RS Review
3/5
By Jody Rosen
MARCH 28, 2011
Jennifer Hudson has shed 80 pounds recently, but her lungs clearly haven't shrunk. Hudson may be the most talented singer that American Idol has produced; she's definitely the most powerful. Here, a who's who of big-time songwriters and producers (Rich Harrison, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys) serve up stormy ballads about romance and self-reliance that Hudson spices with gospel-style swoops. Sonically, the record is up-to-the-minute; in spirit it's a throwback to the adult-oriented R&B of Anita Baker, Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston. Hudson's a one-woman revival, with a voice so forceful it can roll back time.
By Jody Rosen
MARCH 28, 2011
Jennifer Hudson has shed 80 pounds recently, but her lungs clearly haven't shrunk. Hudson may be the most talented singer that American Idol has produced; she's definitely the most powerful. Here, a who's who of big-time songwriters and producers (Rich Harrison, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys) serve up stormy ballads about romance and self-reliance that Hudson spices with gospel-style swoops. Sonically, the record is up-to-the-minute; in spirit it's a throwback to the adult-oriented R&B of Anita Baker, Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston. Hudson's a one-woman revival, with a voice so forceful it can roll back time.
