CD Review: Jennifer Lopez’s Brave

So I was in the iTunes store today and on the main page was the headline for Jennifer Lopez’s album, Brave, which was released this morning. I love Jennifer Lopez. I don’t always love her music, or her acting, but for some reason I am drawn to her. Maybe it’s because I am a former hip-hop choreographer who respects her as a dancer. Maybe it’s because I love her down-to-earth, real personality. Somehow this fascination drew me to purchase her album earlier today, and I am not disappointed—not completely, anyway.

Let me start with the album’s first single, “Do It Well,” which first hit the airwaves in mid-September. The track samples Eddie Kendrick’s 1973 hit “Keep On Truckin’,” which actually makes it fit with other 70s pop inspired songs on Lopez’s new album. As a dancer, I must say “Do It Well” succeeds because I can imagine myself dancing in a music video with fierce moves and a serious mug. It’s the first time in awhile a song has inspired me to dance. Interestingly enough, though, I’m not that impressed by the track alone. Its lyrical and musical composition is typical for a pop club hit. However, when I’m in my favorite club sippin’ my usual seven-and-seven, “Do It Well” would get me moving and, before I knew it, turning heads and jumping onstage.

The song “Hold It Don’t Drop It” has a definite disco feel to it, which I wasn’t crazy about when I heard it. However, it is signature Lopez vocally and stylistically. Although it’s not her best, I saw the real her when I gave a listen, as it is consistent with her vocal style of past albums.

“Mile in These Shoes,” is a track which reveals the attitude that J.Lo fans know and love, one of Bronxian sass and confidence. With lyrics like “Honey these pumps are too big to fill”; “I’m walking tall, I don’t let their hatred test me”; and “My feet pound the ground as I stomp it out; I dare you to walk a mile in my shoes” you can’t help but pulsate with your own New Yorker confidence.

As for the album’s ballads, “Wrong When You’re Gone” is one I particularly like. It reminds me of something I’d hear on the radio back in high school—a whopping 5 years ago. Seriously, though, the piano and subtle strings tastefully enhance the cliché R&B beat that runs underneath. Lopez’s passionate vocals made me believe in what she was singing, which is the mark of an artist who truly pours part of their soul into a song. I found it very vulnerable.

All in all, not the best I’ve seen from Lopez, but definitely a good effort. Bravo to the Latina pop goddess—or should I say, Bueno!