Album Review: Jennifer Hudson – JHUD
3 min read
American starlet Jennifer Hudson has the best of both worlds; as an actress she has been nominated for and won an Academy Award, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe among others, as a singer she took out a Grammy award for her debut self-titled album. She toured with Robin Thicke in 2009 and sang a beautiful rendition of Michael Jackson’s Will You Be There as a tribute at the legend’s star studded memorial service; she also honoured Whitney Houston’s memory at the 54th Grammy Awards by singing the iconic I Will Always Love You, a performance you won’t soon forget. Jennifer is back for more with her third studio album, JHUD.
The beat savvy fourth single Dangerous serves as an effective opener, JHud’s sharp vocal and the song’s snappy character compliment each other well; third single It’s Your World features R.Kelly, who shares writing credits with DJ Terry Hunter, the track shows us a little soul backed by the deep-yet-subtle bass line and both vocalists knack for delivering their parts in true soul fashion. The RnB/soul vibe resonating through He Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere is addictive, and Australian female rap sensation Iggy Azalea really serves her purpose and delivers, the track is one of gazillions donated by Pharrell Williams; the album’s second single Walk It Out is hypnotising, the arrangement is easy to lose yourself in, Jennifer continues bringing out the big guns and works with Timbaland on this one.
Lead single I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel) features T.I and is number two of three written by Pharrell, it has a catchy disco 70’s inspired feel to it; I Still Love You has this club-happy deep resonance accompanied by Hudson’s top-notch vocal range. The Pharrell trilogy is over with Just That Type Of Girl, it goes down as one of the most repetitive numbers on the album, but it’s nice to hear some keys do the talking; Bring Back The Music finally gives us a more stripped back sound so we can enjoy the luscious tones Hudson’s voice take full responsibility for, her harmonies are beautiful. Hudson brings back her attitude with Say It, an edgy RnB number driven by her powerful vocal and the drumtastic beat; the piano driven seven minute serenade that is Moan sees Hudson deliver a ballad that touches the soul.
Move aside JLO and JLaw, here comes JHUD; the A class singer’s new album is jam packed with 70s inspired tunes that is music to the ears. Jennifer’s come a long way since her stint on the third season of American Idol, she has emerged as one of the finest talents America has to offer, only a couple of times the new album sounded a little repetitive, but JHUD proves to be a stellar release from the starlet. It’ll be great to see what else JHud will come out with in the future, especially if the releases meet with the calibre of JHUD.
