, is the video and ultimately the song about a young woman who falls in love with a gay guy, and how that first innocent love will stay with her forever because well, it was heartbreaking at the time, but now she realizes that it’s something to smile about because “He was GAY!” and it would have never worked out anyway, i’m just saying… that’s what i read into it.
Even though the video is a little contrived, it’s great to see a curvy young woman in the media. The current fat phobia is going to turn out to have been dead wrong – mark my words on this one.
Jordin looks healthy and happy – good on her!
I LOVE the song and the video is a nice clean video and probably why so many people aren’t liking it. I love how they made everything about it clean. I think that you really have to watch the video to get what it’s saying but I think it’s a great story about having a love that didn’t last and when you find someone else don’t look back and keep thinking about your past!
I give the song and the video an A+ …..Jordin is going to be a mega STAR!
I agree that this year is going to have mega stars…Jordin, Blake, Chris R., Phil, Melinda! I love them all!
JORDIN DOES NOT NEED TO LOOSE WEIGHT EITHER! If you saw her in person you wouldn’t say that she did! She’s beautiful!
Cute, minus the cheesy wind blown hair segments and that cameo by green stripe wearing Fredie Kruger. Man he looks even more scary now.
Cute, minus the cheesy wind blown hair segments and that cameo by green stripe wearing Fredie Kruger. Man he looks even more scary now.
OK, I’m behind, but I wanted to give my impressions from my first listen on the radio:
“Hmm, that’s a fresh, pleasant voice. Wow, those lyrics are lame and sometimes don’t even make sense. Hey, this must be Jordin’s new single.”
Jordin and Blake for life! They were my favorite contestants in the finale, and even though Blake is my fav, I, like Blake, am still ecstatic for Jordin’s win. I wish both of them the best of luck in life. It’s nice to see such entertainers who love life, smile, and dont have egos. Jordin and Blake for life!!
Howard about your comment about Hollywood. Christina Aguleria had her first hit thanks to Hollywood. Her first real release was I believe back in 1996 for the Mulan soundtrack. The song was called “Reflection”. And she has been in the hoochy spotlight too but through posing for semi-nude mens interest magazines such as “Stuff”. Unlike Miss “I should be staying home and watching my kids” Spears, Chrissy has matured into a professional singer.
Can we just leave Britney out of at least ONE thread? Pretty please?
A couple things:
1. I hope all of those people washed their hands after touching all of the horses on the carousel at the Santa Monica Pier
2. What is she wearing?!?!?!
Still love to love ya Jordin!
it reminds me of debbie gibson’s “only in my dreams”, and that’s a great thing. it’s young and fun and it doesn’t try too hard. i heard the song on the radio the other day and didn’t know who it was right away and then when i heard the chorus, i was like, not bad. i like it. i like blake’s song too.
What I’m trying to say is that some people make the right choices, some make the wrong choices (Brit), and some who make the wrong choices eventually grow out of them (Chris). Jordin should not fall vicitim of bad choices especially when it comes to song selections.
*to bad choices.