JHUD
| JHUD | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2014 | |||
| Length | 43:43 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producers | ||||
| Jennifer Hudson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from JHUD | ||||
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JHUD is the third studio album by American entertainer Jennifer Hudson. It was released on September 23, 2014, by RCA Records, serving as the follow-up to I Remember Me (2011). It was Hudson's first and only album released through RCA following the closure of Arista and J Records. For the album, the singer pursued a new artistic direction, collaborating with producers including Pharrell Williams, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis, Gorgon City, and Timbaland to create a more personal and energetic sound that reflected her development as an artist.[1] Hudson herself co-wrote on two tracks included on the final album.
The album received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising Hudsons powerful vocals while noting that some of the material and songwriting were inconsistent. The album debuted at number 10 on the US Billboard 200 with 24,000 first-week sales, marking a significant decline from her previous albums I Remember Me and Jennifer Hudson (2008). RCA Records issued several singles in promotion of the album, including "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)", "Walk It Out", and "It's Your World"; however, none of the singles made a significant impact on the charts.
Background
[edit]In March 2011, Hudson released her second album I Remember Me. As with her self-titled début, Hudson worked with many different producers and songwriters on the project, resulting in a "feel good album".[2] Upon release, it debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 165,000 copies,[3] and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipping over 500,000 copies in the United States.[4] While not as successful as previous releases, lead single "Where You At" became a top-ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, though subsequent singles failed to chart or sell noticeably.[5]
After a short musical hiatus, in which she co-starred in the films The Three Stooges (2012), The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (2013), and Black Nativity (2013), Hudson returned to music recording in mid-2013.[6] Heading for a different direction, Hudson consulted new producers to work with her on her third album: "It's different expressions of me as an artist, a girl, a music lover. Earlier in my career I was just a soloist singing other people's songs. Now I really want to be an artist. I want to lift the people up, have fun, create a moment. I have my own visions that I want to bring to life."[7] On the developing process of her third album, she elaborated in November 2013: "I've been working with Pharrell Williams quite a bit on my album, and Timbaland as well. This whole project this time around is extremely different and every session felt like a party, like we was getting our jam on."[6]
Promotion
[edit]The promotion for JHUD began with lead single "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)," produced by Pharrell Williams and featuring rapper T.I.. An uptempo dance track influenced by the sounds of the 1970s and 1980s, the song was originally intended for Miley Cyrus during sessions for her album Bangerz, but it was ultimately not completed or included on the album. It achieved modest chart success, reaching number 20 on the UK R&B Singles Chart. The album's second single, the Timbaland-produced "Walk It Out," was released on April 29, 2014. It reached number 22 on the US Adult R&B Songs chart.
The album's third single "It's Your World" featuring R. Kelly, was released on July 8, 2014. The song performed moderately well on the charts, reaching number 11 on the US Adult R&B Songs chart and number 3 on the US Dance Club Songs chart, and received a nomination for Best R&B Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.[8] In 2019, following the release of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, "It's Your World" was removed from digital editions of the album, although it was later restored. On August 18, 2014, Hudson released JHUD''s opening track "Dangerous" as a promotional single through her Vevo and SoundCloud accounts. The visuals for another single, "I Still Love You", a collboration with garage duo Gorgon City, premiered as part of Logo's #All50 marriage-equality campaign and were nominated for Best Video with a Message at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.[9]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 68/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Billboard | [12] |
| New York Daily News | [13] |
| The Observer | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| Slant Magazine | [16] |
