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.

Jessie J Knows Best!

Jessie J is here to stay, that’s all there is to it!

The Set-Up:

I had heard very little about her to begin with, but getting the free download of her music video “Price Tag” on iTunes was one of the best decisions I made! She was crazy-looking and very punkish in the video, but there was something so magical about her. Then came her appearance on SNL and my heart just fluttered. She went miles above the recording of her first single and sounded amazing live, but what stuck with me was her second performance of “Mama Knows Best”, going all out with that insane voice of hers (watch a live version below to see what I’m talking about, OK?!) I’ve been waiting for her album to get here for so long, I can’t even tell you how happy I was that for my birthday I was given an iTunes gift card, and I didn’t even hesitate buying the album yesterday.

The Play-by-Play:

The album opens up with the bubbly first single “Price Tag” which is a great look into this kooky singer and what her style is all about. From there, we start to get the attitude with “Nobody’s Perfect”, then switching gears into a sweet little love crush with “Abracadabra”. That’s when we start to hear her big vocal aerobics, going up and down and all around. The girl can saaaaanng!  Then things get stripped down for a live version of “Big White Room”, showing off a little vulnerable side, but quickly stepping it up with her signature little stutter-like quality with certain phrases. She’s a dynamite performer, and you can hear it well on this track. Afterwards, she takes a little throwback to doo-wop, R&Bish music with the sophisticated “Casualty of Love”. “Rainbow” follows that, but there’s not too much to comment on, it’s ok, but not much of a stand out compared to the rest of the material. “Who’s Laughing Now” is her slap in the face to all the haters she’s had to deal with, but rather then getting angry with it, she laughs it off in this kiddish-style song. Thing really start to pick up with her full swagger on in “Do It Like A Dude”. Then comes the highlight for me: “Mama Knows Best” where that big booming voice I became a fan of in the first place finally takes centerstage throughout the entire song! The pop side of her really comes through with the next two tracks: “L.O.V.E.” and “Stand Up”. Soon enough, powerhouse starts to wind down with “I Need This” before going out with a bang for “Who You Are”, the studio version. If it ended there, I know I’d be satisfied, but instead she adds on a second version of “Who You Are” as a stripped down acoustic version she played for a show. It’s a true showcase of an artist who of course sounds great on the recording, but the true talent is portraying that same voice and style in a live setting, even more powerful and meaningful. It’s a beautiful ending with a positive message to never lose track of who you are, always being yourself and living your life for the bett-uh (as she exclaims in her lovely accent).

Random highlight: 

Honey child can drop the F bomb like it’s no one’s business, but it’s all done in great taste (yes, the F word is tasteful!)

The Point:

Jessie J is another addition to the growing crowd of British singers making their way to the US, making a big splash and becoming a big success. What separates her though from artists like Amy Winehouse, Adele, and even Leona Lewis is her personality and spunk, this special rebelliousness that she puts out there. Nothing at all negative, but it’s all a part of who she is. Her voice is impeccable and the talent can go on for days!

The Essentials:

If you’re not looking for the entire album, there are two signature songs you HAVE to get.

I recommend “Mama Knows Best”,

and the live version of “Who You Are”, both in all of her vocal glory, not to mention just how awesome she is to sing in the middle of the day outside of the subway in NYC!

From The Worst to the Best of Britney Spears Albums

As we’ve all come to know, Britney Spears' mark on pop culture is quite remarkable. And while she’s had her share of misfortune where her personal life is concerned, no one can deny that her albums have done their best to adapt with the changing times. She may not have the best voice in the business, but she certainly leaves her mark on some of the most memorable moments in music alone. From the worst to best, here are the albums of Ms. Britney Spears...

9.) The Singles Collection

It was a great effort putting her singles in order of their release, but what puts this album at the bottom of the list was its odd choice of singles to select. Was “Born To Make You Happy” even released here in the US? Where was “Sometimes”? And as much as “Lucky” annoys me, it was one of her more memorable singles, compared to this album including “Radar”.

FAVORITE SONG: "3"

8.) Greatest Hits: My Prerogative

Of course I have to get the greatest hits collections out of the way before the really good stuff. What makes this one better than “The Singles Collection” was its inclusion of new material and a mix of some of her REAL greatest hits.

FAVORITE SONG: "Do Somethin'"

7.) Baby One More Time

It was the first release that introduced her to the world, but when its compared to all her other work, it lacks a lot of depth. It was pure bubblegum pop at its finest: it includes a pop cover, an attempt at reggae, and a corny metaphor involving e-mail of all things.

FAVORITE SONG: "Sometimes"

6.) In The Zone

This is one of her most under appreciated albums to date. Maybe it was just all of the drama with her breakup from JT, followed by her quickie marriage and annulment, not to mention the beginning of the downward spiral with K-Fed. But it was here that Britney proved she was all grown-up. From having Madonna as a featured guest, to mixing banjo music into a Hip-Hop song, even singing about pleasuring herself, it was the start of the electro-Britney that we know and love today

FAVORITE SONG: "Toxic"

5.) Britney

Here is when we realized Britney wasn’t a little girl anymore, and she was willing to get away from her bubblegum pop image, at least for a little while. It’s the hip-hop contributions from The Neptunes and Darkchild that make this album a standout for me.The pop princess does go back to her roots with songs like “Cinderella”, but she strives for a darker, sexier side with tracks like “Boys”.

FAVORITE SONG: "I'm a Slave 4 U"

4.) Circus

This one delivered a great comeback for Britney after all of her hard times in the public eye. The singles “Womanizer”, “Circus”, and “If U Seek Amy” may be the most memorable things from this album, which also includes duds like “Mmm Papi” or “Out From Under”.

FAVORITE SONG: "Unusual You"

3.) Oops!...I Did It Again

This was a far better effort than her debut, and one that I consider my guilty pleasure. From a pop cover of The Rolling Stones, to the infectious first single, the hits just keep coming from this album. And let’s not forget the maturity of songwriting from having someone e-mail her heart in the first disc to writing in her diary on this one with the cheesiest lyrics to date (“Dear Diary, today I saw a boy and I wondered if he noticed me. He took my breath away”). I've forgiven you Britney, don't you worry!

FAVORITE SONG: "One Kiss From You"

2.) Femme Fatale

Britney continues her reign as the pop princess with her most recent release. What makes it the second best is the fact that she truly has outdone herself with outstanding club tracks, and one of her best start-to-finish albums ever. Dr. Luke and Max Martin lead the way with terrific production (not to mention other great contributions from Stargate, Darkchild, & will.i.am).

FAVORITE SONG:  "Up N' Down"

1.) Blackout

Although people consider Circus to be her big comeback album, Blackout is the real comeback in my eyes. From start to finish, she offers a dark look into her personal problems living in the public eye. And let’s not forget her atrocious performance of “Gimme More” at the VMA’s where it seemed like she had finally lost it all. But even with that performance in mind, the song still stands out as one of her best to date. Who can forget her opening of “It’s Britney, bitch”? Danja and Bloodshy & Avant (not to mention my favorite contribution from Sean Garrett) did a terrific job helping to turn Britney’s image around and offer some of the best production quality in Britney’s career.

FAVORITE SONG: "Toy Soldier"