Yesterday, Jennifer Lopez dropped her new single, “Ain’t Your Mama.” I kept reading media coverage about it throughout the day Thursday, with several sites calling it a “summer anthem” and “feminist anthem” and “the next great pop song.” Then, late in the day, I finally gave in and listened to the track. It’s AWFUL. Here’s the lyrics-video.
While I love J.Lo, I haven’t thought much of her music career over the past few years, and I do believe she’s in desperate need of a new team of producers and songwriters. That might have happened here – this song was written by Meghan Trainor, which I learned after I heard the song and my first thought was, “Oh, that’s why I hate it.” But there’s a whole other reason to hate the single too: the song was produced by Dr. Luke. Seriously.
Once people learned that Jennifer Lopez had worked with Dr. Luke, the online reaction was swift and brutal – you can read some of the nasty tweets here. While I side-eye the hell out of Jennifer Lopez for working with Dr. Luke, I would remind everyone that this situation is a great example of the strange interworkings of the music industry. It’s completely and totally possible Jennifer didn’t want to work with Dr. Luke and her label forced her to. It’s possible she recorded a single and it was sent to Dr. Luke without her knowledge. It’s possible she agreed to work with him before #FreeKesha even blew up. It’s also possible that she knew what she was getting into and she just thought no one would even notice.
Here are some photos of J.Lo at the American Idol finale event last night. Her over-the-top dress was YAS Couture by Elie Madi. She loves that beigey/nude shade and it really doesn’t do much for her coloring. Her makeup is pretty awful here too.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Instagram.
Feminist anthem. Yeah right …
More like a tantrum directed at what’s-his-face-, the boytoy- oh, yeah, Casper is the name.
THIS!
that dress would be so amazing if it weren’t so skintone-ish.
it’s like a beige dress caught in a muddy flash flood then rolled in glitter.
Dress and make-up aside, I can’t get past the squinty-eye, open-mouth pose that she does CONSTANTLY. I can just see her practicing that in the mirror for HOURS.
Rant over.
The first pic of her in the dress with the squinty eyes mouth open pose makes it looks like someone just woke her from her sleep and she said “what.”
Yes. She really, actually looks completely ridiculous!!!! I think she is SO GORGEOUS and I think she does look great here even in beige, but I cannot with the weird facial expression!
Hah! I was just thinking something similar. I think she thinks that’s sexy eyes, but I just keep thinking she’s got a Benedryl hangover or something and needs a cup of coffee STAT!
Seriously. It makes her look foolish. She looks like she is about to sneeze!
LOL!!
Shut your mouth, JLo. We are not a codfish!
OMG that was my first thought, too! (One of my favorite movies 🙂 Yeah, I’m stunted lol)
I love that movie.
Omg, Sarah, you made my day!
Ridiculous expression. Looks like she has a sinus infection & is relegated to being a mouth-breather. And someone said Benadryl hangover – yep.
She’s on my dislike list big time….always will be!! Also, she really cannot sing well, so she’s never going to be known for her voice, or her acting either, for that matter……I just don’t like her, and I like plenty of talented women out there, but she just feels overly bossy and acts superior to everyone and I guess that just turns me OFF….in fact, I used to love watching Idol….until she appeared on the show, and after that, I never could watch it again….she may have lots of followers, but I’m just NOT….
One minute of that was way more than enough. Awful would be an improvement.
Also, it’s *so* feminist to call out someone’s mother – NOT.
Yesterday on the link post I asked if that song was written for Casper. Is she trying to tell him I ain’t yo mama.
Well, he is 18 years younger and not too bright. I can see why he would need clarification.
Right. Like if someone is a “mama” that means all they do is cook and clean all day- because that equates a mother. I’m thrilled the tune is as bad as the premise and lyrics- it’s unlistentoable.
this song was written by Meghan Trainor, which I learned after I heard the song and my first thought was, “Oh, that’s why I hate it.”
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Definitely a Meghan Trainor song. She’s a little confused. And this song is shit.
