Walking on Gold (Jennifer Lopez Album #3)

3.) J.Lo

(January 2001)

The Set-Up

She set everything up with her debut, showcasing this new style of Latin soul, fusing together R&B, Pop, Dance, and Latin music. It was in the spirit of the big Latin explosion (right along with Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and even Enrique). Along comes this sophomore effort, and she was playing to her strengths once again, embracing her new name J.Lo.

The Play-by-Play

The first single “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” kicks things off with its plea for real love, not the material things in life. She shines so much more in the video, stripping down to the simple things (and yes, she literally does strip down). “I’m Real” follows as a sweet reminder of Jennifer’s signature Pop sound, so sweet, and so addictive. Then comes “Play”, co-written by Christina Milian. It’s an infectious single, somewhat like “Waiting For Tonight” part 2. And as a nine year old at the time, you can imagine my surprise with her line, “Now Mr. DJ, I’ve asked you three times. Play my mother-f***ing song!” It still is my guilty pleasure to listen to. “Walking on Sunshine” comes next and serves as my favorite song from the album, and who would have thought that Sean Combs was capable of producing such a sweet, sunny pleasure like this? It’s upbeat, infectious, and very uplifting. Jennifer then taps into her Latin side with the next two tracks, starting with “Ain’t It Funny” (a far cry from the Murder Remix that followed this single release). It’s a Paso Doble dream number, filled with a catchy hook and dramatic music. “Cariño” is next, showing off more of her sexy Latin side, and exuding so much of it! And what a clever move to mix in the English lyrics with a Spanish hook. Next comes the most forgettable song on the album, “Come Over” (one that I’m happy to place the blame on Sean Combs). But we soon forget about that and move right along with a memorable track “We Gotta Talk”. This is an amazing example of her Latin soul style, mixing in Pop with the Latin back beat. “That’s Not Me” follows with its dramatic tale of a woman who certainly isn’t willing to change just to be with her man, not willing to become one of his other girls (something sounds a lot like a personal message to Combs on this one). “Dance With Me” comes next with its seductive club groove and all. “Secretly” is a surprise for me, because she usually can’t sing well when it comes to the slower songs. Surprisingly though, she does a great job playing with the sexy side of her whisper vocals (and literally whispering certain lines within the background). It’s a seductive number, but very romantic. “I’m Gonna Be Alright” is another not so memorable moment, but it does play into her Latin soul side once again. Superstar producer Rodney Jerkins makes his way back into J.Lo’s heart in the end with the signature Darkchild sound from this time on “That’s The Way”. The last two tracks have Jennifer going full on into her Latin swing, beginning with the Spanish-written “Dame (Touch Me)” featuring Chayanne. It’s a sexy showstopper helping to close the album out with a big bang! “Si Ya Se Acabó” closes out the original album version on another high note. Then along comes the re-release later that summer with the bonus track “I’m Real” Murder Remix featuring Ja Rule. It was the perfect summer jam, playing back to Rick James’ “Mary Jane”, and definitely added another highlight to an already stellar album.

The Point

Jennifer was back in classic Latin soul prime with this effort, and certainly did her best to avoid the infamous sophomore slump. She even became the first artist to have both the number one album and the number one movie in the United States (The Wedding Planner, another favorite of mine) in the same week! It was a terrific milestone in her career overall.

The Essentials

As promised, here is the “I’m Real” remix as the highlight from the album.

Then comes the perfect first single “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”,

followed by my all-time favorite from the album “Walking on Sunshine”.

Ain't It Amazing (Jennifer Lopez Album #4)

4.) J To Tha L-O! The Remixes

(February 2002)

The Set-Up

After only two albums, doesn’t it seem a little too early to release a remix album? But Jennifer knew what she was doing. This album had just the right amount of songs, and it wasn’t all bass-pumping techno jams (which I do love), but more of an eclectic mix of techno, hip-hop, and urban pop remixes of Jennifer’s singles up to that point.

