Jennifer Hudson Drops 'Here I Am' Song, Written with Carole King for 'Respect' Movie!

Jennifer Hudson has released her new song “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” for the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect!

The Oscar- and Grammy-winning entertainer co-wrote the song with Carole King, who famously wrote the song “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” for Aretha. The song was also co-written by Jamie Hartman and produced by will.i.am.

“Here I Am” will appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming movie and it serves as the film’s only original song. It already seems like a shoo-in for a Best Original Song nomination at the 2022 Oscars!

The movie hits theaters nationwide on August 13 and the soundtrack will be available the same day.

Click inside to listen to the song and read Jennifer Hudson’s statement…

“Music is such a living and breathing character in this film, as it was in Ms. Franklin’s life. The process of creating this song was like constructing the greatest tribute I could possibly offer to her spirit. It was the final exhale of this extraordinary project and one that I let out with complete fulfillment. Being able to do so with Carole and Jamie was an incredible privilege,” Jennifer said in a statement.

She continued, “Carole is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and, whether we were trading stories, playing piano together over video conference, or working through lyrics, it was always a masterclass – both in life and music. Jamie and I have collaborated together in the past and it’s always so wonderful to create with him – he is continuously thinking outside of the box in a way that deepens the musical experience in indescribable ways. Our goal was to show that music was always the anchor for Ms. Franklin, in all that she did, and I hope this song illustrates the strength of her voice – both literally and figuratively – which always brought her home.”

Listen to the song below!