MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Jennifer Lopez delivers one of the strongest vocal performances of her career in Kiss of the Spider Woman

We’re less than a month away from the theatrical release of Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh, which means that the most important part of the film is starting to take focus: the music. The movie was both directed and written by Bill Condon who is famous for his work on Chicago and Dreamgirls, so it’s almost a guaranteed masterpiece and if anyone needs the goodwill at this point it’s my girl JLo. With the release of the first single from the soundtrack, Jennifer sounds incredible and even though her singing pretty much never gets any credit whatsoever, if her singing in the movie is anything like this first release then we are in for something pretty special.

With a filmography that spans over 30 films and 9 full-length studio albums under her belt, it’s surprising that this is the first time that Jennifer is doing an on-screen musical. Well, maybe not the first if you count her passion project from last year, This Is Me... Now: A Love Story which, given the mixed critical and public response, I would assume she does not. The irony behind Jennifer doing this project is that the ongoing joke online is that she can’t sing, yet time and time again she finds a way to prove haters wrong by delivering an exceptional performance both on screen and on stage. Jen plays three roles in this film - Ingrid Luna, Aurora, and of course The Spider Woman. Given that her real-life professional careers (yes, plural!) see her dipping her toes into every avenue from music, film, fashion, beauty and even a short-lived visit in the world of alcohol (even though she claimed for years to not drink), versatility is definitely not a challenge for her. I almost feel that she does half the things she does simply because she can. That may be the thing that gets under people’s skin so much, she objectively may not be the best at the things she does, but she does everything just well enough for it to be successful.

Jennifer is a showgirl, making this trio of roles in the upcoming musical a perfect fit because clearly if there’s one thing she knows how to do, it’s everything, lol. Whether or not her performance in this film will be enough to silence the constant criticism she receives online is uncertain, but based off the looks of the trailer and how great she sounds on the song, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, it damn well should. It’s also worth noting that Jen filmed this all-important role while she was in the midst of some serious marital troubles that would result in both a cancelled summer tour and a divorce from Ben Affleck. Early reviews of the film from critics at Sundance earlier this year are saying this is a defining role for Jennifer that could generate some Oscar buzz. Now there’s a campaign I look forward to.

Next week is all about the Brits as new albums from JADE and Ed Sheeran are set to be released. JADE’s album has been teased for over a year since she released her first solo single “Angel of My Dreams” in July 2024, and given her recent stint opening for Chappell Roan, it’s expected to be a pop spectacle. This week, along with JLo, we have new tunes from Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miguel and Latto with Ice Spice. Plus, Sabrina Carpenter gets a viral TikTok trend.

Listen on...

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Kiss of the Spider Woman” by Jennifer Lopez

The title track to the upcoming film is as dramatic a song as any popular show tune, but Jennifer’s vocals on the track add a whole level of theatrics to the already colourful number. I know what you’re thinking – JLo? Serving vocals? Yes, you read that correctly – Jennifer has found a space in music that sees her delivering one of the strongest vocals performances of her career. I have yet to see the film but based on the existing play, both the story and the part feel like they were made for her. As a first-ever traditional musical film, this is the best choice she could have made for herself at this point in her professional life. Jennifer as the Spider Woman has a short black pixie cut, with a long leather gown and sharp long black fingernails, and this song is her character’s crowning jewel in the musical. The way she enunciates every word in those verses makes you perfectly picture this in a theatre. Every time she lets out a “sooner or later” I can feel the passion. Broadway singing also generally involves a mixture of talking along with the singing, which gives her a chance to deliver a different type of emotion than during a traditional recording. Jennifer takes that opportunity and is serving Broadway diva. I think it’s time we cut Jennifer a break and give her the opportunity to wow us with this project.

“The Dead Dance” by Lady Gaga

Gaga’s long-awaited guest spot on season 2 of Wednesday was accompanied by a new single and music video release. “The Dead Dance” is a clear response to the viral dance trend that emerged after Season 1 of the show, and it’s getting attached to Gaga’s own deep cut “Bloody Mary”. Even though that wasn’t the actual song used in the show, it still managed to find its audience and connect to Jenna Ortega’s dancing as Wednesday in the show. Sometimes when an audience just feels like you’re supposed to be a part of something it will find its way to you. “The Dead Dance” even has, you guessed it, its own dance! One that Gaga has lovingly been pushing on her TikTok. It’s cute, and both the song and the dance moves are simple enough to follow. The music video directed by Tim Burton is very 2011 Gaga in her spooky element, which follows the aesthetic that she has been playing with during her current album cycle. I enjoy the song, especially after seeing her perform it live at the VMAs earlier this week. I can see her face makeup from the second the first beat drops in the song. It’s also helping to strengthen Gaga’s case for being the Halloween to Mariah Carey’s Christmas. “The Dead Dance” was added to deluxe versions of her Mayhem album, sequenced just after another spooky song “Zombieboy”. My only critique would be that once you create something with the sole intention of repeating a previous viral moment, sometimes the message behind the art will get diluted. In this case, the end result is still a very fun pop song that makes me want to dance and gives me “Thriller” vibes, so I guess we all won in the end here.

