Entertainment

Jennifer Hudson Jumps on Trends with "Walk It Out"

by Alex Kritselis

Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson is preparing to make a big musical comeback, but her strategy needs a little work. Yesterday, Hudson released a new Timbaland-assisted track called “Walk It Out," giving fans a little taste of what to expect from her upcoming third studio album, due out sometime this spring. On the lyrics to “Walk It Out,” a soulful mid-tempo jam, Hudson sings about her innate ability to mesmerize a man:

I got you hypnotized

I got you staring and from the look in your eyes

You wanna walk it out with me

Walk it out with me, walk it out with me

You’ll probably find yourself humming the sassy hook long after the song is over, but "Walk It Out" isn’t exactly the best showcase of Hudson’s legendary vocal power. Of course, not every song can be “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” but it feels like Hudson’s jumping on musical trends with “Walk It Out,” rather than giving us her own distinct sound that best highlights her strengths as an artist.

In addition to enlisting the help of Timbaland, a producer who is experiencing a massive resurgence of popularity lately thanks to his recent work on Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience and Beyoncé’s latest self-titled album, Hudson told the Huffington Post in an interview earlier this year that she’s also been working on new material with the enormously popular Pharrell...just like literally everyone else.

But that’s not where Hudson’s trend hopping ends. In the aforementioned Huffington Post interview, Hudson revealed that she has created a feisty alter ego for her new album named “Jones." Uh, Sasha Fierce, anyone? (Granted, Beyoncé wasn’t the first artist to give the alter ego thing a go, but she was probably the most successful. And to be honest, it was still weird when she did it.)

Hudson released "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)," the first offering from her upcoming third studio album, all the way back in September — but it failed to make an impact on the charts. I hate to see someone as talented as Hudson struggling, but I just don’t think “Walk It Out” stands out enough to be played on the radio today. I definitely don’t have a problem with artists working with in-demand producers, but they need to be sure that their own unique personality isn’t lost in the process.

Listen to “Walk It Out” via Hudson’s official Soundcloud below.

Image: keleeezy/tumblr