Hands down, my favorite former American Idol contestant after Kelly Clarkson, is Jennifer Hudson. Her version of Barry Manilow’s “Weekend In New England” might have ended her Idol run way too early, but it remains one of the show’s best vocal performances. And though she lost, things didn’t turn out too shabby for Hudson, post-Idol, as you know.

Currently showing off her slimmed-down figure for Weight Watchers — a big change that’s sure to be discussed when J-Hud sits down with Oprah on Thursday — she’s also prepping the release of her sophomore album, I Remember Me. “We got some good uptempos for you. It’s a bit of everything,” the singer-actress recently told Rap-Up. “I think this album brings all of that to the table. I was allowed to be far more involved in the recording process and the song selection. And this time, I only recorded what I loved. If I didn’t like it, I was not putting my vocals on that song.”

So it’s a fair assumption that the set’s first single, “Where You At,” written by R. Kelly, resonates with Hudson, a tale of being left in the lurch by a man who promised he’d stay by her side. The song starts off slowly, with her vocal performance building in intensity before she finally lets loose with her famous full-throated wail at the tail end of the tune.

Take a breath, girl, maybe your man just got stuck in New England. The weather’s been pretty awful there this year, you know. Hudson just finished filming the music video in Chicago, so the tale’s not quite over yet:

Jennifer Hudson’s I Remember Me is out March 22. It’s full steam ahead on her film career too; you’ll next see her on the big screen in Winnie, playing the wife of South African civil-rights leader Nelson Mandela.

Purchase Jennifer Hudson – “Where You At” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.