I was reading the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, where they began talking about Jennifer Lopez and how she can get back on top. While they did make some valid points, I think some have missed the mark. Here is what I feel Jennifer Lopez should do to get her career back on top like it was ten years ago at the height of her career.
The Music career
After both Louboutins and Fresh Out the Oven flopped, her longtime label Sony dropped her on her ass faster than you can say American Music Awards. If she wants to continue the music career, she needs to mature along with her music. I'm not saying she needs to do boring contemporary, or ballads, since ballads showcase the thinness of her singing. Let's leave the schmalz to Celine Dion, shall we? I think she needs to work with people who can write good mid-tempo R&B tracks for her, and since we like Jennifer when she's showing off her dancing skills, she needs to take a page out of the Madonna handbook and work with edgier dance producers (not David Guetta or RedOne)to get her played in the clubs. She should also dive into edgier pop, something Umbrella-esque. While that was the biggest hit of Rihanna's career, you can't deny that song sounds like it was written for someone older. At the end of the day her music needs to be relateable to the buying audience. No one's going to spend rent money on a pair of Louboutins, especially in this recession. She talks so much about being real, maybe she needs to hook up wit the same people who have been working with Mary J. Blige. Now there's an artist who's aging like fine wine. Hopefully, since there is talk that she may sign with Island/Def Jam (home to nemesis Mariah Carey), LA Reid may be just the man to put her back on the map.
I feel if she's serious about her music career, she needs to focus on one task at a time and not look at it as another business transaction you need to get through. As long as her music career has been going on, she's never properly toured like other singers such as Beyonce and Madonna (and no that tour she did while pregnant with her husband's babies doesn't count). If you are going to do music, you need to put the acting on the backburner and focus strictly on making TV appearances, more live shows and a proper world tour.
The Acting career
While I did like her in The Wedding Planner and Maid In Manhattan, I also loved when she played tough roles in Out of Sight, The Cell and Money Train. Now that Jennifer is in her forties, it seems to be becoming much harder to find good roles for women who aren't the teeny bopper age. I also feel for quite a while Jennifer hasn't been as hungry career-wise as she was back in the early stages of her career. She's got all the money and the fame, but as that increases, she's become more out of touch with her audience. Maybe she can take on a role like Halle Berry in Monster's Ball or like a very self image conscious Mariah Carey in Precious? Now if she can show up on set without an entourage, a glam squad, and can be lit overhead without a problem, Jennifer shouldn't have a problem either. Whatever you choose, you need to commit to it 100%.
Don't think this is beneath you, but maybe Jennifer should go into television. All big screen actresses like Jada Pinkett Smith, Kyra Sedgwick, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Mary Louise Parker are all doing well in television. Jennifer has been known to kill it when she makes guest-appearances on sitcoms, like Will & Grace, How I Met Your Mother, and SNL. Maybe she should do a Modern Family-type series, or something in the range of Sex & The City. If she's trying to move away from rom-coms (which isn't going to last forever especially since the clock is ticking for her to be pulling those type of films off), there's always serious dramatic roles. How about doing a Southland-esque series? Or something like her Karen Sisco character in Out Of Sight (not saying they need to bring that character back, they did that years ago when Carla Gugino starred in the short-lives series). Playing a US Marshall would be a good look or maybe a spy in an action series? I've always liked when Jen's played tough chick roles. A serialized drama may be just the way to go if she wants to get back on top. And I also believe it would show she's serious about her craft and her fans will flock to see her. While we do get off on tearing our celebrities down, we do love a good comeback. What do you guys think? I'd definitely love to hear your feedback.
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