How One Album Shattered Jennifer Lopez’s Career and Marriage

Jennifer Lopez has faced numerous challenges in her illustrious career, but one of the most significant disappointments came with the release of her 2024 album This Is Me… Now. Intended as a sequel to her 2002 album This Is Me… Then, the album was a deeply personal project that reflected Lopez’s rekindled relationship with Ben Affleck. Despite her enthusiasm and a hefty personal investment of around $20 million, the album’s performance did not meet expectations, leaving Lopez with feelings of regret.

This Is Me… Now debuted at a modest number 38 on the Billboard 200, marking a far cry from the chart-topping success of her previous releases. The album quickly dropped off the charts, and the underperformance led to the cancellation of several planned shows due to poor ticket sales. According to a source close to Lopez, “J. Lo’s devastated the album, her first in nearly a decade, did so poorly. She’s never experienced this kind of failure. It’s humiliating.”

The album’s lackluster reception was further compounded by personal turmoil. Lopez’s decision to intertwine her professional and personal life, particularly by focusing on her relationship with Affleck, sparked mixed reactions. As Lopez poured her heart into the project, their relationship faced strains that ultimately led to their separation shortly after the album’s release. Reflecting on this period, Lopez described the aftermath of their initial breakup as the “biggest heartbreak” of her life, admitting, “I honestly felt like I was going to die.”

While This Is Me… Now wasn’t the first album in Lopez’s career to struggle commercially—her 2014 album A.K.A. also faced difficulties, debuting at number 8 on the Billboard 200 with only 33,000 copies sold in its first week—the personal and financial stakes associated with this latest release made its underperformance particularly impactful.

For Lopez, This Is Me… Now was not just an album, but a window into her personal life and emotions. The public exposure of her relationship, along with the financial risk, made the failure of the album even harder to bear. Despite the challenges, Lopez remains an influential figure in the entertainment industry, though this particular chapter stands as one she wishes she could erase from her career.