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73 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funkier and much better than On the 6, January 22, 2001
I have to admit I bought this CD on an impulse. I didn't really have any feelings towards the 1st single 'Love Don't Cost A Thing' when I first heard it on the radio, but I fell in love with the CD when I did a listen-thru at HMV. I felt that On the 6 was mediocre, bogged down by too many ballads. Happily, I can report that J.Lo is much better than Jennifer's previous effort.The first thing I noted about the album was the very low amount of slow songs. Virtually all the songs can be danced to. This is definitely a good thing as La Lopez' admittedly thin vocals tended to annoy on the ballads from On the 6. Sadly though, there is no frenetically fun track a la 'Let's Get Loud' on J.Lo Here's a track-by-track run-down of the album: 1)Love Don't Cost a Thing - You've all heard it... Form your own opinion. 2)I'm Real - A nice standard dance-pop song. Pleasant and inoffensive, if a bit predictable. 3)Play - The future 2nd single and one of the best songs on the album. Great techno beat and totally danceable to. Vaguely reminiscent of Madonna's 'Music' while maintaining it's originality. Ms Lopez even swears here! :) 4)Walking on Sunshine - Another techno-y track. Pretty good too. Great use of samples and audio effects. 5)Ain't It Funny - A track full of Latino flavour. Sounds like a Spanish ballad updated for the new millennium. VERY catchy chorus. 6)Carino - When I first heard this song, I immediately thought of Ms Lopez singing on a stage above a dancefloor, with backup singers and band behind her, while couples tango away below. Another wonderfully Latino track. 7)Come Over - The first slow song. A bit too boring and the lyrics are pretty inane. A disappointment. Sounds like a Toni Braxton reject. 8)We Gotta Talk - This really reminds me of a Destiny's Child song, 'Hey Ladies'. Good but not incredible. 9)That's Not Me - My favourite track on the album. Pulsating insistent beats mesmerize you while the chorus is TOTALLY catchy. Wonderful blend of slow and uptempo elements. Must be the magic touch of Kandi. 10)Dance With Me - Not a cover of the Debelah Morgan song, it's a pretty forgettable standard R&B song. Nice use of trumpet(I think) blats tho. 11)Secretly - Another slow song. REALLY slow and thus not my cup of tea. At least Jennifer's voice is pretty pleasant here. 12)I'm Gonna Be Alright - Another track with a great chorus. Quite good on the whole. 13)That's the Way - Eh... Bland stuff, despite being produced by Rodney Jerkins. And Jennifer's voice is slightly whiny here. 14)Dame (Touch Me) - A duet with Chayanne. Obviously very Latin. This is another of my favourite tracks. Chayanne does sound scarily like an old woman on this track though. Also produced by Jerkins, despite sounding nothing like something he would produce. 15)Si Ya Se Acabo - Another Latin track, obviously. And it's also pretty good. Reminds me of a slower, Latin-flavoured 'Waiting for Tonight'. On the whole, J.Lo is great, but falls short of perfection. Jennifer Lopez, or rather her producers, has made a album that showcases her ability to make a fun, catchy song and downplays her vocal weaknesses. In an interview, Jennifer claimed to have made J.Lo an album directed 'at the hips' and in this instance, she has succeeded wonderfully. Take a bow, Miss Lopez.
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