(Feb. 18) After missing her third album’s 20th anniversary by two years, Jennifer Lopez’s celebratory This Is Me… Now visual album feels too little too late, best supported by celebrity cameos that made viewers forget about the three-year-old music it took to perfect the CGI needed for Lopez to drop a single petal into a metal heart on the verge of self-destruct. The musical film is exclusively available on Amazon Prime as of February 16.
Directed by Dave Meyers, This Is Me… Now is a cinematic and mythical retrospective of the Latin-American icon’s love life and path to healing. Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own eyes. Combined with fantastical costumes and breathtaking choreography, Lopez bares her heart, and it definitely shines—in post-production.
When a possible financier dropped out at the last minute, Lopez battled endless adversaries and self-funded the $20 million film. “Everybody thought I was crazy,” Lopez told Variety in a cover story. “And by the way, I thought I was crazy.” The film’s making-of documentary, titled The Greatest Love Story Never Told, is out February 27.
Whatever the delay, perhaps Lopez’s ambition clouded a milestone moment few artists achieve in their lifetime. What would’ve rocked radio in 2022—when first teased—feels a bit stale, much like the album’s Spotify streams. While tracks like “Hearts & Flowers,” “Rebound,” “Broken Like Me” and “Can’t Get Enough” are poised for “fan favorites” titles, people will remember the glass house and three weddings before any melody.
In other pop news, Ariana Grande enlists Mariah Carey for the “yes, and?” remix. Stream Jennifer Lopez’s new album, This Is Me… Now, below.
