Once a cruise ship entertainer, the singer has made the finals on American Idol, won a Best Supporting Oscar for Dreamgirls before, devastatingly, losing her mother, brother and nephew in a shocking murder.

"I've been through everything, from the bottom to the top," Hudson tells Insider, via phone, ahead of her first trip to Australia this weekend.

"Ever since American Idol, I've been on a roller-coaster that has not stopped - there's been ups and downs and all the way round and the world has been watching me go through it.

"At times, I feel as though I'm on the outside too, wondering what turns it's going to take, the ups and downs, and how I'm going to get through it."Despite all the turmoil, the mother of 21-month-old David Jr says music has been her saviour.

"It is my expression of me in every way, musically, personally, how I feel right now and everything. Music is my way of bottling it up and passing it along to somebody else."

Hudson admits her new album, I Remember Me, which features the tracks I Got This, Everybody Needs Love, Why Is It So Hard, Feeling Good and Believe, does reflect her life right now.

"It captures every part of me," she says. "Even I Remember Me, that's me personally, that's how I feel about my life and my journey and where I am today, and then Feeling Good is an expression of my weight-loss journey.

Overall it's just the vibe of me."Strength is also a common theme throughout the album - a trait she believes runs in her family.

"My mother was very strong and my sister, so I guess that's where it comes from."

Her strength was never more tested than when her mum Darnell Donnerson, brother Jason, and nephew Julian, 7, were shot dead in their Chicago home 2 1/2 years ago allegedly by her sister's estranged husband. Charged with the murders, he is awaiting trial.

She credits her strong nature, and the help of Weight Watchers, for driving her to lose nearly 40kg. "I do [feel sexy] and I always did," she says, laughing. "It's just like, the rest of the world is catching up. I always knew it was there. It's not new to me."

Hudson exercises daily, and is conscious of what she eats, but doesn't want to lose more weight. Despite being careful with food, she admits chocolate is her guilty pleasure.

"At this point, I don't really want to lose any more weight. I'm trying to shy away more from cardio and doing more cardio and training. So every morning, I get up and do four sets of 25 reps of crunches, of squats and, like, push-ups."

Her personal life is also flourishing with Hudson engaged to wrestler David Otunga, the father of her toddler son. The couple recently moved back to Chicago from Florida.

"When I'm on the road, I can't wait to go home and be mummy.

"He [David Jr] is such a blessing," Hudson says.

"I have never seen a baby have such an impact on the people he meets. There is never a dull moment. He keeps me happy, he keeps me uplifted and he keeps me smiling at all times."

Hudson flew into Melbourne yesterday to face a week packed with promotions, beginning tonight with an appearance on Dancing With The Stars.

Along with various radio interviews, she will also appear live on Seven's Sunrise on Thursday morning.

Her family remain in Chicago, as it's "a long way to travel".

"I've been excited [to come to Australia] since American Idol, and I've never been able to," the R&B-soul singer said.

"When I got the call, I was like, I don't care what's going on and I don't care what they want me to do, I am coming. So here I come."