(Photo: Essence Magazine, January 2014)

Jennifer Hudson is showing off her fearless self on the icy blue January cover of Essence magazine. The 32-year-old singer-actress flaunts her new short haircut, smoky eye makeup and a knit sweater that looks perfect for those cold winter nights out on the town. Hudson revealed the cover with her Instagram followers on Thursday and she sounded super thrilled with the image.
"Check out my fabulous @essencemag January cover! On newsstands tomorrow, 12/6 #ESSENCEMag," she wrote on the photo's caption.
In her cover story, she talks about finding herself once she turned 30 and how she feels unstoppable now that she's found her path.
"I spent my twenties figuring out what I wanted to do, and trying everything," she said. "But by 30, my foundation was set. I became confident and clear about the path I wanted to take.… Now I've really settled into myself. And I'm stronger than I’ve ever been."
And she's poured that strength into the big-screen characters she takes on. Not only as Naima in the Black Nativity musical and the iconic Winnie Mandela in the biopic of the same name, but also in her next role as a heroin-addicted prostitute. She doesn't shy away from playing a personality "so different from my own" and visited rehab centers and spoke with others struggling with addiction to get a feel for her character.
As for another major role we're dying to see her play, Hudson tells the world to relax with the wedding pressure, saying that she's taking her time before marrying her fiancé of five years, David Otunga.
"Yes, there was a date set, and that date has come around again every year," Hudson said. "In fact, the date may keep rolling around.… When I'm ready to be married, I will be married. It's that simple. Everyone should just chill. Our relationship is very strong. We're both huge family people, and I'm only going to get married once. So I'm not rushing into anything."
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