Disco has been going strong since last year, when Daft Punk‘s “Get Lucky” and Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” ruled the summer. Of course, the genre has a strong history of powerful female vocalists, so it’s encouraging to see Jennifer Hudson release a disco number of her own: the new track “He Ain’t Going Nowhere,” featuring Iggy Azalea. Hudson displays cool power on the song — singing confidently “he ain’t goin’ nowhere” — over a thick bassline that evokes Liquid Liquid’s “Cavern.” These days when a tune comes out channelling the late ’70s and early ’80s, Pharrell is never far away, and sure enough, he helped produce the track.
Hudson told Buzzfeed, “We really worked to keep the sound relatable but the way the bass hits your chest and the guitar licks sort of tingle your ear really work well to transport you to a time in music history I just live for. It’s the sort of track you can’t listen to without moving and the fact that we were able to have Iggy join in on it was just what it needed. To be honest, I consider it one of the centerpieces of my album because it captures all the things that inspire me so well.”
This isn’t Hudson’s first foray into vintage disco. She participated in a tribute to the genre at the recent Fashion Rocks performance at the Barclays Center. The song “Dangerous” on her Soundcloud page, which will appear on her next album, also works around a disco groove.
Hudson’s new album, JHud, comes out Sept. 23.