(Tracks released as singles are italicized. My recommendations are in red.)Okay, so you could say that I'm feeling a bit nostalgic tonight. I was recently weeding out my CD and DVD collections (both a workout!), and I came across this album. I was reminded of how much I loved it when I first bought it, and after rigorously cleaning, polishing and resurfacing it so it would actually play after almost 10 years (lots of scratches), I restored it to working condition and decided that it would be foolish of me to not review it.
Interestingly enough, an all-Spanish version of the album was released (apparently on May 7, 1999, a month before the regular version was released, but that doesn't really make sense...). It includes the standard 14 tracks -- all in Spanish. Maybe I'll have to hunt down a copy for myself. It's extremely hard to find.
1. "If You Had My Love" - Admit it, you've liked this song at some point in your life. I'll admit to it. It's a simple, yet addictive album opener that lets you know that Jennifer Lopez is here to stay, and she means business.
2. "Should've Never" - Whew! This one's sure a workout! At 6:14, this ballad is the longest song on the album. Six minutes of J.Lo singing about a love she deeply regrets, because she is now in love with two men. Oh my! Now, now Jennifer, don't you know you shouldn't have regrets?
3. "Too Late" - This one is just alright. An angry Lopez tells her (now) ex-lover that it's too late for their relationship.
4. "Feelin' So Good" (featuring Big Pun & Fat Joe) - I'm telling you, even almost 10 years after I bought the album, this song still stands out and is easily the best track on the album. Everything about it is just great - the lyrics, the beat, and the feel-good nature of it all. It's a great party anthem, and no party playlist should be without this song.
5. "Let's Get Loud" - The latin influence is definitely here! This one's another great song, this time about throwing all your troubles away. "Life's a party / Make it hot! / Dance / Don't ever stop / Whatever rhythm" J.Lo declares on this dancefloor anthem.
6. "Could This Be Love" - This is one of those tracks I tend to skip over when listening to, but it's a nice ballad that's a nice way to unwind after the last two energetic songs.
7. "No Me Ames (Tropical Remix)" (featuring Marc Anthony) - Not a huge fan of the Spanish language tracks on this album, but it's an okay song, and this remix is much better than the original 'Ballad Version', which appears later on the album. Not much else to say here.
8. "Waiting for Tonight" - It's back to party mode for Jenny in her signature song that everybody's heard (unless you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years).
9. "Open off My Love" - In the naughtiest song on the album, J.Lo tells her lover just how much she wants him. This is my second favorite track off the album.
10. "Promise Me You'll Try" - This is a cover of the song originally recorded by Diana Ross. A sweet song about how Jennifer doesn't want her lover to make all sorts of crazy (and sometimes unrealistic) promises - she just wants him to try. My favorite ballad from the album by far.
11. "It's Not That Serious" - This song finds us at the exact opposite end of the spectrum in comparison to the previous song. The message is clear here - J.Lo is always one step ahead!
12. "Talk About Us" - Here we have J.Lo at a crossroads. She wants her and her lover to talk about their relationship and what the next step for them is. It's an alright song, but somewhat bland.
13. "No Me Ames (Original Ballad Version)" (featuring Marc Anthony)" - I repeat - not a fan of the Spanish songs here. It's just not that great of a song, sorry to say.
14. "Una Noche Mas (Waiting for Tonight)" - The Spanish version of the worldwide smash, "Waiting for Tonight".
BONUS TRACKS:
15. "Baila" - This one is freakishly similar to "Let's Get Loud", which is probably why it wasn't included on worldwide releases of the album. It's a great song either way. (Only available on European and Philippine pressings of the album as track 15.)
16. "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)" - Another Diana Ross cover, this was performed many times during J.Lo's concerts during the On the 6 / J.Lo album eras. It's a great ballad. Interestingly enough - both J.Lo and Mariah Carey recorded a cover of this song for each of their 1999 albums (J.Lo for this album, and Mariah for her album Rainbow). Both cover versions of the song were released as a Non-U.S. bonus track for each of their albums. Mariah's version went on to be released as a single, and was included on Non-U.S. editions of her compilation album #1's, as well as on a Limited Edition EP released only at Wal*Mart, called Valentines, which is the only instance in which the song appeared on an official U.S. release of a Mariah Carey album. J.Lo's version has never been included on an official U.S. release of any of her albums. (J.Lo's cover of Theme from Mahogany: Do You Know Where You're Going To? is only available on European and Philippine pressings of On The 6 as track 16.)
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