That Grape Juice A&R: Jennifer Hudson’s Third Studio Album

Published: Thursday 23rd Aug 2012 by David

Believe it or not, only a year has passed since the release of Jennifer Hudson’s smash hit album ‘I Remember Me’.

However, with the release of her moving movie ‘Winnie’ set for launch later this year, many fans hope its release will coincide with the arrival of her third album.

Now it’s time to have your say on the creative matter.

Find out what we mean below…

Listing 12 songs from any genre or era out there, we want you to A&R Jennifer’s new project,  picking songs you feel would  win over the buying public and critics alike.

Maybe you feel Janet Jackson’s ‘Lonely’ is just the sound she needs to force her into higher chart ground or is Janis Ian’s ‘At Seventeen’ the sound she should be going for if it’s critical acclaim she’s after.

It’s completely up to you!

More importantly, why not tell us how you’d handle the projects campaign. We’re talking promotional appearances, release dates, television specials…whatever you feel would convince the public to pick it up once it hits stores.

Who knows? Someone from RCA  may see your ideas and put them to use!

Get creative below!

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  1. Lax August 23, 2012

    Power house vocalist and she was born with it. And if the
    truth be know many feel that Whitney passed that torch to Jenn
    before she checked out of here.

  2. chef29 August 23, 2012

    Honestly, I dont think many want to hear an album of J-Hud (and if you doubt me…check the receipts/stats of her pass records and singles). She can DEF blow, but she doesn’t have that type of voice you want to listen to often. She needs to be on broadway or something. Her “big” voice was made for something like that…not for easy listening. #sorry #nothating.

  3. trizzy trainwreck August 23, 2012

    She should sit down cuz she sucks!

  4. ty August 23, 2012

    AS TALENTED AS SHE IS SHE SHOULD JUST CONCETRATE ON ACTING SHE COULD MAKE IT BIG AND GIVE UP ON MUSIC

  5. DOSSOME August 23, 2012

    Its strange that her movies do better than her music considering her massively stunning vocals…i personally think she needs to tone down with the belting (lets face,her kind of singing would have earned her more points if it were in 90s going back & not this era where vocalists don’t top charts)…she should make songs in the line of:-UNTHINKABLE (alicia),SMASH INTO YOU (beyonce),EXHALE (whitney) & WHENEVER YOU CALL (mariah)…Such songs help showcase ones powerful pipes without having to go all out vocally…OTHERWISE i think she is okay,her music career ain’t doing bad at all,just that she deserves more success

    • Marcos O’liva August 23, 2012

      i absolutely agree. she should show she is not a one trick pony. she should show her range more. shoe that she has other registers. try softer tones. i would love to see a soft s*** side of jennifer hudson. sad to say but dum down her talent. in this music era big strongs pipes go unheard. soft and s*** makes hits.
      her lalabye song for pampers was a good example to show she can be softer.

  6. YouDoRealize… August 23, 2012

    As usual these posts are irrelevant but she needs to learn. How to control her voice. That’s what whitney could do that she can’t. That’s why if you ask me Beyonce is more cappable of being the nect Whitney…not that anyone could really.

    • Really tho August 23, 2012

      lol clearly a Beyonce stan. You can’t even spell
      *next* which proves she’s not. it’s funny how life works in mysterious ways 😉

    • Mely B August 24, 2012

      umm, NO. I’m not a huge fan or hater of Beyonce but her voice grates occasionally and at times she can be shouty. Beyonce has NEVER moved me to tears via a vocal performance whereas Whitney did, JHud has, Fantasia has. I know musical preferences are subjective & we all have our own opinions but if JHud just learned to harness her power & hold back instead of belting, she would be in Whitney’s league.

