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Jennifer Lopez: J.Lo

Dan Gennoe, dotmusic.co.uk, 2001

R&B’s ALL THE rage, yet memorable tunes like Sisqo's 'Thong Song' are few and far between. First single, 'Love Don't Cost A Thing', with its unavoidable hook is one such rarity. Unfortunately, with no equal, it's also a constant reminder of J.Lo’s shortcomings. 'I’m Gonna Be Alright' and production guru Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins’s 'That's The Way', are the best of the rest, with 'I'm Real' and 'Play' making fun fillers – despite the Janet Jackson circa-1986 production. But it's the continual indulgence of Lopez’s Gloria Estefan ambitions with generic Latin tracks, completely at odds with everything else, that really grates. The only thing worse is Sean "Puffy" Combs’s attempt at continuity; adding salsa horns and a cow bell to 'Dance With Me'’s tripping R&B will fool nobody.

Total word count of piece: 128

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