The Play-by-Play

First up is “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” (RJ Schoolyard Mix) featuring Fat Joe, a solid opener that sounds quite familiar (since it was used as her dance break for the original music video). The first official single “Ain’t It Funny” (Murder Remix) featuring Ja Rule and Cadillac Tah busts out of the gate with a dramatic change from the original version from her last album. There are no signs of any Latin flavor. It’s all straight up Hip-Hop, and it’s all thanks to Murder Inc. for helping her get this kind of cred. “I’m Gonna Be Alright” (Track Masters Remix) featuring 50 Cent isn’t that much of a change from the original on her J.Lo album, but it does give more of a Hip-Hop than Pop feel. “I’m Real” (Murder Remix) featuring Ja Rule follows up as one of the remixes that started it all. It was catchy, inventive, and a far cry from the original single. Technically it’s a single from her re-released J.Lo album, but it fits better with this mix of reinventions. Afterwards, the sound gets switched up into a tropical dance party with “Walking on Sunshine” (Metro Remix). I didn’t think it was possible that my favorite song from her last album could get any better, but the Latin dance flavor creates a whole different vibe. Next up is “If You Had My Love” (Dark Child Master Mix). It doesn’t offer too much change from the original, but it’s catchy and special in its own way. “Feelin’ So Good” (Bad Boy Remix) featuring P. Diddy and G. Dep actually fails to move anything inside me. It actually makes the song sound worse (and that’s one of the highlights from her debut). After that comes “Let’s Get Loud” (Pablo Flores Remix) which does a great job of sounding different from the original, but it manages to keep the same kind of Latin style that made the original so memorable. “Play” (Sack International Remix) isn’t one of the highlights on this album, but it’s a pretty solid attempt at a reinvention from the original. To close out the album comes her signature remix, “Waiting For Tonight” (Hex’s Momentous Radio Mix), a thumping show stopper filled with high energy and special moments that carries out from beginning to end. But then along comes the random song of the bunch, a very forgettable ballad from her movie Enough, “Alive”, co-written by her then-husband Cris Judd. It highlights the weakness in her voice with singing slower-paced songs, and boy does it drag on and on! But luckily it doesn’t stop the love I have for the whole album in general.

The Point

Jennifer was successful in reinventing herself (as well as her hit singles). She managed to highlight her upbeat dance style with Latin flare while also creating a clever Hip-Hop sound with Pop lyrics. Overall, the album is solid from start to almost-finish (minus the ballad).

The Essentials

I would put the remix of “I’m Real” as one of the highlights, but technically it was first released on her J.Lo album (so we’ll hold off on that one). So instead, let’s bask in the greatness of the “Ain’t It Funny” (Murder Remix).

Following that is the genius remix of “Walking On Sunshine”.

And who can forget about her classic, “Waiting For Tonight”…the one that started it all!

*But rather than show the official music video, I figured I'd treat you all to her hilarious appearance on Will & Grace! (Oh man, how I miss this show...)



Getting It Right (Jennifer Lopez Album #5)

5.) Rebirth

(March 2005)

The Set-Up

Every album Jennifer has put out always takes place in the middle of a relationship of hers (which means every song has to deal with that certain person). And after the fiasco that was Bennifer, it was hard to take this album seriously because it was all about her new marriage to Marc Anthony (whom she is still with and has the most adorable twins with).

