Album Review: Jennifer Hudson "I Remember Me"

Jennifer Hudson's "been through some things" since the whirlwind that led up to the release of her self-titled debut album almost three years ago. She recovered however by becoming a mother, getting engaged, and losing 80 pounds. Needless to say, J-Hud had enough to work with while going through the process of making her sophomore album I Remember Me, a collection of imperfect displays of her perfect vocals.

1. "No One Gonna Love You": Rich Harrison has a history of producing tracks that work well for talented female vocalists & this one is no different. A great way to start off the album. 4.5/5

2. "I Got This": In general, I like this song, but the overly repetitive chorus that features some verging-on-off-key background vocals turns me off. 3.5/5

3. "Where You At": If it were up to me, R. Kelly probably would've written this entire album because not only is this an excellent ballad, it gives us one of the best vocal displays we've ever received from Jennifer. 5/5

4. "Angel": While it's quite obvious that Alicia Keys is behind this one, Jen does a pretty good job with it. 4/5

5. "I Remember Me": This is another track that's brought down by its chorus a bit. While I love everything else about it, I would've preferred she find a way to sing rather than chant the title of the song. 4/5

6. "Gone": I want to like this Ester Dean composition more than I do, but daggum it if the chorus isn't once again overly repetitive! Otherwise, it's got that signature Ester touch that I love. 3.5/5

7. "Everybody Needs Love": While I'm not in love with this throwback joint, it's phenomenal vocally. 3.5/5

8. "Why Is It So Hard": This song is forgettable, but it's actually quite nice. 4/5

9. "Don't Look Down": This is how you do it, "Everybody Needs Love"! A fun uptempo. 4/5

10. "Still Here": Oh, Harvey Mason, Jr. You know just how to get me. A deeply personal track for Jennifer, this gorgeous ballad is an absolute standout. 5/5

11. "Feeling Good": Her version, which I hated at first, has grown on me somewhat, but I still don't love it. 3.5/5

12. "Believe": Exquisite way to close out the album! 5/5

Although I find the album fairly spotty, oddly enough, I do like the way it flows. I feel like though, with a few rewritten choruses, I could've really enjoyed I Remember Me. Instead, I'll have to settle for only decent material with outstanding vocals.

Rating: 4/5 Stars