It’s been two years since Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled debut dropped. And a lot has changed since then. We repeat, A Lot has transpired since then. Jennifer tragically lost her mother, brother, and nephew in a fatal incident, plunging her into a hiatus that was both expected and understood. She has since bounced back, got married, gave birth to her son, and shed 80 pounds all in that time span.
She has readied her self with her sophomore album I Remember Me, in stores Today. And yes, Gabriel and I (Rae) are here to share our thoughts and Critiques…
‘I’ll be totally honest, I was not a fan of Jennifer’s debut Album. It seemed like an Album full of Whitney Houston Throw-a-ways. It just seemed like none or very few of the tracks were a good match for her voice and image. And most importantly it was a little depressing, almost all of the Material was very I’m-down-but-I’ll-get-over-it type songs. Who want’s an Album like that from Jennifer Hudson? Keyshia Cole has that covered, Thanks. Enter her new jawn, ‘I Remember Me.’
First things first, there are some joints I can jam too, you know how I feel about a good dance record. She sounds Vibrant, kinda like a new wife, mom, 80 lbs less-weighing-Super Star should sound. Check Mate.
‘Everybody Needs Love’ and especially ‘Don’t look down’ are my absolute favorites, it’s a Jennifer I’m not familiar with. I can even overlook the fact that she screams from the beginning to the end on both tracks. The title track is also a new sound that I appreciate from Mrs. Hudson. But I digress, Where the first album failed to deliver a certain sound and character this album (although a vast improvement) doesn’t actually identify that either. It’s a bit more Pop then I expected. Although Ballads like ‘Still here’ and ‘Where you at?’ (That Title and chorus are absolutely unnecessary by the way) will suffice her core audience, I’m lost with tracks like ‘Angel’ which I really want to like, but it’s so much going on. It’s like ‘Massive attack’ Jennifer Hudson Style. All in All, I love it more than her first Album, I definitely have my favorites, and my likes outweigh mu dis-likes. I’m glad she’s back and happy, and although i wanted a more traditional sound, I’m not oppose to the experimentation. Just not in my ear :-)’
-Rae Holliday
Where can I start with Jennifer Hudson’s I Remember Me? First,I just want applaud her for getting this far. There are not too many artists that come from the American Idol realm, that did not win the actual contest but has a Grammy, Oscar and chart-topping singles. Jennifer has definitely earned that crown.
Now…back to the album. I was quite disappointed in the selection of songs that was picked for this album. “Where You At” scared me a bit because the title alone was a bit uneasy, with a matching chorus repeatedly yelling the ebonic phrase. About a week later, the song actually grew on me but there is still a slight scare in my heart. 0_o
When choosing songs for someone like Jennifer, you have to be careful not to leave her vocal and soulful foundation. Turning an artist like her into a mainstream staple can be quite difficult to take-in. Jennifer’s voice is like gravy on your rice, the perfect seasoning to an excellent meal. You can’t over-bare it with too many ingredients. One thing labels have to understand is that you can’t MAKE every artist into a POP artist. You have to let the transition happen on it’s own and not force process. In other words, Jennifer’s album is far too Pop then Soul for her standards. The music just does not match her tone. You can hear Jennifer sing and forget that the track is even playing, and just focus on her voice alone. That’s just my opinion…
However, I do enjoy a few tracks like “No One Gonna Love You”, “I Got This”, “Angel” & Believe. But as a package, it’s not a #WinWin situation.
Jennifer, congrats on your achievements and keep pressing! We love you!
-Gabriel Williams
Stay Fly!
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