This is a gorgeous song. I bought this immediately after seeing Dream Girls. This song has a great message as well.
Rating: 5 / 5

I’m more than a little surprised that my review is the first of this single, because the song absolutely blew me away. After sitting through a movie full of show stopping songs mostly sung by *a* loser of American Idol (was it season 3 or 4 – who can keep track) Jennifer Hudson, it was nice to see someone else deservingly step into the spotlight. Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t mind Hudsons’s performances. She has an incredible voice – deep, rich, and resonant, and she filled the shoes she was asked to fill and then some. Hence the Oscar.

But this song, this song gave me goose bumps, and this is the song I have on my iPod; this is the song I switch to if I need an extra boost (which I far too often do!) at the gym. It is the ultimate song of expression, freedom, individuality, and has such a terrific *third finger to you* punch that if it were an actual punch, it would drop the staunchest boxer to his knees. (Or her knees…heh…but we know it’s mostly a guy we’re talking about here.)

I don’t know who could hear this song and not be moved. Then again, I didn’t understand how it failed to break into the top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Perhaps my ability to judge music has gone the way of my hairline! In the 80s and 90s I could spot pick the end-of-year #1 songs on Billboard without fail. It was a standing bet that I won fifteen years in a row. In this decade, I can’t even pick a song to get into the top 40!

Regardless of my ability or inability, this is a fantastic song.
Rating: 5 / 5