JHUD received generally favorable reviews from music critics, some of whom praised Hudson's powerful vocals and her ability to blend contemporary R&B, disco, and house music, while some felt that the material did not always match her vocal strengths. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on six reviews.[10] Billboard editor Elias Leight remarked that "the spare templates [Hudson] uses here, which are heavy on rhythm and relatively empty otherwise, give her plenty of space to flex her powerful voice."[12] Writing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman forecasting Hudson to be "in full-on diva mode" even though she "occasionally sounds disconnected from the material, but the singer, as powerful as ever, still leaves her indelible mark on everything".[11] Rolling Stone's Christopher R. Weingarten similarly praised Hudson's vocal range, comparing her performances to those of Thelma Houston, Gloria Gaynor, and CeCe Peniston.[15]
Other critics were more reserved about the album's songwriting and consistency. Theo Leanse, writing for The Observer, felt that while "there are highs [and] lows [and] there's always a gooey pleasure to hearing her sing, but you'd hope someone launched through gospel to the American Idol finals and an Oscar win might find better material in an R&B world thundering with great songwriters."[14] Slant Magazine's Andrew Chan argued that although the album attempts to shift Hudson toward a more club-oriented sound, its production often feels formulaic and lacks emotional depth. He praised "He Ain't Going Nowhere" and the closing ballad "Moan" as highlights, but criticized the album's repetitive grooves, limited vocal variety, and uninspired songwriting overall.[16] Melanie J. Sims of the Associated Press praised Hudson's vocals but argued that the album lacks a distinctive personal style. She found several tracks enjoyable, but felt Hudson was conforming to personas and sounds that did not feel authentic to her.[17] New York Daily News editor Jim Farber found that much of JHUD's "material sounds like it was fished out of the slush pile of hotter stars like Beyoncé or Nicki Minaj."[13]
Commercial performance
[edit]JHUD debuted at number 10 on the US Billboard 200, selling 24,000 copies in its first week.[18] This marked Hudson's lowest first-week sales and chart debut for a studio album, representing a significant decline from I Remember Me (2011), which had opened with 165,000 copies sold.[19] 'JHUD nevertheless debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Hudson's third consecutive album to reach the position.[18] Yahoo! Music's Paul Grein attributed the album's relatively weak opening sales in part to the underperformance of its singles, noting that none of its first three singles reached the top 20 on the R&B chart.[19] By December 2014, JHUD had sold 61,000 copies in the United States.[20]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dangerous" |
| 4:15 | |
| 2. | "It's Your World" (featuring R. Kelly) |
| 5:16 | |
| 3. | "He Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (featuring Iggy Azalea) | Williams | 3:46 | |
| 4. | "Walk It Out" (featuring Timbaland) | 4:43 | ||
| 5. | "I Can't Describe" (featuring T.I.) |
| Williams | 3:46 |
| 6. | "I Still Love You" |
| 3:44 | |
| 7. | "Just That Type of Girl" | Williams | Williams | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Bring Back the Music" |
|
| 3:55 |
| 9. | "Say It" |
|
| 3:41 |
| 10. | "Moan" |
|
| 6:53 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Never Give It Up" | Williams | Williams | 3:37 |
Notes
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of JHUD.[22]
Performers and musicians
- Jennifer Hudson – lead vocals, background vocals
- R. Kelly – featured artist (2)
- Iggy Azalea – featured artist (3)
- Timbaland – featured artist (4)
- T.I. – featured artist (5)
- Swiss Chris – drums (8)
- Daniel Daley – background vocals (1)
- Akene "The Champ" Dunkley – keyboards (8–9)
- "Jigga" James Edwards – additional keyboards (2)
- Gorgon City – synths (6), piano (6), strings (6), bass (6)
- Jamale Hopkins – drums (9)
- David Jackson – keyboards (10)
- Stephen Kozmeniuk – keyboards (1), drums (1)
- Vanessa Lu – background vocals (1)
- Mali Music – background vocals (8), instrumentation (10)
- Nineteen85 – guitar (1), bass (1), drums (1)
- Brent Paschka – electric guitar (3)
- Brandyn Porter – guitar (9)
- Phil Seed – guitar (2)
- Mike Tompkins – additional vocals (4)
- Robert Aaron Vineberg – saxophone (9)
Production
- Arden "Keyz" Altino – co-production (8–9)
- Matt Bang – recording (4)
- Jim Beanz – vocal production (1, 4), recording (1)
- Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing (1)
- Andrew Coleman – recording (3, 5, 7), digital editing (3, 5, 7), digital arrangement (3, 5, 7)
- Jacob Dennis – recording assistant (3, 5)
- Matthew Desrameaux – recording assistant (3, 5)
- Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis – production (8–9)
