Jennifer Hudson, 39, is proving she’s sure to amaze moviegoers with her highly-anticipated portrayal as Aretha Franklin in the upcoming biopic, Respect. The fellow singer just released her version of one of the late icon’s most memorable hit songs, “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman”, which will be featured in the film, on July 15, and it has fans in awe of what’s to come. In the soulful tune, Jennifer’s vocals are powerful and perfectly structures as she belts out the loving lyrics.
In addition to “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman”, which was written by Carole King, the Oscar-winning actress is sure to sing some of Aretha’s other hits in the film, which comes out on Aug. 13, including the title track “Respect.” She also co-wrote an original song with Carole called “Here I Am” for the film. It should appear on the full soundtrack, which is set to be released on the same day as the movie.
Jennifer has been working on the what’s sure to be incredible film for a while now and was first seen in character in pics that were released in 2019. In the snapshots, which were taken on set, the American Idol alum looked just like the “Queen of Soul” with short hair and a tan trench coat. One showed her standing while looking off to the side with a serious expression and another showed her sitting in a car as rain fell down outside.
The pics were followed up by the first official trailer of Respect, which was released in June 2020. In one clip, Jennifer can be seen impressively singing “Respect” while on stage. Other clips show various dramatic moments that depict Aretha’s struggles and rise in the music industry, including a moment in which Jennifer, as Aretha, tells a crowd, “You have to disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace” at what appears to be a press conference.
Respect is directed by Liesl Tommy and also stars Forest Whitaker as Aretha’s father, Marlon Wayans as Aretha’s first husband Ted White, Mary J. Blige as singer Dinah Washington, and Gilbert Glenn Brown as Martin Luther King Jr. It will be released in theaters on Aug. 13.