Jennifer Hudson is ready to get back to her roots, and fans cannot wait.
EGOT and daytime TV host Jennifer Hudson has shared with news that she’ll soon release her first-ever Christmas album, The Gift Of Love, in a brand-new deal with Interscope Records. The new album arrives a whopping ten years since her last solo original album, JHUD, in 2014.
Jennifer delighted fans on Thursday as she took to Instagram to make the announcement of her new deal.
In the new video, she is seen driving, taking a big breath, and revealing she was on her way to sign a new record deal.
“It’s major,” she declared, adding: “I’m very excited. It is a beautiful day. This is what I worked my whole life for, so it’s a special, special day, and I thank God.”
The following day, Friday Sept 6, Jennifer shared the exciting release of The Gift of Love will be released on Oct. 18.
The star, 42, teased the record with a trailer she shared to Instagram that featured her singing a jazzy rendition of “Jingle Bells” while placing presents under a Christmas tree.
“I cannot wait for it to be yours!” she captioned the post.
The album will see the Dreamgirls actress cover seasonal favorites like “The Christmas Song,” “O Holy Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “My Favorite Things,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Jingle Bells” and “Auld Lang Syne” alongside original tracks.
The Jennifer Hudson Show host also recruited boyfriend Common to join her on the new song “Almost Christmas,” while the South African quintet The Joy appears on the classic “Carol of the Bells.” This collaboration comes after Hudson lent her vocals to the track “A GOD (There Is)” from Com’s joint album with Pete Rock, The Auditorium Vol. 1.
Jennifer is the youngest female EGOT winner in history. She won a Grammy for best R&B album for her 2008 self-titled debut. She also earned an Oscar for her role as “Effie” in the 2007 film “Dreamgirls,” an adaptation of the Broadway musical. In 2022, she won a Tony Award as co-producer on “A Strange Loop,” which was named Best Musical.