Artist: Jennifer Hudson

Title: I Remember Me

Label: Arista

Jennifer Hudson clearly has the pipes and life experience essential for great music, but the bulk of the songs on I Remember Me lack sparkle.

When Jennifer Hudson sings "I've been through some things," on the title track to her sophomore album, she's certainly not kidding.

Not yet 30 years old, she's already won an Oscar, a Grammy and a slew of loyal fans thanks to her successful run on "American Idol."  But right in the middle of all the celebrating, her mother, brother and nephew were murdered back in her Chicago hometown. And considering how horrific—and shocking—it would be to lose one member of your family, let alone three in such brutal fashion, you wouldn't exactly blame Hudson for being in a somber, reflective mood on her latest album. 

But somber and reflective is clearly not the track she's taking on I Remember Me. Instead, she's moving forward and introducing everyone to the new Jennifer Hudson, a transformation that began with losing 80 pounds as the new spokesperson for Weight Watchers.

"I'm excited about this album because it's almost like a renewal for me, reflected through the chapters of my life," Hudson said in a recent press release. "I've called it I Remember Me because of the journey I've been on. I've learned that life constantly surprises you, no matter your plans. My fans have been so loyal, I feel like they have been on this journey with me."

As confident and carefree as Hudson has appeared on the recent award show circuit, particularly during the tribute to Aretha Franklin at the Grammys, her stunning voice is ultimately buried in a sea of ho-hum songs that don't really capture your attention, save for a superb cover of Nina Simone's signature track "Feeling Good."

If anything, "Feeling Good" only serves to underscore how lackluster the original cuts are. Not only is the lead-off single, "Where You At" an overproduced snoozer of a ballad, but the supposed "confessional" tracks like "No One Gonna Love You" and "I Got You" rely on way too many lame lyrical platitudes to be anything close to revealing.

Even all-star contributions from Ne-Yo, Ryan Tedder, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz fall flat, and that's because the material just isn't worthy of a world-class singer like Hudson. Much like the state of the modern cinema, it would've benefited everyone involved to bother investing in a great writer (or two), too.

After all, no matter how great the talent is, they will shine so much brighter if what they're saying is actually worth the audience's time. And an artist like Hudson definitely deserves better than the material she's getting. Really, one can only hope that she (and everyone who works with her) will get the memo next time around.

*This review first published 4/4/2011