Jennifer Hudson: 'A sophomore album ... means taking it to the next level'

Mar 22, 2011

Jennifer Hudson: 'A sophomore album ... means taking it to the next level'

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Jennifer Hudson spoke to music critic Edna Gundersen for a story that ran in Monday's USA TODAY. The third-season American Idol finalist shares more about her life and new album, I Remember Me, with Edna:

Why she wanted to get personal on this second album: "A sophomore album versus a freshman album means taking it to the next level. I wanted to make sure I graduated. Last time, nobody really knew where I belonged. I wanted to put whatever was in me in music form."

The Brooks & Dunn cover, Believe: "That song is so special to me. Brooks & Dunn called me to sing it on their (2010) TV farewell concert. I thought, 'How am I ending up on a country event?' When I heard the song, it made sense that they picked me. It was perfect for me. So I had to put it on the album. I can't have any album without a gospel inspirational song."

How singing in church paved her professional path: "I sang my first solo at age 7 in church. I was in my grandmother's lap in rehearsals every Tuesday in church. It's how I learned to interpret a song. It taught me to come from a real place when you sing. If I don't understand it and feel it, how do I expect anyone else to?"

The artists that inspired her: "I annoyed my music teacher by singing Aretha songs at the top of my lungs. I love Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. They are my favorites, my ideals. And I love Martha and the Vandellas, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle."

Portraying apartheid-era lightning rod Winnie Mandela in upcoming biopic Winnie: "Even after reading the script and saying yes, when I went to South Africa and saw how emotionally attached people are to her, I wasn't sure I could do it. Some people thinks she's the devil. Other people think she's a hero. She's controversial, but the movie leaves it open to interpretation. At least the story will be out there."

On rumors that she's already married to WWE wrestler/Harvard Law grad David Otunga: "Not yet! ''m engaged. Everything is all ready to go. Originally I wanted the biggest, grandest wedding in the world. Now I don't know."

The healing presence of their 19-month-old son, David, born 10 months after Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were murdered: "I take him everywhere I go. He's adjusting, taking everything very well. He's so full of life and joy, a true blessing that came at the right time."

Juggling her acting and singing careers: "I don't believe in doing both at the same time. When I was shooting Winnie, (the label) wanted me to record. I said, 'I'm not Jennifer right now.' Sometimes the music side doesn't get that."

Her toughest gig wasn't Idol or the Super Bowl: "Singing for President Obama! Oh my God, when I sang at the Kennedy Center, I almost passed out, I was so nervous. No matter how many times I sing in front of Obama, and it's been at least seven times at this point, it's as nerve-wracking as the first. It's a lot of pressure."

Why she'll remain a Chicago resident: "I love it more now that I ever did. Chicagoans are very independent. We have a nonchalance about us. It keeps me balanced in the midst of all the craziness around me."

See photos of: Jennifer Hudson

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