Album- Love?
Artist- Jennifer
Lopez
Jennifer Lopez has been one of the few people in the world
who can seemingly perform well in whatever they wish to pursue, with her acting
career balancing powerfully with her music career, as well as other
entrepreneurial pursuits. Yet she is also someone who has suffered within her
career, with her films and music both taking a setback within the late 2000’s,
and so the highs do truly balance the lows. With her high profile American Idol
judge role and a change of label after a number of issues, Lopez set out with
this album to prove that she was still a cut above the rest musically.
Track 1- On the Floor
(featuring Pitbull)
This up tempo dance pop number was the track that brought
J.Lo back to prominence and saw her having the bestselling single of her career,
as well as one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time. The songs
carefree message of partying and just having fun on the dance floor is a simple
statement that could be boring, but the incorporation of Los Kjarkas
composition “Llorando se fue” in the melody makes for a catchy sound, with the
hook being simple but effective. Vocally Lopez plays it safe here and sticks to a low register, which
is great as it keeps the song on the just a simple tone and so never gets too
aggressive. Production wise one of the producers of the moment, RedOne,
provides some nice electro pop beats combined with heavy synths to make a
dancefloor sound that is never overpowering. And the Pitbull feature adds a
nice cool rap section that makes for a strong finish. Yet whilst this is a good
track,it also feels slightly annoying that this was her big comeback single, as
the tracks production does lack originality from RedOne, and the track lacks
that sense of personality that Lopez has exhibited before in such hits as “Get
Right” and “Jenny from the Block”.
3.5/5
Track 2- Good Hit
Described by Lopez as potentially a good summer single, it
is a good thing that this was never released as a single. Universally panned by
critics, the track definitely deserves it’s negative reaction, as it lacks any
personality and just sounds like any singer in the world could have sung it.
This is primarily because Lopez’s vocals, which are so Auto Tuned it is
ridiculous and means that the track just feels bland, with the bridge being the
only sign of the sexy Lopez personality that we know is there. The lyrics are
no better, with the “la la la” motif being ridiculously stereotypical and the
references to objects and clubs being likewise stereotypical, making it seem as
if she isn’t even trying. The only good thing about the song is it’s dance pop
and RnB sound, with the forceful beats having a neck snapping quality that
allows for a good pace and would have probably sounded better if paired with
different lyrics and vocals.
2/5
Track 3- I’m Into You
(featuring Lil Wayne)
This mid tempo pop track is a nice sensual sounding kind of
affair that brings the record onto a much better form. Built around an Island
flavoured hook of “na na na” that is infectious, the song find Lopez singing of
how great her man is and how she is just lost in her love for him. Vocally
Lopez is strong but sensual, with a breathless kind of quality in the pre
chorus and chorus that makes the ideology of the track a little more
believable. And although the production isn’t ground-breaking, the sparkling
synth heavy beats and island tinged percussion make for a great, slightly
reggae influenced track that feels like a good summer jam, with Lil Wayne
providing a cool guest rap that is a little cheeky and gives a good male point
of view. It may sound familiar in today’s pop world, but sometimes great songs
do sound familiar.
4/5
Track 4- (What Is)
Love?
First heard with Lopez’s 2010 film “The Back-up Plan”, the
album’s title track is a mid tempo electro pop number that borders upon ballad
territory but sparkles on a bed of synths and so sounds like more of a
commanding listen. Written by Wynter Gordon and Emile Dernst, the tracks lyrics
simply reflect on the question of what it means to actually be love, with Lopez
singing about her life and how she has been in so many crap relationships and
situations and now just wants to be with the man who can show her what she
really wants. Vocally Lopez is strong, perhaps not putting her own strong stamp
on the track but bringing a sense of glamour and also allow for some of the
power in her voice to show in a good rather than annoying way. And the heavy
electro pop bass line of the production is strong and makes for a commanding
track, although the “na na na” refrain feels a bit too familiar coming after
the previous song.
3.5/5
Track 5- Run the
World
Seemingly a snap shot of Lopez’s relationship with her
former husband Marc Anthony, the track contains a hopeful lyrical message in
which Lopez sings about this love in which where these two people come together
they just really make things better. The track features a simple but catchy
hook, but in certain places the clichés that are employed are a little too
overpowering and bland. Production from the The-Dream and Tricky Stewart is great
as the mid tempo pop vibe with the heavy synth beats and head bobbing sound
gives a cool urban flavouring to the track that reminds us of Lopez’s roots and
harks back to her “Jenny from the Block” sound whilst still sounding very
current. However whilst vocally she keeps a simple tone that makes for a
chilled affair, the reliance on Auto Tune is annoying and so the track lacks a
little pizazz.
2.5/5
Track 6- Papi
Another RedOne produced number, this track features the most
prominent use of Lopez’s Latin roots in terms of the overall sound, with a
Latin and electro flavoured production that is powerfully up tempo and features
a melody that is driven strong beating drums and pounding synths. The lyrics
centre around Lopez’s love for dancing for her man, and in this sense the track
is very much an anthem for the ladies. Vocally the track is kept on a simple
light tone, with the vocal harmonization in the chorus making for a strong
dancing sound and contrasting with the more sensual verses well. The sensuality
of the track is also powerfully brought out in the middle section, in which the
Spanish ad libs emphasise how she is totally invested in what she is singing.
