‘This Is Me … Now’, Jeniffer Lopez’s first album in 10 years, is an open love letter to Ben Affleck, as well as a follow up to her 2002 album, ‘This Is Me … Then’, and supposedly, her most honest album yet. It’s about as exciting to anyone as it sounds, unless of course, you’re a relentless Bennifer fan, (which I’m assuming no one under the age of 35 is).
I will always defend JLO as one of the most significant entertainers of the last 25 years, and yet, ‘This Is Me … Now’ offers me very little to endorse this sentiment. Whilst some tracks almost present potential, there is a complete failure to offer any depth, and worse, any fun, which a seasoned performer like Lopez should be more than capable of.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not searching for Shakespeare, but all that is established is a simple, borderline nauseous, fairytale that makes you wonder what ever happened to Jenny from the block. I wanted Lopez to go deeper, to explore more than just Affleck, it’s far too much even before she sings ‘climbing on top of me / slippin’ inside of me’,
on ‘Greatest Love Story Never Told’. I wanted Lopez to not just simply exclaim that the relationship ‘is how it feels if heaven is a place’, as she does on ‘Mad In Love’, Belinda Carlise has already done that. The album was sadly mired by repetitive lyrics and sentiment, that even for a diehard JLO fan will have you tuning out. Why play this, when you could turn on ‘On The 6’, or especially ‘This Is Me … Then’, instead.
Disappointment is evident from the offset. The title track is simply fine. I mean, the production is crisp and shows a return to the style that defined her early 00s work, it’s almost nostalgic, however the vocals do little to dispel allegations of reliance on obviously enhanced vocals. Not to flog a dead horse, but even if you ignore the vocals, the track quickly falls into a trap of Affleck, discarding what is perhaps the most insightful moment on the whole album, which details her mother’s sacrifice to support Lopez, to instead emphasise her life’s desire to be ‘a woman in love’. This fixation on Affleck is monotonous after the first four minutes, one quickly becomes aware of a lack of variety in content that dulls any personal engagement, and an understanding that the value of this album entirely comes down to not how much you enjoy Jennifer, but simply how much you can stomach Bennifer.
Despite my clear distaste for this Affleck-centric album, I will applaud ‘Dear Ben, Pt. II’ which was surprisingly an improvement from 2002’s ‘Dear Ben’, I could perhaps understand its addition to any R&B/pop playlists, although it’s certainly not enough to save the album. On the topic of improvements, it feels adequate to turn to ‘Hearts and Flowers’, a song that sounds just as original as its title. Prior knowledge of A
‘Jenny From The Block’ sample on the album did have me excited for ‘Hearts and Flowers’, I personally love a self-sample, sheer indulgence that usually provides retrospect and growth, or just pure entertainment. Sadly, this excitement lasted about as long as JLO’s screen time in the 2004’s ‘Jersey Girl’. ‘Hearts and Flowers’ was a disappointing follow up, failing to revitalise a faltering album and concept. Instead, it only served as a reminder of what this album lacks: great singles that stand out on their own outside of some strange Affleck offering. Lopez’s career has largely revolved around signature hits that sound as fresh in 2024 as they did in 1999, yet these are simply absent. Even ‘Can’t Get Enough’, the album’s lead single falters in its ability and memorability. Like the title track, it’s fine. There’s nothing that instantly makes you want to unplug, but honestly, its only purpose feels like filler for a greatest hits package to underscore superior work.
It’s such a shame that JLO’s return to music has been as disappointing as it was. ‘This Is Me … Now’, with its fixation on Affleck, does little to benchmark Lopez, ‘This Is Me … Then’, or her 30 plus year long career. You would be forgiven for listening to this album and forgetting about the power Lopez has as the conglomerate entertainer that she is. On ‘This Is Me … Now’, the fun Lopez has previously provided has been suffocated by an Affleck obsession.
3/10
