Jennifer Hudson
I Remember Me
(Arista)

Something one presupposes before listening to a Jennifer Hudson album is that the vocals will be impeccably crisp and powerful. I Remember Me, Hudson’s second album, delivers for sure, but even more than showcasing Hudson’s awesome vocal dynamics, this release proves to be a bona fide collective of engaging testimonies on love, faith, inner-strength, sorrow and gratitude.

Infused with pop, R&B, jazz and club music, some tracks, like the gospel-tinged “Believe,” is autobiographical in nature while the ambient-electro vibe of the love song “Gone” imagines life without. “Feeling Good,” a song made famous in the mid-60’s, is a fitting theme song for a James Bond film. Over belting horns, heavy-hitting drums, and intertwining violins, Hudson assures, “And this old world is a new world, and a bold world and I’m feeling good.” “I Got This” pushes more of the same self-assuredness. The brightly upbeat track “Don’t Look Down” is a righteous, feel-good anthem as is the reassuring “Everybody Needs Love.”

Academy Award and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson easily delivers a flawless release. I Remember Me stands on the unwavering power of Hudson’s vocals and electrifying, emotionally-charged songs that touch anyone who has ever dared to live.