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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine