Jennifer Hudson – Debut Album Drops Today

#3 album on iTunes right now after TI and Jack’s Mannequin(?????)

My gym plays Spotlight all the time and I downloaded it. I’ll buy this one a single at a time.

snapshot of amazon and itunes… at 3:00pm central time…

#2 on amazon behind James Taylor “Covers” and ahead of T.I.’s “Papertrail”

#2 on itunes behind T.I.’s “Papertrail”

– several people on the Pulse music board predict T.I.’s papertrail will likely sell 500K – 700K in it’s 1st week and top the Billboard charts at #1.

Somewhere, I know Jenn’s crying (from happiness)… not only has she waited so long for this, but it’s a blessing that it’s being so well received.

…a really good first day for Jen’s debut CD.

Went out and bought the CD this afternoon and after two times through, I’m likin’ it! Love “Pocketbook” – so much sass there. It’s a solid debut for Jennifer and I think it’s going to hit high on the charts. I hope so. Great tunes.

I had forgotten how powerful “And I’m telling you…” is. Wow! Glad they included it on the CD.

I love Jennifer Hudsonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s new disc. I think it might be a little unfocused but considering they had to work with someone whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s only à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“majorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  public moment was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m Telling You.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I think that the producers and Jennifer Hudson did a great job on this. I had the download and I already bought my copy today and plan on making a few others spend their hard earned cash on his CD. I really like the sounds of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Spotlightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and how sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s able to deliver a great vocal production without over singing and keeping to the R & B Rhythms that spilled into pop. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m already quoting to my friends the line à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Make Me Hit You with My Pocketbookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which is the intro to the next song à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Poctbookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  featuring Ludacris in a sexy rap about large girls that allows Jennifer to be sassy. After listening to that song, which I have a feeling will be the second single and will chart better then Spotlight. I think that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If This isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Love,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which actually sounds like a good pop song that you can hear on the radio no matter what market they play too. I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Giving Myself,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is a gorgeous song that lets her be soft that if marketed right could be the type of song you see played in television series and other things defining a relationship. I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Invisibleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  could be one of those songs that people identify with and want to listen to. I loved the gospel rousing songs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We Gonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Fight and have decided that when its my turn to go. I want my service to ends with the gorgeous spine chilling performance that will be the staple for all churches and funerals in the future for her solo vocal on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Jesus Promises Me a Home Over Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which is nothing but breathtaking with some amazing power notes.

I thought most of the songs on this disc were good songs, fit her well, and sound incredible. I even thought that Dianne Warrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“You Pulled Me Throughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  could be the third single of the disc and is the type of song that will put her in the same category as Whitney Aretha, and others. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a cheese fest but she delivers it with her usual intensity that I think Celine would be proud. I loved the gospel buildup for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We Gonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Fightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and thought this would be a great type of song that gets you motivated and pumped but still sounds like a great song. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know how many markets she plans on cornering but if sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s smart sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll release a few additional tracks to Christian Stations so she could have hits with We Gonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Fightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Jesus Promised Me a Homeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I think over there those two sings will sell huge and help overall for sales. My biggest disappoint though is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Wrong (Go Away)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which slows down the energy and makes you think that this was done to bring in a big name. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not surprised that they included the new classic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m Telling You that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not Goingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  as she won the Oscar and is associated to song. My thoughts why they did it was that Jennifer has so much connection to this song that they couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t not put it on the album but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also hard to judge because weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard it before, better, or all the Oscar and drama around there. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m always happy to have a recording of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m Telling You,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  however I think that if you want her stand on her own she should have left it along. Poor Jennifer Holliday is still singing that song everyway and I know if a special wants her on they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mind her singing two songs but one of them has to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m Telling Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  so I kind of was out of place on the disc
I heard the recording a few days ago and listening nonstop but I still had to buy this due ti the history that we have.

I really liked the Fantasia due not just for the wonderful opening phone call where Jennifer and Fantasia kept introducing themselves then was way smart to have an adult jazzy song with belting but didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t fall into the scream match that many of us were afraid of. I thought this was great for the equal parts these two ladies belted the music and for all the powerful restraint they were able to hold back on.

There are some problems I had with the recording and other things however this is a wonderful CD that was smart enough to attach a lot of diverse great songs on the disc and should be listened to by everyone. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure there will be many Grammy Nominations to this year fir her.

I think that they could have given her more of a special disc that would have understood her better and built on that. However, I give them credit for sticking to something and using the amazing Hudson voice that doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know when to stop. I think they were able to work around what they consider her major problem in this business that she has too much a powerful voice and personality to be able to record the light and airy sound that is needed.

I think this is a great disc and hope that if this does well it gives her another chance to keep going forward and working with people who want her to be her, instead of molding her into what the public wants.

Sorry for typing a book about Jennifer but there are two Idol Divas that I feel connected to (in that not as scary as it sounds kind of thing) Kelly Clarkson & Jennifer Hudson. I remember being on the phone with one of my best friendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, a southsider from Chicago named Veronica when we heard Jennifer sing on Idol. I had seen her a year earlier in a musical called Big River and thought she was talented but Idol showed how talented she was. Veronica and I used to call each other every night during the show and then we would vote to try to keep Jennifer alive. I still remember after she was voted out and nothing was happening for her I bought singles that she was selling off her website for 99 cents just in hopeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s she would put out an album. When I heard they were doing Dreamgirls I kept hoping and praying she would be Effie. I told anyone who listened that she was the best choice even though at that time there was no mention except Fantasia when she got cast I know if nothing else this would be the chance for me to feel validated when I told everyone how talented she was. I feel in a strange (let me stress in a totally non psychotic way) a connection with her and that I in a very small way helped her get where she is today. I know it sounds silly but in my list of favorite Idols singers Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Carly Smithson, Carrie Underwood and Melinda Doolittle I must be doing something right.