Jordin Sparks is the face of a new campaign focused on promoting fire safety education in households with young children.
The platinum-selling singer is part of Kidde’s Cause For Alarm™ campaign to promote the new Living Jingle, which features an emotional message and call to action from children affected by house fires. It’s a campaign that strikes a chord with Sparks, a proud mother to her 6-year-old son, Dana Jr., whom she shares with her husband, Dana Isaiah. She is actively teaching her child the importance of prioritizing safety in all aspects of life.
“We’re all about safety right now, safety at school, safety when you’re with your friends, safety when you’re at home,” Sparks tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “And so when I was reading through this campaign and everything that it stood for, I was like, ‘This makes a lot of sense for us to do.'”
The “No Air” singer acknowledges that fire safety wasn’t always a top priority for her before she became a mother. However, partnering with the Cause For Alarm campaign has reminded her just how quickly a fire can start.
“It also, for lack of a better term, lit a fire under my behind, because it’s something that I don’t think about often. Fires can happen at any point to anybody.”
Sparks is right to admit this. The campaign found that 40% percent of people believe they’re more likely to win the lottery or be struck by lightning than experience a house fire. Yet, this year alone, over 1,000 people—including children—have died as the result of home fires across North America.
For the third consecutive year, Kidde’s Cause
For Alarm campaign is dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities that face a greater risk of fire-related incidents. This initiative aims to enhance fire safety education and awareness by addressing gaps in knowledge and access to fire safety measures, offering essential resources and life-saving devices to at-risk populations.To encourage people to make fire safety a priority, Kidde is introducing its new “Living Jingle,” an emotional appeal and call to action voiced by children who have been affected by house fires.
“It’s a very powerful message that can be driven home,” Sparks says of the “Living Jingle.” “For kids, especially in a musical format, and as a musician, I know how powerful a tool of music can be.”
With a last name like “Sparks,” the singer notes the irony in her plea while stressing its importance.
“If I can spark an idea or spark a movement or spark, you know, a thought like, ‘Oh, wow, I haven’t really thought about that in a long time,’ then I want to be able to be a part of that, especially as a mom now. It’s just really, really important. And I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
In addition to the Cause For Alarm campaign, Sparks released her first full-length non-holiday album in nearly 10 years, No Restrictions, which reflects her growth as a woman, wife, singer, and mother.
“I’m grateful that I was able to have that time to really grow within myself, grow within my family, my marriage as a mother, as a friend,” she shares. “As a human, I just feel like I’ve grown so much. And that’s why I called it No Restrictions. Because at this place in my life, I feel so free. And I feel like I’m letting go of outdated beliefs. I’m letting go of things that I used to think about myself, what I thought about, what other people thought about me.”
Sparks also teased what viewers can expect from the new skating competition show she’s hosting called Roller Jam and how much fun she had filming each episode. Press play to learn more.