The middle section breakdown is also strong in terms of the thumping bass, and
so the song ends on a strong note and so as a whole this is definitely one of
the albums highlights.
4/5
Track 7- Until It
Beats No More
Once again Lopez sings of the power of love in this soft
rock pop ballad that lyrically speaks of a love that never dies. The lyrics
have a breathless honesty and emphasise the ideology of someone coming into
your life and making you feel again when you are at your lowest point. And
Lopez brings out the strength and rebirth ideology of the lyrics beautifully
within her lyrics, with the vocal harmonization in the chorus giving a nice
euphoric kind of tone, and the stripped back tone of the verses really allow
her vocals to shine and feel sophisticated and glamorous. The production of the
track is also great, with the simple piano melodies allowing for a sense of
honesty to permeate the track, and the strong drum beats in the chorus make the
statement that little bit more powerful.
4/5
Track 8- One Love
This light RnB number is a groovy and quite chilled affair
that finds Lopez questioning what love is again, but this time asking if there
is such a thing as one love. The soul mate ideology is powerfully and
effectively surmised in the tracks hook, and the verses have a nice essence of
honesty as critics have noted the indirect references to Lopez’s former
relationships. The light lyrical content is very catchy, and Lopez compliments
this nicely with her vocal performance in which she keeps a simple but strong
and light tone that makes for a catchy listen, and the synth laden production make
for a simple but nice sound that makes for a well-rounded track.
3.5/5
Track 9- Invading My
Mind
The up tempo energy of the record arrives again in the form
of this number in which we find Lopez singing of how she is being overcome by
this rush of feeling that this man is producing in her. The tracks sound is
similar in composition to “On the Floor” but with harsher beats and a more of a
groove feel and more prominent electro keys, just giving a great Euro pop dance
energy than that song. The vocals are strong if a little monotone, but the
playing off of a female and male (albeit highly distorted male) vocal in the
verses gives a cool energy to the track, and the production gives a cool dance
energy that compensates for the slightly repetitive lyrical content.
3/5
Track 10- Villain
Villain is a strong slice of electro pop with an RnB flavour
in which Lopez puts on the persona of a wicked kind of femme fatale as she
sings about being a player in love and just using this man because she just
thinks of herself, whilst the man has also done exactly the same thing to her.
The slow and lilting vocal tone Lopez employs makes the message a little bit
more potent, although after a while it sounds a little lifeless. And that is
the problem with this track, as the strong dance back beats are good to listen
to at first and “love love love love” motif is kind of catchy, but after a
while you get bored of it.
2.5/5
Track 11- Starting
Over
The ideology of the penultimate track is perfectly
encapsulated within the title as Lopez puts on a fragile persona and sings
about being broken after the end of a relationship and this powerful love, but
even though she is still in love it’s not enough and she has to start again,
although it is difficult and she is afraid. The song is given gravitas by
Lopez’s personal life, as she split with her husband at the time of the albums
recording. And so as she brings that fragile essence of the song in her quite
subdued and delicate vocal in the verses before making a kind of plea in the
chorus, we can totally believe what she is singing about. The production also
plays a nice line between giving the song an innate strength but also still
retaining that essence of fragility, with the handclapping beats and electronic
bass line making for a catchy sound.
3.5/5
Track 12- Hypnotico
(bonus track)
Originally recorded by artist Tami Chynn for her debut
album, Lopez recorded the track after Chynn’s album was cancelled, with the
song remaining unused for many years and seen as a lost cause by songwriter
Claude Kelly. The track is a light dance pop number that is driven by a chunky
beat and retro, 80’s synths that give a nice up tempo energy to the track.
Vocally Lopez gives a light and fun performance, being both fun and sensual at
the same time, and the use of Auto Tune just brings out the lightness and great
energy of the track rather than hindering the song in anyway. Lyrically the
track finds Lopez singing of how great her and all her girls are and how they
make the boys go crazy, being a very flirtatious message that is powerful when
set against the tracks booming bass line. It may be just a bonus track but it
is actually a great number that is perhaps better than some tracks on the
record.
4/5
Final Review
Lopez definitely makes a comeback statement with this album
has she has created a strong and cohesive record that really lives up to its
title, but she keeps it light and always creates catchy dance pop tunes that
are in many ways infectious. Aside from the odd track each of the songs is
strong in different ways and provides a fresh spin on the topic of love, with
Lopez retaining her upbeat Latina personality as well as showing a sense of
vulnerability alongside the dance, happy Lopez. If you want an album full of
catchy tunes then you should look no further than this record, and it is safe
to say that Lopez showed she was back on form with this record.
Best Track- I’m Into
You (featuring Lil Wayne)
Worst Track- Villain
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