The Play-by-Play

Things get started off right with Jennifer’s best single to date “Get Right”. Again, it is either the most annoying song in the world or one of the most fun and inventive. Producer Rich Harrison was in his prime after hits with Beyoncé (“Crazy in Love”) and Amerie (“1 Thing”). And while this song goes right along with the same sound and vibe the two previously mentioned songs have, it stood on its own as a fun opening single, coming right out of the gate strong and building up to sick-ass song! It’s hard to follow an opener like that, but longtime collaborator and producer Rodney Jerkins comes out with a sultry, sexy number with “Step Into My World”. We know that she may not have the best voice in the music industry, but her soft whispering and hush hush singing provides so much sexiness. She’s in her sexy prime with this one. “Hold You Down” comes right after, a sweet duet with Fat Joe (whom she previously collaborated on her first album with “Feelin’ So Good”). It’s a different feeling on this one, but it never quite builds up to the hype surrounding it. It tries too hard to capture the same magic that occurred on her last album with LL Cool J on “All I Have”, but it didn’t come even close. And it was a horrible choice as a follow up single to “Get Right”, which might explain why the album never did all that well. After that small hiccup, she comes back strong with the second Rich Harrison production, “Whatever You Want”, exuding more sexiness and lots of fun. Think “1 Thing” part 2. “Cherry Pie” comes next, a fun throwback to 80’s pop music, but the lyrics do get a little bit cheesy and amateur. But she makes a strong return once more with the second production credit from Rodney Jerkins on “I Got U”, one of the highlights on the album. It’s a classic Jennifer Lopez song, taking us back to the kind of music she came out with on her first album. From there unfortunately, it’s a downward spiral of weak, unimaginative efforts. “Still Around” is declaration of her love and devotion, dedicated to her husband Marc Anthony (which he happens to make a surprise appearance in). Her voice has never sounded worse by the way than it does when she tries riffing and hitting high notes nowhere near her range.  Then comes the sloppy seconds from Brandy with “Ryde or Die”. You can still even hear her voice in the chorus! After that it’s “I, Love”, the most boring song the album has to offer, followed by a decent track from hit producer Timbaland “He’ll Be Back” (and ya’ll know I love me some Timbo!) Then it’s time for the album to end with an unnecessary, overly dramatic song “(Can’t Believe) This Is Me”.  And last but not least, we’re treated to another version of “Get Right” featuring a verse from rapper Fabolous.

The Point

While the second half of the album is weak and boring (very unoriginal as well), listening to “Get Right” through “Cherry Pie” is reason enough to put it at #5 in the J.Lo albums countdown.

The Essentials

“Get Right” is no doubt the big highlight of the album, and the video is a memorable one as well!

“I Got U” is a sweet reminder of when Ms. Lopez first came out into the music industry.

*Sorry for the poor quality video down below.

And “Whatever You Want” is a fun, hip club banger thanks in large part to producer Rich Harrison.



Bigger and Braver (Jennifer Lopez Album #6)

6.) Brave
(October 2007)

The Set-Up

It was time to get back into Pop action with this album, and Ms. Lopez certainly did her best to keep up to date with what was hot in music at the time. It wasn’t necessarily a bad album, but it wasn’t her greatest, which is why it ended up on my countdown at #6.

The Play-by-Play

The album begins with a terrific opener “Stay Together”, obviously putting all those people on blast who didn’t think her marriage to Marc Anthony would be lasting this long. Things groove right along into “Forever”, a very hypnotic trip and one of the more lively numbers. “Hold It Don’t Drop It” comes right out of the gate, sampling Tavares’ “It Only Takes A Minute”. It is one of the highlights of the album, throwing back to a sort of updated disco. “Do It Well” follows as the first single. It’s not one of the most imaginative singles that Jennifer Lopez has to offer, but it’s one of the most upbeat she’s released, and it has excellent production from superstar man Ryan Tedder. And who would’ve thought that sampling Michael Jackson actually would sound legit? “Gotta Be There” does a tremendous job with its fast lyrics and personal plea to follow her man around everywhere (basically it serves as the stalker anthem). Then things get a little gentler with “Never Gonna Give Up”. It sounds a lot like she’s trying to rip off The Beatles in the beginning, but sure enough it turns into the most beautiful and heartfelt moments on the album. Although her voice has never been the strongest to begin with, her voice is pitch perfect and very vulnerable, clearly exclaiming that through all of her mishaps in love, she is still going to try and try again and find it (which at this point with Mr. Anthony, she has). From here on out, it’s filled with average (or even below average) quality songs that don’t add any great interest to the rest of the album. “Mile In These Shoes” sounds a bit too young for J.Lo to be singing about. “The Way It Is” is a bit too repetitive for my taste. “Be Mine” is unimaginative and certainly not very exciting. “I Need Love” sounds like the CD skipped and went back to “The Way It Is” for a minute. Then along comes the closing songs, first with “Wrong When You’re Gone” which again tries to be current, keeping up with artists like Keri Hilson, Ciara, etc. It’s a decent attempt, but definitely not in her range for what she’s done previously. “Brave” just serves the purpose as closing out on a positive, uplifting, but overly corny note. And then we’re given one last treat, a little revamping of “Do It Well”, but adding in a spectacular verse from Ludacris.

