Jennifer Lopez : Releases >>

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On The 6 >>

Actress Jennifer Lopez's debut album fails in its attempt to provide a worthy musical backdrop to her much-discussed diva-esque image. Over the course of 13 songs, On the 6 displays barely a glimmer of the verve, poise, and sensuality of her screen performances in the likes of Out of Sight. With little vocal talent to rely on, Lopez generally seems content to ape Madonna's middle register like any happy radio listener. Similarly, several of the tracks here seem too rooted in the Latin-lite clichés of "La Isla Bonita." With practice--more Lopez CDs will surely follow in the wake of 6's success--the star might develop into a singer worth reckoning with, but for now she stands as a wonderful actress and a musical artist with an unengaging album to her name. --Rickey Wright

J. Lo >>

Como Ama Una Mujer >>

Jennifer Lopez:Rebirth >>

Love her or loathe her, uber-diva Jennifer Lopez knows how to deliver on record. She understands how to make the most of her limited vocal range, choosing to surround herself with able producers Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, Big Boi and Cory Rooney, who oversaw Lopez's first album, On the 6. The mix makes Rebirth far more enjoyable than it should be, coasting on midnight-groove ballads and polished dance tracks. Lopez's fourth studio album offers little insight into her much-gossiped-about persona, but it's an undeniably fun ride anyway. A blaring James Brown horn riff drills first single "Get Right" into your head almost immediately, and soon enough, you'll find yourself bopping to the beat. The Middle-Eastern flavor of "Step Into My World" is undeniably seductive, and it's actually enhanced by Lopez's wisp of a voice. "Whatever You Wanna Do" and "Cherry Pie" are solid dance tracks, the kind of grooves Janet Jackson made before she became a Superbowl afterthought. Elsewhere, the album is peppered with R&B ballads, much like Lopez's 2002 opus, This Is Me ... Then. Rebirth is hardly a groundbreaking affair, but it continues to showcase Lopez's skillful trend of producing solid, catchy, R&B-laced records. Nothing here ever sounds forced or canned, and in the world of MTV and radio edits, maybe that does make Lopez a bit of a revolutionary after all. --Joey Guerra

J To Tha L-O! Remixes >>

Unlike most single-artist remix albums, J to tha L-O! actually has a purpose beyond raking in cash from fans. The best of these cuts brings much-needed weight to the often-weak writing, vocals, and production that mar Jennifer Lopez's two previous multiplatinum albums. The prize, of course, is her duet with Ja Rule on "I'm Real," but the other highlights (a Rodney Jerkins reworking of his own "If You Had My Love," P. Diddy's "Feelin' So Good") follow along similar hip-hop/R&B lines. Her stabs at street cred aren't always as successful; the 12-letter curse she employs on the Sack International Remix of "Play" is a good deal less than convincing. Generic house rhythms don't do anything for "Let's Get Loud" and "Walking on Sunshine." Finally, the new, tacked-on ballad "Alive," cowritten by the superstar, begins like "I Honestly Love You" but quickly proves itself a new "Greatest Love of All," filled with blind self-love. It's hard to tell if there's even anyone else in the room, or if she's just singing to a mirror. --Rickey Wright

Brave >>

It would take a pretty good argument to deny that Jennifer Lopez is brave--nobody transitions from dance to film to music as boldly or as fluidly--but bravery doesn't factor much into her new disc, despite the title. And that's a good thing. On Brave, JLo busts out a batch of songs that don't challenge pop-appreciative ears--there's no cross-genre experimenting, no political point-making, and no self-serving, overblown ballads. In their place are well turned-out hooks (see "Mile in These Shoes," a song apt to cause ankle injuries in untold numbers of Jimmy Choo owners), bright production ("Hold It Don't Drop It" samples Tavares's groovealicious "It Only Takes a Minute"), and a voice very much in the mood to have a good time. "Stay Together," the opener, sets a happy, beat-heavy tone that holds up all album long--here's Jenny reminding the masses that monogamy need not be a buzz kill: "Stay together, it's the new break-up/Stay together, it's the new trend," she trills, and you believe her. Brave may not be the most groundbreaking record ever to climb the pop charts, but it's enough to convince you JLo's discs don't stint on substance. And it'll raise your pulse, too. --Tammy La Gorce

J.Lo >>

Like Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez has entered the singing-dancing-acting zone of the bona fide superstar and has developed an ego to match her talents. J. Lo, the follow-up to her multiplatinum 1999 debut On the 6, makes little attempt to tinker with the Latina-soul formula that record patented, employing an army of coproducers and writers (including partner Puffy) to assemble a slick 15-track affair. If anything, Lopez's sound is safe, even retro, with some tracks looking back to the 1980s--particularly the Michael Jackson-influenced "I'm Real" and the funky, impressive "Play." Her Puerto Rican background comes to the fore on a handful of Spanish numbers, notably "Cariño," which samples Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria's "Sofrito" to impressive effect. It goes badly wrong on the "La Isla Bonita" soundalike "Ain't It Funny," which merely serves to reinforce the impression that Lopez is happy to settle for being the Latina Madonna. --Mike Pattenden