With the recent tragedy of her mother’s and brother’s murder, singer-actress Jennifer Hudson’s success as an artist may be overlooked. However, after winning numerous movie awards and become the first African-American singer to grace the cover of Vogue, Hudson now hopes to gain equal success with her music.

Never far from the spotlight, Hudson release her debut self-titled album on Sept. 30. As the sixth finalist voted off the third season of American Idol, Hudson remained popular to her fans and other viewers. She shocked audiences in her critically acclaimed performance as Effie White in the motion picture Dreamgirls. After her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress, Hudson went on to other roles in Sex and the City and The Secret Life of Bees.

Hudson became an undeniable talent to the American Idol judges with her four octave voice that helped tackle tough songs throughout the season. Often compared to Whitney Huston, Hudson?s version of the classic ?And I Am Telling You I?m Not Going? from the Dreamgirls soundtrack may be the best vocal performance since Houston?s cover of ?I Will Always Love You? in 1992.

With her new album, she tries to avoid comparisons by creating her own style. Although she puts forth a good effort, the record falls short of an extraordinary track list. However, with mid-tempo songs like ?Spotlight? that highlight her impressive vocals Hudson is on the right track to finding her place in the business.

Hudson teamed with Fantasia Barrino, winner of the same season she participated in of American Idol. ?I?m His Only Woman? finds the two in a dispute over the same guy. The first note from both singers contains enough passion to fill an entire song. With such energy, the girls create a powerful duet co-produced by hip-hop legend, Missy Elliott.

Hudson seems to excel on the self-titled album when a song requires a passionate tone. The Ne-Yo penned track, ?Can?t Stop the Rain,? shows Hudson at her best. In the song, Hudson narrates a story about a couple who crashed their car after driving under the influence. While she attempts to comfort the mourning woman responsible for the death the pain seems impossible to eliminate. With lyrics like ?Faded picture in a little gold locket/ and she never takes it off/ I know it?s small but it?s heavy ?cause it?s filled with guilt,? Ne-Yo present the harsh reality about the dangers of drunk driving.

The few exceptional tracks prove Hudson contains the potential to become one of the greatest female artists of all time. However, the majority of the record fails to cement Hudson?s niche in the music industry.

The heavily hip-hop influenced track ?Pocketbook,? and the mediocre ?My Heart,? confuses listeners on what to expect from Hudson. She obviously tries to offer her audience with a well rounded album but lacks signature sound for her music. ?What?s Wrong (Go Away),? which features T-Pain, is the record?s low point. Hudson?s powerful tone mixed with T-Pain?s heavily electronic assisted voice fails to blend in a positive way.

The highly anticipated debut effort from Hudson highlights her impressive vocals and ability to maintain mainstream success. However, the album fails to live up to the high standards expected from prior success. The record has faded among other female R&B artists, but Hudson’s voice remains far superior to her low-profile competitors.

Hudson’s new release contains singles that will potentially find decent success but as a whole Hudson disappoints with an obvious debut album.

For more music reviews, visit Jenn Boudreau’s Oct. 24 article, Lost in the Sound finds screamo success.