It seems like we’ve been waiting for this day forever. Jennifer Hudson is finally releasing her first CD! And unlike some other stars, we don’t have any doubts that she can really sing. But can you believe that it has been just about four years since we first heard her powerhouse vocals (along with Simon’s snide comments that included telling her that cruise ship singing was probably all she could do)?

And since her premature departure from that reality show her trajectory has continued to soar beyond her (and our) wildest dreams. Once she proved that she was more than a singer, and actually had formidable acting chops, fans of that voice have waited patiently while she did her Hollywood thing. But once she made it clear that she had more than one-trick up her sleeve, Jennifer’s  debut CD seemed to become part of some vague future plan. 

Along the way we got a tease of what she could do last year on “Leaving Tonight,” her duet with Ne-Yo.  And again we waited as patiently as we could while this infamous project came together. She started with “Spotlight” and then her duet with Fantasia was leaked. Now we’ll get to sit down and groove to the completed project which includes the requisite collaborations including  the critically lauded song with Ludacris. 

But with all that she’s accomplished over the past few years Jennifer has developed genuine cross-over appeal. Apparently the powers-that-be behind this project aren’t taking any chances with her music either. The Houston Chronicle thinks that Jennifer’s “shake the rafters” vocals have been toned down to make her more appealing to the masses. I really hope not, we want to hear those notes that sound like they are coming up from her toes. But thankfully, even the reviewer thought it  impossible to pigeon-hole such an awesome talent.

Attention spans, however, are limited these days. And fans are also fickle. Has Jennifer kept us waiting too long? I don’t think so, some things are worth the wait. So if you’re like me and are frustrated by the artists who have nothing but studio wizardry and a cadre of dancers backing them up, you’ll be downloading or buying Jennifer’s new joint today. We want this sister to show the world what she’s working with through her vocal talent and phenomenal sales.