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Chris Connelly: What does "On the 6" mean?

Jennifer Lopez: I wish I could remember who it was who came and asked me, "How did you go from being a Puerto Rican girl who lived in the Bronx to doing movies and now recording your own album?" And I said, "I used to get on the 6 [a subway train line] and go to the city and do my auditions and take my lessons, voice lessons and dance classes, and all that kind of stuff." Thinking about that, it just became sort of symbolic. It was a big goal of mine to make a record.... At first it was to be in videos, and then it was to be in television, and then it was to do a movie, and then it was, "I want to make my own album." So this was like that last final thing that I really wanted to accomplish. The music is also who I am. And the music is what it is, it's Latin soul, because of where I'm from. The fact that I grew up in the Bronx... I was influenced by R&B and hip-hop, but on the holidays I would listen to salsa, merengue... that's what my music is. It's really who I am and where I'm from.

CC: So much about your career has sort of established you as a pioneer and made you a role model for a lot of people who look up to you now. Do you feel that burden at all?

JL: It really happened with the movie "Selena" for me. It was really scary. I remember being very freaked out, like, "Ohmigod! What if I disappoint somebody?" I started out just wanting to do good work. And because of what I do, that inspires people. And so long as I keep doing what I'm doing, it's not so much a responsibility as it is something that's sort of a gift that you get... for actually being able to pursue what you love to do. If you inspire [people] to go after something that maybe they wouldn't have done cause they're not used to seeing people of their culture in that position, that's all just icing on the cake for me.

CC: Did the "Selena" experience influence your decision to launch a singing career?

JL: I really, really became inspired, because I started my career in musical theater on stage. So doing the movie just reminded me how much I missed singing, dancing, and like... sharing that love with people, like, right there with you. You know what I mean? When you're doing a movie, you're playing different characters. People don't really get to know you. With music, you really get a sense of who people are. So now, when people see me perform, it will be a different thing. They'll be getting more of who I am, who Jennifer is. [And] the songs and the music [are] very personal. It was funny, because this was my first album, [and] I had never worked in a studio or anything like that. So coming in, I remember going into the booth, [and everyone was] like, "Do you want to turn off the lights?" And I go, "No..." "Do you want some candles burning?" And I'm like, "No. Why?" "Oh, I don't know. Some people just like to set the mood." And I'm like, "Well, if everybody else does it, I'll do it then too! Light the candles. Burn the incense. Whatever. Bring in the dancing boys." [Laughing]

CC: So how'd you hook up with Rodney Jerkins for "If You Had My Love?"

JL: It was funny, because Rodney came in, like, early in the process.... He called up and he played me something over the phone, [but] he was busy with other things, and I was busy doing what I was doing, and we didn't really do it. A month before we finished the album, he came in... and I played him a few of the finished tracks that we had. And he came back the next day with, like, 9 different snippets [Laughs] and he's like, "You can have whichever ones you want." And I picked two of them. So that's "If You Had My Love" and "Not That Serious."

CC: There are a lot of strong tracks on the record. What made "If You Had My Love" cross the finish line first? Sounds like it was a big battle.

JL: It was. It's just hard. It's like, "Which direction do you want to go? How do you want to be perceived?" There's so many things that go into it. And you have the record company, you have your managers, and you have everybody who's like, "I think this, I think this." And you have like your friends, who are like, "No way! You can't do that! You gotta go with the other one!" And every five minutes your mind changes. At the end of the day, this was the one that we thought would be right to go out first. I feel good about it. It's doing really well.

CC: There's so many things going on with this record. It's you crossing over from film to music, and it's also really at the forefront of this huge explosion in... what would you call it, Latin soul? Latin pop?

JL: Yeah, Latin pop. I call my music "Latin soul" because it's not so much dance-oriented...it has R&B flavors with the Latin and the pop and the dance, but it definitely has those R&B bass lines and stuff like that. As [for] the whole Latin pop [explosion]... I just think people are becoming more exposed to [the music]. It's always been there. There's always been Latin performers.... Ricky's been around. Ricky Martin, who made the big splash. I was so proud [at the Grammy Awards]. They kept cutting to me [in the audience]. I was glad because I was so proud. He just brought the house down. The energy in there was incredible. But that's that Latin flavor, and people, when you feel it, it's undeniable. It doesn't matter where you're from. I just think that a few years ago, they might not have had the nominee for Latin Pop Album on the Grammys, but this year they did. And this year, it's an explosion. It was just a matter of time, just like anything else: exposure. I wanted my stuff to have a Latin flavor to it. My favorite type of music is salsa music... and hip-hop music, so I wanted to like mesh those elements somehow. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I wanted to have both feels. I wanted it to have the heavy groove, but then again, I want it to have that Latin flavor - that passion to it.

CC: You wrote lyrics for a couple of the tracks including "Should Have Never."

