It’s been an especially big week for JLo as she announced that her first album in eight years is on the way, and it’ll be called This Is Me…Now. Jennifer Lopez’s new record set to be released in 2023 is a reference to the album she released over two decades ago called This Is Me… Then, which she recorded when she was with her now-husband Ben Affleck the first time. Since Lopez broke the news to fans, they’ve been busy on TikTok following her lead by participating in the app’s latest trend.
Jennifer Lopez stylishly revealed her upcoming album release by recreating her This Is Me… Then album cover 20 years later. As she wears the look of the 2002 cover, she says “this is me then,” before taking off her hat and revealing the This Is Me… Now cover as she says the words. Check it:
@jlo (opens in new tab)
♬ This Is Me Then and Now – Jennifer Lopez (opens in new tab)
With the short video, JLo also revealed the tracklist for This Is Me… Now, which looks to be a love letter to her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck. There’s even a song called “Dear Ben Pt. II” along with “Midnight Trip To Vegas,” which could very well be referencing their Las Vegas wedding over the summer. The album will also cap off with a song called “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.” Following the video hitting the internet, TikTok users are using the same sound to show their own growth over time.
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♬ This Is Me Then and Now – Jennifer Lopez (opens in new tab)
In a recent interview with Apple Music, where JLo spoke about the roots of her latest album, and how This Is Me…Then was “kind of prophetic” to her continued relationship with Affleck. The actress and singer revealed that her husband actually helped her come up with the title of the 2002 album, which captured a time when she fell in love with him for the first time. After making the album she called her breakup with Affleck “the biggest heartbreak of my life,” and she never played the music from that album live. Now that she is Ms. Affleck, JLo is not only ready to revisit her old music, but she has written a set of new tunes all about their love.
At the same time as all of this, her fans are getting inspired by her This Is Me then and now shoot, and they are telling their own stories with JLo as their soundtrack. This TikTok user, for example, shared that two decades ago she was 24, “lost, unstable and struggling with mental health.” But now, at 44 she feels better than ever:
@mayrainmotion (opens in new tab)
♬ This Is Me Then and Now – Jennifer Lopez (opens in new tab)
Another fan, who is 52, used the sound to share that just a couple of years ago she was dying her hair, but since she decided to go natural, she feels “amazing” and more “healthy.” Take a look:
@thatsilversister (opens in new tab)
♬ This Is Me Then and Now – Jennifer Lopez (opens in new tab)
JLo’s new album isn’t even out yet and it’s already inspiring women to look back at their past selves and see themselves in the present day with a fondness for their growth. Despite Lopez’s heartbreak and past struggles in relationships, here she is happy and in love, recently sharing her first Thanksgiving with her hubby, Ben Affleck. Time does heal wounds, and we can’t wait to see her 2023 movie releases along with a major year in music ahead.
