Singer. Actress. Entertainer.
After more than two decades in the industry, this year saw Jennifer Lopez add to her potent portfolio by slipping on her stilettos to scorch in Las Vegas.
Today, we celebrate the diva’s ability to diversify her craft. This week’s From The Vault is a special one as it pays homage to not one but two singles: ‘I’m Real’ – the original Pop version and its ‘Murder Remix.’
Following the success of the ‘J.LO’ album’s launching single ‘Love Don’t Cost A Thing,’ second swing of the bat ‘Play’ didn’t fare as well commercially. It was time to shake things up. Cue ‘I’m Real.’
The 80’s-kissed incarnation of the song was serviced to radio first. Produced by frequent collaborator Cory Rooney, it lyrically leaned on the “independent woman” theme which was all the rage in the early 00’s.
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What really established ‘Real’ as a blockbuster hit, though, was its Urban remix, which saw Lopez link up with rapper Ja Rule for the first time (of many times). With its sonically summer sound, the track reached the top spot of the US Billboard Hot 100, where it shone brightly for five non-consecutive weeks.
It’s important to stress that although the two songs don’t sound anything alike, their airplay counted towards the very same chart position – a policy which has since been changed following arguments of unfairness.
Elsewhere, ‘Real’ peaked at #3 in both Australia and France but also at the 4th position of the UK Singles Charts.
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For both versions of the song, Dave Meyers was brought in to bring to fruition two dynamically different visuals.
While the Pop take saw the singer assume the role of a homecoming star in town for a show, the ‘Murder’ mix (which nabbed an MTV VMA) re-affirmed her Bronx rooting. It crucially introduced the masses to the “Jenny From The Block” aesthetic; one that would become a staple in her career and one she would later revisit with louder volume on 2014’s ‘AKA.’
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Fifteen years after this release, La Lopez is still making major waves in the entertainment world. For she and her team have ensured she is omnipresent in the media scape. Indeed, this year alone, one need not look further than her Vegas residency, American Idol, and her new show ‘Shades Of Blue’ – which has just been renewed for a second season.
Though her “Jack Of All Trades” trait may be unappealing to some, it’s the exact reason we’ll always respect her.
As of now, we’re not totally sure where Jen will go next… but that’s precisely why we can’t wait to find out.
