Not without influence on the shape of the plate “This Is Me…Then” Jennifer Lopez’s ongoing relationship with Ben Affleck remained at that time. More than 20 years later, J.Lo records a sequel to that album, which is largely about… her relationship with Ben Affleck. History comes full circle, but that’s not what’s important here. Because two decades are two decades, but 10 years have passed since any previous Lopez album. What’s worse, I see absolutely no reason why any nostalgia for her work is justified. Also now.
Because did anyone miss Jennifer Lopez on the music scene? But be absolutely honest. It was never about any artistic inclinations. It was always supposed to be popular music, aimed at creating hits, filling stadiums and pleasing whites, blacks, teenagers sighing for love in the room light reflecting off the posters, young adults getting married unnecessarily after a mishap, and their eternally worried mothers. Objective? Forget about reality, suspend disbelief that everything is simple. Only “This Is Me… Now” fails to accomplish even such a simple task.
It’s hard to say that this is technically a bad album. The production is clear and prepared in accordance with technical requirements. These winks towards r’n’b from the times when Jennifer was on top, competing with Destiny’s Child, are pleasant to listen to. Especially when the bass carries the rhythm section as needed, as in “Heart and Flowers”, “not.going.anywhere” Whether “This Time Around”, in which Jennifer would clearly like to dress in Beyoncé’s skin. I can’t underestimate how incredibly excited I am about this beat “Hummingbird”. Only this doesn’t mean much, because ultimately the melodies strongly resist any degree of memorability, and the numbers lack moments in which the listener can get hooked. It’s an art to record an intentionally hit album, on which it is difficult to find any potential hits or even choruses to hum.
Yes, Jennifer Lopez sings more mature than ever – she is no longer a teenager, we know that. It’s worse when we focus on what he’s singing about. Any slogans about girl power, I believe in femininity or feminism – even in the pop version – can be put aside. J. Lo clearly puts herself in the position of a “servant”, sacrificing herself for her beloved, which probably bothers only the conservative part of America. The declarations of love on the album do not have a hint of brilliance or reason to take them beyond the boundaries of a relationship.
So is “This Is Me…Now” a bad album? I wouldn’t go as far as to make such statements – as I mentioned, from the technical point of view this item was prepared with incredible care. The only thing missing here is good melodies, lyrics, choruses, something that will make this album memorable and even fulfill its supposed role of a musical brain-killer. Due to this, the album arouses absolutely no emotions, which makes it simply a bland album. And honestly? I think that’s even worse than making a bad record.
Jennifer Lopez, “This Is Me… Now”, Warner Music Poland
3/10