From ‘Selena’ to ‘This is Me…Now’ Jennifer Lopez’s Iconic 20+ Year Trajectory
Over the past decades, Jennifer Lopez has risen to the top as one of the brightest stars in the world. Never too far from the spotlight, Lopez continues to be a north star for many Latinas seeking stardom, surpassing even herself at every turn with new projects consistently on the horizon.
On November 25, Jenny From the Block announced she was releasing her first studio album in ten years. The last one was “A.K.A.” in 2014. “This is Me…Now” is the sequel to Lopez’s 2002 album, “This is Me…Then.”
According to the announcement, the new project will also include a film that will stream on Prime Video on February 16, 2024. “This musical experience is a manifestation through music, film, and reality, of life’s journey on the search for truth about love,” a message reads at the end of the clip.
Something else coming with the new release? An inside look at JLo’s love life, particularly a “musical and visual reimagining of her publicly scrutinized love life.” And while we’re eagerly awaiting this fiery return of the Bronx native, we’re looking back at her impressive career trajectory— and some of its most notable moments.
Jennifer Lopez made her film debut in 1986 with “My Little Girl,” but her big break came in 1990 with “In Living Color”
While many don’t know this about JLo, she made her film debut at age 16 with a small part in the 1986 film, “My Little Girl.” However, her first big break came when she became one of the “Fly Girls” for “In Living Color” in 1990. She stayed on the show from 1991 to 1993, when she left to focus on her acting career.
The 90s were huge for Lopez’s career, with several top film performances
Throughout the 1990s, her acting career started taking off with roles in shows like “Second Chances,” “Hotel Malibu” and “South Central.” She also played supporting roles alongside actors like Jack Nicholson in “Blood and Wine,” and Edward James Olmos in “My Family.”
She became the first Latina actress to earn a $1 million paycheck after starring in “Selena”
Perhaps the most iconic role of JLo’s career came when she played Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film “Selena”. Aside from her touching performance, the movie “Selena” also made JLo the first Latina actress to earn $1 million. The role also made Lopez a household name to this day. She also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
Her debut album “On the 6” made the Billboard 200 the same week as her film “The Wedding Planner”
Did we mention JLo is iconic? Acting and dancing were not enough for the artist of Puerto Rican descent. In 1999, she added songstress to the list by releasing her debut album “On the 6.” If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, we’ll remind you of “Let’s Get Loud,” “Waiting for Tonight,” and the one where we all wanted her and Marc Anthony to be a thing— “No Me Ames.”
One cool fact, though, is that Lopez is the first woman in history to have a number-one film AND album in the same week in the U.S., according to the B.B.C.
Lopez’s Super Bowl LIV halftime show is the most viewed of all time
Lopez made history alongside Shakira on February 2, 2020, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The show received four primetime Emmy nominations and has been viewed more than 298 million times on YouTube.
In 2010, she was inducted into the World Music Awards for her contributions to the arts
The World Music Awards honored JLo in 2010 with the “Legend” award for her contributions to music. According to their website, the award was “created to honor top recording artists who have made outstanding contributions to the music industry.” Former recipients include Beyoncé, Gloria Gaynor, Janet Jackson and more.
“Hustlers” earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress
In 2020, Lopez earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Ramona in “Hustlers.” Although she did not win the award for this performance, she later discussed the grueling training and efforts that went into filming.
