Jennifer Hudson Discography
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| Singles
 Jennifer HudsonI Remember Me Release Date 2011 03 22 Label Arista Rating:  Jennifer Hudson's debut was not a flop, not by 2008 standards. It went gold and, thanks to being nominated alongside a mostly undeserving set of contemporaries, took the 2009 Grammy for Best R&B Album. However, a considerable amount of ill-suited material combined with obstructive guest appearances made it something of a misfire. If the album was truly worthy of a Grammy, I Remember Me better run the ceremony’s R&B table in 2012. There is no lightweight pop, no beatbox-based Timbaland beats, no audible Auto-Tune -- no messing around. Even the adult contemporary material -- the songs that function strictly as a platform for Hudson’s powerhouse vocals -- packs more punch. Most of the songwriters and producers who return from the debut, namely StarGate, Ne-Yo, and Harvey Mason, contribute positively here. The shrewdest move was involving Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, and Salaam Remi. &“Angel,” a euphoric testimonial written by Keys and co-produced by Keys and Swizz, sounds like it could have been made for Teena Marie, recalling &“I Need Your Lovin’” while switching between tapping snares and a smacking four-four beat. Keys and Swizz also team on &“Everybody Needs Love,” a hard disco throwback that is 80 percent slip-and-slide drums with a gorgeous, prancing chorus. On &“Don’t Look Down,” Keys and Remi (with Swizz handling the programmed drums) provide a boisterous and uplifting backdrop for one of Hudson’s most gospel-rooted performances. Remi also produces a bold interpretation of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse's &“Feeling Good” that surpasses every vocal version not recorded by Nina Simone. Another welcome alliance comes from R. Kelly, whose &“Where You At” (produced with Mason) is the type of song on which Hudson thrives most -- the album’s own &“And I Am Telling You,” confident but scorned and on the brink of bugging out. At their best, Hudson and her collaborators provide the kind of mature R&B that is not felt merely in the mind, throat, chest, or hips but the entire body. Andy Kellman, Rovi |
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