Upon launching her music career in the late 1990s, Lopez contributed to the "Latin explosion" occurring in entertainment at the time. Writing for The Recording Academy, Brian Haack described her as the "breakout female star" of the Latin pop movement in American music. She was featured on the cover of the first issue of Latina magazine in 1996, with editor Galina Espinoza stating in 2011 that there is "no recounting of modern Latina history without Jennifer". Around the time her career began to burgeon, the emphasis on Lopez's curvaceous figure grew; scholar Sean Redmond wrote that this was a sign of her role and social power in the cultural changes occurring in the United States. In August 2005, Time listed Lopez as one of the most influential Hispanics in America, remarking: "Why? Because over a decade ago, she was an anonymous background dancer on the second-rated sketch-comedy show. Today she's known by two syllables." In February 2007, People en Español named her the most influential Hispanic entertainer. In 2014, scientists named a species of aquatic mite found in Puerto Rico, Litarachna lopezae, after Lopez.
In collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti, Lopez designed a capsule collection of shoes and jewelry. Giuseppe for Jennifer Lopez launched in January 2017. In July 2016, Lopez announced a new dance competition series entitled World of Dance, for which she serves as an executive producer and judge. Created in partnership with World of Dance, the series was greenlit by NBC with a straight-to-series order for ten episodes. World of Dance premiered on May 30, 2017; with 9.7 million viewers, it became the most-watched premiere for a summer alternative series in nine years. According to Forbes, Lopez was the eleventh highest-paid female celebrity between June 2016 and June 2017, with earnings of $38 million. Lopez had announced in October 2016 that she was working on a second full-length Spanish album, which was set to be released through Sony Music Latin, with Marc Anthony serving as an executive producer. It was to be titled Por Primera Vez, which translates to For the First Time in English. The album, which never materialized, produced two singles: "Ni Tú Ni Yo" (featuring Cuban reggaeton group Gente de Zona) and "Amor, Amor, Amor" featuring Wisin.
More InfoAccording to author Ed Morales in The Latin Beat: The Rhythms And Roots Of Latin Music From Bossa Nova To Salsa And Beyond (2003), Lopez's music explores the "romantic innocence" of Latin music, while strongly identifying with hip hop. Her debut album On the 6 fuses the influence of Latin music with R&B and hip hop, which Lopez described as Latin soul. To the contrary, Morales described it as "state-of-the-art dance pop". Dee Lockett, writing for the Chicago Tribune, stated that songs such as "Waiting for Tonight" made Lopez "arguably the leading artist in the dance-pop movement at the time". While primarily sung in English, she speaks in Spanish and asserts her Latin heritage throughout the album, which is apparent in the song "Let's Get Loud". She has also recorded bilingual songs, including the Latin pop song "Cariño", for her second album J.Lo. A departure from her previous albums, This Is Me... Then blends 1970s soul with "streetwise" hip hop.
More InfoIn April 2018, Lopez launched her limited-edition makeup collection in collaboration with Inglot Cosmetics. That month, she was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world, and released a new Spanish single, "El Anillo". The following month, she released a bilingual single titled "Dinero", featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. Later, Lopez made a cameo appearance in the music video of Maroon 5's "Girls Like You", with Cardi B. With earnings of $47 million between June 2017 and June 2018, Forbes listed Lopez as the sixth highest-paid woman in music. In December 2018, Lopez starred in the comedy film Second Act, directed by Peter Segal; she also produced the film, and recorded the single "Limitless" for its soundtrack. Second Act earned mixed reviews from critics, but performed well at the box office, grossing over $72.2 million worldwide with a production budget of $16 million.
More InfoIn April 2018, Lopez launched her limited-edition makeup collection in collaboration with Inglot Cosmetics. That month, she was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world, and released a new Spanish single, "El Anillo". The following month, she released a bilingual single titled "Dinero", featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. Later, Lopez made a cameo appearance in the music video of Maroon 5's "Girls Like You", with Cardi B. With earnings of $47 million between June 2017 and June 2018, Forbes listed Lopez as the sixth highest-paid woman in music. In December 2018, Lopez starred in the comedy film Second Act, directed by Peter Segal; she also produced the film, and recorded the single "Limitless" for its soundtrack. Second Act earned mixed reviews from critics, but performed well at the box office, grossing over $72.2 million worldwide with a production budget of $16 million.
More InfoLopez is an avid supporter of LGBT rights, and has raised millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research. In June 2013, amfAR presented Lopez with its humanitarian award for her philanthropic work. That September, she was awarded the Ally for Equality award presented by the Human Rights Campaign, for her support of the LGBT community. The following year, she received the GLAAD Vanguard Award. In July 2016, Lopez released a single entitled "Love Make the World Go Round", a collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, which benefits victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting. She was also featured on the song "Hands" along with numerous other artists, also benefiting those affected by the Orlando shooting. Among numerous other artists, Lopez signed an open letter from Billboard magazine to the United States Congress in 2016, which demanded action on gun control.
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