Jordin Sparks Reveals How ‘American Idol’ Prepared Her For ‘DWTS’: ‘I Thrive Under Pressure’

Jordin Sparks has won American Idol, and present she’s acceptable to triumph Dancing With the Stars. Jordin started disconnected DWTS play 31 with the first show of the night alongside spouse Brandon Armstrong. Jordin revealed if she was intimidated astatine each performing first.

Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong during the ‘DWTS’ premiere. (Disney+)

“Give maine the pressure. I thrive nether pressure,” Jordin told reporters aft the premiere. “Look, on American Idol, I’m utilized to the mode that this benignant of goes. It’s truly agelong days. It’s doing rehearsals implicit and implicit again… For me, I thrive successful a unrecorded show environment. So the audience, the lights, the cameras, the outfit, the makeup… the power conscionable goes on. You know, truthful this mightiness not beryllium the aforesaid mode that I person performed but it’s a signifier nonetheless.”

Jordin and Brandon performed a cha-cha to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody [Who Loves Me]” by the precocious Whitney Houston. The brace earned a 26 retired of 40 with the judges. Jordin’s archetypal show was a tribute to the singing icon, who was her co-star successful the 2012 film Sparkle.

“I didn’t get to cognize her for precise long. But the clip I did walk with her really, truly impacted me, and I’ve carried it with maine since,” Jordin said. “Look, I’m inactive loving her and admiring her each these years later, truthful I cognize she would beryllium really, truly arrogant if she was successful the audience. She would person been lasting up, and she would person been screaming conscionable similar each of us. She was truthful supportive.”

Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston successful ‘Sparkle.’ (Everett Collection)

Jordin and Brandon are inactive successful the contention aft the archetypal elimination. Sex and the City alum Jason Lewis and Peta Murgatroyd were the archetypal mates of play 31 to beryllium sent home. Next week, the DWTS pairs volition beryllium taking connected Elvis Night. Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays astatine 8 p.m. connected Disney+.