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Billboard READS J.Lo for filth in the midst of giving advice
In their recent article, they talked about the dissapointing numbers that her 8th album A.K.A. opened with.
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Why not aim for a more thoughtful sound with producers like The-Dream & Tricky Stewart, James Fauntleroy and Harmony Samuels (the latter of whom co-produced "Let It Be Me")? Write a heartbreak album riddled with self-empowerment anthems, and embrace the artistic progression already made by artists like Cher, Mary J. Blige and Tina Turner. Lopez is a very different singer than Mariah Carey, but her blueprint should be something like 2005's "The Emancipation of Mimi" -- an album anchored by sleek, breathy ballads like "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off," and a pivotal moment for Carey's commercial comeback. Carey currently has her own issues with relevancy, but "The Emancipation of Mimi" was one of the more impressive pop returns of the 2000s, and effectively wiped away the doubts caused by her "Glitter"/"Charmbracelet" phase.
Carey is also among several pop divas to prove that ballads can rule the airwaves when properly executed -- "#Beautiful" was a Top 20 hit a year ago, after all -- and a whole lot of people are still singing along to John Legend's "All Of Me" this summer. A song like "Let It Be Me" on "A.K.A." proves that, if Lopez finds the right production partners, she can serve up slower material that can measure up to the best balladeers' work. And if a vocals-driven project doesn't sell, Lopez still has that multi-media empire to fall back on. More likely, she'll will praise for showing off her voice in a more demonstrative way, and for taking the risk of rearranging her style.
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From a commercial standpoint, something's got to give for Lopez. The lackluster start for "A.K.A." is actually the latest in a string of deflated beginnings: Lopez's 2011 LP "Love?" debuted with 83,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite including the Top 5 smash "On The Floor" and arriving when the singer was more visible than ever, thanks to her first "American Idol" stint. The album before that, 2008's "Brave," did not include a smash hit, and debuted with 53,000 copies sold. Lopez may simply be a veteran pop star with declining album sales -- there are a lot of those around, and no one needs to mock them. But a personality like Lopez also has enough cultural capital to survive a string of misfires and come back with her profile intact. "I Luh Ya Papi" was another fun, weightless radio offering from Lopez, and it didn't work at Top 40. If Lopez really wants to reclaim pop fans' attention, it might be time to turn down the French Montana collaborations and enter what Beyonce might call her 'Grown Woman Phase.'
The 33,000-copy sales debut of "A.K.A." represents a crossroads moment for a superstar who's about to turn 45. Lopez is right when she says that she doesn't have anything more to prove, but her sound needs to develop alongside the rest of her professional life. J.Lo needs to own that far-reaching brand, acknowledge that her fans have grown up too, and give them the adult album they want to hear.
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http://www.billboard.com/articles/co...source=twitter
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