  7. Casual August 23, 2012

    Got to Be Real – Cheryl Lynn
    This Time I’ll Be Sweeter – Angela Bofill
    Queen of the Night – Whitney Houston
    Miracle – Whitney Houston
    Climb Every Mountain or Impossible Dream
    When Love Takes Over – David Guetta
    Before You Turn Off the Lights (Michel’le parts) – World Class Wrecking Crew
    Yesterday – Mary Mary
    Weekend in New England – Barry Manilow (as she sung it on Idol)
    Circle of Life – Elton John

    Basically, a mix of AC ballads, old school r&b, and techno-pop with a hint of gospel thrown in – must be songs demanding enough to be worthy of that magnificent voice of hers.

  8. Theman August 23, 2012

    Beyonce ain’tnowhere near close to Whit period. Her singing voice is way too basic. As far as Jennifer goes she just needs to tone it down. She needs some great ballads, midtempos and uptempos. She has a great voice, but she doesn’t have to be so over the top every moment.

  9. JP August 23, 2012

    She should go for a more youthful sound. RCA tens to age her more than she really is buy getting her to sing these over the top diva ballads. “Act like a man” and “no one gonna love you” were steps in the right direction for her overall. I think working with Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly & Neyo are also good moves. Songs like “Pretty girl rock,” “Bittersweet”and “Epiphany” are good sounds for her. They also needs to get some writers and producers that can give her a youthful edge as well. The Urban AC market alone is not going to push her platinum or even gold. Esther Dean and Sean Garrett should give her something more edgy but still compliment her vocals since they work with many other great voices in the industry.

  10. Ismyhalostraight August 23, 2012

    Not really a fan of hers. I did get her last album becausr i like to support r&b but it put me to sleep. It was god awful boring an dated. Wish the best, but i cant deal w/ randon highnotes. I was sooo here for act like a man until about 3 mins through. I just thought it was sooooooo long.

  11. Damn August 23, 2012

    She needs pop urban records. ALl these ballads are dead. save them for the album. she needs producers like polow da don b c**, stargate, danja, will.i.am to help create a modern urban album. All her album have been dated

  12. Law Artis August 23, 2012

    Mrs. Hudson=Otunga is one of my favorite entertainers and with saying that I believe the direction of this new album should be something of an old school feel. People talk about making her appeal to younger audiences buts thats not the ticket in my opinion of JHUD musically. On the songwriter tip, I believe she needs to start writing some of her stuff. I would enlist producers that really play instruments….A perfect match is Babyface, Rodney Jerkins Diane Warren. These producers and writers make MUSIC that leaves a lasting expression. JHUD is a brand that has the potential to stand next to Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Adele. This album needs to be more of an instrumental process. Sounds of 90s R&B, Soul, and a few futuristic joints to keep you ALIVE. From a marketing stand point for this album….I would go the route of enlisting a camera crew and record a docu-series about the course of this album and this will allow her fans and new fans to follow her work and as the season finale nears the album appears. I just think JHUD has a reallly worldwide appeal and she crosses color lines. Some networks I would look at are OWN, Lifetime, and LOGO. This album will be a success with the right timing……I would go for a June release, with the new docuseries premiering in January….award season promotion….its a win win……I love JHUD and support her whether she is singing in a bath tub or the oscars….LOVE THE TALENT and STORY…wishing her the BEST!

    Stay Blessed,

    Law Artis

    • Realist August 23, 2012

      somebody needs to send this to JHUD PR like now.

      • Law Artis August 23, 2012

        AMEN TO THAT!

    • Mely B August 24, 2012

      I’m giving you & your post a SO! All of your ideas are excellent and really should be sent to JHud & her mgmt or better yet, they should hire YOU as her A&R rep 🙂

      I too am a huge fan of this young lady and wish nothing but the best for her. She doesn’t need to dumb down her music to appeal to teenyboppers though – as long as she works with excellent producers & writers she might hit a grand slam on her 3rd album.

      The only other producers I’d like her to work w/ are Missy Elliott – she did some amazing work with Fantasia; Jermaine Dupree – co-writes & produces incredible ballads with Mariah & The Neptunes – I know this is out there but it might be a match made in music heaven.

