When you think of versatility, you think of Jennifer Lopez, who has long been master-of-all-trades. The 44-year-old mother of two is known for excelling as a singer, an actor, an entertainer and also in her assorted business ventures. Her latest album AKA, released on Monday, marks the eighth studio album for the singer. The album is preceded by popular singles Live It Up, Same Girl and Girls, as well as the official singles I Luh Ya Papi and First Love.
The album features a number of American rappers. Iggy, T I, Rick Ross, and Nas are among the emcee’s that provide an x-factor to JLo’s latest effort. Pitbull has also featured in one of the songs titled Booty, which will inevitably heat up the parties this summer. With some songs written by Chris Brown and contribution by Sia, pop music titans have come together, to showcase JLo’s boisterous expertise in the music industry, reported billboard.com. With some hits and misses, AKA seems to have a promising future ahead.
The singer, who recently split up from boyfriend Casper Smart, 27, is feeling refreshed and has a new-found confidence about her career. She broke up with Smart, who is a backup dancer, after two and a half years of dating; however, she is coping very well. “I don’t feel like I have anything to prove anymore. Things have changed so much for me. I had to really do some soul searching and just realise a lot of things about love. I feel like I come from a place where I’m stronger and, I think, better,” Lopez said, reported Billboard magazine.
Smart and JLo began dating shortly after her divorce from ex-husband Marc Anthony, but they decided to call it quits when Smart reportedly cheated on her. However, the two are still on amicable terms and there seems to be no bitterness. They may have parted ways but the singer’s former lover is still going all out in promoting her latest album. Smart took to Instagram to support AKA. He posted a picture of the album cover and captioned it: “Get it while it’s HOTT!!! @jlo#10thalbum #AKA its fire with so many dope songs & features,” reported E! Online.
Despite officially ending their relationship, Jennifer and Casper remain “in love,” a source told hollywoodLife.com. While the singer may have been extremely upset, things might not be permanently over for the two.
JLo herself has also been out and about promoting her album. She appeared on Live With Kelly and Michael and spoke about AKA. Her recent split with Smart was not brought up in the interview, but when asked about her song First Love, she briefly discussed her love life: “The whole idea of the song is that when you do finally find that person, you wish that you had met them years earlier and had a great life together, but life is not as neat as that all the time,” she said, reported Mirror magazine.
Lopez recently featured in the official FIFA World Cup song We are One by Pitbull and has no plans of letting go of music even when she grows old, reported the Deccan Chronicle. She said in a statement that she will not be bowing down to pressure and consider retirement because she is determined to keep entertaining, regardless of how old she gets. “You don’t have to have an expiration date. You can go on and you can do what you want into your 60s and 70s, and you can be powerful and vulnerable and be human.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2014.
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