Ok now i hate it too ahhahahahahhaa
As soon as I saw who wrote it I was like “ohhhh makes sense”. MT wrote that supposedly feminist song “All about the bass” and it so was not. Then she followed it up with “Dear Future Husband” and I was done ugh
Another one *right* on the border of actually being feminist while still, somehow, missing the mark completely.
Jlo performed for a dictator, so lets not assume she is innocent in this.
feminism is now appropriated by celebs and companies to sell their products and that is so disgusting.
Esther yes this! J Lo has never turned away from a person or opportunity no matter who they are when money is involved. She has performed for many horrible people overseas for the right price, even after it became public knowledge. Apparently none of her fans care bc she never been called out for the other bigger stuff.
I hate that terrible nude lip she always does. What the hell products is she using that it always turns yellow around the edges?
Couldn’t get through the whole song. It’s one of those songs you hate until the 546th time -your switch flips and it’s not so bad. Ya.no it is badly done and sung.
Her label probably made the decision and if she knew about it she wouldn’t GaS bc that’s how jlo rolls. She doesn’t care about interference between her and her career. Dr Luke is a disgusting, and if desperate popstars run to him for help-that’s equally gross. Lots of good producers out there, people are just too lazy to find then.
JLo is hardly desperate lmao. But I would agree that she doesn’t care because she’s been in the business for a long time and if she could navigate a marriage and divorce to Marc Anthony, she can handle Dr. Luke. Not saying she should have to… but he’s not going to prey on someone who could kick his a$$.
Fortunately the whole song’s only about two seconds long. I don’t think it would be quite as bad if it was produced differently. The melody just doesn’t jibe with the stripped down sound, imo. That said, it’s never going to be a GOOD song.
Agreed! This sounds like low budget Beyonce.
She looks like she’s getting ready to sneeze in that one picture.
I was scrolling down to post the exact same thing!
It would not surprise me if she knew and simply didnt care. Mariahs gripe with this woman gets lost in her cartoonish diva attitude but it was completely legitimate. Tommy Motolla handed Jlo a collaboration deal with Murder Inc for Ja Rule that had only been negotiated because Mariah was trying to change her sound. Jlo not only took it but participated in the rush release to beat whatever Mariah would put out. I seriously doubt her arm was twisted in that situation either, if it was she would most certainly have addressed with Mariah or the general public by now.
On this Dr Luke thing, how can anybody seriously think that an artist of her magnitude would be powerless in a situation that has already raised so much attention? All Jlo would have to do is send a “source” to Rolling Stone about how not only is Sony continuing to back a rapist, they are forcing other women to work with him.
Nope, this is just who she is.
Yup! Jlo has always does what’s “best” for her career whether it works or doesn’t, right or wrong. She’s extremely ambitious and more likely requested Dr Luke bc she desperately needs a charting song.
J Lo has always been pretty mercenary about her career.
I don’t know why she’s even risking this kerfuffle with Luke, because her music career is pretty done, no matter what she puts out. She’s on the bad side of all the major radio conglomerates, who have been consistently choosing not to play her music on the airwaves for years at this point.
I don’t hate her, never have, she’s always just been kind of *there* for me but having seen her do the carpool karaoke thing with James Corden, comparing with other singers he’s had on there (Jennifer Hudson, Sia, Adele) and wow, was she exposed as not being able to sing beyond being decidedly average. No way she should have agreed to do that.
She’s never been a good singer. She played one in a movie and thought it translated to real life. It didn’t. lol
I never got the love she gets here sometimes, but I guess it depends on how good-looking she is at the moment… About this, it’s more than expected from her. I mean, she made a whole song praising her rear, one needs to be very stupid to do that.
We can all agree she’s a gorgeous woman but her hair and dresses continually scream teen prom and it’s time for her to reassess.
Yeah, the song is bad, but less because of the melody and lyrics, and more because of her actual voice. Although he’s a guy, maybe Drake could have made that sound good. Eventually that cell phone song got into my head, and I don’t know how that happened…
I’d rather just see her on the big-screen. Not the best actress, but she has a good presence.
I know when that hotline Bling….
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. 🙂
You used to call me on your cell phone……………….lol
Drake’s monotone voice gets stuck in your head the same way an emergency alert alarm does.
