Jennifer Hudson (album)
Encyclopedia
Upon its release, Jennifer Hudson received mixed reviews from music critics. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
said that, "Despite its flaws, Hudson's debut comes on much like her Dreamgirls character, with admirable self-assurance and real-girl sensuality." Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly
said that, "None are exceptional, but they're all a sufficient delivery system for those spectacular vocal chops." Andy Kellman of Allmusic said, "Few vocalists as young as Hudson have a voice that is as versatile and expressive, proficient enough to pull off a multi-dimensional set of R&B songs, yet her debut is as tricked out as that of an artist with a small fraction of the talent.". Billboard
said that "Hudson is so comfortable with singing--whatever the song might be--that she elevates the material, making it sound like nothing you've ever heard before. All hail the new diva".About.com
said the album "is without a doubt one of the strongest R&B albums of 2008."
nominations in 2009
, including Best R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Spotlight
", Best R&B Song for "Spotlight", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with vocals for Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia
performing "I'm His Only Woman". Hudson's debut album won the Grammy for Best R&B Album at the awards ceremony, making it Jennifer's first ever Grammy Award.
Jennifer performed the song "You Pulled Me Through" as well on the 51st Grammy Awards
.
with sales of 217,000 copies sold in the United States. In its second week, the album fell to number 4, with sales of 63,000 copies. According to RIAA Certification, the album sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States in the first 6 weeks. On November 7, 2008, her album was certified Gold by RIAA
.
The album peaked at number twenty-one on the UK Albums Chart
, and has sold 172,720 copies as of April 2011.
", written and produced by Ne-Yo
and Stargate
, hit U.S. radio on June 9, 2008 and the following day was available as a music download
. "Spotlight" peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100
, giving Hudson her first top thirty hit to date on the chart. The song has peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, spending two consecutive weeks at number one. On September 21, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number fifteen on downloads alone, climbing to that peak twice within its chart run. It is her first top twenty hit in the UK. It climbed to number eleven on September 28 despite there being no CD single release. It peaked at #1 on UK Airplay Chart.
", was released on February 24, 2009. The second single was originally scheduled as "My Heart" and was due for an October, 2008 release, but when her family murders occurred, Hudson rescheduled the release to January, 2009. After her label decided that "My Heart" would not actually be the second single, they needed time to decide what the second single would be instead so they changed the release date to February, 2009. The single was then changed to "If This Isn't Love". The single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 195 on February 22, 2009 and has so far reached a peak of #37 on downloads alone, the single is now Hudson's second consecutive top 40 hit. The UK was also the country that saw the highest chart position for Hudson's previous single "Spotlight". To date "If This Isn't Love" has spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. It also debuted and peaked at #84 on Billboard' s Hot 100. Several weeks later, it reached a new peak at #63 due to Hudson's performance on the April 15, 2009 results show of American Idol. On the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the song is being a big hit, peaking at #5, until now, marking her second Top 5 hit on the Hot R&B Songs. Hudson made history with "If This Isn't Love" when it earned its second consecutive week at #1 on the Urban Adult Radio Charts. Hudson joins a group of only 5 other women in urban adult history to reach this accomplishment.
at #84. The third single was originally set as "Pocketbook" for a June 2009 release but was met with negative publicity.
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
said that, "Despite its flaws, Hudson's debut comes on much like her Dreamgirls character, with admirable self-assurance and real-girl sensuality." Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said that, "None are exceptional, but they're all a sufficient delivery system for those spectacular vocal chops." Andy Kellman of Allmusic said, "Few vocalists as young as Hudson have a voice that is as versatile and expressive, proficient enough to pull off a multi-dimensional set of R&B songs, yet her debut is as tricked out as that of an artist with a small fraction of the talent.". Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said that "Hudson is so comfortable with singing--whatever the song might be--that she elevates the material, making it sound like nothing you've ever heard before. All hail the new diva".About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said the album "is without a doubt one of the strongest R&B albums of 2008."
Accolades
Hudson's debut album quickly earned her some acclaim, as it received four Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations in 2009
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
, including Best R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Spotlight
Spotlight (Jennifer Hudson song)
"Spotlight" is an R&B song written and produced by Ne-Yo and Norwegian production duo Stargate for Jennifer Hudson's self titled debut album. It was released digitally on June 10, 2008 as the album's first single, and reached the top thirty of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
", Best R&B Song for "Spotlight", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with vocals for Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...
performing "I'm His Only Woman". Hudson's debut album won the Grammy for Best R&B Album at the awards ceremony, making it Jennifer's first ever Grammy Award.
Jennifer performed the song "You Pulled Me Through" as well on the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with sales of 217,000 copies sold in the United States. In its second week, the album fell to number 4, with sales of 63,000 copies. According to RIAA Certification, the album sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States in the first 6 weeks. On November 7, 2008, her album was certified Gold by RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
The album peaked at number twenty-one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and has sold 172,720 copies as of April 2011.
"Spotlight"
The first single, "SpotlightSpotlight (Jennifer Hudson song)
"Spotlight" is an R&B song written and produced by Ne-Yo and Norwegian production duo Stargate for Jennifer Hudson's self titled debut album. It was released digitally on June 10, 2008 as the album's first single, and reached the top thirty of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
", written and produced by Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
and Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, hit U.S. radio on June 9, 2008 and the following day was available as a music download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. "Spotlight" peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, giving Hudson her first top thirty hit to date on the chart. The song has peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, spending two consecutive weeks at number one. On September 21, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number fifteen on downloads alone, climbing to that peak twice within its chart run. It is her first top twenty hit in the UK. It climbed to number eleven on September 28 despite there being no CD single release. It peaked at #1 on UK Airplay Chart.
