"Play" | ||||
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Single by Jennifer Lopez | ||||
from the album J.Lo | ||||
Released | March 20, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 2000 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Bag & Arnthor | |||
Jennifer Lopez singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Play" on YouTube |
"Play" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her second studio album, J.Lo (2001). It was released on March 20, 2001, as the album's second single. The song was written by Cory Rooney, Christina Milian, Arnthor Birgisson and Anders Bagge, with production done by the latter two under their production name, Bag & Arnthor. A dance-pop track, it was noted for its funky vibe, compared to the works of Madonna by critics. Over an electric guitar and a funky beat, Lopez sings about pleading a DJ to play her favorite song.
"Play" was a commercial success, peaking at number eighteen on the US Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Play" peaked within the top ten of the charts in over ten countries, including Canada, Finland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Its futuristic-themed music video was directed by Francis Lawrence. Additionally, "Play" was performed live by Lopez on numerous occasions, including at her Let's Get Loud concerts.
After a high-profile title role in the musical biopic Selena (1997), Lopez began developing her own career in music, later being signed to Work Records by Tommy Mottola. [1] [2] Her debut album On the 6 (1999) became an instant commercial success, and spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one song "If You Had My Love". [3] [4] This led her to begin recording new material for her second album in April 2000. [5] Initially, the album was to be called A Passionate Journey. [6] During this period, Lopez began to transition into a sex symbol and was nicknamed J.Lo by the public, which is known as a nickname and "public persona". [4] Hence, she instead released an album entitled J.Lo, which she credits as being more "personal" and "romantic" than On the 6. [4] [7] "Love Don't Cost a Thing", the album's lead single, was globally premiered on November 16, 2000. [8]
"Play" is a dance-pop [9] and electropop [10] song with a length of three minutes and thirty-three seconds (3:33). [11] It was written by Anders Bagge, Arnthor Birgisson, Cory Rooney and Christina Milian, with production from Bagge and Birgisson (collectively credited as Bag & Arnthor). Milian performed back up vocals on the song, prior to her own debut as a recording artist. [12] [13] Lopez recorded the lead vocals with Robert Williams at Murlyn Studios, Stockholm and Sony Music Studios in New York City. It was later mastered by Ted Jensen. [14] On the song, Lopez pleads with a nightclub DJ to "play her favorite song", containing lyrics such as, "Play, come on DJ/ Play that song/ Play it all night long/ Just turn it up and turn me on".[ citation needed ] It contains a "shuffling" electric guitar, as performed by Paul Pesco, over a "whistling electronica dance beat." A writer from Telegram & Gazette noted the track to be "Madonna-esque." [15]
AllMusic's MacKenzie Wilson said "Play" "coincided with Lopez's funky style". [16] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that "so many of the tracks" on the album "sound like they're straight out of 1986". He then went on to opine that "I'm Real" or the "funky" "Play" would have made a "brave" choice for the album's lead single, instead of "Love Don't Cost a Thing". [17] A writer from The Indianapolis Star dismissed the album and its sexual content, while also using the explicit "Play" as an example of it not being appropriate for Lopez's target audience, who are predominantly preteens. [18] Jake Barnes of Yahoo! Music UK noted "Play" to resemble the music of Prince. [19]
"Play" experienced moderate commercial success. For the week of April 7, 2001, "Play" debuted at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, winning the "Hot Shot Debut of the Week" title. It also made its debut at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart. [20] The following week, it jumped to number 46 on the Hot 100 and number 47 on the Airplay chart. [21] For the week of April 21, "Play" jumped to number 28 to both charts. [22] The song peaked at number 18 on the Hot 100 for the week ending May 19, failing to break into the top ten. [23] In addition, the single peaked at number six on the Billboard Pop 100 as well as two on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. [24] [25] In Canada, it peaked at number five on the Canadian Singles Chart. [26]
"Play" also achieved success outside North America. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart on May 6, 2001 — for the week ending date May 12, 2001. It remained on the chart for a total of twelve weeks. [27] On April 29, 2001, the song debuted at number twenty one on the Australian Singles Chart on April 30, 2001 — for the week ending date May 6, 2001. It eventually peaked at number fourteen on the chart five weeks later. [28] The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified it platinum, marking sales and streams of 70,000 units. [29] In New Zealand, "Play" debuted at number forty-eight on the New Zealand Singles Chart on April 23, 2001. It became a top-ten hit there, peaking at number seven a month later. [30] In Italy, the song debuted and peaked at number eight on the Italian Singles Chart on April 26, 2001. [31] Elsewhere in Europe, it peaked at ten in Belgium, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland. [31]
The mainly computer generated music video for "Play" was directed by Francis Lawrence. [32] Set in a futuristic multi-level spaceship, the clip begins with Lopez strutting into the boarding area whilst the other passengers gaze at her in awe. The video then cuts to Lopez, now on the plane, relaxing with a pair of headphones on listening to music. Various shots showing the plane's exterior are intercut with these scenes of the singer. Lopez is then seen entering a room through sliding doors with a new outfit. The doors lead to a club filled with dancers. Intercut with these scenes are Lopez dancing solo on a platform, later joined by back-up dancers. Towards the music video's conclusion, Lopez asks the DJ (who takes the avatar of an iris) to play her favorite song. Its final shot depicts the plane flying towards the horizon. The music video, much like "Love Don't Cost a Thing", also features Cris Judd as a back-up dancer, who would go on to become her second husband months later. [33] [34]
According to the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown, the entire video was computer-generated (apart from the principal actors and extras), and the project spent six weeks in post-production as a result.
