Summary

• “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story” is a musical film inspired by Jennifer Lopez’s romantic history, centered around her recent reunion with Ben Affleck.
• The album and film feature 11 songs that tell Lopez’s emotional journey, including vulnerable ballads and catchy numbers with impressive choreography.
• Lopez’s self-love anthem, “This Is Me…Now,” highlights her growth and personal journey, while end credits songs celebrate her reunion with Affleck.

This is Me…Now: A Love Story is a musical film starring and written by Jennifer Lopez that accompanies her ninth studio album, This Is Me…Now. The trailer for This is Me…Now: A Love Story describes it as Lopez’s story “in her own words.” Both the album and film are largely inspired by her own love life, particularly her recent romantic reunion with her now-husband Ben Affleck, with Affleck appearing in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, though not explicitly as her love interest.

Jennifer Lopez began her career as a dancer as a Fly Girl in the sketch comedy series In Living Color. From there, she pursued acting, with Lopez having her breakout role in 1997’s Selena. Two years later, Lopez released her first studio album, establishing herself as a pop star. The multi-talented star draws on all her talents for This Is Me…Now: A Love Story as she dances and sings through her heavily publicized romantic history. All 11 songs in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story tells a different part of her story as she finds herself and true love.

Jennifer Lopez’s album “This Is Me…Now” has 13 tracks, but only 11 are included in the film.

11 “Broken Like Me”

“I loved you so much and that messed me up”

When you think of a Jennifer Lopez song, you’re probably thinking of a dance song, not a ballad. “Broken Like Me” is the main ballad in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story and perhaps the most emotionally raw song in the film. It’s also by far the slowest song on the album, allowing listeners to take in the lyrics, which include, “I still loved you, loved you more than me,” highlighting Lopez’s vulnerability. However, after a series of fun, upbeat tracks, it represents the low point of the film and the soundtrack.

10 “This Is Me…Now”

“This is me now (love me as I am)”

The title track of This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is the culmination of Artist’s story and dreams. Throughout the film, she tells her therapist, played by Fat Joe, about the dreams she’s been having. In one dream, she goes back to her hometown and is confronted by her younger self, who accuses her of leaving her alone and not loving her. Following this, Artist sings “This Is Me…Now” to embrace who she was and who she’s become.

“This Is Me…Now” is a self-love anthem, with the lyrics in the chorus, “And I healed my heart, but I love who I am lately / This is me now,” showcasing how much she’s grown. It’s the film’s climax, with stunning visuals and a great dance break, but the song doesn’t do the moment justice. Though the chorus is repetitive and the message is strong, it lacks catchiness and the rap verse feels a bit random and out of place.

9 “Hearts and Flowers”

“The most priceless glass is stained”

The opening song of This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is “Heart and Flowers,” which takes place at the “Heart Factory.” In this dream, Artist and the other workers have to come together to repair a literal rupturing mechanical heart. The “Heart and Flowers” scene sets the tone for This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, which is often surrealist with a story that isn’t always easy to follow and understand.

The extremely catchy song is backed by a good beat, great visuals, and impressive choreography. It’s arguably the biggest number in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story with the number of background numbers involved and the steampunk factory setting. Like “This Is Me…Now,” the opening number features a rap verse from Lopez, but it’s much more fitting in “Hearts and Flowers.”

8 “Hummingbird”

“Cause you help me be the best version of me”

Throughout This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, Artist is constantly looking for signs. She even has a Zodiac Love Council, which includes Keke Palmer as Scorpio, Sofia Vergara as Cancer, Neil deGrasse Tyson as Taurus, and Jane Fonda as Sagittarius. As a child, her mom told her the Puerto Rican myth of Alida and Taroo involving a hummingbird. It turned Artist into a hopeless romantic, and just when it seemed like she may be giving up on love, she spotted a hummingbird in the rain.

“Hummingbird” is a fun song that plays against the backdrop of a scene inspired by Singing In The Rain. It’s a simple number, with Lopez dancing by herself in the rain and singing about the power of love. This Is Me…Now: A Love Story includes an instrumental break in the song that doesn’t appear on the album, adding to its hopeful energy. With such a joyous scene, it’s hard not to smile while listening to “Hummingbird.”

