Brave

Jennifer Lopez gets back to classic pop

The musical career of Jennifer Lopez started with the release of her 1999's debut album On The 6. Although none of the critics has ever praised the vocal talent of the artist her natural attractiveness and the flawless sense of rhythm have always contributed to her creations and all the singles got into the first tens of the world charts. Today words "pop music" cannot help being associated with Jennifer's works such as If You Had My Love, Waiting For Tonight, All I Have and many others. At the beginning of this year Lopez has for the first time permitted herself to deviate from the mainstream releasing a full Spanish-language album, called Como Ama Una Mujer, which has had quite ambiguous reaction among the fans. That is why as if in the hope to restore her reputation of a pop diva this autumn the singer presents us with the fifth English album Brave. The new record sees Jennifer Lopez getting back to classic pop, funk and R&B tunes, a good percentage of which is based on various catchy samples and therefore is destined to find itself rotated at the world’s best dance floors.

A bit of retro coloring on Brave

To completely fulfill the idea of making the album similar to her most successful previous works Jennifer and producers Midi Mafia, Jonathan 'J.R.' Rotem and Ryan Tedder have made the sounding of most of the tracks with a bit of retro coloring. At the same time the album has proved to be rather urban. Singles Do It Well and Hold It Don't Drop It, built on the sample of Tavares song It Only Takes A Minute are both oriented at dancing audience although there are some really touching ballads on the record as well. The album opens with a typical Lopez song Stay Together, on which the twice divorced artist claims she has finally found her happiness and appeals to the listeners to follow her example. A mid-tempo composition Forever is one of the album's standout tracks due to its beautiful melody and Jennifer's sensual performance. Track Gotta Be There is based on the sample of Michael Jackson's song I Wanna Be Where You Are and tells of the singer's desire to be next to her man, while Miles In These Shoes pleases with the deep ideas and interesting metaphors in the lyrics. Up-tempo songs The Way It Is and I Need Love will be a nice surprise to those who enjoy dancing with Lopez music, and for those fond of melodious and deep felt ballads composition Never Gonna Give Up devoted to the topic of heartbreak will do perfectly well. The title track Brave is saved to end the album which can be truly valued only after more than one listening.

New hits of the season

Jennifer Lopez can be undoubtedly called the embodiment of the American Dream. For everything she has in life she has only herself to thank. The way to glory was not an easy one, she had to work hard to improve her dancing and singing skills. Today the Puerto-Rican beauty has achieved unbelievable heights and is now enjoying the life of a wanted actress, producer and fashion designer never ceasing to create new music. During the last year her creative impulse was enough to make two works which are utterly different. Album Brave has become a kind of a message to the fans that the singer is still faithful to the style with which her career has started. Compared to the previous English-language work Rebirth that to the mind of many has been a complete failure, the new record is by all means the sign of Jennifer's aspiration to improve her mastery. Besides due to the great job of the producers even the plainest tracks are saved by a quality contagious beat, and the catchy melodies are sure to turn the best songs on Brave into the hits of the season. Of course the success of the debut album and one of the best works This Is Me… Then will hardly ever be doubled, but one can be positive that Jennifer Lopez is still on top anyway.