Jennifer Lopez’s failed comeback era: Inside the star’s declining popularity

Jennifer Lopez’s failed comeback era: Inside the star’s declining popularity

Jennifer Lopez, the multi-talented star once hailed as the “Queen of Dance,” has seen her star power fade in recent years. His latest tour, his first in five years, has been plagued by low ticket sales. His new album, This Is Me…Now, debuted at a disappointing number 38 on the Billboard 200, despite good physical sales. This marked a sharp decline from the peak of the early 2000s, when he sold more than 80 million records and headlined global tours.

Lopez’s publicized Super Bowl halftime performance with Shakira just four years ago was widely praised. So, what is behind this sudden decline?

The album, inspired by her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck, was accompanied by the visual film This Is Me…Now: A Love Story (deemed “silly” and “over-the-top” by critics). A companion Amazon Prime documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, promises an intimate look at the couple’s romance. However, the choice of title, given that the couple’s first marriage was annulled due to “excessive media attention,” raises questions about Lopez’s judgment.

Far from warming the hearts of fans, the documentary sparked a backlash, with some viewers calling the star “out of touch” and “delusional”. A widely shared clip from the film shows J-Lo reminiscing about her Bronx upbringing: “I like to pull my hair out like this. It reminds me of, like, when I was 16 in the Bronx, running up and down the block. Crazy little girl who used to be wild and limitless, all dreams.”

TikTok users were quick to criticize, with one claiming to have attended the same school as Lopez claiming, “she’s lying to look more human.” Critics also gave the documentary and album a negative reception, questioning their sincerity.

Much of the online criticism stems from Lopez’s failure to connect with her audience or develop her image, explains brand expert Emily M Austen, founder of PR agency EMERGE. “As his fans grew up with him, he didn’t do a good enough job of engaging with new fans and taking them on the journey with him.”

Austen believes the documentary was a huge mistake: “As with any launch, product-market fit is important. Basically, this is a documentary that nobody needs or wants.”

The sudden cancellation of several tour dates last month and the sudden rebranding of the tour from This Is Me…Now: The Tour to This Is Me… Live, with a focus on his greatest hits, suggest an attempt to salvage ticket sales by appealing to nostalgia .

Austen believes J-Lo’s focus on her love life rather than her professional achievements, combined with seemingly out-of-touch promotional choices, has damaged her brand. “Social media is an easy tool to mock,” he added, highlighting the online backlash Lopez faced. “J-Lo needs to reconnect with her community, listen to what they want and focus on giving them that.”

Whether this course correction effort proves successful remains to be seen. For now, it looks like the “Dancing Queen” may be missing a step.