- Peter Edge – executive production
- Joey "BDB" Fernandez – recording (2)
- Serban Ghenea – mixing (5)
- Chris Godbey – recording (4), mixing (4)
- Gorgon City – production (6), drum programming (6)
- Hart Gunther – recording (3), recording assistant (7)
- Mick Guzauski – mixing (3, 7–8, 10)
- John Hanes – engineering for mix (5)
- Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon – production (4)
- Andrew Hey – vocal recording (2, 6)
- Jennifer Hudson – production (10)
- Terry Hunter – production (2), arrangement (2)
- Todd Hurtt – recording assistant (3, 5)
- Jaycen Joshua – mixing (2)
- Ryan Kaul – mixing assistant (2)
- R. Kelly – additional arrangement (2)
- Stephen Kozmeniuk – production (1), recording (1)
- Dave Kutch – mastering
- Jonathan Lackey – recording assistant (6, 10)
- Mike Larson – recording (5, 7)
- Mat Lejeune – recording (10)
- Mali Music – production (8–10)
- Andrea Martin – production (6)
- Harvey Mason Jr. – vocal production (2, 6)
- Keith Naftaly – executive production
- Nineteen85 – production (1)
- Ramon Rivas – recording assistant (7)
- Damien Smith – executive production
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (6)
- Rob Suchecki – recording assistant (4)
- Timbaland – production (4)
- Serge "Sergical" Tsai – recording (8–9), mixing (9)
- Pharrell Williams – production (3, 5, 7)
Design and management
- Eric Archibald – styling
- Fusako Chubachi – art direction
- Yolonda Frederick – make-up
- Edwin Gorostiza – art direction
- Shawn Holiday – A&R
- Anthony Mandler – photography
- Cesar Ramirez – hair
- Damien Smith – management
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
|
References
[edit]- ↑ "Jennifer Hudson's New Album is Called 'JHUD' « Radio.com". radio.com. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Jennifer Hudson InStyle, Talks Music, Weight More". Singersroom. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- ↑ Caulfield, Keith (March 30, 2011). Chris Brown Nets First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart | Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved on March 30, 2011.
- ↑ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ↑ Grein, Paul (March 30, 2011). "Week Ending March 27, 2011: Songs: Katy Moves Up | Chart Watch – Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- 1 2 "Jennifer Hudson Talks New Album, Shoots Down Marriage Rumors". Rap-Up. November 21, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ↑ "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jennifer Hudson's New Album is Called 'JHUD' « WPGC – 95.5". wpgc.cbslocal.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Grammys 2015: Complete list of winners and nominees". Los Angeles Times. February 9, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees Revealed: Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran & More". Billboard.
- 1 2 "JHUD – Jennifer Hudson". Metacritic. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "JHUD – Jennifer Hudson". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- 1 2 Leight, Elias (September 22, 2014). "Jennifer Hudson, 'JHUD': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- 1 2 Farber, Jim (September 23, 2014). "Music's Super Tuesday: A flood of releases". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- 1 2 Leanse, Theo (September 27, 2014). "Jennifer Hudson: JHUD review – a thrilling voice with a workaday backing". The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- 1 2 Weingarten, Christopher R. (October 7, 2014). "Jennifer Hudson 'JHUD' Album Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- 1 2 Chan, Andrew (September 23, 2014). "Slant review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ↑ Sims, Melanie J. (September 22, 2014). "Review: Hudson lacks personal style on 3rd album". Associated Press. Retrieved August 5, 2026 – via Washington Times.
- 1 2 3 "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- 1 2 Grein, Paul. "Chart Watch: JHud Stuck In The Mud". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ↑ Lynch, Joe (December 9, 2014). "9 Albums That Flopped in 2014 (Or Did They?)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ↑ jayemkayem. "LU Just Released Her Powerful Debut Single "DCMO"". Complex. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ↑ JHUD (Media notes). Jennifer Hudson. RCA Records. 2014.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ↑ "ジェニファー・ハドソン | ORICON NEWS" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ↑ "Album Chart: 2014 Weeks 40" (in Korean and English). Circle. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Jennifer Hudson – JHUD". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Chart Log UK: 11.10.2014". UK Albums Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart on 11/10/2014 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ↑ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
