JHUD

JHUD
Studio album by
Jennifer Hudson
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2014 (2014-09-23)
Recorded2013–2014
Genre
Length43:43
LabelRCA
Producer
Jennifer Hudson chronology
I Remember Me
(2011) 		JHUD
(2014) 		Respect
(2021)
Singles from JHUD
  1. "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)"
    Released: September 24, 2013
  2. "Walk It Out"
    Released: April 28, 2014
  3. "It's Your World"
    Released: July 10, 2014
  4. "I Still Love You"
    Released: June 4, 2015

JHUD is the third studio album by American singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. It was released on September 23, 2014, by RCA Records as the follow-up to I Remember Me (2011).[1] The album marks Hudson's first and only release through RCA following the closure of Arista and J Records.

The 1970s-inspired album has already spawned the Pharrell-produced single "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)" featuring T.I. and the Timbaland-produced "Walk It Out", for which she shot the music video in Chicago. On August 18, 2014, Hudson released the single, "Dangerous", via her Vevo and SoundCloud accounts. The single "It's Your World" featuring R. Kelly was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.[2] In 2019, as a reaction to the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Kelly's featured song, "It's Your World", was removed from all digital editions of the album. However, it was later returned.

The single "I Still Love You" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message[3] and the album was named the "Best R&B/Soul Album" by iTunes.[4]

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".[5] Upon release, it debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 165,000 copies,[6] and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipping over 500,000 copies in the United States.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] 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."[10] 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."[9]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic68/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Billboard[13]
The Guardian[14]
New York Daily News[15]
Rolling Stone[16]
Slant[17]

The album received a score of 68 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 6 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18] On behalf of Billboard, Elias Leight foreseeing, "the spare templates she uses here, which are heavy on rhythm and relatively empty otherwise, give her plenty of space to flex her powerful voice."[13] 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".[12]

Commercial performance

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JHUD debuted at number 10 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 24,000 copies in its first week of release.[19] It marked Hudson's lowest sales and chart debut for a studio set. Previously, her 2011 album, I Remember Me, tallied her smallest start with 165,000 copies."[20] In addition, JHUD debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, becoming her third consecutive album to do so.[19] Commenting on the album's chart performance, Paul Grein from Yahoo! Music felt that its opening sales were "a disappointment, considering that her first two albums, [..] both debuted at number two." He found that "the main problem is that the singles from this album haven't done as well as the singles from Hudson's previous albums [...] None of the first three singles from the new album has cracked the top 20 on the R&B chart."[20] As of December 2014, JHUD has sold 61,000 copies in the US.[21]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(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)
Williams3:46
4."Walk It Out" (featuring Timbaland)
4:43
5."I Can't Describe" (featuring T.I.)
Williams3:46
6."I Still Love You"
3:44
7."Just That Type of Girl"WilliamsWilliams3:53
8."Bring Back the Music"
3:55
9."Say It"
  • Pollard
  • Duplessis
  • Altino
  • Duplessis
  • Mali Music
  • Altino[b]
3:41
10."Moan"
  • Pollard
  • Hudson
  • David Jackson
  • Mali Music
  • Hudson
6:53
JHUD – Japan edition and digital reissue (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Never Give It Up"WilliamsWilliams3:37

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a vocal producer
  • ^[b] signifies a co-producer

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of JHUD.[23]

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]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Jennifer Hudson's New Album is Called 'JHUD' « Radio.com". radio.com. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  2. ^ "Grammys 2015: Complete list of winners and nominees". Los Angeles Times. 9 February 2015.
  3. ^ "2015 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees Revealed: Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, ed Sheeran & More". Billboard.
  4. ^ "Pharrell and 'Frozen' Top iTunes' Year-End List, Beyonce Named Best Artist". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Jennifer Hudson InStyle, Talks Music, Weight More". Singersroom. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  6. ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 30, 2011). Chris Brown Nets First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart | Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved on March 30, 2011.
  7. ^ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  8. ^ Grein, Paul (2011-03-30). "Week Ending March 27, 2011: Songs: Katy Moves Up | Chart Watch – Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  9. ^ a b "Jennifer Hudson Talks New Album, Shoots Down Marriage Rumors". Rap-Up. 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  10. ^ "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jennifer Hudson's New Album is Called 'JHUD' « WPGC – 95.5". wpgc.cbslocal.com. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  11. ^ "JHUD – Jennifer Hudson". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  12. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "JHUD – Jennifer Hudson". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Leight, Elias (September 22, 2014). "Jennifer Hudson, 'JHUD': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  14. ^ Leanse, Theo (27 September 2014). "Jennifer Hudson: JHUD review – a thrilling voice with a workaday backing". The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  15. ^ Farber, Jim (September 23, 2014). "Music's Super Tuesday: A flood of releases". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  16. ^ "Jennifer Hudson 'JHUD' Album Review". Rolling Stone. 7 October 2014.
  17. ^ "Slant review". Slant Magazine. 23 September 2014.
  18. ^ "Critic Reviews for JHUD". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  19. ^ a b c "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  20. ^ a b Grein, Paul. "Chart Watch: JHud Stuck In The Mud". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  21. ^ Lynch, Joe (December 9, 2014). "9 Albums That Flopped in 2014 (Or Did They?)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  22. ^ jayemkayem. "LU Just Released Her Powerful Debut Single "DCMO"". Complex. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  23. ^ JHUD (Media notes). Jennifer Hudson. RCA Records. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ "ジェニファー・ハドソン | ORICON NEWS" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  25. ^ "Album Chart: 2014 Weeks 40" (in Korean and English). Circle. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  26. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Jennifer Hudson – JHUD". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  27. ^ Chart Log UK: "CLUK Update 11.10.2014 (wk40)". UK Albums Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  28. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  29. ^ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  30. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
[edit]
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