Jennifer Lopez (one of my favourite singers) recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of her album Rebirth. It was her 4th studio album and was released on 1st March 2005 (my 21st birthday!). It seems crazy that it's been so long since it came out! lol.
In November 2022, I wrote a post about the 20th anniversary of J.Lo.'s This Is Me...Then album. So, I decided to do another one for Rebirth's anniversary. :)
Rebirth was Jennifer's first album following her split from then fiance American actor Ben Affleck, which was in part due to intense media attention. The couple later reunited and married in 2022 and Jennifer's most recent album This Is Me...Now (accompanied by a film of the same name) was inspired by their rekindled romance. (I got the album for my 40th birthday last year!) However, they broke-up a second time last year.
At the time of the Rebirth's release, Jennifer was married to her third husband American singer and actor Marc Anthony, with whom she later had twins Max and Emme, now 17. She said that she chose the title because she felt "reborn, and was moving away from her "J.Lo diva persona". However, she later clarified that she hadn't completely dropped the nickname J.Lo and didn't mind others still using it.
The album's producers include Marc, Timbaland and Cory Rooney. It consists of 12 tracks- lead single Get Right, released in January 2005 and Hold You Down in February 2005.
While I like the solo Get Right and the original remix featuring American rapper Fabolous, I actually prefer the hip hop remix. My other favourite songs are Step Into My World, Ryde or Die and I, Love. I like most of the others as well.
Here are the singles and some of my favourite songs. :)
Get Right
Get Right was the first single from Rebirth and was released ahead of the album, in January 2005. It's one of Jennifer's most well-known singles and was quite successful chart wise, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 in other countries, including the UK, Ireland and Italy.
Get Right is a dance and R'n'B song, and samples the 1971 single Soul Power 74 by Maceo and the Macks/The J.B's, the band of legendary American singer James Brown. It's a reworked version of the song Ride, by American singer Usher (originally intended for his 4th studio album Confessions (released in 2004). It was given to Jennifer without his consent, which caused trouble at the time.
There are two versions of Get Right on the album- a solo version and the remix featuring Fabolous. I like both but my fave version is the hip hop remix (see below).
The music video features J.Lo in a nightclub playing several different characters including a DJ, a waitress, a diva and a dancer. Marc Anthony's daughter Arianna Muniz also appears in the video.
Get Right Remixes
As I mentioned, there are two remixes- the original one featuring Fabolous and then the Hip Hop mix (also called the Rap Remix). The 2nd one isn't the album but it is on the European CD maxi single of Hold You Down (see below). The Hip Hop mix is my favourite.
There are music videos for both remixes but they appear to be the same, which can be confusing! I remember seeing the hip hop one on the music channels years ago. Here's the video for the album remix:
Back in 2012, I featured the video for the hip hop/rap remix in my Top 10 Jennifer Lopez Songs post (No. 4): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/10/top-10-jennifer-lopez-songs.html
The video isn't that clear but you can see a clearer upload here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwaVeEFqXI8
Hold You Down feat. Fat Joe
Hold You Down was the 2nd and last single to be released, coming out in February 2005. While not that successful in the US, it did better abroad, getting to No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart and Top 40 in other countries. As I said, the European CD maxi single of Hold You Down also included the Hip Hop Mix of Get Right (see above).
The song samples American singer Shirley Murdock's 1986 single As We Lay. American rapper Fat Joe features on the track and it was also included on his 6th album All or Nothing (released in June 2005).
This was the 3rd time Jennifer and Fat Joe had worked together, having previously released the single Feelin' So Good with the late Big Pun (from J.Lo's debut album On the 6) in 1999 and the RJ Schoolyard mix of her hit single Love Don't Cost a Thing (which can be found her remix album J to tha L-O! The Remixes) in 2002.
Step Into My World
Step Into My World is one of my favourite songs on Rebirth. It contains African music influences. This is an audio.
I Got U
I Got U is about Jennifer's relationship with Marc, whom she'd previously also dated for a bit back in the 90s. My fave bit is the chorus.
Still Around
Still Around is also about J.Lo and Marc's relationship, a light hearted, laidback R'n'B song. Marc speaks on the track, reminiscing about past days.
Ryde or Die
I'd say that Ryde of Die is my 2nd fave song on the album, after I, Love (see below). It's an R'n'B and hip song. It was originally written for American singer Brandy's 4th album Afrodisiac (released in 2004), but ended up being given to Jennifer instead.
Brandy co-wrote the song. I thought that she also provided background vocals for J.Lo's version, but some people commenting on YouTube say that it's actually songwriter and singer Makeba Riddick Woods singing. It does honestly sound like Brandy to me!
You can hear Brandy's demo version here, if you'd like to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlBzeVjuZh8
I, Love
Finally, this I, Love, my favourite song. I like the dreamy vibe and the beat. I shared in my More J.Lo Songs post back in 2013 (scroll down): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/02/more-jlo-songs.html
Or listen to the official upload here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GCaLLqQzVQ
Hope you enjoyed the post! :) Are you a fan of Rebirth? What's your fave J.Lo album?
For more posts on Jennifer's albums, check out these links:
20th Anniversary of J.Lo's This Is Me...Then (all about her 2002 album): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/11/20th-anniversary-of-jlos-this-is-me.html
New Jennifer Lopez Album (about the follow-up This Is Me...Now, released in Feb 2024): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2024/03/new-jennifer-lopez-album.html
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