Jennifer Lopez tries to put focus back on music
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By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer
NEW YORK - While other celebrities have taken pains to keep their
public life under wraps, Jennifer Lopez always seemed to relish the
white-hot spotlight.
Whether she was frolicking with Ben Affleck in a music video, wearing a
barely there outfit to drive the paparazzi wild or gushing about her
latest love in a magazine, Lopez was willing to let the public share in
her private life.
"I grew up in New York and was very out there and outgoing. One of my
main things was I'm not going to let this business change me, you know
what I mean?" explains the Bronx-bred Lopez, 34. "That was always one
of my mantras."
Today, though, as Lopez promotes her fashion line and new album,
"Rebirth," she's sticking by a new mantra - keep her private life
private. It took her eight months to finally acknowledge her June
wedding to singer-actor Marc Anthony, and she still won't talk about
it. Instead, Lopez is trying to put the focus back on her career.
"I don't want to talk about anything that is personal or private at
all, because what's the use? You're open with people, and then they try
and make a soap opera out of your life," Lopez said in an interview
with The Associated Press.
"Then it's not about your work anymore, it's not about the movie you're
promoting or the record you hope your fans will enjoy, it becomes about
other silly stuff and it's damaging. It's damaging not just to your
career, but your person."
For a while, Lopez's stardom seemed to grow in tandem with her tabloid
persona. She sold millions of albums, had No. 1 hits and enjoyed
box-office success with movies such as "Maid in Manhattan" as the
public became more interested in J.Lo, or Jenny From the Block - the
woman dating and breaking up with P. Diddy, embarking on another
quickie marriage or setting fashion trends with her awards show attire.
But her image started to suffer in 2003, when Lopez was in the midst of
a very public romance with Affleck - the "Bennifer" pairing was that
year's Brad-and-Jen frenzy. The couple's overexposure, followed by the
and the release of their bomb "Gigli," drew both more scorn than
anything. Though the couple split and Lopez later married Anthony -
her third husband - the sting from the tabloid attention still
lingers.
"I think it got really loud for a minute for me, and it became not
about my work anymore. And the reason why I was in the public eye to
begin with is because I was in movies, I was making records," she said.
"And all of the sudden it wasn't anything about that. And I didn't want
it to be about anything else but that."
So Lopez took a six-month break from Hollywood last year to regroup.
"For me, what it was it was about kind of being alone, and thinking,
and realizing that for me it was really a time for me to realize why I
was in the business in the first place," she said. "How do I keep the
focus there, and still maintain my life and the privacy of myself?"
Lopez - who has released five movies and three albums in the past
three years - also felt like she was jamming out projects instead of
spending time to reflect on what was right for her.
Lopez made sure her fourth studio album, "Rebirth," didn't suffer from
those circumstances. The star spent several months on it and had a
greater role in its production - which boosted her confidence.
"I think musically, the first time I made an album, I had never even
been in a studio, or behind a mike before. The first time I ever sang
live was at Madison Square Garden," she laughed. "You develop this
insecurity, and then kind of have to build yourself back up.
"I've become more confident as a musician and as a co-producer and as a
vocalist, whereas before I was a little more insecure, and kind of so
worried about people criticizing me for this or that or whatever."
Lopez has taken her share of criticism over the years - from her
feather-light voice to even her acting abilities. But Rich Harrison,
who produced Lopez's new hit "Get Right," said the hits Lopez have
taken has only made her stronger as an artist.
"She knows what people tend to say about her and it makes her work so
much harder, that much harder in the studio," he said. "She's not
satisfied until it feels right, until it feels good."
And Lopez is happy with "Rebirth." It incorporates the hip-hop/dance
vibe that's garnered her so much success over the years, but also
blends in other genres, including '80s pop-rock. Lopez calls it a more
risky album.
"It's not so safe as my other ones were," she said. "These are things
that are a little funkier, a little deeper, and yet still danceable in
a way."
She's still willing to take risks with her career. But as far as her
personal life - she's playing it safe.
"I used to be the kind of person who would talk about a lot of things,
but as I've matured I've realized that's not the best way to go," she
said. "You have to set boundaries ... you have to protect what's sacred
to you."