Jennifer Lopez

J.Lo works hard on Brave, singing her designer pants off and keeping up a sort of neo-disco, the-party-never-stops vibe, interspersed with the requisite cry-in-your-chamomile-tea songs about failed relationships and lessons learned. It's all a little breathless, but when the songs work, they really work -- particularly the Bill Withers-esque "I Need Love." Lopez's voice is fuller than it's ever been, and the "Crazy in Love"-style production suits it just fine. But you may not forgive her when she sings about how hard it is to walk a mile in her Manolos, er, shoes.

Even when she attempted to rep the block, Jennifer Lopez’s music career has been
about as edgy as her famous booty. Auto-Tune and star power have buoyed her since
1999’s On the 6, but now J. Lo has turned away from the slick, minimalist future funk
currently ruling the pop zeitgeist for chintzy production that screams 1990. Brave has two
obsessions: love and cheesy strings. Dollops of orchestration are plopped onto a... More >