Jennifer Hudson brings her whirlwind year to a close with a bang – a beautifully blue cover of Essence magazine.

Set to hit stands December 6th, the feature sees the Grammy winning songstress speak on her two most recent films ‘The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete’ and ‘Black Nativity’, forthcoming film ‘Winnie’ (the story of Winnie Mandela), and so much more, Hudson’s appearance in the mag only builds already mounting anticipation for her next studio album due 2014.

Until we get there, tuck in below to read highlights from the January 2014 issue and see behind the scenes action:

On Winnie:

“I was so nervous about doing a good job that I started working on the accent a couple of months before I even got there. So much was done to suppress Winnie’s voice, to keep her quiet. Winnie’s story needed to be told.”

On The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete:

“It was a huge stretch for me to play Gloria. The drugs, the tattoos, the prostitution—her life is so different from my own.”

Jen on finding herself:

“I spent my twenties figuring out what I wanted to do, and trying everything. But by 30, my foundation was set. I became confident and clear about the path I wanted to take…Now I’ve really settled into myself. And I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”

Your thoughts?