Jennifer Lopez : biography
Critics observe that Lopez’s light vocals, though radio friendly, are often obscured by the glossy production of her music. The Baltimore Sun regards Lopez has having a breathy stylistic range, though feels that her material lacks personality and that she instead sounds similar to other artists such as Janet Jackson and Madonna. Today Music opined: "like Madonna and Janet, people don’t listen to J.Lo for the poignant lyrics—she’s best when riding a dance groove". Despite criticism, Latina ranked Lopez thirteenth on "50 Best Latin Singers", writing, "Whether it’s for her vocals, dramatic lyrics, or her pop dance beats, we guarantee that everyone will stop to listen".
Choreography and stage
Lopez has felt a deep emotional connection to dance and choreography since her childhood. While she was a child, she specialized in ballet, jazz and flamenco dance genres. Lopez has been noted to have begun her career on the variety television sketch comedy series In Living Colour, where she was apart of a dance "troupe" labeled The Fly Girls. The Fly Girls were branded as a group of versatile and attractive female dancers whose ethnic backgrounds varied, reflecting the broad base of interest in hip hop culture. There, Lopez took part in hip hop choreographed skits that were unique for their addition of "edgy" elements. In The American Dancefloor: Hip Hop Dance (2012), author Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar observed that her contribution on the series which was "the mainstream answer" to Saturday Night Live marked the beginning of Lopez’s entertainment career. Lopez briefly served as a back-up dancer to recording artist Janet Jackson, who she claimed to have a considerable influence over her choreography. After commencing her own music career, Lopez’s provocatively choreographed debut music video, "If You Had My Love", allowed her to become a dominant figure on Music Television Networks worldwide, a field that had previously been consumed with primarily Jackson and Madonna. Since, Lopez has become well-known for her body-emphasizing music videos such as "Waiting for Tonight", "I’m Glad" and "Dance Again" among others, which have been subject to a mixed response. Lopez exercised her dancing skills in the film Shall We Dance? (2004), for which she had to learn a new genre: ballroom. Her fluency and form received praise. Lopez often includes dance routines to her music videos.
In a study of the successful Latina in relation to sex and dance, author Priscilla Peña Ovalle observed in Dance and the Hollywood Latina: Race, Sex and Stardom (2011), that Lopez utilized the mythology of dance which makes the Latina star a "paradoxical figure". Ovalle wrote: "[the] Latina star strikes a balance: by wielding her body and its purported sexuality in familiar ways, she achieves agency in a career and nation that would otherwise exclude and her and her movement." Troy Patterson of Entertainment Weekly also noted Lopez for using her body for emphasis, "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." Lopez and Shakira are recognized for their signature moves which include "clock-wise pivoting with salsa hip circles and sequential torso undulations".
Lopez is often noted for her choreography and high-energy provocative stage performances, which have at times caused her to receive scrutiny from the public. She often includes bodysuits as part of her performances. Though noted to lip sync in the early stages of her music career, Lopez’s Dance Again World Tour was praised for showcasing her live vocals and choreography synchronously. In May 2013, Lopez’s performance on the finale of the television series Britain’s Got Talent, which was deemed inappropriate and over-raunchy for family-friendly television, drew official viewer complaints to Ofcom.
