On the 6 (1999)

On the 6 is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. It was released on June 1, 1999, by the Work Group. Lopez worked with several producers on the album, including Rodney Jerkins, Cory Rooney, Dan Shea and her boyfriend at the time, rapper and record producer Sean "Puffy" Combs.

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 with pop 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 US and several other countries around the world. On the 6 was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of three million copies in the US.

The album produced five singles, three of which hit the main US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "If You Had My Love" topped the Hot 100, while "Waiting for Tonight" peaked at number eight. "No Me Ames", a ballad with Lopez's then-future, now ex-husband, Marc Anthony, was ineligible for the Hot 100, but was a hit on Billboard's Latin chart. "Feelin' So Good" hit number 51 in the US, and peaked at number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart. A fifth and final single, "Let's Get Loud" did not chart on the Hot 100 due to the lack of a physical release in the US, but became a major hit in several other countries.

With On the 6, Lopez was credited with helping drive what was termed the "Latin explosion" in Western popular music. A Spanish edition of the album was released in November 1999. This version of the album shuffles the track list, omitting "Feelin' So Good" and spawning an all-new Spanish track ("Es Amor"), as well as Spanish versions of songs from the original album. 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 (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 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. 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, a biographical film about American singer-songwriter Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. In the film Selena's voice is used for the musical sequences, but Lopez would sing the lyrics instead of lip syncing. 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 [her] Latin roots" and recorded a demo record in Spanish. Lopez' manager sent the song ("Vivir Sin Ti") to Sony Music Entertainment's Work Group, which was interested in signing Lopez. Tommy Mottola, 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."