On January 12, 2001, Lopez performed "Play" along with "Love Don't Cost a Thing" live during an appearance on Top of the Pops . [35] In February 2001, Lopez appeared as a featured performer at a special Total Request Live event, CBS Sports Presents: MTV's TRL The Super Bowl Sunday, which occurred in Tampa, Florida at The NFL Experience theme park. Songs such as "Play" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" were included on her setlist. [36] [37] From September 22–23, 2001, Lopez performed a set of two concerts in Puerto Rico, entitled Let's Get Loud. These served as the first concerts of her career, in which she was, "flanked by a 10-piece orchestra, a five-person choir and 11 dancers." "Play" was included on the concerts' set list. [38] [39]
Year | Award | Nominated Work | Result |
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2001 | Best Dance Track | Play | Won |
Year | Award | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
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2002 | Latin Dance Club Play Track Of The Year | Play | Nominated | [40] |
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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of J.Lo. [14]
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [29] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA) [90] | Gold | 25,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [91] | Silver | 214,000 [92] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
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United States | March 20, 2001 | Epic | [93] | |
Australia | April 16, 2001 | CD single | [94] | |
Germany | [95] | |||
United Kingdom | April 30, 2001 |
| [96] |
In 2004, South Korean girl group Baby V.O.X. covered "Play" in Korean and English for their final album, Ride West, with participation from Lopez. [97]
"Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, Alive (1997). Two years after the group disbanded, American singer Jennifer Lopez recorded her own version of the song for her debut studio album, On the 6 (1999). Ric Wake and Richie Jones produced Lopez's Hispanic house version of "Waiting for Tonight", which differs from the German-sounding Europop version that was recorded by 3rd Party. A Spanish version of the song, entitled "Una Noche Más", was adapted by Manny Benito and also recorded for the album. "Waiting for Tonight" was released on September 7, 1999, by the Work Group, as the third single from On the 6.
"All I Have" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rapper LL Cool J. Written by Lopez, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, and Ron G and produced by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and Dave McPherson, it was released on December 14, 2002, as the second single from Lopez's third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002).
J.Lo is the second studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez, released on January 16, 2001, by Epic Records. Lopez began recording the album in April 2000, enlisting producers such as Cory Rooney, Troy Oliver, Dan Shea and Sean Combs, all of whom she had worked with on her debut album On the 6 (1999). The album's title refers to the nickname given to her by fans, with Lopez describing it as an homage to her supporters. Drawing from her own experiences, Lopez included more personal songs on this album, which deals with themes of relationships, empowerment and sex. J.Lo is a primarily dance-pop, Latin and R&B album which encompasses Latin pop, retro and contemporary pop.
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"If You Had My Love" is the debut single by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez from her first studio album, On the 6 (1999). The song was written by Lopez, LaShawn Daniels, Cory Rooney, Fred Jerkins III, and its producer Rodney Jerkins, also serving as the album's lead single. A midtempo pop and R&B song, it features Latin music and hip hop influences, with lyrics revolving around the beginning of a new relationship, during which Lopez confronts her admirer with a number of ground rules.
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"Love Don't Cost a Thing" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her second studio album J.Lo (2001). It was released on November 20, 2000, by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Damon Sharpe, Greg Lawson, Georgette Franklin, Jeremy Monroe and Amille D. Harris, and produced by Ric Wake, Richie Jones and Cory Rooney. At the time of the song's release, Lopez was transitioning into a sex symbol and in a relationship with American rapper Sean Combs. Lyrically, "Love Don't Cost a Thing" is described as an "exploration of love" in which Lopez is unhappy about her materialistic lover; provoking much media analysis as to whether or not it was an innuendo towards Combs. Ultimately, the pair's courtship ended shortly after its release.
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"I'm Glad" is a song by American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez for her third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002). It was written by Lopez, Troy Oliver, Cory Rooney, Mr. Deyo and Jesse Weaver Jr. and produced by Oliver and Rooney. It was released as the album's third single on April 7, 2003.
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American singer Jennifer Lopez has released nine studio albums, one remix album, three compilation albums, one soundtrack, one extended play, 66 singles, five charity singles and 13 promotional singles. As of 2022, the singer has sold more than 80 million records with 15 billion streams worldwide. She made her chart debut in May 1999 with "If You Had My Love", which topped the charts in six countries, including the United States. It was followed by the release of her debut studio album, On the 6 (1999), which reached the top five in several countries and produced four additional singles, including the international hit "Waiting for Tonight". The simultaneous release of her second studio album, J.Lo, and the film, The Wedding Planner, in January 2001, made Lopez the first entertainer to have a number one film and album in the United States in the same week. The album was certified four-times platinum in the United States and yielded four hit singles, including "Love Don't Cost a Thing" and "I'm Real", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year saw the release of Lopez's remix album, J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002), which became the first remix album in history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, and went on to become one of the best selling remix albums of all time. Three singles were released from the album, including "Ain't It Funny ", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks.
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"Qué Hiciste" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her fifth studio album, Como Ama una Mujer (2007). It was written and produced by Marc Anthony and Julio Reyes Copello, with additional writing from Jimena Romero. "Qué Hiciste" became a commercial success for Lopez, appearing in a wide range of charts around the world. The song became her first Spanish-language song to chart inside the Billboard Hot 100, reaching a peak position of eighty-six. It also peaked atop of Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Latin Tracks charts. The song additionally reached the top position in Italy and in Switzerland. Lopez performed the song on American Idol on April 11, 2007; becoming the first artist ever to perform a Spanish song on the show.
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