39. Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson by Jennifer Hudson (Arista) 2008

Cover Detail retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/album/jennifer-hudson-mw0000797752

Genre

Music: Dance Pop

Review

The debut album of the singer famous for turns in Dream Girls and American Idol.  The opening song is a classic, timeless R&B song.  Hudson is a talented singer with a wide range reminiscent at times (in attitude at least) to Aretha Franklin.

Opinion

"Spotlight" is an R&B dance song of very high caliber.  Hudson provides both a steady vocal melody and has space to show off her virtuosic talents. But the beat-box rhythm of the third track "Pocketbook" works mostly to distract from Hudson's vocals, and the Ludacris guest spot greatly diminishes the results.  Hudson's lyrics and delivery are strong, so the sexual objectification spouted by Ludacris and Timbaland really drags the track down, even while Hudson tries to play the powerful Aretha Franklin part with her threat of hitting them with her pocketbook.  The bad taste that is "Pocketbook" is wedged right next to a ballad "Body and Soul."  The juxtaposition is jarring and gives the album an incredibly uneven feel.  In fact, because "Body and Soul" follows the incredibly bad "Pocketbook," it's hard to initially hear how strong the song is and how perfectly it displays Hudson's voice.   

Ideas

The album would be a great song for a middle school dance if the tracks are selected very judiciously.