After the negative reception and disappointing sales to her 2007 album “Brave”, Jennifer Lopez tried reinventing her music career with “Louboutins”, the failed 2009 lead single from her then upcoming album. Even though the single did not create the buzz that was desired, Lopez and her team went back into the studio to revamp her seventh studio album, Love?, which was finally given a release date of May 3rd, 2011 in the US. With new lead single, “On The Floor”, reaching the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and a new job as an American Idol judge, anticipation for the new project was finally building and it was well worth the hype.
The twelve track standard edition of the album starts off with the club-pumping, top five hit “On The Floor”, which takes Lopez back to her past roots as a true dance queen. With the help of Pitbull, who seems to be on every track this year, the song is able to get people up on their feet dancing. The single is considered Lopez’ best chart performance in eight years, and there is a reason why. The track is the ultimate pop, dance song. Lopez’ “Jenny From the Block” persona seems to take control on the sexualized track, “Good Hit”. The song is good; I love the attitude that comes from the singer and I just think that the track is something fun. Lopez may be a little older than most pop artists on the scene right now, but she is not showing it which is something to commend. Second and current single, “I’m Into You”, sees Lopez exchanging verses with rap star Lil Wayne in a song that seems to be influenced by Jamaican beats and vibes. The track may not be one of my personal favorites, but I do complement the vocals from both of the artists and the supporting production that really takes the song to another level. I just don’t think everything came together here. One of the highlights off the album, trust me there are plenty, comes in the form of the slow and personal “What Is Love?”, a song that sounds as if it were ripped straight from the artist’s diary. Lopez’ vocals present on the track are some of the best that I have heard from her throughout her entire career. The song is different from most of the track list, which makes it that much better. The R&B influenced “Run The World”, is a track that contains a sound that J.Lo has dipped her feet into in the past. The flow and tempo of the song are nice, complements the vocals well, but there is something about the track that does not build any excitement. It gets lost in between two of the best tracks on the album and just is not one that will garner much attention with the dance orientated songs that are being released. “Papi” is a dance/pop smash that takes influence from the late night clubs and Lopez’ Latin roots to become a great high energized track. The song follows in the footsteps of the lead single, sounds as if it could be a sequel, but the catchy chorus and Spanish vocals make this track something completely new and different. Anyone will sing and dance along to this dance anthem that should do very well on the charts. Another ballad is tackled when “Until It Beats No More” starts to come through the speakers. Lopez may not have the greatest voice in the music industry, but she gives it everything on this track and the efforts pay off. You actually get a sense of vulnerability from the artist and cannot help but get immersed in the lyrics that she sings. The instrumentals and vocals go together perfectly, great job. Everything slows down once again for “One Love”, which is another departure from the pop fueled tracks that are featured on the project. There is nothing amazing or special about the track, but it is done very well, so I would just classify it as simply average. It does not show anything new or groundbreaking from Lopez, and that is expected from an album that is considered a “comeback effort”. The album continues with “Invading My Mind”, the first of two tracks on the album penned by pop princess Lady Gaga. The song contains load, up tempo beats that make it into a dance record where Lopez has always been most comfortable. The entire track, chorus especially, is extremely catchy and the vocals are not bad either. Lopez takes the song and makes it her own, not just a Gaga leftover. “Villain” contains a soft performance by the artist, but the production on the track turns into something else. The vocals come off very sexy and sultry, the lyrics as well, which is a surprise. The song is very enjoyable with the first listen and it sounds like Lopez had a fun time recording the song. She does not struggle with the material and the final product is a great addition to the album. Heartfelt emotion is poured into “Starting Over”, a track that describes a broken relationship, or a relationship of the verge of breaking. The track could be considered another ballad which helps ease the dance pace that the listener has been experiencing for most of the project. It is nice to hear Lopez step out of her comfort zone and succeed with a song that most would not see her capable of doing. The album closes with “Hypnotico”, the second track written by Lady Gaga to be featured on the effort. Lopez does a great job at giving her best Gaga impression and she succeeds. With one listen it is obvious that the song was from Gaga’s collection, with the repeating chorus and fast paced style. The song does a great job at closing the album. The collaboration was best left to the very end because it will get people talking.
Love? is the album that fans and critics have been waiting for from the Latin dance queen. Lopez does a great job at hammering out successful dance tracks one right after another to create a fun yet important album in her long career. The album balances these loud dance tracks along with R&B influenced records and beautiful ballads that fit with the sound of the artist. There may have been a bump or two down the road, but nothing too extreme that will classify this great record as a failure. The vocals are perfect, the production and writing is top notch, and this comeback album receives a final rating of a high 88%.
Tracks to Hear: "What Is Love?", "Papi", and "Hypnotico"
Jennifer Lopez - What Is Love (LaCoquillita.Com) by Tr3Flow
Hypnotico - Jennifer Lopez by ricardoeccel
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