One of my earliest memories of watching MTV Base (and actually retaining all of this incredibly valuable information about pop stars and their early noughties music videos) was the first time I saw Jennifer Lopez’s video for Love Don’t Cost A Thing. I remember the struggle that my eight-year mind went through trying to rationalise in what strange universe anyone would spend their pocket money on ‘love’.
I was so sure that Jennifer was simply the victim of a big misunderstanding. Much like manners, love doesn’t cost a penny. You can’t go buying it, silly. At least, that’s what I’d been taught by an elaborate amalgamation of kid's TV shows. So, what on earth could this overwhelmingly beautiful grown-up be on about, strutting around in the middle of the road and throwing her very expensive looking sunglasses into the surrounding shrubbery?
But then, of course, I became very distracted by the dance break as performed on a ‘wish you were here’ postcard. The postcard that now jewelry-less Jenny ripped up even though cornrowed hip-hop J-Lo was still mid-routine.
You see, there are very few people who can forge careers that cross pretty much every subsection of show business. There are even fewer people who can do that and still live as presently in our nostalgia-hungry minds while continuing to go from strength to strength in the current world. Jennifer Lopez is one of those people, though.
Are you ready for some unashamed fan-girling? Because Jennifer Lopez went from dancing (fun fact: she was a dancer on the show In Living Colour, aka the one that inspired the video for the Cardi B x Bruno Mars Finesse remix), to singer (*On The 6 *came first), to actress (hold tight Channel 5 for their fleeting dedication to showing *Maid In Manhattan *every now and again) to fashion designer (for reals) and generally adored celebrity.
Here, let's take a look back at the last 20 years of brilliant Jennifer Lopez moments. There are many and they are brilliant.
The Debrief Jennifer Lopez
Second Chances, 1993
Meet Jennifer Lopez in a TV series about
Money Train, 1995
Anaconda, 1997
U-Turn, 1997
Out of Sight, 1998
Waiting For Tonight, 1999
If You Had My Love, 1999
MTV Music Awards, 1998
Love Don't Cost A Thing, 2000
The Cell, 2000
MTV Music Awards, 2000
Ain't It Funny, 2001
Play, 2001
The Wedding Planner, 2001
I'm Real, 2001
Enough, 2002
Jenny From The Block, 2002
Maid In Manhatten, 2002
I'm Gonna Be Alright, 2002
All I Have, 2002
I'm Glad, 2003
Gigilli, 2003
Shall We Dance, 2004
Monster In Law, 2005
NRJ Music Awards, 2005
An Unfinished Life, 2005
Get Right, 2005
El Cantante, 2005
The Back Up Plan, 2009
I'm Into You, 2011
On The Floor, 2011
Parker, 2013
Human Rights National Dinner, 2013
American Idol, 2014
Booty, 2014
The Boy Next Door, 2015
Shades Of Blue, 2016
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.