14 DAY TRIAL // Just the other day, Jennifer Lopez was taking the 2010 Sanremo Italian Music Festival by storm, performing a medley of her most famous hits and premiering a new song that was believed to be her next single off her upcoming “Love?” album. Today, Deadline Hollywood has learned that JLo and Sony Music, the label to which she was signed for so many years, have parted ways, which puts the release of her album on hold indefinitely.
As per the aforementioned e-zine, rumors about the events that led up to the split are very conflicting. Some say that it was the label that dumped Lopez because her single “Louboutins” failed to fare as expected in the charts and that they simply did not know anymore which was her target audience. Others, on the other hand, claim the split was amicable and came from realizing that both parties would simply be better off on their own.
The only certainty at this point is that “Love?,” rumored to be out in stores this April, which means perhaps less than a month, will not be released under the label. The good news, the only good news so far, is that Sony will be putting out a greatest hits collection from Lopez, as announced. Similarly unknown is whether she’s started looking for a new label or if she has already found one, but word on the street is that she might turn her attention to Def Jam Records.
“Lopez insiders claim to me the album was ‘by no means done’ and everyone was ‘only a few songs into it’ and ‘unlike movie dates, street dates rarely hold in the music biz.’ But that album was real enough to delay the release of her upcoming CBS Film, The Back-Up Plan. Others tell me the album isn’t being released because ‘Louboutins’ bombed, as did her performance at the American Music Awards, and Sony Music execs ‘aren’t sure who her audience is anymore. Where once she had little girls, she’s been supplanted by Beyonce, Gaga, and Rihanna. Lots of fighting going on between Benny Medina (who, of course, is spending their money like it’s 10 years ago) and the label,” Deadline Hollywood writes, after speaking to people well familiar with the situation.
Lopez’s manger, Benny Medina, confirmed the news when contacted for more details, but would not dwell more on the reasons behind the decision. “Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction her career as an actress and recording artist. She is grateful and appreciative to everyone Sony for all that they accomplished together,” Medina tells DH in a statement.