CD review: Jennifer Hudson

Published Jan 7, 2015

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JENNIFER HUDSON

JHUD

***

Risky, but it works.

WITH a vocal range of the biblical Seraphim, Hudson has the license to do whatever music she prefers at any given point in time.

After belting out tracks like And I’m Telling You and Spotlight, the singer has nothing much to prove. Unlike her previous ’90s themed R&B albums, on JHud, Hudson goes back into the ’70s for the disco sound. Her voice helps her make seemingly lukewarm songs like I Can Describe epic.

The song features rapper TI who sounds like he has trouble keeping up with the usual hip hop beat pattern.

Still maintaining the dance theme, the songstress ropes in R Kelly (who is a chameleon in music and has done this sound before) on It’s Your World. The song is almost a sequel to what Mary J Blige and George Michael did on As, a long time ago.

Despite the much publicised Walk It Out, with the video that features body builder David McIntosh, the little known I Still Love You comes off as a catchy anthem for the album. It is followed by Just That Type Of Girl which is the kind of song girls will sing to out loud while driving.

Apart from TI and R Kelly, Hudson unnecessarily features Timbaland and Iggy Azalea who add little to the album. Overall it’s not the Hudson you know, but it’s infectious all the same. – Munya Vomo

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