Jennifer Lopez is releasing her first studio album in a decade, "This is Me...Now: A Love Story," along with an accompanying 65-minute musical film on Prime Video on Friday. She self-financed the deeply personal project, which chronicles a hopeless romantic searching for love and enduring repeated heartbreak.
Lopez attributes much of the inspiration for the album, which mirrors her 2002 record "This Is Me...Then," to her rekindled romance and marriage to Ben Affleck. At 54, she said she felt a sudden creative spark to capture this moment in her life, like she did 20 years ago.
In the musical film, a star-studded Zodiac council comprised of Jane Fonda, Post Malone and others provides commentary on Lopez’s romantic failures and desperation. She also visits a therapist, played by Fat Joe, and sobs through romantic films after breakups.
Lopez admitted the project was a major risk since there seems to be little appetite for musical films nowadays. But she felt driven to bring her vision to life, despite nobody wanting to make it. She had to trust her instincts against fears it could “turn out badly.”
As an artist, Lopez said it’s crucial to be honest and vulnerable when expressing yourself. While criticism has sometimes made her doubt herself, she's learned to navigate it by taking constructive feedback and discarding “haterations.” She wants the project to ultimately give fans hope and inspiration.