For her just-released new album, [article id="1616795"]Battlefield,[/article] Jordin Sparks didn't want to rest on her "American Idol"-winning laurels. Much like on her debut album, Sparks contributed to the songwriting on the album, collaborating with writers like Toby Gad and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder.

"I had so much fun doing it. Writing is really therapeutic, I am finding out," Sparks told MTV News. "I've always loved to write. Ever since I was in the fourth grade I've written poetry and I've loved words and language arts. Everybody else in my family thinks I'm crazy, but it was my favorite thing to do."

She admits that initially she didn't think she could combine her passions for words and music until much later on in her life. "And it wasn't until I was a little bit older that I realized you put music to [words] and switch things around a little bit and you have a song," she said. "And I didn't have very much time to write on the first album. I wrote on three songs on that album and then I just hit the ground running, recording at the beginning of this year. It was so fun!"

Needless to say, doing the rounds as an "American Idol" didn't leave a lot of time for work on her first album, and Sparks was happy to contribute more this time around. "Being on 'American Idol,' you win and then you go on the tour," she said. "And it's a little low-key and the fans who voted for you want your music ... and you're trying to record and keep your voice safe on tour. But I'm really proud of the first album."

She's equally proud this time around thanks to her hands-on approach. "I do [have a favorite song and] of course all the ones I wrote had a special place in my heart," she said. "And obviously I love all the songs or they wouldn't be on the record!"