Jennifer Hudson Debuts New Song With Aretha Franklin's Writer Carole King, Will Be Featured In Queen Of Soul's Biopic
June 18 2021, Published 12:58 p.m. ET
Jennifer Hudson's powerhouse vocals are on full display once again, this time with a ballad she helped create alongside one of the greatest song writers of our generation.
In collaboration with songwriting legend Carole King – who famously penned Aretha Franklin's You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman – the American Idol reject-turned-two-time-Grammy, one-time-Oscar-winning star birthed Here I Am (Singing My Way Home), which she debuted at midnight, Showbizz411 reported.
The 5-minute track will be featured in the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, which is set to premiere in theaters on Aug. 13. And the song – along with Jennifer's other Aretha reimaginings – will be included on the movie's soundtrack, as she will be portraying the iconic Queen of Soul herself.
Directed by Liesl Tommy (in her feature film directorial debut) and written by Callie Khouri and Tracey Scott Wilson, supporting roles are set to be played by Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Skye Dakota Turner, Tate Donovan and Mary J. Blige.
The biographical musical drama will document Franklin's life – from singing in her father's church choir as a child, to becoming an international musical superstar.
The parallel between her life and J.Hud's is not lost, as humble beginnings also preceded the American Idol alum's rise to stardom.
Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) will be up for possible nomination for Best Song for next year's Academy Awards, which will take place in March of 2022.
Even though Atlantic Records has the full Respect soundtrack, Epic Records has ownership of the single.
If her depiction of Effie White in the Beyonce-led musical Dreamgirls (2006) is any indication, Hudson's performance in Respect will both blow us out of the water and make the late legend quite proud.
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As the singer-turned-actress once said, "If you have a dream, you can achieve that dream, you can achieve that goal. You just gotta go for it. But it also lets you know that there is a price to pay."
