|
Jennifer Lynn Lopez
|
In January 2013, Lopez starred alongside Jason Statham in the crime thriller Parker, in which she played Leslie. Her performance earned positive reviews, with Chicago Tribune commending the role for giving Lopez "an opportunity to be dramatic, romantic, funny, depressed, euphoric and violent. The audience stays with her all the way". It under-performed at the box office, however. The following month, she gained widespread notoriety for wearing a daring black dress at the Grammy Awards which revealed her entire right leg; despite a conservative dress code which had been issued to celebrities in attendance. In May, Lopez was announced as the chief creative officer of nuvoTV. In addition, she founded the mobile phone retail brand Viva Móvil, which is catered specifically for Latinos. In these media ventures, Lopez hoped to empower the Latin community, stating that: "We're realizing our power. We're realizing that we matter here. You know, we're not just, you know, the guys working behind the scenes in the kitchens and as a plumber." She began politically lobbying for more Hispanic diversity on television; "There's a big revolution going on, it's like a media and cultural revolution of Latinos here in the United States. We're realizing our power. We're realizing that we matter here."
Inspired by her gay aunt who had died, Lopez signed on as executive producer of the television series The Fosters, which is about a same sex couple raising a family. The show premiered on ABC Family on June 3, 2013, and has since been a ratings success for the network. She was awarded the Ally for Equality award presented by the Human Rights Campaign. Later that June, Lopez performed at the birthday of Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Doing so, she garnered widespread backlash for performing for the leader of a "repressive, authoritarian regime". Her publicist released an apology. Lopez returned as judge on American Idol for its thirteenth season for a reported salary of $17.5 million.
After the conclusion of her Dance Again World Tour, Lopez began recording her eighth studio album, A.K.A., inspired by her travels. It was released in June 2014 through Capitol Records. In January 2014, she released two promotional songs from the album: "Same Girl" and "Girls". In March, she released the album's official first single "I Luh Ya PaPi" which features French Montana. In April, the official song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup performed by Pitbull, Lopez and Brazilian recording artist Claudia Leitte, "We Are One (Ole Ola)", was released.
Lopez has a range of upcoming acting projects. In 2015, she will star in the risqué low-budget thriller The Boy Next Door, the independent film Lila & Eve (alongside Viola Davis), and the animated feature Home (alongside Steve Martin and Rihanna). Lopez will also venture into television. NBC has ordered a 13-episode television drama, in which Lopez will executive produce and star. In the series, titled Shades of Blue, expected to air in the 2015–16 television season, she will portray a single mother and police detective who goes undercover for the FBI to investigate her own squad. Ryan Seacrest will also produce the series. She is currently planning to record a Christmas album by the end of 2014 which will be followed by another Spanish-language album next year.
|
|