This Is Me...Then
click the image to get it in cd-cover size
| Release Date: |
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| Label: |
Sony |
| Rating: |
3.0 |
Description: Between her first and second albums, Jennifer Lopez moved from sharp hip-hop to a slicker sound that captured the sass and heat of the streets, thanks mainly to the production acumen of her erstwhile boyfriend Sean "Puffy" Combs. On her third album,
This Is Me ... Then, Lopez shows she's just as facile as her ex in changing names as well as musical personas. She abandons the impish J-Lo moniker for a more benign, and less interesting, Jenny, who makes an appearance on "Jenny from the Block." Here, Lopez insists she is still the same down-to-earth girl who emerged from the Bronx a decade before mega-stardom hit: "I used to have a little/ Now I have a lot," she chirps before cautioning, "Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got/ I'm still Jenny from the block." The claim stretches credibility given her well-documented status as a diva, but "Jenny" shows more pizzazz and humor on the album than anything else, except for her saucy duet with LL Cool J on "All I Have." Elsewhere, the album--which includes nine songs cowritten by Lopez--serves up a recycled paean to '70s soul, an anemic cover of Carly Simon's vituperative "You Belong to Me," and cloying ballads inspired by her new fiancé, actor Ben Affleck. Lopez dedicated the disc to the actor and includes a far-too-personal and gooey love song to him titled "Dear Ben." In it, she declares: "You'll always be my lust, my love, my man, my child, my friend and my king." There's plenty of love here, but what's missing is the verve and crackle of Lopez's earlier stuff.
--Jaan Uhelszki
Tracklist of This Is Me...Then
Reviews:
How Much?
"Jenny from the Block"? How much for your piece of ass?
And by the way.. I forget to tell you
YOU CAN'T SING!
She needs a Grammy. Now!
Jennifer's third non-remix album is an example of musical maturity and amazing depth. The beats are hot and the lyrics reveal the depth and stability of this accomplished 35 year old woman. Jennifer Lopez is so brilliant, I don't quite understand why she doesn't have a Grammy yet. Maybe next year she'll get one. In any case, this album is amazing, especially that song "Jenny From the Block," which shows that's she's really just a down to earth Latina from the Bronx. A simple girl with simple needs. And that song "Dear Ben," which she dedicated to her excludive sweetheart, is one of the greatest love songs I can imagine. Buy this album and be prepared to have your world rocked.
This tramp deserves tacos thrown at her immediately!
Jennifer Ho-pez's third non-remix album is an example of style over substance. This record sold because guys wanted to get their rocks off on the airbrushed cover. Jennifer Hopez is a hypocrite, especially that awful song Jenny From the Block which claims that she may call herself a down to earth Latina from the Bronx when in fact is a rich diva who asks for way too much money like a musical prostitute. That song Dear Ben proves you can't write songs about dudes you will eventually break up with!
