Como Ama una Mujer

Album Review

Marriage can change a person, and it sure seems to have changed Jennifer Lopez. Ever since she tied the knot with salsa superstar Marc Anthony, Lopez has quietly receded from the tabloids, retiring her J-Lo appellation in the process, and turning toward the same Latin audience that is Anthony's constituency. She took a supporting role as his wife in the biopic of legend Héctor Lavoe, El Cantante, but before that hit the theaters in the summer of 2007, she released her first all-Spanish album, Como Ama una Mujer, in March. What's startling about Como Ama una Mujer is that it sounds as if Lopez is not only content to play his wife on screen, she's content to now make music for housewives, which this album most certainly is. This is a slick, ballad-heavy affair that pointedly avoids any current trends either among Latin record-buyers or crossover artists, along with pointedly avoiding the intoxicating, glittery dance-pop of her English-language releases. Certainly, it's not as daring as Shakira, but it's not as thrilling as any random video you'll see on Latin MTV — and it's by far the most sedate Lopez has ever been on record. She acquits herself well as a vocalist — she never indulges in vocal gymnastics, and she can carry a tune strongly.