7 “Midnight Trip To Vegas”

“I’ll pick you up late, we don’t have to wait”

In This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, Artist’s friends stage an intervention for their friend, as they believe she has an addiction to being in a relationship. When one of her friends, known as The Cynic, invites her to his wedding, she sings “Midnight Trip To Vegas.” It plays only briefly in the film, but the full version of the track is on the album.

Though it’s about her friend’s wedding in the movie, the lyrics allude to Lopez’s real-life wedding to Affleck, which took place in Las Vegas in 2022. It’s a song about leaving behind the pressures of a big wedding and just going on a trip to Vegas for a much smaller, carefree ceremony. The song itself has a chill vibe that matchs the lyrics and theme. “Midnight Trip To Vegas” does end a bit abruptly, but the full song is worth the listen.

6 “Greatest Love Story Ever Told”

“We’re living in the greatest love story ever told”

This Is Me…Now: A Love Story has multiple end credits songs, including “Greatest Love Story Ever Told,” which is the final track on Lopez’s album. In 2004, Lopez and Affleck ended their engagement, and in 2021, they began dating again, finally getting married the following year. “Greatest Love Story Ever Told” is about finding love again and having it in the end credits represents everything coming full circle for Lopez. The mixture of pop and R&B together makes it reminiscent of some of her more classic songs as well as a fitting ending.

5 “not.going.anywhere.”

“Songs that I wrote, wondered if you’d play it”

Another song that plays during the end credits of This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is “not.going.anywhere.” Like “Greatest Love Story,” it could easily fit in with Lopez’s earlier discography, sounding as though it was recorded in the early 2000s. It’s a mellow song with a great beat and the lyrics once again appear to be about her and Affleck’s second chance romance after over 15 years apart.

4 “Mad In Love”

“You got me mad in love, who’d a thought it be us?”

“Mad In Love” is one of the four end credits songs in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story. It follows the same theme as the rest of the end credits songs by focusing on her current relationship with Affleck. On the other hand, the songs that play during This Is Me…Now: A Love Story look at her entire romantic journey. It’s another catchy song and its energy makes it so listeners can’t help but feel good. It perfectly captures what it feels like to be hopelessly, madly in love.

3 “This Time Around”

“This time around, we gon’ do it right”

“This Time Around” is the fourth and final This Is Me…Now: A Love Story end credits song on this list. It’s instantly set apart by its unique beat that will make listeners want to get up and dance. Lopez has said that media scrutiny played a role in the end of her first engagement with Affleck, and “This Time Around” is about doing things differently the second time and not letting outside influences affect them.

2 “Can’t Get Enough”

“I’m still in love / With you, boy”

The other major number in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is “Can’t Get Enough.” Jennifer Lopez famously has three ex-husbands who were all represented in the musical movie. “Can’t Get Enough” plays over a montage of Artist’s first three weddings. The grooms were played by Tony Bellissimo, Derek Hough, and Trevor Jacksons.

Though the marriages didn’t last, “Can’t Get Enough” is a positive, feel-good song about enduring love. It helps that the wedding scenes in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story feature fun choreography where everyone, except for her friends sitting down and making comments about her “cursed” love life, is having a great time. Unfortunately, the song ends as she’s leaving each of her husbands, contrasting the lyrics.

1 “Rebound”

“Ran into your arms while runnin’ from the pain”

Perhaps the coolest number in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is “Rebound.” Both the song and number are about staying in a relationship that is no longer healthy and the toxic cycle that it can keep you in. It’s the second song in the musical film and its best. The song on its own is catchy, but the performance is what puts it over the edge.

To convey the meaning of “Rebound,” Artist is physically bound to her partner. Every time she tries to leave, he brings her back in as if they’re partaking in a sick dance. The This Is Me…Now: A Love Story number takes place in a glass house, with the glass breaking around them. She uses a shard to cut herself free, and when the house finally shatters completely, she leaves it and him behind with her feet bloodied. She was able to free herself in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, but it wasn’t without consequences.

Where To Watch This Is Me…Now: A Love Story

• 

  This is Me…Now: A Love Story

  Release Date:

  2024-02-16

  Director:

  Dave Meyers

  Cast:

  Jennifer Lopez

  Rating:

  PG-13

  Runtime:

  105 Minutes

  Genres:

  Biography, Drama, Musical

  Writers:

  Jennifer Lopez, Matt Walton

  Studio(s):

  Nuyorican Productions, Amazon MGM Studios

  Distributor(s):

  Amazon MGM Studios

  Where To Stream:

  Prime Video