Hudson worked with several producers and songwriters on the album, including R. City, Missy Elliott, Brian Kennedy, Ne-Yo, Salaam Remi, T-Pain, Tank, Timbaland and The Underdogs, among others.

Jennifer Hudson debuted at number two on both the US Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, with first-week sales of 217,000 copies.

Hudson promoted the album in numerous live appearances; including co-heading a North American concert tour with Robin Thicke, from March to May 2009.

[7] As a finalist, Hudson received the highest number of votes in the Top 9 after her performance of Elton John's "Circle of Life" on April 6, 2004, but two weeks later she was eliminated after performing Barry Manilow's "Weekend in New England", coming in seventh place.

[8] In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the role of Effie White for the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls.

In the interview, she said that the song would be included on her first album, to be released in early 2007; this was before she had been signed to a record label.

"[17] The first single, "Spotlight", written and produced by Ne-Yo and Stargate, was played on US radio on June 9, 2008, and the following day was available as a music download.

"[2] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe found that, "despite its flaws, Hudson's debut comes on much like her Dreamgirls character, with admirable self-assurance and real-girl sensuality."

While she felt that the album was "a sometimes illogical jumble that hopscotches from gritty urban soul to glossy adult contemporary pop to the song that clinched her the little gold statue — "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going."

The Chicago native owns the strong material and elevates the weak [...] The most striking thing about the record, and what ultimately holds it together, is the placement of Hudson's voice front and center in the mix.

[1][35] Less enthusiastic, Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly stated that, "The identity-defying something for everybody mentality yields a Robin Thicke ballad, a Timbaland stomper, some semi-acoustic soul from Stargate, and so on.

"[36] New York Daily News's Jim Farber wrote, that "clearly, Hudson needed the younger stuff to get on radio.

"[30] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "Few vocalists as young as Hudson have a voice that is as versatile and expressive, proficient enough to pull off a multi-dimensional set of R&B songs, yet her debut is as tricked out as that of an artist with a small fraction of the talent.