By Alecia Lassing

The American Idol winner is our August 2012 Girl Crush. 

This girl has a spark, and we are not just talking about her name.

Jordin Sparks made her debut on the American Idol stage in 2007. After winning the heart of millions, this Arizona native took home the title at age 17, making her the youngest contestant at the time to win. Although Sparks wasn’t even old enough to legally buy whiteout, her young years didn’t show. Within a year she released her first self-titled album, which ended up going Platinum, selling more than 2 million copies worldwide. Going Platinum with her first album probably left her with No Air that’s for sure.

The last couple years Sparks has continued singing and excelling at it. She has toured with Alicia Keys and Britney Spears, won two BET Awards, one AMA and People’s Choice Award and released a second album (Battlefield), among many other achievements. In 2010, Sparks even tested out her Broadway legs, which was always among her ambitions.

Sparks spent 12 weeks as Nina Rosario in the Tony award winning musical, In The Heights. Although Sparks wasn’t expecting to go to Broadway this early in her career, after going to see the show and falling in love with it, she had an offer in her lap after a week.

Singing isn’t the only thing Sparks has to be proud of though. In fact, this spark is about to sparkle in her first feature film, Sparkle—a film set in the 1960s about three sisters forming a girl group and becoming Motown sensations. If this isn’t on your must-see list for August, it probably should be. Just listen to the soundtrack and you will be convinced.

On top of transforming as an artist, Sparks has also transformed herself on the outside. Since Idol, she has lost 50 pounds and flaunts it on the August cover of Shape. According to Us Weekly, during the cover shoot, Sparks had to excuse herself to her dressing room. She expressed tears of joy and finally realized that she had achieved her weight-loss goal.

It may seem like Sparks has a lot on her plate, but in an interview with Shape she says otherwise. “It may seem like I’m spreading myself a bit thin—no pun intended, but I love being creative and want to try a bunch of different things, like TV or another Broadway show.”

The Pink and Black staff is ready to see what spark this one is going to ignite next because it is sure to be hot.

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