"Spotlight"
Single by Jennifer Hudson
from the album Jennifer Hudson
ReleasedJune 10, 2008 (2008-06-10)[1]
GenreR&B
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Jennifer Hudson singles chronology
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
(2006)		 "Spotlight"
(2008)		 "If This Isn't Love"
(2009)

"Spotlight" is an R&B song by Jennifer Hudson, written and produced by Ne-Yo and Norwegian production duo Stargate for Hudson's self-titled debut album.[2] It was released digitally on June 10, 2008, as the album's first single[1][3] and reached the top 30 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Outside the US, the track reached the top 20 in Hungary, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

The song received two Grammy Award nominations at the 2009 ceremony for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The video was voted 12th on BET: Notarized Top 100 videos of 2008.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. About.com said that "If you were one of the people wondering if Jennifer Hudson could sustain her vocal energy, power and passion on a full album like she did in the role of Effie in the movie Dreamgirls and like she also does on the album's opening song and first single, "Spotlight," then wonder no more: the answer's a definite yes. "Spotlight" exemplifies the album as a whole: it's got a strong, independent woman singing strongly about love and relationships. In this case, the song is about a controlling lover: "If I'm just love's prisoner, then I'm bustin' out," she sings."[4] AllHipHop said that ""Spotlight" as catchy as it is was not debut single-worthy, and a brand new artist wouldn't have been looked at twice; but because it was Jennifer (and penned by Ne-Yo) attention was paid.".[5] AllMusic said that " 'Spotlight' was both promising and satisfying, nearly a dead-center bull's-eye – dramatic but not over the top, powerful but not a gratuitous fireworks display, a melancholy but striking midtempo track with a gently thumping four-four pulse."[6] Digital Spy said that Hudson "navigates the emotional complexities of 'Spotlight', on which she plays a downtrodden girlfriend".[7] New York Daily News said that the song's "trendy, staccato backup vocals give the song spine. Better, the character presented by the lyrics – a put-upon woman who's finally stepping out – fits Hudson's persona as the angry queen of payback."[8] Slant magazine said that "Lead single "Spotlight" is a serviceable, pulsating, you-did-me-wrong jam that is, thanks to Stargate and Ne-Yo, perfectly in line with today's trends."[9] The Times said the song "is predictably mid-tempo as it tries to please all her fan bases at once."[10]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Chris Robinson and Hudson introduced its premiere screening on BET's 106 and Park on June 24, 2008.[11] Ryan Gentles from the plays Madea Goes to Jail and Diary of a Mad Black Woman appears in the video as Hudson's love interest.[12]

Hudson appears talking on her cellphone to her friend, complaining about her over-protective boyfriend. After she gets off her cellphone, she puts on a jacket and a scarf and leaves her house into an alley, then enters a nightclub, dancing and having a good time until she sees her boyfriend Gentles. She then takes his hand and leads him into a white room with stripes telling him that she loves him but that he needs to realize that she is a good girlfriend and not to worry before it is too late. Towards the end of the video, Hudson is walking down a runway with her boyfriend sitting in front of the runway. The video ends with Hudson getting off her cellphone. A bottle of Campari is prominently displayed in the video in a scene featuring Hudson and Gentles at the nightclub.

Chart performance

"Spotlight" peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Hudson her first top thirty hit to date on the chart. The song also peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending two consecutive weeks at number one.[13]

On September 21, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number fifteen[14] on downloads alone. It is her first top twenty hit in the United Kingdom, and climbed to number eleven on September 28 despite there being no CD single release. It also peaked at number one on UK Airplay Chart. All in all the song performed better on the charts in the United Kingdom than in her native United States. In 2008, "Spotlight" was the biggest selling non-top ten single of the year. In 2017, following an impromptu performance on The Voice UK the song re-entered the United Kingdom charts at number 90.

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, release format, and reference
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref
United States June 9, 2008 Airplay Arista Records
June 10, 2008 Digital download
United Kingdom October 20, 2008 CD single

Cover versions

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Concepcion, Mariel (June 6, 2008). Jennifer Hudson in "Spotlight" with new single. Reuters. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  2. ↑ ASCAP ACE – Search Results Archived January 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  3. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (November 24, 2007). Debut Jennifer Hudson Album Due In September. Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson- "Jennifer Hudson"". Randb.about.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Alternatives : ALBUM REVIEW: Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer Hudson". Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer Hudson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson: 'Jennifer Hudson'". Digital Spy. October 4, 2008.
  8. ↑ "New Jennifer Hudson CD is no 'Dreamgirls'". Daily News. New York. September 29, 2008. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Slant Magazine". slantmagazine.com.
  10. ↑ Elan, Priya (September 27, 2008). "Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Hudson". The Times. London. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  11. ↑ Jennifer Hudson Spotlight Music Video. MySpace TV.com
  12. ↑ "VIDEO: JENNIFER HUDSON – SPOTLIGHT // 'CONCRETELOOP.COM' – quality not quantity". Archived from the original on June 28, 2008.
  13. ↑ Jonathan Cohen (October 23, 2008). T.I. Returns To No. 1 On The Hot 100 Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Official Singles Chart for the week ending 27 September 2008". ChartsPlus. Milton Keynes: IQ Ware Ltd (370): 1–4.
  15. ↑ "Spotlight". Amazon UK.
  16. ↑ "ARIA Report (Issue #968)" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Jennifer Hudson. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson – Global Dance Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Jennifer Hudson". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Japan Hot 100- Chart history". Billboard. May 18, 2022. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  27. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200903 into search. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  29. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  31. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Jennifer Hudson Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Japan Hot 100 – Year-End 2008". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  35. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  36. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2009" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  39. ↑ "British single certifications – Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
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