Jennifer Lopez is in love - and she wants the whole world to know about it. This, presumably, is why over half of her new album is made up of cloying romantic ballads about her fiance Ben Affleck, which he should certainly enjoy but which the rest of us are more likely to find deeply irritating. Heavily influenced by 70s soul in general and Diana Ross in particular, This Is Me.Then is a criminally self-indulgent affair that may satisfy diehard fans but certainly won't win any new converts to Lopez's cause. Crucially, its glossy R'n'B production can't quite disguise the Bronx babe's fundamental vocal weaknesses - she's a reasonable crooner but struggles badly to hit the high notes. And while her ambition is hardly in question, the kindest thing to be said about her diva posturings is that as a pop star, she makes a great actress. All of which means that while readers of Hello! magazine may well enjoy this for the details it reveals about J-Lo's personal life, music lovers are advised to steer well clear.