"If This Isn't Love"
The album's second single, "If This Isn't LoveIf This Isn't Love (Jennifer Hudson song)
"If This Isn't Love" is a song recorded by Jennifer Hudson. It was written and composed by Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas and Brian Kennedy, and produced by Kennedy for Hudson's eponymous debut album...
", was released on February 24, 2009. The second single was originally scheduled as "My Heart" and was due for an October, 2008 release, but when her family murders occurred, Hudson rescheduled the release to January, 2009. After her label decided that "My Heart" would not actually be the second single, they needed time to decide what the second single would be instead so they changed the release date to February, 2009. The single was then changed to "If This Isn't Love". The single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 195 on February 22, 2009 and has so far reached a peak of #37 on downloads alone, the single is now Hudson's second consecutive top 40 hit. The UK was also the country that saw the highest chart position for Hudson's previous single "Spotlight". To date "If This Isn't Love" has spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. It also debuted and peaked at #84 on Billboard
"Giving Myself"
"Giving Myself" is the third single from the album. It was released to U.S. radio on June 2, 2009. As of August, 2009, the single has only charted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
at #84. The third single was originally set as "Pocketbook" for a June 2009 release but was met with negative publicity.
Track listing
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
73 | ||
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
46 | ||
| Italian Albums Chart | 75 | ||
| Japanese Oricon Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
27 | ||
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
21 | 172,720 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 | Gold | 826,000 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
2 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Version |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | September 27, 2008 | Original |
| United Kingdom | September 29, 2008 | |
| United States | September 30, 2008 | |
| Canada | October 7, 2008 | |
| Europe | December 12, 2008 | |
| United States | February 24, 2009 | Re-release |
| Brazil | March 11, 2009 | Original |
Spring Tour with Robin Thicke
The "Spring Tour with Robin Thicke", a tour to promote her album began on March 31, 2009 in Albany, New York. Due to strain found on her vocal cords, Hudson has been instructed by her doctor to go on vocal rest, which led to several dates to be rescheduled.Tour dates
| Date | City | Country | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | |||||
| March 31, 2009 | Albany, New York Albany, New York Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River... |
United States | Palace Theatre Palace Theatre (Albany, New York) The Palace Theatre is an entertainment venue, in downtown Albany, New York, located on the corner of Clinton Avenue and North Pearl Street . The 2,844 seat theater is owned by the City of Albany and presents various music, drama, film and comedy performances... |
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| April 2, 2009 | Newark, New Jersey Newark, New Jersey Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S... |
Performing Arts Center Performing arts center Performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is used to refer to* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre.... |
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| April 3, 2009 | Philadelphia | Tower Theatre | |||
| April 4, 2009 | Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore... |
Lyric Theatre Lyric Opera House The Lyric Opera House is a music venue in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The building was modeled after the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, and it was inaugurated on October 31, 1894, with a performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Australian opera singer Nellie Melba as the featured... |
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| April 5, 2009 | Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
DAR Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Memorial Continental Hall. Later, the two buildings were connected by a third structure housing the DAR... |
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| April 9, 2009 | Mashantucket, Connecticut | MGM Grand | |||
| April 10, 2009 | New York | WaMu Theatre | |||
| April 12, 2009 | Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach.... |
Chrysler Hall Chrysler Hall Chrysler Hall is a performing arts venue in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Built in 1972 and located next to the Norfolk Scope arena, the venue is home to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Virginia Ballet and hosts Broadway plays while serving as Norfolk's primary theater and concert venue.The... |
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| April 15, 2009 | Atlanta | Fox Theatre | |||
| April 17, 2009 | Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009... |
Ovens Auditorium Ovens Auditorium Ovens Auditorium is an auditorium located adjacent to Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Opened in 1955, Ovens has a seating capacity of 2,455, and has hosted over 7,500 events... |
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| April 18, 2009 | Newark, New Jersey Newark, New Jersey Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S... |
Performing Arts Center Performing arts center Performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is used to refer to* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre.... |
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| Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S... |
Special Events Center | ||||
| April 19, 2009 | Richmond, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... |
Landmark Theater | |||
| April 23, 2009 | St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
Fox Theatre | |||
| April 24, 2009 | Detroit | Opera House Opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building... |
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| April 25, 2009 | Chicago | Arie Crown Theater Arie Crown Theater The Arie Crown Theater was named after Lithuanian immigrant Arie Crown, who was the father of Henry Crown, the American industrialist and philanthropist. The theater is situated on Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. It opened in 1960, with seating for 5,000 people, one of the largest seating capacities in... |
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| May 2, 2009 | Los Angeles | Nokia Theatre | |||
| May 17, 2009 | Houston | Verizon Wireless Theater Verizon Wireless Theater The Verizon Wireless Theater is an indoor theater owned by Live Nation and located in Houston, Texas, United States... |
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| May 19, 2009 | Oakland, California Oakland, California Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... |
Paramount Theatre | |||
| May 21, 2009 | Dallas | Nokia Theatre Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie The Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie is a concert hall located in Grand Prairie, Texas, 16 miles west of Dallas, 24 miles east of Fort Worth. The hall is near the Lone Star Park. The theatre is currently operated by AEG and owned by the City of Grand Prairie.... |
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