Jennifer Hudson to Release Holiday Album “The Gift of Love” — Her First Record in 10 Years!

Hudson's boyfriend Common is set to join the star on the original song "Almost Christmas"

<p>Greg Swales</p> Jennifer Hudson

Greg Swales

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson is ready to spread some holiday cheer!

The singer and actress’ first-ever holiday album, The Gift of Love, will be released on Oct. 18, she announced on Friday, Sept. 6.

The star, 42, teased the record with a trailer she shared to Instagram that featured her singing a jazzy rendition of “Jingle Bells” while placing presents under a Christmas tree.

“I cannot wait for it to be yours!” she captioned the post.

The album, Hudson’s first on Interscope Records, will see the EGOT winner cover seasonal favorites like “The Christmas Song,” “O Holy Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “My Favorite Things,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Jingle Bells” and “Auld Lang Syne” alongside original tracks.

The Jennifer Hudson Show host also recruited boyfriend Common to join her on the new song “Almost Christmas,” while the South African quintet The Joy appears on the classic “Carol of the Bells.”

The Gift of Love will be the first album in 10 years for Hudson, whose talk show is set to return on Sept. 16 for a third season.

Her last record, JHUD, came out in 2014, and cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart.

In 2021, she covered Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” telling PEOPLE at the time that the holiday season was her “favorite time of year.”

<p>Courtesy of Interscope Records</p> Jennifer Hudson

Courtesy of Interscope Records

Jennifer Hudson

"It's no secret that Christmas is my favorite time of year and one of the things I love most about it is the holiday music," she said. "For me, it's all about creating a feeling of love and warmth to celebrate the season, so I hope this song can do just that for everyone, especially my amazing and persistent fans who have been asking for that Christmas album!"

That same year, she told PEOPLE she was a self-proclaimed “holiday fanatic,” and was focused on giving back.

"It's such a natural thing to myself," she says of it being part of her upbringing. "I think I would have to give that credit to my mother, which is what encouraged me to start the Julian D. King Gift Foundation, because we come from a family of givers."

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