I think we all get that “feminism” these days is primarily about marketing a shitty product to women.
sadly this is true.
And to men, the product being women.
“See, this great feminist owns her sexuality, she strips naked, dances, and sings about how great it is to sleep around, you should all learn from her and stop complaining about inequality”.
But a woman sleeping around, singing a song about sex or casual sex, or not dressing modestly isn’t automatically “All about the Menz.” Sex isn’t something that just one part of the population enjoys, and not all women prefer modesty. I don’t get the ‘stop complaining about inequality’ part- do you think the men who complain about women sleeping around, singing about sex, or not staying modestly dressed feel that way because of concerns about inequality? If that’s the case, Bill O’reilly, Mike Huckabee, and Rush Limbaugh are all great feminists and J.Lo and Beyoncé really need to listen to them. We all know those men’s stances on equality, sexuality, women, and race.
is that supposed to be her sexy face in the 2nd to last photo?
girl, get a mirror and find a new red carpet face…
That isn’t even two minutes, and I couldn’t listen to the whole thing. Really, really bad.
On a “bad wave” kind of post, it’s more than expected that the same people who said they admire her and love her on a recent post, now will be calling her name.
I actually think we are listening to plenty of songs produced by Dr. Puke these days, so her timing was definitely super off, and I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt, and believe she has been cooking up *this* “song” for a while, before the free kesha thing started.
+1 If you have listen to any of these songs (just to name a few) they were either written or produced by Dr. Luke. In case you didn’t notice people in the industry don’t always get into the politics of should I work with this person or not thought they have been crucified in the court of public opinion. And even fans of their work don’t usually care about what bad things celebs have done. If they did Chris Brown and R. Kelly wouldn’t still have a career.
Behind These Hazel Eyes-Kelly Clarkson
Birthday (Katy Perry song)
The One That Got Away (Katy Perry song)
California Gurls-Katy Perry
Domino (Jessie J song)
I Kissed a Girl-Katy Perry
U + Ur Hand-Pink
Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus song)
Where Have You Been-Rihanna
Time of Our Lives (Pitbull and Ne-Yo song)
Timber (Pitbull song)
Pills n Potions-Nicke Minaj
SInce you been Gone-Kelly Clark
It’s kind of funny- thisi s a pretty accurate list of vocalists that I can’t stand. So I guess I don’t like him as a human, or his work.
I’ve heard two of these songs (CA Girls and Wrecking Ball) and I hate them. The rest I’ve never heard of. Pop music industry is a wasteland devoid of talent. DIY or die!
Music industry is a mess, not excusing J. Lo but seeing what is happening to Kesha with a whole billion dollar studio essentially saying they are willing to take all the backlash to make sure one single singer does what they want or she won’t record anything I’ve softened my position on how easy it is to be ‘righteous’ in that field.
If you refuse to work with this person, other doors shut that you never even approached. As for the song Jenny hasn’t been hot since ’01.
I was looking at this interesting little interview with the upcoming singer Tinashe. Someone was asking her about her collaboration with Chris Brown on a song and she revealed that it was her labels idea. She wasn’t even there when he recorded his part. It made me wonder how much say artists, especially new ones, actually have on their music.
They have next to no say, outside of indie bands, and even those are becoming hyper-contrived (Mumford, ugh). Pop music, or radio-friendly music if you prefer, is manufactured like any disposable consumer good, and I really hope we’re seeing a watershed moment where the public is starting to react against it.
So he’s still allowed to produce??
And JLO, still worked with him??
Entertainment above morals
I didn’t follow the case closely. Was he ever convicted of rape or was he just accused and not convicted. If he wasn’t convicted perhaps there are people including other celebs who may feel he is innocent. Look how some celebrities stand by that Roman Polanski pervert. If they believe him to be innocent why wouldn’t they work with him? Not Roman but Dr. Luke.
Dr.Luke hasn’t been convicted of anything because he hasn’t been charged with anything. These are unproven allegations ,for now.
Why is anyone surprised. Jlo is always looking out for number 1 and will do anything for money. She has performed for dictators and their families before. As long as she gets paid it doesn’t matter.
