An album twenty years in the making, This Is Me…Now is the sequel to Jennifer Lopez‘s 2002 romantic opus This Is Me…Then, a largely mid-tempo, old-school R&B-inspired record that musically defined her relationship with Ben Affleck.
This Is Me…Now is similarly a record reflecting on her relationship with the actor, only this time she’s Mrs. Affleck and there’s over two decades of heartbreak, missed connections, and their ultimate reunion to draw inspiration from.
Sonically, the album maintains a similar mentality to its spiritual predecessor as it lives in the pocket of predominant moderately cadenced, classically-designed rhythms that hark back to the singer’s heyday. And much like how the misrepresenting (sound-wise) “Jenny From The Block” kickstarted the era for …Then, …Now is launching off the back of “Can’t Get Enough”, a single that, whilst undeniably catchy, isn’t a sound representation of what the album has to offer.
With its aggressive drum beat, light-reggae tinge, and earworm chorus built off Alton Ellis’ 1967 single “I’m Still In Love With You”, there’s an understandable notion behind why Team Lopez would push for its release, but when compared to the urban rhythms and lyrical depth of the album’s 13-strong track listing, it does stand out quite specifically; especially when it’s sandwiched between the noticeably stronger “Mad In Love” and “Rebound” – the former a breezy urban pop tune that epitomises the temperament of this being a sequel sound, and the latter arguably one of the set’s highlights, with its instant hook (“We go up and down, we get lost and found, we go round and round, we fall in and out”) sounding like one of the best things Ariana Grande never recorded in her “Thank U, Next” era.
“Not. Going. Anywhere.” furthers the connection between …Then and …Now, and if any one song encapsulates this project being a continuation we see it in the title alone for “Dear Ben Pt. II”; though unlike the schmaltzy representation of the original, Lopez is considerably more erotic in her approach here. And though so much of this album’s content and enjoyment comes from her connection with Affleck – the light- calypso pop of “Midnight Trip to Vegas” proves a sweet, romantic listen – it’s when the singer reflects on herself that we get moments of pop perfection.
The lush title track – an expensive-sounding concoction of finger snaps, rhythmic beats, and an eventual outro that interpolates the Timbaland-produced instrumental beat of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” – sees Lopez look both inward and outward, commenting on where she’s come from and how “A woman in love is what I grew up wanting to be.” Much like the accompanying film (This Is Me…Now: A Love Story), the song basks in the idea that Lopez needed to love herself truly before accepting it from outside, and its sound easily sets the tone for what follows.
But if there’s one moment of true honesty, it’s found in the vulnerability of “Broken Like Me”. Featuring co-writer credits from Argentine record producer Federico Vindver and predominant hit-maker Michael Pollock (who, next to credits including album work for Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Justin Bieber’s Justice, penned the Grammy-winning “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus), the swelling ballad, which builds from a simple guitar strum to a rousing orchestral accompaniment, is the album at its most autobiographical. In between her enviable collection of dancefloor fillers and love-heavy pop, Lopez has only occasionally let us peek behind the curtain in her musical career thus far. Yes, This Is Me…Then was a whole body of work centring around her state of mind, but “And I tried to be honest, but it made me feel weak, and when I think about it, it brings me to my knees” as a lyric as she’s expressing being left alone to shed tears on her wedding gown hits much differently than stating that she’s “…still Jenny from the Block.” It’s a gorgeous, personal moment in an album that prides itself on being the most authentic representation of who Jennifer Lopez is…now.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
This Is Me…Now is available through BMG from February 16th, 2024.
