Maps of Music
JHUD (2014)
Where the lyrics of JHUD take you, and where it was really made.
Hudson's first RCA album, made after Arista and J Records closed, opened at number 10 on the Billboard 200 with 24,000 copies, her lowest first week for a studio album.
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Overview
- JHUD: third studio album by American entertainer Jennifer Hudson
- Released 23 September 2014 by RCA Records
- Follow-up to I Remember Me (2011)
- Hudson's first and only album released through RCA after Arista and J Records closed
Background
- I Remember Me came out in March 2011 and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 165,000 first-week copies
- After a short musical hiatus, Hudson co-starred in The Three Stooges (2012), The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (2013), and Black Nativity (2013)
- She returned to recording in mid-2013 and consulted new producers to move in a different direction
- Hudson described the project as a way to express herself as an artist, moving from being a soloist who sang other people's songs
- Pharrell Williams and Timbaland worked with her on the album
Recording
- Producers included Pharrell Williams, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis, Gorgon City, and Timbaland
- The goal was a more personal and energetic sound that reflected her development as an artist
- Hudson co-wrote two tracks on the final album
- The sessions were described by Hudson as very different from earlier work, with each session feeling like a party
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Artist
Early life
- Born September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois; raised mainly by her mother in Englewood on the South Side.
- Began performing at age seven, singing in the church choir and doing community theater.
- Signed a first recording contract with Chicago-based Righteous Records in January 2002.
Career
- Finalist on the third season of American Idol in 2004, placing seventh.
- Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls (2006), becoming the youngest African-American recipient of the award.
- Her self-titled debut album (2008) peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and won Best R&B Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
- Later albums include I Remember Me (2011), JHUD (2014) and The Gift of Love (2024).
- Became the youngest woman and third African-American recipient of all four major American entertainment awards (EGOT) in 2022.
- Hosts The Jennifer Hudson Show, launched September 12, 2022.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Rolling Stone: Christopher R. Weingarten praised Hudson's vocal range and compared her performances to Thelma Houston, Gloria Gaynor, and CeCe Peniston
- AllMusic: Andy Kellman said Hudson sounds close to diva mode, and that although she sometimes sounds disconnected from the material, her powerful voice still leaves a mark on everything
- Billboard: editor Elias Leight said the spare, rhythm-heavy templates give her plenty of space to flex her voice
- Slant Magazine: Andrew Chan said the album tries to move Hudson toward a club sound, but its production often feels formulaic and lacks emotional depth
- The Observer: Theo Leanse said there are highs and lows, and that a singer with her background might find better material in R&B
- Associated Press: Melanie J. Sims praised her vocals but said the album lacks a distinctive personal style
- New York Daily News: Jim Farber said much of the material sounds like leftovers from hotter stars such as Beyonce or Nicki Minaj
Reappraisal
- Metacritic: average score of 68 out of 100, based on six reviews
Records
- US Billboard 200: debuted at number 10
- First-week sales of 24,000 copies, Hudson's lowest first week for a studio album
- Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: debuted at number two, her third consecutive album to reach that position
- Sales of 61,000 copies in the United States by December 2014
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel) was first intended for Miley Cyrus during sessions for her album Bangerz, but it was never completed or included there
- Walk It Out, produced by Timbaland, was released on 29 April 2014 as the album's second single
- It's Your World, featuring R. Kelly, received a nomination for Best R&B Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards
- In 2019, after the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, It's Your World was removed from digital editions of the album, but it was later restored
- The video for I Still Love You, made with Gorgon City, premiered in Logo's #All50 marriage-equality campaign and was nominated for Best Video with a Message at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards
Sources: en.wikipedia.org