Jennifer Hudson

Few American Idol contestants have gone on to more successful careers than Jennifer Hudson. We're talking about an Oscar winner here.

But the star returned to the stage that started it all last night, performing the single "Where You At" on the show's latest (wild and shocking) results show.

We hope Pia Toscano was taking notes. Watch as Hudson connects with the audience despite just standing still, and then removes the mic from its stand and walks to the edge of the stage during the bridge.

Pia is an amazing talent who is still learning how to truly be a performer, while Hudson has clearly figured it out:

Jennifer Hudson - Where You At (American Idol)

She's a new mother, she has a new figure and she's starring in a new movie.

Indeed, Jennifer Hudson has come a long way since American Idol. In the latest issue of Essence, the singer/actress touches on all these topics and more...

On motherhood: “My wish is to be at least half as good as my mother was, as patient and as loving as she was, and to just give that to my son.”

On her new body: “I didn’t realize that so many people were watching me or that so many people were interested. Now people come up to me saying, ‘You’ve inspired me,’ and I’m like, Wow.”

On portraying Winnie Mandela on the big screen: “We were supposed to shoot the film two years ago. But with all that happened in my life, they waited. Even the director was saying, ‘For you to take this project on with everything that happened shows you are really passionate about it.’ So I just hopped into it. I just really wanted to be a part of telling the story.”

One is a recent Oscar winner for Dreamgirls. One was nominated last night for her role in Blue Valentine. Both looked simply fabulous on the red carpet.

It's Jennifer Hudson vs. Michelle Williams in another edition of THG's Academy Awards Fashion Face-Off series. Decide on your favorite style star below!

J-Hud's bold, orange dress showcased her amazing new figure, while Michelle's was more traditional and elegant. No wrong answer here, but vote ...

Jennifer Hudson is set to take the music world by storm once again.

The Oscar winner/American Idol finalist will release a new album on March 22, the first single from which you can listen to NOW.

She has also just unveiled the cover art for "I Remember me," which features the slimmed-down artist posing in front of a sunset. Look for Hudson to perform a new song on Oprah this week and get your first look at the CD below. It's available for pre-order from Amazing right this very moment.

For the first single off her upcoming album, Jennifer Hudson butchers the English language.

But does "Where You At" make up for the grammatical mistake in its title by satisfying one's craving for a beautiful ballad? Listen now and decide for yourself:

Jennifer Hudson - Where You At

“This song to me is like what I always wanted to do vocally. As an aspiring writer, just the subject of it means so much to me. It’s simple and it’s something we say every day,” Hudson says.

Written by R. Kelly and produced by Harvey Mason Jr., the tune will be included on "I Remember Me," which hits stores on March 22. What do you think of it?

Jennifer Hudson has revealed the release date for her second studio album. Fans of this American Idol alum should circle March 22 on their calendar.

The singer will release her first single off this CD - titled "Where You At," written/produced by R.Kelly - on January 24. Among those involved on the album are: Ryan Tedder, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Rich Harrison, Ne-Yo, and Stargate.

With a voice such as the one featured here, any music fan should be looking forward to Hudson's sophomore effort.

Jennifer Hudson - Will You Be There (Live)

Forget ball drops and champagne toasts. On ABC last night, New Year's Eve was all about the music.

From Ke$ha to Willow Smith to a slimmed-down Jennifer Hudson, artists performed on the annual Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest-hosted special. We hope all readers had a happy and safe evening and we present a quintet of videos from the evening below.

Sit back, watch and enjoy!

Ke$ha - Tik Tok (Live on New Years)

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Earlier this month, some of the biggest stars in the universe came out for a special that paid homage to Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and Merle Haggard and aired last night.

Among the attendees at the Kennedy Center Honors were Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Glee star Matthew Morrison. Artists such as Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Hudson and Steven Tyler performed renditions of various classics on stage.

We've posted a trio of videos from the event. Check them out now:

Gwen Stefani - Hello, Goodbye (Live at Kennedy Center Honors)

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It doesn't get much more tragic than the news Jennifer Hudson received in October 2008: her mother, brother and nephew were all found dead.

The murderer was eventually apprehended and Jennifer has gone on with life as best she can ever since, giving birth to a son and singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIII.

Last night, meanwhile, in a VH1 special titled Behind the Music: Jennifer Hudson, the singer opened up about the tragedy for the first time. She referred to it all as a "blur" and added:

"It was surreal. It was like I was outside of myself."

As a sad reminder: on October 24, 2008, Jennifer's mom and sibling were shot to death inside their Chicago residence; the body of her seven-year old nephew was found later in an abandoned SUV.

For two weeks after the incident, Hudson says "I was pretty much secluded from everything that was going on.

"I didn't watch any TV, I didn't even want to know what was going on because I had more than enough to deal with... I prayed when I got up in the morning and prayed before I laid down at night. If I didn't, I'd wake up depressed."

Referring to her son, Hudson concluded with: "[David] makes me feel like the most special person on earth. I want him to get the same love and the same upbringing my mother gave us."

Watch the full interview below and send out your thoughts to Jennifer now.

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One is a former Miss America.

The other is an Oscar winner.

But this isn't a time to congratulate Vanessa Williams and Jennifer Hudson on their respective careers. Far from it!

Instead, the talented actresses are pitted against each other in the latest edition of a THG Fashion Face-Off. They may both look beautiful in blue, but there can be only one winner. Good luck to each star!

Who wears this outfit better?