“I DO” by Justin Bieber

After an underwhelming collection of songs back in July, Justin Bieber delivered the sequel to his album Swag – Swag II. “I DO” stood out instantly during my first listen and has been on replay ever since. The song sounds like a future staple on Adult Contemporary radio stations, and if you know anything about me it’s that I love a Walgreens jam. The melodies in the chorus are simple and catchy while still evoking true emotion and giving the listener a glimpse into the passion that he feels for his partner. The actual music attached to the song is a more pop sound, and would fit right in with something from his Justice album which became a fan favourite. Contrary to what Justin may want to believe about himself, he shines brightest when he strips away the persona that he has imposed on himself and just focuses on singing a good Pop/R&B song. The lyrics talk about him meaning every word that he says when he is professing his love for his wife, a clear ode to Hailey who served as the inspiration for pretty much the entire 44-song collection on both Swag albums. For a deeper analysis of my thoughts on Bieber’s new record, check out my piece here.

“New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” by Miguel

Miguel’s unmistakable voice soars through the entirety of this rhythmic haven. There’s a rock edge to this new single that echoes the type of R&B that artists like Leon Thomas are taking over the charts with today, but this is actually a sound that Miguel has experimented with before. The difference is that because it’s been eight long years since his last official album release, it gave way for more artists to come into the light. He did appear with j-Hope of BTS on a solo single of his earlier this year, and even teased his own upcoming solo album at the end of last year before going silent once again. Now, with this surprise drop and confirmation of a new album, he’s ready to kick his album cycle into high gear and put an end to the extended absence. The good news is that Miguel hasn’t lost his touch one bit, still creating edgy beats mixed with vocals that are as soothing as they are sensual. An intense connection requires work and attention, yet when you know it’s what you want, you are willing to do what it takes to make it work, become a “martyr” for that love. Miguel is riding hard for the woman whom he is loyal to, and is aching and begging for her to hear this message from hi. The single comes from his upcoming new album CAOS which has an October 23rd release date.

“Gyatt” by Latto, Ice Spice

I’ve never been a big Ice Spice fan, but there’s something about Latto that has always been enticing to me. I love her flow, her beauty, and her beats are very fun. This track is no different, and even has me shaking my ass to an Ice Spice rap? Nothing shocks me anymore. I can’t even pretend to understand what the song is about, but I do know that the squeaky loop that runs throughout the track is an automatic add to the running playlist. Plus, it’s always a vibe when two popular female rappers come together, especially given the slight fall from grace that Ice Spice is experiencing so soon after her debut. Latto has been on a pretty positive trajectory so she can help level Ice Spice back onto the right track. The two ladies have been on the promo trail for the singles releases making both appearances at the MTV VMAs and on Kai Cenat’s livestream. Moments from the stream have been all over the internet, particularly because it seemed that the girls were really just talking to each other and not to Kai or any of his friends from the podcast, and rightfully so. Bad bitches aren’t there to entertain you, if you can’t keep up then they will disengage. As always, the music video shows the girls with their shoe game on 10 and their booty game on 100 (with a few Dunkin’ Donuts product placements of course). The most significant part of this collaboration however is the fact that it squashes the rumored beef that the two ladies found themselves in over the last few years ever since Latto dropped a music video that had an Ice Spice clip playing in the background which Ice saw as a dig. A few diss tracks and years later and the girls are officially calling it a truce.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“When Did You Get Hot?” by Sabrina Carpenter

Hot off the heels of her big night at the VMA’s, Sabrina Carpenter has the #1 album in the world with Man’s Best Friend. Upon multiple listens, the album’s heavy 70s influence has really grown on me, and frankly I can’t get enough. It’s these types of albums that creep up on you that end up getting the heaviest rotation on my playlists too. Although there may have been some criticism from fans at first saying that the songs sounded too similar to her previous album, it seems that they are starting to grow on them as well since she’s officially earned her first viral song from one of the album cuts – the R&B laced “When Did You Get Hot?”. Arguably the one song on the album that doesn’t follow the cohesive 70s influence as strictly and experiments with more of a 90s R&B sound. The song is one of the sultrier cuts on the album. To me, I hear “Last Time Lover” by the Spice Girls all over it. Listen to them both back-to-back and get back to me, trust.

Lyrically, Sabrina talks about changing her tune towards a man that she did not find attractive at first until he miraculously got hot one day. There are always different factors at play that can affect our attraction to someone but whatever it is, it has her counting down to her having an orgasm in the middle of a song - so whatever the man in question did clearly did… something. The trend on TikTok however isn’t as raunchy. Users show their faces before applying a face of make-up or getting a haircut etc... Just when the beat on the chorus drops, they transition to their “hot” selves – think the traditional “before and after” photo but set to a sexy Sabrina Carpenter song. What’s considered “hot” is subjective obviously, but the more dramatic the transition then the more viral it goes, usually resulting in a comment or repost from Sabrina herself – and ol’ girl is all up in those comments.