Happy birthday, Jennifer Lopez: Looking at her iconic songs
Jennifer Lopez has consistently broken the glass ceiling with accolades such as being the highest-paid Hispanic actress in Hollywood and establishing the Latin pop movement in American music. After her debut studio album in 1999, the "triple threat entertainer" has released numerous chartbusters that have stood the test of time. On her 53rd birthday, let's take a look at her five such iconic songs.
The 2016 song combined reggae, dancehall, and Latin music influences and lyrically brought out Lopez's powerful, feminist side. The video, too, showcased the singer showering her support to the second wave of the feminist movement. Ain't Your Mama didn't take long to land into the listeners' hearts and even became Lopez's first appearance on music charts in several European territories in over four years!
A song from her eighth studio album A.K.A, Same Girl (2014) was penned by her, Chris Brown, Antwan Thompson, Charles Stephens, and Ryan Tedder. The 3:30-minute-long song is dominated by trap-tinged hi-hat rolls and triumphant brass. Lopez described the number as "getting back to your roots," and a different orchestral version was also used for her Netflix documentary Halftime (2022).
Let's rewind the clocks a bit. One of Lopez's early breakthrough songs, All I have (2002) is best remembered for her chemistry with rapper LL Cool J. A single from her album This Is Me...Then, it was an instant hit and topped the charts both in the US and in New Zealand. In 2004, it was also felicitated with an ASCAP Pop Music Award.
Jenny from the Block (2002) underlined Lopez's recurring theme—to stay grounded and humble despite the fame and fortune that has come her way in life. Featuring rappers Jadakiss and Styles P, the song dominated the charts in Canada and climbed up to the third position on the US Billboard Hot 100. Moreover, the music video also featured her then-boyfriend and now husband, Ben Affleck.
On the Floor marked Lopez's collaboration with another iconic performer: Pitbull. The 2011 song digs deep into Lopez's roots as a Latin artist who made it big, particularly focusing on her career trajectory as a dancer. A number that floored both critics and music aficionados, it was described as "music worth getting lost in" by Rolling Stone. Have you heard the song yet?