  13. Frachella August 23, 2012

    I love her but her albums are always mediocre. She needs to get new blood- Rodney Jerkins, Wycef Jean, Salaam Remi, Mark Ronson and Frank Ocean. I would also love to see what she could do with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

    Her songs just aren’t that great and she need’s to stop only releasing two singles from each of her albums. How about 3, 4 or 5?

    I would love to see an “AgaiN” track in the vein of Janet. A great ballad with David Foster and Diane Warren (A la Brandy’s Have you Ever) and stop working with Harvey Mason of the Underdogs, his songs suck….

    Heavy promotion, something along “The VOICE of her generation” type thing so she can build Whitney heat.. Have her do two intimate shows one in NY and one in L.A album release, haev all the press go and have Clive Davis do it. Have her do some covers too,. her rendition of Let it Be is fabulous..

    • Mely B August 24, 2012

      Her songs just aren’t that great and she need’s to stop only releasing two singles from each of her albums. How about 3, 4 or 5?

      Unfortunately unless the artist is a cash cow for the label (& face it most r&b artists today are not), the label will only give money for 1 or 2 single releases. If the artist has the money to push additional singles, they’d have to do it out of pocket with no financial support from the label.

      If fans supported the music more and WE dictated music played on the radio and forced singles on charts instead of payola ruling the industry singers like JHud might get to release 5 – 6 singles instead of people like Rihanna & Katy Perry releasing practically their whole albums.

  14. DaHotNig August 23, 2012

    Oh this is easy…don’t make another album.

  15. Chachanana12 August 23, 2012

    I do agree Jen should do movies because she’s really good. She could be like Aaliyah when most or some of her hits were from soundtracks from movies. She still gets to sing n perform but be something that can make her really blow up. Didn’t she get a Oscar before grammy? Well anyway ( sorry 2 comment on this) I think bey has more control but Jen nor bey have Whitney’s like…, I can’t explain it but if beyonce keep in her direction she can become u know the ” new Whitney. ” beyonce voice ain’t basic maybe early in like her late teens and early 20s but how can you sing listen like she did on Oprah and national athem with a ” basic” voice. A lot of people don’t know how great a singer she is they know she can sing but she can sang. I mean at the end of I care yes ma’am when she was harmonizing with the guitar. And 1+1 and even smash into you she hits them high notes beautifully. Jen can’t really sing a song like smash into u but she showl can sing I’m telling you. Her voice is meant to be deeper n more power I see her as…., imma sit on it maybe patti. But both are AMAZING their voices are just TOO DIFFERENT!!

  16. Love Jeffery August 23, 2012

    Well If I Could Create The Perfect Jennifer Hudson Album For Myself… Here Are The Songs I Would Want Her To Sing…

    1. 1+1 by: Beyonce (But An Intro)
    2. End Of Time by: Beyonce
    3. Night Of Your Life by: David Guetta & The Queen
    4. Put It Down by: Brandy & Chris Brown
    5. New Day by: Alicia Keys
    6. Climax by: Usher
    7. Keep It Between Us by: Kelly Rowland (With A Litle Something Extra Congo Drums, and Some Bass To It)
    8. We All Want Love by: Rihanna
    9. I Care 4 U by: Aaliyah
    10. My Kind Of Love by: Emeli Sande
    11. You Pulled Me Through by: The Queen Herself
    12. Thank You by: Dido
    Bonus Tracks:
    13. Next To Me by: Emeli Sande
    14. Trouble by: Leona Lewis & Childish Gambino
    15. Fire Burns by: Nicki Minaj
    16. Someone Like You by: Adele
    17. Without You or Time To Move On by: Monica

  17. MsThing485 August 23, 2012

    She just needs better music and more direction. Both of her albums have been dull and direction-less. And she needs to learn subtly. We all love big voiced singers, but one of the worse things about ‘vocalist’-types like her is when they are too quick to go off and start belting and running all over the place. Great singers like Chaka, Whitney and Celine had enough control to keep their voices calm and lyrical for most of the song, subtly working up to a climax, then blowing the roof off towards the end. Jennifer, on the other hand, is ready to start shouting by the first chorus. That’s annoying.