JL: The Trackmasters brought me this [instrumental], and basically it was just, like, the beat with a Spanish guitar on top of it. I just loved it. We added the strings and all that kind of stuff later. But Corey [executive producer/co-writer Corey Rooney] was like, "You gotta think of something to write," and I was like, "You write it! I don't write!" And he's like, "Just go home and listen to it." And I would listen to it and listen to it, and then I was like, "I have an idea of what I want to write about: when you're with somebody, and somebody else comes into your life, and even though you love this person, somebody else is there..." And he's like, "Well, what do you want to say, though?" And I said, "I just want to say, 'I should have never touched you, I should have never looked at you, I should have never held your hand... I didn't think it was gonna be this bad,' y'know?" And he goes, "Okay. Well, that will be the chorus." And then we just sat down and wrote the rest of the song right there.

CC: Do you psych yourself up for a song like that? Do you place yourself in the mind of the woman who would be singing that?

JL: Yeah, absolutely. It was funny. I did a duet on this [album] with Marc Anthony, who is to me one of the most incredible singers that's out today. And he said something to me when we were recording together. He said, "I know when you're singing it, you feel it. But remember: when I hear it, I have to feel it too." So it's the same type of thing as with acting. It has to come from somewhere real. Because if it doesn't, nobody's going to connect to it. So it was just a real challenge to learn how to channel it, just through your voice, and have it come out on the track. [It's one] thing when somebody sees you singing live. They can feel you, they can see you. But when they're just listening on the radio, it's a different story. So that was definitely challenging for me, and something that I had to learn. It's just as intense as acting in that way.

CC: Tell us about "Let's Get Loud." You worked with Gloria Estefan's husband Emilio on that one.

JL: Emilio was incredible. Right at the top. He was one of the natural choices to work with just because of the Latin flavor of it all. And I was like, "I don't want it to be straight Latin! I want it to be more like, y'know, dance-y music-y," and he was like, "Okay, okay." He was really amazing and very supportive. And just, to me, him and Gloria are just an inspiration.

CC: And that song's got lyrics by Gloria, is that right?

JL: Yeah. Actually, the song was supposed to be for her album, and for some reason she had tons of great hits so she didn't need it, thank God! So Gloria [said], "See if Jennifer wants to use that song." And I was like, "Ohmigod, yeah! Give it to me! Please give it to me!"

CC: Another track is the Marc Anthony duet, "No Me Ames," which is cool. [There are] two different versions of this one.

JL: Yeah, right. Now [Emilio Estefan] heard the ballad version, actually... he had nothing to do with [that]. It was actually Marc Anthony. He had asked me to do a video with him, and I said, "Well, I'll do the video with you, and you have to sing on my record." [Laughs] Fair trade. And no sooner had he left the studio [when] he visited me here at the studio. He calls on the phone and says, "I have the song.... It's an old Italian song, but we'll get it translated into Spanish. And we'll do it." So we did it. It's a beautiful ballad... kind of a conversation between two people. But when Emilio heard it, he was like, "Oh! I could do something with this!' And he took it and turned it into a salsa record. He made a tropical remix of it, and it's actually the one they're playing on the radio right now.

CC: For the American audience, how would you describe who Marc Anthony is?

JL: Okay, he's like, the number one salsero. If you hear his voice, immediately you're like, "Who is that?!"

CC: And what's Puffy like to work with?

JL: He's one of those people who's just blessed with that ear from God. It's just like a gift he has. To me, he's an incredible talent. He knows how to make 'em dance. One of the most brilliant people out there. He's good for the ad-libs. [Laughs] "C'mon! Let's dance!" Y'know, I can't even do it. I'm not even going to attempt to go into his domain. I'm just glad that I got to work with him.

CC: How have the rumors been about your relationship?

JL: I think because we're really good friends and we have hung out together and stuff, people run with that. Who haven't they rumored me with this year? [Laughs] This year I have been rumored with them all. And to tell you the truth, I haven't been with no one. [Laughs] I wish I had that much action. I mean, I'd be more relaxed. Maybe I wouldn't have worked so much this year. I don't know.

CC: Are you in love right now?

JL: Um, no.

CC: Then who is "My Superstar?"

JL: Oh, hell no! Listen to this one! "My Superstar?!"

CC: "I love you and you love me and that's all I need to know."

JL: Hmm.

CC: [That's a] thank you on your record.

JL: Yeah. That's my favorite.

CC: That's a special someone who you want to keep out of the public eye.

JL: Absolutely.

CC: Is that hard for you right now to keep private life?

JL: Yeah, because everybody wants to know [who I'm with] for some reason. I don't know why.

CC: Like you wanted to know [that kind of stuff] when you were a kid in the Bronx, right?

JL: Absolutely. I totally understand it. I totally understand it. I don't complain. But then again, I don't explain either. [Laughs]