This song would have been acceptable if sung by Meghan Trainor. It’s stupid and youngish like her previous songs. But sung by JLO it becomes much more stupid because she claims this is a feminist anthem ? It’s unacceptable from a 46 years-old grown women !
And with all her power she could have refused to work with Dr. Luke. It’s not as if it’s great song anyway …
Jennifer still keeps in contact with Chris Brown so her working with a man like Luke isn’t surprising.
Come on – this is Jennifer Lopez – if she didn’t want this single to be released it wouldn’t have been. She could easily have said no I don’t want to be publicly associated with Dr. Luke. Sony have been trying publicly make excuses for the Kesha fuck up – there is NO way they would have challenged JLo on this.
Even if they DID force her to collaborate with him before.
No excuses. JLo does what suits her.
Also the song is crap.
The song sucks. Her “performace” on idol last night was equally as tacky.
In the word of MiMi….
I don’t know her.
You win the snark of the week!
J.Lo needs to stop trying to get a hit song. It’s not going to happen. Her last albums flopped and I’m sure this one will too. Her new song is awful.
I like Jennifer, I was really trying to like that song, but I can’t. It’s just…blurgh.
It seems like whether someone is in the entertainment industry, is a social worker, interviews people for a living (whether it’s for a talk show, magazine, or newspaper), owns a chain of hotels, owns or works for a store or restaurant in some way, or is in just about any other line of work, at some point they’re going to find themselves working for or with someone who has done something awful at some point. Of course we don’t like seeing abusers, murderers, or other types of less awful but still incredibly shitty people we don’t respect (like racists and homophobes) get any type of success or work or anything else good. So it’s a let down when we see people working with them. But, that doesn’t mean that working with someone (or enjoying or benefitting from some part of their work) should be seen as being complicit in whatever they’ve done or respecting/supporting all of their actions either. I recently paid to renew the Mcaffe anti-virus software on my computer, knowing what John Mcafee has been accused of (I haven’t followed the case closely enough to know how it turned out.) That doesn’t mean I support murder. Most of the criticisms of people for working with or benefitting from the work of people who have done shitty things comes from rightfully not wanting to see the bad person succeed, but a smaller part of the criticisms also seem to be about likability (Well, I don’t like J.Lo anyway, but I’ll totally give this other male actor or great politician a pass) a need to blame all male bad behavior on women giving some men certain forms of ‘access’ to them (whether the access is their work on a collaboration or something else), and that Demi Lovato-type of mentality. (Can’t think of a better word for it). We don’t know if they worked on this before J.Lo knew what happened to Kesha, or if she or other label executives chose who she’d be working with, but what I’m hoping is that she doesn’t make some statement defending Dr. Luke as a great person, defending his actions, or making any dismissive or victim-blaming comments about Kesha. Can’t stand it when public figures do that.
She’s not the only celeb to work with someone “controversial”. Why attack her when there are many before her? Others have worked with Dr. Luke recently. How about the number of people who have worked with R. Kelly after his controversies? Why should we expect more from J.Lo. Also, we don’t know when this song was recorded.
The song is bad, but why is everyone’s anger directed at J-Lo. She’s one women (even if she is J-Lo) Dr. Luke has the backing of Sony a multi million dollar company. Even after everything that transpired with Keshia. Sony still backed him. With all the support from the most popular female singers. They still backed him. Why is all the backlash for Sony’s and Dr. Luke’s misdeeds being put on Jennifer Lopez. I don’t get it.
It is not that I care about j.lo ..but I don’t see why this is bad. Not in i liked it but as in there are men like that everywhere who just… Its obviously not exactly autobiographical since she didn’t wrote it no?..
Jennifer Lopez has a history of supporting bullies of the music industry. Like Tommy Mottola. I am not surprised that she doesn’t see anything wrong with working with Dr Luke. Plus she unlike MANY other female artists expressed their support for Kesha. Why hasn’t she? Too selfish, too twisted. You’d think being the mother of a girl she’d show solidarity. But no. JLo never ceases to disappoint.
She needs to stop making music.