Love Don't Cost a Thing (song)
Love Don't Cost a Thing (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Love Don't Cost a Thing" is a song recorded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez for her second studio album, J.Lo (2001). Released as the album's lead single in December 2000, it was a commercial success, topping eight different charts, and reached three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was also her first number-one in the United Kingdom.
Background and composition
In August 2000, following the commercial success of her debut album, On The 6 Lopez announced that she had begun working on her sophomore album.[2] "Love Don't Cost a Thing" was announced as the album's lead single, and Lopez performed the song for the first time at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2000 on November 16, 2000 in Stockholm, Sweden.[3] Lopez performed the song at her 2001 concert Jennifer Lopez: Let's Get Loud.[4] The song was written by Damon Sharpe, Greg Lawson, Georgette Franklin, Jeremy Monroe and Amille Harris; Ric Wake served as Producer. In "Love Don't Cost a Thing", Lopez sings about the "inner workings of love."[5] The inspiration has been believed to have come from her relationship with rapper Sean Combs, who had allegedly showered her with diamonds and Jewelry.[6]
James Dinh from MTV wrote "In addition to birthing the public persona known as "J.Lo," this track is also the tale of a materialistic relationship (full of credit cards and lavish gifts) on the lead single to her sophomore effort. Think you gonna keep me iced, you don't/ Think I'm gonna spend your cash, I won't/ Even if you were broke/ My love don't cost a thing Lopez sings during the chorus. Rumor has it that the tune was about her high-profile relationship with Diddy."[7]
Critical reception
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote "'Love Don't Cost a Thing,' is a cheap carbon copy of Rodney Jerkins' style of frothy R&B."[8] A reviewer from the Toronto Star wrote "Fortunately, [Jennifer Lopez] doesn't take herself too seriously as a singer and largely sticks with her strengths on the Latin-tinged, dance- friendly effort. She's best on fun, r 'n' b-ish, uptempo tracks such as the first single, "Love Don't Cost A Thing," and "Play" where the catchy hooks and thumping bass do most of the work."[9]
Chart performance
The song was a commercial success, and it one of Lopez's most successful songs to date. In the United States, "Love Don't Cost a Thing" debuted at 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, winning the "Hot Shot Debut" of the week, the week ending December 9, 2000.[10] Within three weeks, the single had reached the top twenty, and most notably rose from 10-4 on the Hot 100 the week of January 27, 2001, as the airplay of the single maximized, reaching 3 on the Airplay Chart.[11] Despite becoming the first of four number one Hot 100 Airplay hits for Lopez, "Love Don't Cost a Thing" peaked at number three for two consecutive weeks, unable to break the stride of stronger singles from Shaggy and Joe.[12]
Music video
In the music video for "Love Don't Cost a Thing", Lopez—showered in
jewelry—is fed up with being stood up and left with a bracelet
The music video was directed by Paul Hunter.[13] Parts of the music video were filmed on location at Crandon Park Beach in Key Biscayne, Florida. The video stars with Lopez talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone. He tells her that he wouldn't be able to make it for their date, standing her up. He asks her if she received the bracelet that he bought for her, and she says she received it and it was beautiful, but she would rather him there with her instead, and hangs up the phone.
The camera switches to a view of Lopez coming out of her villa, then switches to a brief aerial shot of Miami before stepping into her convertible and storming off into the highway. The music then begins. She drives to a road near the beach, where she gets off and begins to walk to the beach and starts to strip; first she takes off her sunglasses, then her coat, and then her necklace. Then she removes a postcard from her pocket, that reads: "Wish you were here"; Lopez is shown on it with a couple of dancers on a beach (one of the dancers is her ex-husband, Cris Judd)[14]
The camera then zooms in on the postcard, Lopez and the dancers performs a routine to the song's RJ Schoolyard Remix. Afterwards, the camera zooms out to its previous position before they started the routine. After which, the audio switches back to the original version and Lopez, after tearing the postcard up, throws it away. Then Lopez runs to the beach, stripping to her underwear, and at the end of the video takes her top off and covers her breasts with her hands. Throughout the video there are intercut scenes of Lopez in her golden underwear lying on the sand and on the water, and dancing near trees.
| Author: | Bling King |
| Published: | Mar 7th 2013 |
| Modified: | Mar 7th 2013 |
