After a brief rest on the bench, From The Vault is back with yet another classic. Today’s pick comes courtesy of the ever-epic Jennifer Lopez and her one of her signature jams ‘Jenny From The Block’.
After asserting that she was “real” in 2001, Lopez clearly still had a few concerns on her mind regarding the public’s perception of herself. In late 2002, she unleashed the beast that was the ‘Jenny’ single and pressed on with the idea that fame and money didn’t change her, meanwhile picking herself up a new nickname.
Obviously, not everyone was convinced by the glamorous diva’s theme of humility… still the song was a worldwide hit which peaked at #3 both in the US and the UK, #5 in Australia and in France and #1 in Canada.
The single, the first of Jen’s third offering ‘This Is Me… Then’ was produced by Trackmasters, written by Lopez and Corey Rooney and heavily relies on many samples such as ‘Heaven and Hell Is On Earth’ by 20th Century Steel Band and Boogie Down Productions’ ‘South Bronx.’
**********
Unafraid of mixing business and pleasure, it wasn’t surprising that Lopez’s then-fiancé Ben Affleck served as the main attraction of the song’s visual. The paparazzi-themed affair is made of a selection of “stolen shots” of Bennifer in their everyday life.
Like the message in the song, the Francis Lawrence-directed video did not sit well with everybody – especially at a time when the couple were undoubtedly overexposed. Still it was a smash and gained even more recognition throughout the years because of its media-voyeuristic theme.
***********
While some would call her actions (such as this video_ calculated, we see them as smart. Indeed, more often than not, her moves are attached to a greater cause – whether a movie, album or charity. Put simply, unlike some of her peers today, there often is a method to the melee when it comes to J.Lo. And we’re entirely “here” for it.
