Jennifer Lopez photo by CASSIO

Jennifer Lopez: A star is reborn
By Chris Betros

TOKYO — Jennifer Lopez can always count on unusual questions when she visits Japan. This week, during her three-day visit to promote her new album "Rebirth" and her upcoming film "Shall We Dance?" the 34-year-old Latino star was asked whether she realized that her "Shall We Dance?" co-star Richard Gere resembled Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Breaking into a laugh, all Lopez could say was, "Really, I'm sorry, I don't know your prime minister. That's so funny."

It's been four years since Lopez last visited Japan and both Sony Music and Gaga were sparing no expense. Her three-day stay reportedly cost 70 million yen. Whether her new album and movie will recoup those costs is debatable, although "Rebirth" has been selling well since its Feb 23 debut.

"When a new album comes out, it is always scary because you never know how it is going to be received. Knowing it is already a hit here makes me very happy. I remember when I first came to Japan as a singer/dancer for a flower expo. It was the first time I had traveled so far from home by myself. I've always had great experiences in Japan," said Lopez who was born and raised in New York's Bronx.

"Rebirth" is her fifth album and signals a new chapter in her life. "I had taken six months off, which as anybody who knows me will tell you, is a big deal. It was my first real break since high school. I came back with a relaxed, rejuvenated sense and I think this new album reflects that. It is a mix of pop, hip hop, R&B, but is a little more soulful, with funkier elements. It's a bit riskier for me," she said.

Coming on top of her new album and her film is her new fashion line and her new husband, singer Marc Anthony. Although they married last June, the singer only publicly acknowledged it last month. However, questions about her private life are out; instead, Lopez wishes to focus on her career.

Lopez has now released five movies and four albums in the past three years. "I was doing one after the other," she said. "That's why I wanted a break. Rebirth felt like the first album all over again. I was laughing in the studio and having a good time." She spent several months planning the album, getting involved in every aspect of its production. In the music video, she appears as eight different characters. "That was a lot of hard work because we had to film it in two days," she said.

While Lopez's albums have sold millions of copies, her movie career chugs along, a hit here, a bomb there. In "Shall We Dance?" a remake of the 1996 Japanese film, she gives a restrained performance as a ballroom dancing instructor helping stuffy accountant Richard Gere alter his staid lifestyle.

"I did see the original and loved it," Lopez said. "It was great to work with such an ensemble cast and a beautiful experience for me because I got to dance with Richard. I grew up watching him in the movies."

Despite being trained as dancer, Lopez found the role a challenge. "Ballroom dancing is very different. It's like trying to teach a hip hop dancer how to do ballet, so it was hard for me, as the instructor, and doubly hard for Richard," she said.

She will next be seen in "Jersey Girl," followed by "An Unfinished Life" and "Monster-in-Law." She is busy touring the world to promote "Rebirth" and is going to build her fashion business.

And her key to success? "I think loving what you do is the key. That and finding a balance between your life and your career," she said. - Japan Today