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Look at what Jennifer Hudson has done to us!
The Oscar-winning actress and singer, 39, plays Aretha Franklin in the upcoming biopic about the legendary Queen of Soul, “Respect”, out next month, and we now have the first full track of her covering one of Franklin’s classics.
RELATED: Jennifer Hudson Transforms Into Aretha Franklin In ‘Respect’ Trailer
Hudson channels Franklin’s signature soulful style in a rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”, famously co-written by another musical great, Carole King, released Friday.
— Quantrell D. Colbert © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved
The song, which also credits Gerry Goffin and Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler as co-creators, debuted in 1967 and was on Franklin’s 1968 album, Lady Soul. Hudson’s version is recorded as a live performance with a cheering audience in the background.
RELATED: Jennifer Hudson Performs Aretha Franklin’s ‘Young, Gifted And Black’ At 2020 BET Awards, Debuts ‘Respect’ Trailer
The soundtrack for “Respect” will be released on Aug. 13, the same day the movie is released. Hudson performs 17 Franklin classics on the album and also serves up an original song she co-wrote with Carole King and Jamie Hartman, titled, “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home).”
“Respect” will feature a bevy of big names starring alongside Hudson, including Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige.