''On the 6'' is the debut
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American singer and actress
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
. It was released on June 1, 1999, by the
Work Group
The Work Label (stylized as The WORK Group) was an American record label. Its major album releases included ''Tidal (album), Tidal'' (1996) by Fiona Apple and ''On the 6'' (1999) by Jennifer Lopez.
History
In July 1999, founders Jeff Ayeroff ...
. Lopez worked with several producers on the album, including
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...
,
Cory Rooney
Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has been credited on releases for high-profile music industry artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Jackson ...
,
Dan Shea and her boyfriend at the time, rapper and record producer
Sean "Puffy" Combs
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...
. A Spanish edition of the album was released on November 24, 1999. This version of the album shuffles the track list, omitting "Feelin' So Good", while including an all-new Spanish track ("Es Amor"), in addition to Spanish versions of "Open Off My Love" ("El Deseo de Tu Amor"), "Promise Me You'll Try" ("Amar es Para Siempre") and "Waiting for Tonight" ("Una Noche Más"), the latter of which also appeared on the album's original release as a bonus track. The remainder of the tracks on this edition appear as they did on the album's original release.
Critics greeted Lopez's musical debut with a generally positive response. ''On the 6'' was praised for its conservative, though dynamic, musical style and combination of
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
with
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
and
R&B. Critics commented on Lopez's vocal ability and many generally gave good remarks for her versatility and somewhat "seductive" and "sultry" singing, however, some critics found the vocals quite underwhelming. The album was successful on the charts, reaching the top ten or top twenty in the U.S. and several other countries around the world. ''On the 6'' was certified triple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for shipments of three million copies in the U.S..
The album produced five singles, three of which hit the main US Hot 100 chart. "
If You Had My Love
"If You Had My Love" is the debut single by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez from her first studio album, '' On the 6'' (1999). The song was written by Lopez, LaShawn Daniels, Cory Rooney, Fred Jerkins III, and its producer Rodney Jer ...
" peaked at number one in the U.S., while "
Waiting for Tonight
"Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, '' Alive'' (1997). Two years after the group disbande ...
" peaked at number eight. "
No Me Ames
"No Me Ames" (English: "Don't Love Me") is a Latin pop duet recorded by American singers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony for Lopez's debut studio album, '' On the 6'' (1999). It is a Spanish cover version of the Italian song "Non amarmi", writte ...
", a ballad with Lopez's then-future husband, now ex-husband,
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
, did not reach the US Hot 100 chart, but was a hit on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s Latin chart, while "Feelin' So Good" hit number 51 on the US Hot 100, and peaked at number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart. A fifth and final single, "
Let's Get Loud
"Let's Get Loud" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez from her 1999 debut studio album, '' On the 6''. Originally written by the song's co-writer Gloria Estefan for herself, she felt as if the song was too similar to her previous materia ...
" did not chart on the US Hot 100 due to the lack of a physical release in the U.S., but became a major hit in several other countries. With the album, Lopez was credited with helping drive what was termed the "
Latin explosion" in Western pop music.
Lopez surprise-released a 25th anniversary digital-only reissue on May 31, 2024.
Background
Since her childhood, Lopez's Puerto Rican parents stressed the importance of a good work ethic and the ability to speak English. They encouraged their three daughters to put on performances at home, singing and dancing in front of each other and their friends so they would stay out of trouble.
During her final year of high school, Lopez learned about a casting call for several teenage girls for small film roles. She auditioned and was cast in ''
My Little Girl
''My Little Girl'' is a 1986 American drama film. The directorial debut of Connie Kaiserman, the film was released in the United States in 1987. It is also Geraldine Page's final role and both Jennifer Lopez and Erika Alexander's film debut. ...
'' (1986), a low-budget film co-written and directed by Connie Kaiserman.
After filming her role, Lopez knew that she wanted to become a "famous movie star". She told her parents, but they told her it was a "really stupid" idea and "no Latinos did that". Her disagreement with them led Lopez to move out of her family home and into a
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
apartment. During this period, Lopez performed in regional productions of several musicals before being hired for the chorus in a musical which toured Europe for five months. She was unhappy with the role, since she was the only member of the chorus not to have a solo. She got a job on the Japanese show ''Synchronicity'' as a dancer, singer and choreographer. Lopez then obtained her first high-profile job as a
Fly Girl dancer on the television comedy program ''
In Living Color
''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990, to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions ...
''. She moved to Los Angeles with then-boyfriend David Cruz to film the series, and remained a cast member until 1993 (when she decided to pursue a full-time acting career).
After a series of co-starring film roles, Lopez received her big break in 1996 when she was cast in the title role of ''
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...
'', a biographical film about American singer-songwriter
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...
.
[Stated on '']Inside the Actors Studio
''Inside the Actors Studio'' is an American talk show that airs on Ovation. The series premiered on June 12, 1994 on Bravo, airing for 22 seasons and was hosted by James Lipton from its premiere until 2018. It is taped at the Michael Schimmel ...
'', 2004. In the film Selena's voice is used for the musical sequences, but Lopez would sing the lyrics instead of
lip sync
Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the Hard and soft C, spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a Speech, speaking or singin ...
ing. When asked in an interview if ''Selena'' inspired her to launch a music career, Lopez said "I really, really became inspired, because I started my career in musical theater on stage. So doing the movie just reminded me of how much I missed singing, dancing, and the like..." After filming ''Selena'', Lopez was "really feeling
erLatin roots" and recorded a demo record in Spanish. Lopez' manager sent the song ("Vivir Sin Ti") to
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
's
Work Group
The Work Label (stylized as The WORK Group) was an American record label. Its major album releases included ''Tidal (album), Tidal'' (1996) by Fiona Apple and ''On the 6'' (1999) by Jennifer Lopez.
History
In July 1999, founders Jeff Ayeroff ...
, which was interested in signing Lopez.
Tommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American businessman, record executive, television producer, theater producer, film producer, investor, and serial entrepreneur. Mottola is the chairman of Mottola Media Group, co-founder of Nter ...
, the head of the label, suggested that she sing in English and she began recording ''On the 6''. Lopez was aware that she received her recording contract on her looks and reputation, and wanted to prove that she had musical talent. Before her first album, critics wondered why she would take the risk of launching a musical career: "If the album was a flop, not only would it embarrass Lopez but it might even damage her career."
Recording
For ''On the 6'', Mottola and Lopez met with several producers, but producer and writer
Cory Rooney
Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has been credited on releases for high-profile music industry artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Jackson ...
later recalled that when he met Lopez, they "immediately hit it off". He played piano and sang "Talk About Us" for them, which Mottola and Lopez liked; she recorded it the next day, and worked closely with Rooney on the rest of the album. Other contributors to ''On the 6'' included then-boyfriend
Sean "Puffy" Combs
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...
, future husband
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
,
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...
,
Poke & Tone
The Trackmasters, also known as Poke & Tone, is an American hip hop production outfit composed of Poke (Jean-Claude Olivier born January 21, 1970; Brooklyn, New York ) and Tone (Samuel Barnes born January 20, 1969; Brooklyn, New York). Active fro ...
and the husband-and-wife team of
Emilio and
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
.
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
-winning singer and vocal producer
Betty Wright
Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul music, soul and Rhythm and blues, R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career ...
, known for her hit "
Clean Up Woman
"Clean Up Woman" is a song by Betty Wright from her second studio album, ''I Love the Way You Love'' (1972). Written and produced by Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke, it was released in November 1971 in the U.S. as a 7" single with "I'll Love Y ...
" (1971), worked closely with Lopez on the album and provided her with "plenty of inspiration".
Lopez said Wright had "an amazing spirit": "She was in
he studio
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
with me, day in and day out, helping me. I'm a young singer, you know? A young studio singer. I may have sang all my life, and I may have sang on stage and stuff like that, but it's different to record in the studio. And you need somebody who really can guide you through that."
One day, whilst working on ''On the 6'',
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
"happened to be" recording at the same recording studio where American recording artist
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
was recording. Anthony, who had become intrigued by Lopez after seeing her in ''
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...
'' (1997), came into her studio and asked her to appear in the music video for his song "No Me Conoces". She agreed, but only if he recorded a song with her, to which he in turn agreed. Lopez recalled the events on her ''
Feelin' So Good
"Feelin' So Good" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her debut studio album '' On the 6'' (1999). The lyrics were written by Cory Rooney and Lopez, while the music was written by Steven Standard, George Logios and Sean "P ...
'' video album by stating: "So at that time I called Tommy
ottola
Ottola is an arrondissement in the Collines department of Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Savalou. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin
...
and I'm like 'Look, so Marc Anthony said he would do a song and I really don't want to do a duet with just anybody, I want to do a duet with him. So can you force him to sign something, so he has to do a record with me? If I do this video!'" The two first shot the video and then began working on the song.
"Let's Get Loud" was originally written for
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
, but she felt as if the song was too similar to her previous recordings. She then passed the song to Lopez, stating that she would have "more fun with it" and would put "a new spin" on it.
Lopez felt that recording her first album was "worlds apart" from being a film actress in Hollywood: "The movie business is so structured with time frames and such. But the music business is so loose, you can come in whenever you want".
She hoped ''On the 6'' would appeal to people like her: "English is my first language. I grew up here. I was born here, I didn't have a career in Spanish first. I think it
he albumappeals definitely to my generation of people, we grew up in America but had Latin parents or parents of different ethnicity." She wanted the album to reflect both sides of her, regarding Hispanic people as her "core audience".
Music and lyrics
''On the 6'' primarily consists of R&B and Latin music, which Lopez called eclectic
Latin soul
Latin soul (occasionally used synonymously with boogaloo) was a short-lived musical genre that had developed in the 1960s in New York City. It consisted of a blend of Cuban music such as mambo, along with elements of Latin jazz and soul music. Al ...
. Although she described herself as bilingual and the record has Latin influences, Lopez chose to sing in English.
''
The Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...
'' described the album as not only Latin soul, but "state-of-the-art dance pop".
Lopez said, "The whole vibe of the album is R&B and Latin music. It has both those influences...It still has a pop feel to it, but I definitely wanted to mix the two because I feel that
svery much who I am, growing up in the Bronx, being of Latin descent".
The album incorporates different parts of Lopez's life and upbringing and marked the beginning of her musical exploration of love, a theme she continued in future albums.
"
If You Had My Love
"If You Had My Love" is the debut single by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez from her first studio album, '' On the 6'' (1999). The song was written by Lopez, LaShawn Daniels, Cory Rooney, Fred Jerkins III, and its producer Rodney Jer ...
" is a slow-paced mid-tempo pop and R&B song in
B♭ minor
B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five flats. Its relative major is D-flat major and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent, A-sharp min ...
, with piano and guitar instrumentation.
On the track Lopez establishes a number of "ground rules" for her admirer before giving herself to him: "Now if I gave you me, this is how it's got to be/ First of all I won't take you cheatin' on me/ Tell me who can I trust if I can't trust in you/ And I refuse to let you play me for a fool".
"
Let's Get Loud
"Let's Get Loud" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez from her 1999 debut studio album, '' On the 6''. Originally written by the song's co-writer Gloria Estefan for herself, she felt as if the song was too similar to her previous materia ...
" is a "fiery, soulful"
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
Arts and ent ...
dance song originally written for Gloria Estefan, who gave it to Lopez (who, she felt, would have more fun with it).
Lopez asserts her Latin heritage in the song, which opens with the "sassy" declaration ''"Ya Jen llego, presente!"'' ("Jen has arrived!").
"
Feelin' So Good
"Feelin' So Good" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her debut studio album '' On the 6'' (1999). The lyrics were written by Cory Rooney and Lopez, while the music was written by Steven Standard, George Logios and Sean "P ...
", a mid-tempo hip-hop song featuring
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discover ...
and
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...
, samples Strafe's "Set It Off". Lopez sings about feeling so good and declares that "Nothing in this world could turn me around", as Big Pun shouts "Jenny, you da bomb!"
"
Waiting for Tonight
"Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, '' Alive'' (1997). Two years after the group disbande ...
" is a dance song highlighting the album's "upbeat side" with a distinctive Latin feel.
Aaron Beierle of
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
said the song has a "rich groove", while ''Entertainment Weekly''s David Browne described it as "club-hopping".
Lyrically, several soft ballads on the record have Lopez portraying a woman who is heartbroken. "
No Me Ames
"No Me Ames" (English: "Don't Love Me") is a Latin pop duet recorded by American singers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony for Lopez's debut studio album, '' On the 6'' (1999). It is a Spanish cover version of the Italian song "Non amarmi", writte ...
" is sung by Lopez and
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
, who became her third husband several years after the album's release. The ballad (which Lopez didn't want to sound "too Latin") is described as "smoldering". A tropical version of "No Me Ames" was included; Heather Phares of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
said that the remix "emphasizes Lopez's distinctive heritage".
"Open Off My Love" is one of the album's upbeat songs and is inspired by R&B Latin; the arrangement includes horns, keyboards and percussion.
It contains a
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
* Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample ...
of Grupo Africando's song "Yay Boy" and has several
sexual innuendo
An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...
es, with lyrics such as "When I touch, you get hot" and "Touch you in that place you like/ You'll be open off my love". "Should Have Never" is one of the album's "smooth" ballads, in which Lopez sings about regret.
About writing "Should've Never", Lopez said "I would listen to it and listen to it, and then I was like, "I have an idea of what I want to write about: when you're with somebody, and somebody else comes into your life, and even though you love this person, somebody else is there...".
The song concludes with a "Spanish moan".
''On the 6'' features several other ballads, including "Too Late" and the "flamenco-flavored", bittersweet "Could This Be Love". Lopez shows her vulnerable side on "Talk About Us" and "Promise Me You'll Try".
Singles
"If You Had My Love", Lopez's debut single, was released as the
lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
from ''On the 6'' on May 4, 1999. Produced by
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...
,
LaShawn Daniels
LaShawn Ameen Daniels (December 28, 1977 – September 3, 2019) was an American songwriter, vocal producer and arranger. Often in tandem with producer Rodney Jerkins, he is known for his songwriting work for R&B singers such as Brandy, Beyoncé, ...
, Fred Jenkins III and
Cory Rooney
Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has been credited on releases for high-profile music industry artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Jackson ...
, the single was an instant hit (reaching number one in the United States). It was also an international success, reaching number one in Australia, New Zealand, Finland and other countries; it reached the top ten in over ten countries. Reflecting on the song's success in the United States, Lopez said "Still I think about that and still it's like wow, my first record I ever did went to No. 1. It's just an overwhelming feeling... This is a very special thing." A music video for the song, directed by
Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter (14 October 1978 – 9 October 2006) was an English professional snooker player. He was a three-time Masters (snooker), Masters champion, winning the event in 2001 Masters (snooker), 2001, 2002 Masters (snooker), 2002, a ...
, caused a stir for its theme of
voyeurism
Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature.
The term comes from the French ''voir'' which means "to see". ...
and became a fixture on the music video channel MTV. It was well received by critics, with ''Entertainment Weekly'' grading it A-minus. "No Me Ames" (with Marc Anthony) was the album's second single. Though it appeared as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
single to "If You Had My Love", both songs were promoted to radio ("If You Had My Love" to English-language stations and "No Me Ames" to Spanish-language stations) and "No Me Ames" reached #1 on ''Billboard''s Hot Latin Songs chart.
"Waiting for Tonight", the album's third single, was released on September 7, 1999. Its music video consisted of a New Year's Eve party-theme, relative to the upcoming new millennium that was approaching. The song would become Lopez's second US top ten hit. As the year 2000 approached, it rose on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at #8.
On January 25, 2000, the single "Feelin' So Good", featuring rappers
Big Punisher
Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discover ...
(Big Pun) and
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...
, was released as the album's fourth single.
Big Punisher failed to appear on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', where Lopez and Fat Joe performed the song around the time of its release; it was later announced on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
that Big Pun had died of a heart attack related to his weight. Lopez later issued a statement regarding his death: "He was a source of pride for the Latin community, a great artist and a great person. We will miss him terribly". "Feelin' So Good" cracked the Hot 100, peaking at #51,
and its music video received heavy rotation on MTV and BET. The video featured Lopez and her girlfriends headed out for a night on the town at a local club, where they run into Fat Joe and Big Pun, both of whom are vying for Lopez's affection. In June 2000, the album's fifth and final single, "Let's Get Loud", was released. Although it was not released in the US, "Let's Get Loud" did become a hit in several international markets.
Release and promotion
The album's title refers to the
6 subway service in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, which Lopez used to ride to and from work in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
as well as her home in
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
during her early career.
On the day of the album's release, Lopez appeared at the
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street.
In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenh ...
in New York City and signed copies of the CD for fans.
[ ] On June 4, Lopez appeared at the Wherehouse Entertainment Store at the Beverly Connection in Los Angeles to publicize the album. According to
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo Music was a brand under which Yahoo provided music services including Internet radio, a digital music store, music streaming service, media player software, and original programming. Yahoo Music was sold to Rhapsody in early 2008.
Pro ...
, "She will be making a grand red-carpet entrance and signing autographs for the crowd expected for the event".
On July 9, Lopez and
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...
appeared on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
'' to discuss the "Latin explosion" in the Anglo music market. The next day, she performed at the closing ceremony of the 1999
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior list of women's national association football teams, women's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internationale de Footb ...
at the
Rose Bowl Rose Bowl or Rosebowl may refer to:
* Rose Bowl Game, an annual American college football game
* Rose Bowl (stadium), Pasadena, California, site of the football game, and the home stadium of the UCLA Football team
* Rose Bowl (cricket ground), West ...
.
On August 12, Lopez was a presenter at the
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...
. A week later,
BET
Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
aired a documentary entitled ''24 Hours With Jennifer Lopez – From Fly Girl to Major Star''. August 23 saw Lopez on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's ''
Making the Video
''Making the Video'' is an MTV show consisting of half-hour episodes chronicling the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted and h ...
'' (episode 108), where cameras followed her while she filmed the video for "Waiting for Tonight". That October MTV aired a documentary about the entertainer, which retraced her "steps into the spotlight as one of show business's hottest stars" by returning "to her pre-headline days during her childhood in the Bronx, where her dream to perform was first ignited at age five as a ballet and flamenco student". On December 8, 1999, Lopez first performed "Waiting for Tonight" at the
Billboard Music Awards
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...
at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena within the MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand resort, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The venue opened on December 31, 1993, with a concert by Barbra Streisand, and s ...
in Las Vegas, where she opened the show.
On December 27, 1999, Lopez and then-boyfriend, rapper and producer
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Mount Ve ...
(who co-produced ''On the 6''), were arrested with two others in connection with a shooting outside the
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
Club in New York. They were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and stolen property. Lopez was soon exonerated; her attorney released a statement that "Jennifer Lopez does not own a firearm nor does she condone the use of firearms", while Combs's publicist said that Lopez "had absolutely, positively nothing to do with this shooting". However, Combs was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. The controversy was expected to dent ''On the 6''s promotion, but a spokeswoman for Lopez said that was unlikely;
the shooting had attracted attention primarily in New York. With the release of "Feelin' So Good" as a single, Lopez dove back into another sea of promotion with several TV interviews at the beginning of 2000.
On February 23 Lopez wore a plunging, exotic
Green Versace jungle dress to the
42nd Grammy Awards
The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1999. Nominations were announced on January 4, 2000. Santana was the main ...
, which overshadowed the shooting and became one of the best-known red-carpet dresses in history.
At the 13th Annual
Kids' Choice Awards
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice, is an American annual awards ceremony show produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in March or early April, the show honors the year's biggest in te ...
, which aired on April 15, 2000, Lopez performed "Feelin' So Good". On May 2, she again performed "Feelin' So Good" and "Waiting for Tonight" on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. That November a video album entitled ''
Jennifer Lopez: Feelin' So Good'' was released by SMV Enterprises, the home-media division of
Sony Corporation
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (imaging and sensing), ...
's music-and-entertainment label
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
.
The album provides a documentary-style look at the launch of Lopez's music career with a mixture of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, music videos and live performances.
Critical reception
''On the 6'' received positive reviews from contemporary
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. Elysa Gardner of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' gave the album a positive review, praising its blend of "urban and Latin textures and grooves with shiny pop savvy" and Lopez' vocals, which she described "as seductively emotive as her work on screen".
''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' noted, "Millionaire movie star Jennifer Lopez sidles into the music biz and her sultry purr singlehandedly eradicates all public need for the likes of (Whitney)
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, (Celine)
Dion and the rest of the world's favourite shag-anthem divas...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's ongoing quest for cool has just been dealt a severe blow."
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
''s Rob Sheffield gave the album three out of five stars, complimenting Lopez's conservative attitude to her music: "The happy surprise of ''On the 6'' is that she knows what she's doing. Instead of strained vocal pyrotechnics, Lopez sticks to the understated R&B murmur of a round-the-way superstar who doesn't need to belt because she knows you're already paying attention." Sheffield described Lopez as a "song-and-dance woman", who "makes a little va-va and a whole lot of voom go a long way".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Heather Phares was also positive, writing that the album "showcases the actress' sultry, versatile voice in a number of settings."
However, ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' said that "the slick packaging and production are better than Lopez' personal sound". David Browne of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' gave the album a mixed review, dissatisfied with Lopez' vocals despite the album's rich production: "As soon as Lopez opens her mouth, though, all this advance work falls by the wayside. On record, the husky-voiced voluptuousness that has become Lopez's trademark in films like ''Out of Sight'' simply vanishes." Browne felt that while her voice was "thinner" than expected, it was not "embarrassing, but sadly ordinary". Overall, he felt that despite "all of the wads of money spent on fledging" her music career, Lopez comes across as "a little more than a mild
Spice Girl".
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
called "Let's Get Loud" the best song on the album, making it a "choice cut".
Aaron Beierle of
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
described ''On the 6'' as a "confident singing debut" because although he did not think Lopez's vocals are "terribly noteworthy", they have a "smooth" and "warm, sensual quality": "The more up-tempo songs have a greater kick than before, with beats that sound deep and dynamic, while ballads are presented with greater clarity and a more open, airy sound."
Accolades and Listicles
Commercial performance
''On the 6'' was a commercial success, which surprised critics as it was considered a big risk for Lopez. For the week ending June 19, 1999, it debuted at number eight on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling 112,000 units during the same week "If You Had My Love" spent its second week at number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. The next week the album dropped to number 12, although its lead single remained atop the Hot 100. Its third week saw the album remain at this position. According to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
, ''On the 6'' sold almost 400,000 copies during its first four weeks.
Throughout July the album performed steadily, remaining in the ''Billboard'' 200's top twenty. By August 21 the album had spent ten weeks on the top twenty, while "If You Had My Love" had been in the top ten of the Hot 100 for twelve weeks. By October, ''On the 6'' had sold 1.6 million copies in the United States. After a one-year run on the chart the album fell off by the week of June 3, 2000, after charting at number 173. It re-entered two weeks later at number 179, before dropping to number 186 and falling off the chart the following week. Overall, ''On the 6'' experienced a 53-week run on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album also peaked at number eight on ''Billboard''s
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
chart, and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of over three million units.
["RIAA Gold and Platinum Certifications"](_blank)
. Riaa.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011. By October 2010 ''Billboard''s Gary Trust reported that the album had sold 2.81 million copies in the United States, making it Lopez's second-bestseller overall.
To date ''On the 6'' has sold a total of 2.9 million copies, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
The album also enjoyed international success, reaching the top ten in a number of countries. In Germany, ''On the 6'' entered the charts on July 19, 1999, at number eight; after two weeks, it peaked at number three.
It was certified gold in that country by the
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
The ( English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which comprise 90% of the music i ...
(BVMI) for sales exceeding 250,000 units.
["Gold/Platin Datenbank durchsuchen"](_blank)
The album also peaked at number three (and was certified gold) in Switzerland, where it sold 15,000 copies.
["Switzerland searchable database"](_blank)
Hitparade.ch. Retrieved December 8, 2011. In Canada ''On the 6'' peaked at number five,
and was certified five times for shipments of over a half-million copies.
["Canadian "Gold and Platinum" certifications"](_blank)
. Cria.ca. Retrieved December 8, 2011. In Belgium, the album reached number ten in
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
and number six in
Wallonia
Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...
.
''On the 6'' entered the Dutch album chart at number 55 for the week of July 10, 1999. Nearly a month later, on August 7, it peaked at number six. The album spent a total of 82 weeks charting in the Netherlands, and was certified platinum for sales of 60,000 copies.
[NVPI Database](_blank)
. Nvpi.nl (April 11, 2011). Retrieved December 8, 2011. ''On the 6'' was moderately successful in Australia, where it debuted (and peaked) at number 11 on July 18, 1999.
In 2002 it was certified platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
for selling 70,000 copies.
["ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Albums"](_blank)
. Aria.com.au. Retrieved January 9, 2013. ''On the 6'' peaked at number 14 in the United Kingdom, and was certified platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
for sales of over 300,000 copies.
["The BPI database"](_blank)
Bpi.co.uk. Retrieved December 8, 2011. The album entered the French album chart at number 24 on July 3, 1999, peaking at number 15 two weeks later. It spent a total of 38 weeks on the chart, and was awarded a double-gold certification by the ''
Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
'' for sales of 210,000 copies.
["France estimated album sales"](_blank)
Fanofmusic.free.fr. Retrieved December 8, 2011.["2001 2× Gold Certification of On The 6"](_blank)
''On the 6'' had sold 2 million copies worldwide by November 26, 1999; and 5 million by June 2000. The album had sold over 8 million copies worldwide by 2001,
and 10 million copies by 2003.
Legacy
Cultural impact
Lopez and fellow recording artists
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...
,
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...
, and
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
have been credited with popularizing
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
by Hispanic artists during the year 1999.
At the time, it was noted that Latin musicians were "creating a stir" in American entertainment. According to ''
The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'', a Latin pop crossover "explosion" and "ethnic boom" was occurring. Brian Haack of
The Recording Academy
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...
wrote that it was Lopez's performance in ''Selena'' that positioned her as "the breakout female star to help propel the Latin pop movement".
Since she is of Latin descent and crossed over to the mainstream music market, Lopez is considered "crossover royalty".
Mark Guarino of the ''
Daily Herald'' said of Lopez and her fellow Latin artists, "judging from their records, their cultural identity was identified as cultural baggage by their record companies and those suitcases were shucked en route to stardom".
Lopez and Anthony noted that they wanted the "Latin invasion" and "hype" to die down so they could be viewed as normal artists and "regular people".
Anthony asserted that their music "is not Latin music" (although it has Latin influences), but "it isn't representative of what Latin music is": "To stand out because you're Puerto Rican or because you're Latin is really weird." Lopez said, "I don't think Latino is a phase
rlike it's this year's hot thing. Being that you're talking about people, I don't feel that way, really."
The ''
Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...
'' said, "All have conquered mainstream pop charts by toning down the spice of their native salsa and especially by singing in English". Later, Lopez noted: "It's funny that they create a 'movement' thing because three people come out with an album at the same time, or whatever it was. Yes, I'm Latin. Yes, I made an English pop album because I grew up here in the United States. I don't know...It didn't bother me in any way. I didn't think of it as a negative thing, but I also didn't think it was fair to do it because it makes it seem like people are a fad—or a culture is a fad." This "Latin explosion" was showcased in a 2015
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
documentary titled ''The Latin Explosion'', produced by Mottola; it included a sit-down interview with Lopez among other Latin recording artists.
Career transition
Six months after the release of ''On the 6'' Lopez had successfully transformed from a movie star into a pop star, joining an "elite circle of actors to venture successfully into the music arena".
She became the latest of a small number of stars to achieve this, following
Martika
Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known by her stage name Martika ( ), is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence as an actress, playing the role of Gloria in the television programme ''Kids Incorporated'' between 1984 ...
and
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, model, producer and dancer. She gained recognition as the first Black woman to win the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She would later Vanes ...
(who crossed over during the late 1980s and early 1990s). The provocative music video for the album's lead single ("If You Had My Love") was a hit on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
channels worldwide, with Lopez popular in a field previously dominated by
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
and
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
. "Waiting for Tonight" and its music video created a musical craze in association with the new year, and was a celebratory anthem for the new millennium. In 2013, Andrew Barker of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described the single as her "breakout club hit", observing that it "seemed to anticipate the rise of Euro-centric dance pop a decade before EDM became a buzz term" and noting that when DJ culture became a trend Lopez turned away (instead released the Spanish-language ''
Como Ama una Mujer
''Como Ama una Mujer'' (English: ''How a Woman Loves'') is the fifth studio album and first Spanish album by American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. It was released on March 23, 2007, by Epic Records. After including some Spanish songs on he ...
'' in 2007).
Since the release of ''On the 6'', Lopez has been widely regarded as a triple-threat performer: the most-influential entertainer of Hispanic descent in the United States and a
pop culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
icon. The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote, "Making the transition from hot actor to singing star is a risky proposition—anyone remember Philip Michael Thomas' musical moment? But Lopez is going about it in a most agreeable way: with a light heart and even lighter feet."
''Entertainment Weekly'', which gave the album a mixed review, said "In the year 2020, this album will be part of someone's doctoral thesis on the dangers of crossover".
Lopez has used her film and music career to build a successful empire. In April 2011
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
wrote, "From Fly Girl on ''In Living Color'' to judge on ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'', she has taken her talent beyond the triple threat of being a dancer, singer and actress and now helms an empire that includes fragrances, a production company, lucrative endorsements and a place once again atop the charts, having sold tens of millions of records over the years". Lopez has sold 75 million records after ''On the 6'', and received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 2013 for her contribution to the music industry.
Track listing
Notes
*
contains a sample from "Love and Liberte", written by Baliardo and Reyes, as performed by
Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings (originally Los Reyes) are a musical group founded in 1979 in Arles, France. The band, whose members have Catalans, Catalan heritage, play a blend of Catalan rumba, flamenco, Salsa music, salsa, and Pop music, pop. They perform mos ...
*
signifies a co-
producer
*
contains a sample from "Set It Off", written by Standard and Logios, as performed by
Strafe
Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.
Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such a ...
*
signifies an
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
and producer
*
signifies a Spanish translator
*
signifies an executive producer
*
signifies a vocal producer
*
signifies a music producer
*
signifies an additional producer and
remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
er
Personnel
Credits for ''On the 6'' adapted from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
Production
*Ariel – engineer
*Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander – mixing
*Marcelo Añez – engineer
*Chuck Bailey – assistant engineer, engineer
*David Barratt – production coordination
*Tom Bender – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing, mixing assistant
*Manny Benito - vocal director
*Juan Bohorquez – assistant engineer
*Gustavo Bonnet – assistant engineer
*Ariel Borujow – assistant engineer
*Darrell Branch – producer
*Bob Cadway – engineer
*Brian Calicchia – assistant engineer, engineer
*Sean "Puffy" Combs – producer
*Lauren Dawson – producer
*Emilio Estefan Jr. – executive producer, producer
*Bobby Fernandez – engineer
*Alfred Figueroa – assistant engineer
*Pablo Flores – mixing, photography
*Javier Garza – engineer, mixing
*David Gleeson – engineer
*Larry Gold – string arrangements, conductor, engineer
*Franklin Grant – engineer
*Mick Guzauski – mixing, remixing
*Brian Harding – assistant engineer, engineer
*Dan Hetzel – engineer, mixing
*Jim Janik – digital editing, vocal tracking
*Rob Jenkins – producer
*Rodney Jerkins – producer
*Richie Jones – arranger, percussion, producer, programming, remixing
*Pete Krawiec – assistant engineer, engineer
*Sebastián Krys – engineer
*
Bob Ludwig
Robert Carl Ludwig (born December 11, 1944), is a retired American mastering engineer. He mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists, including Led Zeppeli ...
– mastering
*Bill Makina – programming
*Glen Marchese – assistant engineer, engineer, string engineer
*Tony Mardini – assistant engineer
*Tony Maserati – mixing
*Lester Mendez – programming
*Steve Menezes – assistant engineer, engineer
*Freddy Piñero Jr. – engineer
*Poke & Tone – producer, programming
*Jim Porto – assistant engineer
*Herb Powers – mastering
*Prince Charles – engineer, mixing, background vocals
*Simon Ramone – assistant engineer, engineer
*Bill Molina – programming
*Dave Reitzas – engineer
*David Rideau – engineer
*Kike Santander – arranger, producer
*William Ross – conductor, string arrangements and conductor
*Dave Scheuer – arranger, engineer, programming
*David Shackney – engineer
*Dan Shea – arranger, digital editing, engineer, keyboard programming, keyboards, producer, programming, vocal producer
*Chucky Thompson – programming
*Rick Wake – arranger, producer
*Alvin West –, piano, producer, programming
*Chris Wiggins – assistant engineer
*Robb Williams – assistant engineer, engineer, string engineer
*Mario Winans – programming
*Thomas R. Yezzi – engineer
*Juan Vincente Zambrano – arranger, keyboards, producer, programming
Performance
*7 Mile Primary – background vocals
*Donna Allen – background vocals
*Maria Christiansen – background vocals
*Kenny Anderson – saxophone
*Marc Anthony – guest artist
*Randy Barlow – trumpet
*Juan Barrett
*Tom Barney – arranger, bass
*Big Punisher – rap
*Edwin Bonilla – percussion
*Angie Chirino – background vocals
*
Sal Cuevas
Salvador "Sal" Cuevas (June 16, 1955 – April 9, 2017) was an American salsa bassist known for his association with the Fania All-Stars from 1978 to 1985.
Although he played the upright bass, he was one of the most popular electric bassists ...
– bass
*LaShawn Daniels – background vocals
*Ximera DePombo – background vocals
*Lawrence Dermer – keyboards, producer, background vocals
*Margaret Dorn – background vocals
*Paquito Echevarria – piano
*Fat Joe – rap
*Sandy Griffith – background vocals
*Douglas Guevara – bongos, timbales
*Douglas Guevera – bongos, congas, timbales
*Shawnyette Harrell – background vocals
*Skyler Jett – background vocals
*Jennifer Karr – background vocals
*Eric Kupper – keyboards
*Bill Lawrence – background vocals
*Michael Landau – guitar
*Kyra Lawrence – background vocals
*Jennifer Lopez – vocals, executive producer
*Manny López – guitar
*Manuel Lopez – guitar
*Doug Michels – trumpet
*Chieli Minucci – guitar
*Herman "Teddy" Mulet – trombone
*Conesha Owens – background vocals
*Konesha Owens – background vocals
*Dean Parks – guitar
*Lena Pérez – background vocals
*Wendy Peterson – background vocals
*Archie Pena – percussion
*Rita Quintero – background vocals
*Tracy Reid – background vocals
*Claytoven Richardson – background vocals
*Lance "Un" Rivera – producer
*Corey Rooney – arranger, executive producer, keyboards, background vocals
*Jack Stamates – violin
*Michael Thompson – guitar
*Michael Hart Thompson – guitar
*Rene Toledo – guitar
*Kim Travis – background vocals
*Jorges Valero – background vocals
*José Miguel Velásquez – background vocals
*Al West – piano, producer
*Betty Wright – vocal producer, background vocals
*Peter Zizzo – arranger, keyboards
Miscellaneous
*Chris Apostle – project coordinator
*Kevyn Aucoin – makeup
*Christopher Austopchuk – art direction, design
*Danny Santiago — stylist
*Ignacio Ballesteros – Spanish adaptation
*Tony Duran – photography
*Leena Kallash – assistant
*Oribe – hairstylist
*Julian Peploe – art direction, design
*Stephen Saper – author
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
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Release history
References
{{Authority control
1999 debut albums
Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins
Albums produced by Emilio Estefan
Albums produced by Ric Wake
Albums with cover art by Tony Duran
Jennifer Lopez albums
Albums produced by Sean Combs
Albums produced by Cory Rooney