A new Jennifer Hudson album is in the works, though fans shouldn't expect a complete new effort this year, according to Sony Chief Creative Officer Clive Davis. Katie Hasty <p><br /> A new Jennifer Hudson album is in the works, though fans shouldn't expect a complete new effort this year, according to Sony Chief Creative Officer Clive Davis.</p> <p>The veteran starmaker says the song search has begun, and that he's especially mindful of picking strong, &quot;special&quot; songs for the former &quot;American Idol&quot; star.</p> <p>&quot;The key is in the material. [Hudson] has only grown as an artist in this past year. She is more soulful. But the real challenge with a 'pop' artist is to come up with those songs that are special,&quot; Davis told HitFix. &quot;That is the challenge for every young artist who is still trying to make a lifelong career. They're still dependent on radio play... You gotta have the hits. So we have several candidates for it.&quot;</p> <p>It's been a long hard road for Hudson since the release of her 2008 self-titled debut, as tragedy struck almost exacty one year ago. Her mother, brother and nephew were found dead, murdered by her sister's ex-boyfriend. This is around the same time that &quot;Jennifer Hudson&quot; bowed at No. 2 on The Billboard 200.</p> <p>Hudson has also since had a child, David, with her fiancee, Daniel David Otunga, on top of her first national tour earlier this year -- which has obviously taken up much of her time and energies. She also performed the National Anthem at the last Super Bowl and at the Michael Jackson memorial in July.</p> <p>Still, Hudson is prepping her return to the spotlight, after showing up on &quot;Oprah&quot; last month. Fans will soon see her in a primetime Christmas special on ABC, due in December, according to a report by the Associated Press. &quot;Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas&quot; will be taped in her hometown Chicago, in the neigborhood and church where she and her family once lived.</p> <p>It looks like Hudson's movie work is on hold, as her last silver screen appearance was in 2008's &quot;The Secret Life of Bees.&quot; She previously won an Academy Award for her role in &quot;Dreamgirls.&quot;</p> music 2009-10-26T22:30:13Z 667 Sony bigwig Clive Davis talks on J-Hud's still-rising star 2038-01-01T00:00:00Z false 2073 false false false false false false false false false false 2009-10-26-jennifer-hudson-starts-in-on-new-album-plans-christmas-tv-special 2009-10-26T17:40:00Z Jennifer Hudson starts in on new album, plans Christmas TV special published Eastern Time (US & Canada) http://tinyurl.com/yj6cc99 Jennifer Hudson starts in on new album, plans Christmas TV special 3 2009-10-27T17:00:10Z false 4529 77