The Point

Overall, Brave serves as one of Jennifer Lopez’s strongest albums, but it doesn’t stand out as one of the most memorable. It sounds more like middle-aged R&B trying to aim for a younger audience, but it’s so stuck on throwbacks to music that people at this time didn’t care to listen to that much. All props to Jennifer for keeping with what she does best, and that’s delivering good pop music. But nothing stood out, it was just the exact same formula. Nothing was really updated or current, it seemed to be going in a different direction.

The Essentials

“Hold It Don’t Drop It” is the big standout for me as the most fun. I wish it could’ve had more success as a single.

“Do It Well” stands out for the great sampling of “Keep On Truckin’” and it’s low notes and fast lyrics.

But the big moment I love the most is the beauty in Jennifer’s voice on “Never Gonna Give Up”.

Que Bonita! (Jennifer Lopez #7 Album)

And so it begins! The countdown to Jennifer Lopez's new album Love? next Tuesday is off and running. So here I go counting down her albums from good to the greatest!

7.) Como Ama Una Mujer

(March 2007)

The Set-Up

The downward spiral of Jennifer Lopez’s music career began with her 5th studio album and only continued with this release. She had her share of failed relationships and marriages, had spent a lot of time in the gossip magazines, and dealt with a lot of criticism for several bad movies she had starred in. But at least she was trying to change her ways by this time. She was married to singer Marc Anthony and did her best to try to keep her private life private, staying out of the spotlight and maturing.

The Play-by-Play

She starts things off right with the explosive first single “Qué Hiciste”, proving that she really does have a strong voice despite critics speaking out otherwise. She continues the hot trend with the second single, coming out with a little bit of a rock edge, “Me Haces Falta”. “Como Ama Una Mujer” highlights the beauty in her voice, then suddenly we get another glimpse of an upbeat side to all of this album with “Te Voy A Querer”. But then from here on out, the songs tend to drag out, showing the beauty in her voice with more Spanish ballads, but certainly not adding the amount of spice I was expecting from her. She decides to re-do a dud from her last album Rebirth called “I Can’t Believe This Is Me”, but this time of course it's titled as “Porque Te Marchas”, which despite its dramatic corniness, it actually surpasses the English version. Following that remake, she goes into another beautiful duet with Marc Anthony (making it the 3^rd between the two of them) “Por Arriesgarnos”. “Tù”, “Amarte Es Todo”, “Apresùrate”, “Sola”, and “Adiòs” close out the album with nothing really groundbreaking or exciting to show for itself.

The Point

It was great to see Jennifer Lopez step out of her regular realm of pop music and try something different. She is a true Latina after all, and it was great to hear her get back to her roots, but it’s not the J.Lo that we’ve all come to love. It’s not a bad album. It’s just that compared to her other albums (which you’ll hear about soon enough) it’s not as exciting or fun. But nevertheless, her voice has never sounded so beautiful and pure as it does on this album though.

The Essentials

“Qué Hiciste” is the standout of the album, switching back and forth effectively from a quiet storm into a powerhouse refrain.

“Me Haces Falta” is another great one from this album that shows off a bit of a Latin-rock edge for Ms. Lopez.

Let's Get Loud for J.LO'S Best! (The Top 5 Best Singles)

And now I can get to my favorite part in which I get to celebrate only the best of Jenny from the block! Here’s the top 5 best Jennifer Lopez singles!

Beauty at its best!

5.) “Let’s Get Loud”

(from the album On The 6)

This is a Jennifer signature, with its infectious dance beat and Latin rhythm. And who can forget her performance at the 1999 Women’s World Cup? This song is just another example of what a fierce Latina she is!

4.) “All I Have” (featuring LL Cool J)

(from the album This Is Me…Then)

Everything about this song just screams “HIT RECORD”. From a guest appearance by LL Cool J, to a sick hip-hop sample, Jenny from the block certainly continued her R&B/Pop reign and showed even more depth than before. While the video gets a little cheesy in most parts, the song is so great that I'll forgive her!

