Jordin Sparks on Her 'Sexier' New Body

Jordin Sparks is 30 pounds lighter, and she feels awesome enough to wear a body-con dress without Spanx (lucky her!). The “American Idol” alum tells PEOPLE that her new size 8 body makes her feel way sexier than her regular size 12.

Perhaps inspired by Jennifer Hudson and Raven-Symone’s recent weight loss, Sparks says she lost 30 pounds in four months, thanks to rigorous exercise and healthy eating. She showed off her new body in her first bikini photo shoot for PEOPLE. Now she wears clothes that are “a little bit tighter and a little shorter.”

That’s not to say Jordin isn’t still playing for the curvy girl team. “I love that I still have curves,” she says. “I definitely don’t want to lose that.”

We loved her as she was, but kudos to Jordin for making the leap — and taking control of her leap. Let’s just hope it wasn’t because of music industry pressure to be thin.