On stage, Lopez is recognized for her showmanship and sex appeal, and often includes costumes such as bodysuits as part of her performance. Author Priscilla Peña Ovalle stated in Dance and the Hollywood Latina: Race, Sex and Stardom (2011) that Lopez was one of the Latin stars who "used dance to gain agency as working performers with mainstream careers, yet many of their roles paradoxically racialized and sexualized their bodies". Troy Patterson of Entertainment Weekly also observed that she used her body for emphasis on stage, "She turned herself out as the fly girl hyperversion of postfeminist power, flaunting her control by toying with the threat of excess. In consequence, her star went supernova." Her signature movements include "clock-wise pivoting with salsa hip circles and sequential torso undulations". While being noted to lip sync in the early stages of career, Lopez's Dance Again World Tour was praised for showcasing live vocals and choreography synchronously. In a review of her Las Vegas residency All I Have, Los Angeles Times writer Nolan Feeney remarked that her dancing is "undoubtedly the centerpiece of the show".
Lopez has been influenced by artists such as Tina Turner, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga. Growing up, she was influenced by Latin music styles ranging from salsa to bachata, but it was the 1979 hip hop song "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang that she said changed her life. She was also "hugely inspired in her youth" by Rita Moreno's performance in the 1961 musical film West Side Story. Lopez has cited Janet Jackson as a major inspiration for her own dance and videos, stating that she "probably started dancing" because of Jackson's music video for "The Pleasure Principle".
More InfoAfter the conclusion of her Dance Again World Tour, Lopez began recording her eighth studio album, A.K.A., inspired by her travels. It was released in June 2014 through Capitol Records, experiencing lackluster sales. The album produced three singles: "I Luh Ya Papi", which features French Montana, "First Love", and "Booty", featuring Pitbull or rapper Iggy Azalea. "Booty" debuted inside the top twenty in the United States, making it her second-highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 after "On the Floor". In April, the official song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup performed by Pitbull, Lopez and Brazilian recording artist Claudia Leitte, "We Are One (Ole Ola)", was released. She was ranked as the sixth highest-paid woman in music for the year, earning $37 million. In November 2014, Lopez partnered with Endless Jewelry, designing a range of new jewelry products. That month, she also released first her book, True Love, which became a New York Times best-seller.
More InfoWhile working on her first album, On the 6, Lopez began dating record producer and rapper Sean Combs. On December 27, 1999, the couple was arrested along with two others in connection with a shooting outside a Times Square club. They were charged with criminal possession of a weapon as well as stolen property. Lopez was soon exonerated, having had nothing to do with the crime. However, Combs was charged and indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. After leaving Combs, Lopez developed a relationship with former back-up dancer Cris Judd, to whom she was married from September 29, 2001, to June 2002. Following her second divorce due to irreconcilable differences, she commenced a high-profile relationship with actor and director Ben Affleck, to whom she became engaged in November 2002. The media began to refer to them as "Bennifer", and they became a prominent supercouple in the media and popular culture. Bennifer became a popular term, which was eventually entered into urban dictionaries and neologism dictionaries as notable, as the name blend started the trend of other celebrity couples being referred to by the combination of their first names. The couple postponed their nuptials indefinitely a day prior to the planned ceremony in September 2003, citing the media's interference with the event as the reason.
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 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.
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