Thoughts and Questions I Had Watching J. Lo’s Bizarre High Concept Video Album

Last week, Jennifer Lopez dropped her latest album This is Me ... Now, and it was accompanied by a video album/concept film that might be the strangest thing the popstar has ever done.

I am a Jennifer Lopez fan. Is she the best singer? Absolutely not, but she's figured out how to work within her limitations inoffensively. Is she the best dancer? Also no, but do you think we're going to see Olivia Rodrigo doing complex choreo at 54? I think not. Is she the best actor? No, but I think she is one of the few actors of her generation who has figured out how to turn charisma into performance, and she has at least three genuinely great performances to her name (Out of Sight, The Cell, Hustlers), which is more than most.

All of this is to preface that I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of Jennifer Lopez's music. She has about five genuine bangers, but as an album's artist? She's not exactly Tori Amos. I do respect, however, that she will trot out whatever single she is currently promoting, perform the hell out of it on television and on tour, and put on a show. She's an old-school entertainer, and I respect that.

When I heard that she would be doing a video album, I was dubious. Lemonade is a hard act to follow, and every video follows in its massive wake. It helps that Lemonade is a cohesive project and chock full of really, really good songs. When the trailer (below) dropped, I was damn excited. This looked like the kind of bonkers weird kind of thing that an artist makes when they have a lot of money and can do whatever they want (which tracks, Jennifer Lopez financed this herself).

Below are a series of thoughts, questions, and observations I had watching the bonkers 53-minute music video that is This is Me Now... A Love Story.