Jennifer Hudson Rediscovers Herself With ‘I Remember Me’

After belting out her new tracks live in AOL Music's Beverly Hills studios, the multi-talented Jennifer Hudson sat down to talk about everything from recording her deeply personal new album 'I Remember Me', to working with the inspirational Alicia Keys, to how she's handling the media attention surrounding her new image after a dramatic 80-pound weight loss.

How did the performance feel to you?

It was fun. I love sitting around and just singing.

Were there any of the songs that you either hadn't done yet that just felt amazing or were different than you expected them to be?

All the songs are in a different place for me. I feel closer to 'I Remember Me' right now. That, to me, is me telling my story. Or 'Angel,' it's so uplifting, so fun and again I'm still getting more used to it but we're getting to know each other.

It's been a few years between albums, so does this almost feel like a new beginning to you, musically?

I really do feel like a new artist again in every way. I feel like I'm discovering a new me and getting to know myself personally, image-wise and musically. And all of that together is a lot to take in for one person. I feel like you just wake up and you're like, "Where am I at right now? Where am I?" So I'm rediscovering myself as a whole.

In the writing of 'I Remember Me,' was there anything that surprised you that you rediscovered?

Sometimes I find it difficult to express [myself] and that's where it came from with 'I Remember Me,' it was the best way for me to be able to put myself out there as far as my emotions, my thoughts and where I feel like I am in life right now. Because a lot of people ask like, "How does she feel about this?" and they want to know what's in my head and that was the best way I could put it into words. So, again, that's another reason why the song is so close to me, it's like telling my story.

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Watch Jennifer Hudson's Live Sessions Performance of 'Where You At'

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