All you “American Idol” worshippers are familiar with Jennifer Hudson as a finalist from the shows’ long-ago third season, while “Sex and the City” followers adored her character as Carrie’s designer bag-borrowing assistant. It is her strong acting abilities that have put Jennifer Hudson in the spotlight in such hit musicals such as “Dreamgirls” and her upcoming movie, “Secret Life of Bees,” but in her self-titled debut album, Jennifer Hudson proves that her enchanting vocal chords and multi-octave range are what has gotten her where she needs to be: namely, at the top.

It is surprising that this Oscar-winning singer and actress has only recently come out with her first album. After working with successful stars like Beyonce Knowles, Sarah Jessica Parker and Eddie Murphy, one would think Hudson would already be working on a second or third album by now. But on her debut album, Hudson proves with her spine-tingling vocals that her CD, as well as her talent, is anything but juvenile.

The CD boasts the talents of many diverse artists like Ludacris, T-Pain and Fantasia Barrino. Her lyrics focus mainly on the pleasure, pain and frustrations of being in a relationship, and of course, of being played.

On her song “Spotlight,” Hudson empowers all controlled girls out there by telling her man to just back off already.

Although her next song, “If This Isn’t Love,” is not melodically complex, it is catchy and as always, Hudson is true to her vocals.

“Pocketbook,” an edgy, more hip-hop infused track featuring Ludacris, illustrates not just her sassiness, but also shows the diversity of her album.

It is without a doubt that Hudson’s recorded track of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” from the motion picture “Dreamgirls” is where she truly shines. Her passion and awe-inspiring vocal abilities shine through in this track, and this song blows every other song on the album out of the water.

On “Invisible,” Hudson highlights her journey from being a nobody to being one of the most sought after talents of the year. The CD may disappoint some because the songs are simple, catchy and lack a certain melodic and lyrical depth. Despite these detracting factors, Hudson proves with her rich vocal talent that as long as she maintains her powerhouse voice, she will never again be “invisible.”