    • Realist August 23, 2012

      great point!

  18. DOSSOME August 23, 2012

    Lets get this straight,THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER WHITNEY HOUSTON & THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER MARIAH CAREY…Even if a singer shows up possesing a 9 octave range,these 2 divas will never be replaced.So J HUD,BEY,CHRISTINA,LEONA better carve out their own lanes while they are still relevant…..I also agree with some of the comments here,WHAT’S THE POINT OF A BIG VOICE IF ONE CAN’T CONTROL IT?

    • Vandrea August 23, 2012

      Yeah, yeah, yeah…that’s not the topic of this article. Take your defensive stan hat somewhere else.

  19. JER August 23, 2012

    Jhud PLEASE get some good songwriters or learn to write a damn song yaself!!!! I cant at that BEAUTIFUL voice flopping while Katy Perry continues to smash. It makes me sick

  20. LOURDES August 23, 2012

    She’s too old fashioned! You’d never think that she was just 30! Her music, voice & image puts me in the mindset of a 40 year old. Maybe her label should sell her to the Urban AC audience….

    • Joya August 23, 2012

      Is she too old fashioned, or are you just too childish and shallow to appreciate anything that isn’t a silly thumpa-thumpa dance song? I’d vote for the latter.

      • LOURDES August 23, 2012

        Bisssh bye. Being a singer myself, I appreciate TRUE artists such as Ledisi, Lalah Hathaway, Jill Scott, Maxwell, Luke James Amel, Kem, Corinne Bailey Rae etc, but at the same time I enjoy Rihanna, Beyonce, Trey Songz, Brandy etc. It’s called BALANCE sweetie and with that being said; she’s still TOO old fashioned. You are dismissed!

      • Joya August 23, 2012

        “but at the same time I enjoy Rihanna”

        All I needed to know, bye. Like I said, too childish and shallow. You can miss me with the random name dropping of other artists to try and make yourself sound rounded. How in the hell can someone who claims to like Maxwell, Lalah Hathaway and Jill Scott scorn Jennifer Hudson for being too old fashioned? Please. That doesn’t even make sense. She’s no more old-seeming than they are. And what does “old fashioned” even mean here? Is she singing Jazz standards with a pianist? I don’t think so. She simply makes music that compliments her talent, and does not play down her talent by giving you something silly and brainless to twirl around to like an idiot; like RIhanna.

      • LOURDES August 24, 2012

        And like I said, bisssh bye! The artists I mentioned do NOT sing outdated ass early 2000’s power ballad hymns. And how can she appeal to the younger audience with that? Hell she doesn’t even appeal to the older audience.

  21. AmbeRussell August 23, 2012

    Jhud NEEDS some up tempos and powerful , spiritual type songs. Every time she does a high profile event, she sings “I’m telling u” or “I’m feeling good:it’s a new day” song and it does become stale and predictable. She needs a powerful love song of her own (dangerously in love/ I will always love u/ we belong together) powerful song (beautiful/ fly like a bird/ lift me up) and fun songs (every woman/ sweet love/ fantasy/ you make me high)
    AmbeRussell on YouTube

  22. skintightjeans August 24, 2012

    Why does she keep making albums? no one buys her s***. Also, if I see her yodeling in that Weight Watchers commercial again, I think I’ll throw my tv out the window. God she’s annoying.

  23. mevin August 27, 2012

    project’s*

  24. Malcolm September 13, 2012

    No she should work with Mary J. Blige and get her type of style… She needs to work with Akon, R.Kelly, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Usher (R&B), Tank…. She don’t need songs like Rhianna… her song with David Guetta sucked ass

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