3.) “I’m Real [Murder Remix]” (featuring Ja Rule)

(from the album J.Lo)

This is exactly what she needed to show greater range. People were already starting to grow a little weary of her music from her second album, so releasing this remix was the perfect answer. And the controversy surrounding her use of the “N” word didn’t hurt one bit. Back when Ja Rule was in his prime, this was a perfect summer duet, helping Ms. Lopez gain more street cred.

2.) “If You Had My Love”

(from the album On The 6)

Who can deny Jennifer’s debut #1 hit single? With production from Darkchild, it served as the big introduction for Jennifer Lopez the singer. Today, the video looks so ancient with it's website and clicking sound effects (remember those?), but for its time with the internet web cams and all, it's hard to remember how groundbreaking it was! And who can forget the fact that we finally got to hear her sing! You can never forget your first...

1.) “Get Right”

(from the album Rebirth)

You either think this is the most annoying song in the world, or one of the most infectious. For me, it’s the most infectious songs I’ve ever heard, and her best one to date! It is a very repetitive sample that is used by producer Rich Harrison, but it certainly got people moving. And while it may not be her most popular album, this turned into another J.Lo signature in my eyes.

I'm Glad These Are Her Worst (Top 5 Worst Jennifer Lopez Singles)

I feel as though I'm preparing for a marathon...a marathon of LOVE that is! 2 weeks counting down until Jennifer Lopez releases her album Love?. To commemorate this event, here is the first blog posting:

Isn't she gorgeous?!!!

Jennifer Lopez is my Madonna, my Barbara, my Liza. In my eyes she can do no wrong, she's unstoppable! But then I have to face reality that she has had her flaws in the past. Here is my quick list of the worst singles she’s come out with. Forgive me J.Lo…

5.) “Louboutins”

(originally from the album Love?...but taken off the final tracklisting)

This was just awkward and messy all over. It didn’t break any new ground. It was here that Jenny took 5 steps backward from the direction she was going before. There was no video released, and the song didn’t chart anywhere really. Not to mention that soon after the poor reception, she was dropped from Epic Records. And let's not forget when she fell at the American Music Awards...

4.) “Hold You Down” (featuring Fat Joe)

(from the album Rebirth)

Maybe if she had released “Step Into My World” or “I Got U” as the follow up single to “Get Right” the album might have had a little more success than it did (although it is one of my least favorite albums of hers). It’s the choice to release this as the second single that makes it one of the worst in my eyes. The reunion of Jen and Fat Joe sounds like a good idea, but it felt more like they were trying to recreate the magic and success of “All I Have”, and they failed miserably.

3.) “I’m Glad”

(from the album This Is Me…Then)

My favorite album of hers, but certainly not my favorite song. It’s the lyrics that kills it for me. They're cheesy, corny, and don’t make sense in a lot of ways. It’s almost like a 3^rd grader wrote this song for her, but I will say the tribute to Flashdance in the video made it better, just a little bit.

2.) “Alive”

(from the album J to tha L-O! The Remixes)

The corniest song J.Lo ever had. It didn’t really help out her movie Enough, I think it only made things worse. She’s not meant to sing big ballads like this, especially when there’s really no personal connection to what she’s singing. But please skip ahead to the 3:00 mark, and enjoy my favorite facial expression of hers! (Marissa knows what I'm talking about)

               

1.) “Fresh Out The Oven” (featuring Pitbull)

(originally from the album Love?...but taken off the final tracklisting)

I get what they were trying to do: release a sexy buzz single that sounds like nothing she’s done in the past, trying to spark some mysterious interest in her new album. It is a sexy beat, and it has its moments. But this really showcases how weak of a voice she has. There are lots of cringing moments throughout. And if it was to raise interest in her album, it’s easy to see why she was dropped from the label and why the album has taken so long to get released...

BUT...and this is a big one of course since it is Jennifer Lopez: now that this is out of the way, be prepared next week when I put out my favorite singles list, followed by a day-by-day countdown of her albums from worst to best, all leading up to Tuesday, May 3! (that's her album release people...KEEP UP!)