Jennifer Hudson is keeping her family front and center this holiday season, cemented more so by the release of her debut Christmas album, The Gift of Love.
The American Idol alum, 43, spoke with Billboard recently about following in traditions set by her family growing up in Chicago when it came to creating the album, and how it also includes the sweetest nod to her son, 15-year-old David.
While breaking down some of the tracks she chose for the record, she fondly spoke of her teenager as she detailed the track "Make It to Christmas."
"'Make It to Christmas' is my son's favorite song," she gushed as to why it made it onto the record. "It speaks to like, we all work all year, right?"
"But we are waiting to get to the end of that tunnel, where the lights are red and green, to that holiday season, where we can go home at that one time of year and enjoy each other and our families."
When she was further asked how she picked each track for the album, she further explained: "I picked what was most personal to me. Like 'The Christmas Song,' for instance, my grandmother used to love that song, so I recall hearing that as a little girl throughout each and every holiday of her playing that song — Nat King Cole with the satin voice — so that made me want to pay tribute to her in that way."
© Instagram"Or 'Go Tell It on the Mountain,' I grew up singing that in church during the holiday season and 'Carol of the Bells' in high school. 'Hallelujah,' that's my favorite song; that's the heart of the album. And 'O Holy Night' is my favorite Christmas song."
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Also featured on the album is the singer's boyfriend Common, who makes a guest appearance on the track "Almost Christmas." The rapper has been extremely supportive of his partner's return to the music industry.
© Getty ImagesHe even joined Jennifer on stage during one of her latest concerts as part of The Gift of Love: An Intimate Live Experience in Los Angeles, which she briefly captured in a video she posted on social media, in which the Oscar winner comes on stage in a black frilled suit and hugs her while she performs.
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In a separate conversation with People, the host of The Jennifer Hudson Show also revealed that her son helped name the album and was just as big of a fan of the holiday season as his mom.
"He's a holiday fanatic just like me," she enthused. "He's been very present within this whole thing. We would sit by the fireplace, watch holiday movies together. He even went 'Mama, this song right here is my favorite song off of the Christmas album.' Giving his two cents."
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She also expanded on Common's involvement with the record, explaining: "I was saying 'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,' and then he came in and he flipped it and started freestyling it and made it really personal."
© Getty Images"Then I was like, 'Actually, this would be a really cool idea for my holiday album where [he] does [his] interpretation of what that would be.' And then the singing part came along, which is just us welding our musical worlds together."
