Jennifer Lopez's huge 7 reveals during Apple Music Q&A
Hollywood powerhouse Jennifer ‘J. Lo’ Lopez stays in grind mode and with Valentine’s Day around the corner - plus her new Marry Me movie - it’s only right she ignites promotion flexing and links up with none other than Apple Music 1 and Zane Lowe to dish on a flurry of topics.
From talking about her new music to why Marry Me is a must-see for reasons you might not expect, Jenny From The Block has a lot to say. Check out 7 big reveals from the conversation and keep scrolling to watch the interview.
1. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music How Her Role in ‘Marry Me’ Is Informed By Her Real Life Experiences...
…that’s what the movie's about. It's kind of very meta. I play a pop star who is kind of in this age of social media. And like you said, kind of over the years has gone through different versions of what fame is from the tabloids to this, to that and everything. And it's like a little bit, I was able to bring so much of myself. I don't think anybody could have understood this role the way I do, because being an actress and a singer and a performer, and having that experience of trying to keep your feet on the ground while all of this stuff is happening with this tremendous fame, when all you really wanted to do in the beginning was, be a singer and a dancer, and an actress. I just wanted to make music. I wanted to dance on stage like I did at my dance recitals when I was five and six years old. That was my dream, was able to do that and make a living doing that. And yes, it's still amazing to me, because I come from humble beginnings in the Bronx
2. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music ‘Marry Me’ Has Been in the Works For Nearly a Decade, That It Was Originally a TV Series, and Why She Contributed Musically...
We have a really, really charming, beautiful movie that people really need right now … We've had this movie for like, God we've been working on it for like nine years, eight, nine years and developing it, getting it done, getting it shot, making the album. And then it got held for the pandemic. It was supposed to come out the summer of the pandemic right after the Super Bowl and they held it and held it and held it. And finally…This project was brought to us as a television series. And we were like, this is a movie, because I had always wanted to be able to make an album with a movie. Things like that just don't come along every day and we're not in the eight golden era of musicals anymore. You know what I mean? They are so few and far between when somebody remakes one like West Side Story, something like that. So it was always kind of a dream to find that. And when we got this project, it was like, well, we actually added musical moments to this story about this pop star who marries this math teacher. And who falls in love and how they make that work. And that's what the original story was. And it was like, okay, so how do we take that, make it a movie and add the reality, which is that she would be performing, she would be working. She would be doing these things and recording in a studio and doing all the things that she does, and going to premieres and what experience that would be like…
3. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music ‘Marry Me’ Is About Taking Control Of Your Own Destiny...
I think it is a little bit about taking control of your own destiny in that moment. It's a big leap of faith in the movie that we ask the audience to go on. But for some reason in all of the screenings that we've had, everybody goes on the journey really, really easily, and I think maybe it's because of what you just touched on Zane it's because people, women want to be able to kind of, everybody wants to be able to control their own destiny and be happy.
4. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music About The Charm of The Movie…
The charm of the movie is that I think everybody, especially somebody who's like this character who's been in the public eye for so long, since she was a teenager she's been famous. Probably went to homeschool and didn't have a regular school thing, and didn't go to the prom and didn't do all these things that she gets to do now. It is kind of a fantasy. It is. It's definitely her fantasy of what would've been another avenue, another road, a different life that she could have lived, but actually realizes, well, my life could be this. I could be happy. I could do this. Yes, I'm used to this one thing, but maybe there's something that's a combination of the two that could be really beautiful too. And I think that with Owen shows her, and it definitely in my life like you said, high profile relationships, all of these things. You want something real. That's what you're searching for the whole time. Something that feels like home.
5. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music About Maluma Making His On-Screen Debut and Writing Music as the Character Bastian…
I wanted to make a bilingual album. When we were talking about that part, a lot of different names came up. We need somebody who's a musician, superstar, super swag, could play this character. And all of the nuances that he has could be lovable, but at the same time…the perfect, right guy. You know what I mean? The guy who you don't want to marry and who could that be? And so many names came up. All the big musicians you can think of right now. And I was like, but not one Latin name came up. And I was like, you know what? I really want to make a bilingual album for this for a mainstream Hollywood movie. Why don't we pick a Spanish artist, a Latin artist. Somebody who just is in Spanish, and let's talk Spanish in the movie. It really makes Owen feel on the outside, like what's happening? You know what I mean? And so that was great. And Maluma's name came up and everybody loved it. And he was as far as the music goes, such... The two songs that he wrote specifically for the movie, not as a Maluma song, but as a Bastian song, was so impressive to me. Because it showed me that he really understood the character. And he wasn't afraid to kind of craft these things that were specifically for the story of the movie. And it's awesome. It's his first film, and we had a great time.
6. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music How She Decides What To Share With and What To Keep Private as a Public Figure…
It is more of a protection. It's more of a kind of learning along the way, what to keep sacred and what to share. Because unfortunately when you do become and you are fortunate enough to become successful in this business, which is a rare thing. And I see that as a blessing, you wind up really having somewhat of a responsibility and obligation to share a little bit of your life. You are sharing your life, right? There is that responsibility. But how do you do that in a way that doesn't kind of crush your soul and put all of the special things out there to be stepped on. And so you have to learn. Okay, I'll share this, but I'll keep this. I'll do this, but I won't do that. And that's been, again, for me, who's been in the public eye for many, many years longer than I'd like to admit, has been a real journey. A real lesson along the way of making mistakes there and then realizing, okay, well, I'm going to do it this way this time.
7. Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music Making and Performing Music Is Essential To Her Creative Happiness and Survival…
It's funny, I've been looking at my schedule and life for the next few years. And it's like there's a lot of movies that are being talked about. There's a lot of touring and shows and things like that. And I was like, what about an album… Go into the studio and just make music, and just play around with it for a year. I need that. I need that in my life. I haven't done that in a long time. I've always over the years, in between everything go, oh, I have an idea for this song. Let's go in there. Oh, this so and so sent me this track. Let's go in there and try to write something… Honestly people always ask me, would do you like better, movies, music, blah, blah, blah? And I was just like, I just love to dance. And I need music to dance. I can't live without it. At the heart of who I am, is that performer, is that person who wants to share that experience with that audience. And there's moments in your life when you feel like you're the best of everything you are. It's when I'm on stage and sharing that experience with my audience. And laughing and singing and crying, and screaming, and I'm touching them and reaching out to them and we're having laughs and tears. It's just like, I have goosies all over my body. That's my happy place. And that's the thing. Music is so, they're not separate. It's the same. And so making music is essential to my kind of creative happiness and survival as a person.
