A new toy boy? Yup, that would be Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Her famous derriere? Very much there and being flaunted in her new video, Booty (featuring Pitbull). And a new album? Yes, A.K.A. (Universal Music) is in stores. And this is what JLo has to say about it…

You have worked on A.K.A. for over a year. Now that you have finished the album, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Sleep. Sleep is the thing that’s on my mind. I think in the past six days we’ve been to Brazil, Chicago, Orlando, Newark, New York; it has been such a crazy time. It has been so fulfilling because I am getting to perform new songs and share the album with so many different people.

Which is the most personal song on the album?

They are all personal. There is a specific reason why I recorded each song. Let It Be Me holds a special place in my heart because it’s such a beautiful ballad. It’s very emotional, which I can be a lot of times. And it’s such a beautifully written song. I think you guys are really going to love it.

What keeps you going when something doesn’t work out?

I don’t know. My faith in God. Things don’t work out great sometimes, that’s just how life is and you just have to roll with the punches… get back again and again, know that tomorrow’s going to be a better day and it’s all in your control.

What makes this album different from your previous efforts?

In the first many albums I always spoke about love and love has always been my subject… it still is as an artiste. But it was always in this fairy tale kind of way, where I kind of believed in this fairy tale and Prince Charming is going to come along and take me on a white horse and we are going to live happily ever after or I was talking about sad love songs and oh we broke up… all such things.

And when I did Love? three years ago I started questioning love for the first time in life. I think it was because I just had my babies (Emme and Maximilian) and I had felt a different kind of love for the first time; what I felt was unconditional… what real life felt like and it just made me start questioning a lot of stuff… about my relationships, my life and my ideas about love.

And this album is very different because I think these past three-four years it took me that long to get back and do another album because I was doing a lot of soul searching and a lot of growing up…. I still believe in love. I am the same person I was when I did my first album (On The 6), but I have grown up. I’ve become stronger. And I now know what love is supposed to be. And that strength… musically, lyrically and emotionally… is what I think is different about this album and you hear it even in my voice, there’s a strength to me as well. I really feel like I am in the best place in life and that is what gets reflected on this album.

Why did you choose A.K.A. as the title?

I chose it for many reasons. It’s kind of a multifaceted answer. There’s a simple answer… which is, in the music (industry) I’m also known as JLo… aka right? But there are a lot of other reasons why I thought this is the perfect title at this point in my career. I’ve been known by so many different names… Jennifer, JLo, Jenny from the Block, Lola, you know all the different names people have tried to attach to me over the years… that’s one aspect of it. The other aspect is that I am also known for the many different things I do –– I am an actress, I am a singer, I am also a dancer, I work in perfumes, I have a clothing line, I am a producer, I am a writer, a songwriter.

There are so many different things A.K.A. kind of encompasses. Also, the song A.K.A. says I am not the girl that you used to know. I am not the one that was kind of weak, just falling all over you, wishing for your time… now I am Miss. Never stick around, never hold you down, you can’t figure me out, you don’t know me now. That song is the right one to start the album with because it’s not a simple thing; it’s very complex.

As a young girl what was your biggest inspiration?

I loved watching movies; I loved music. So, musicals were probably my favourite thing. That was my biggest inspiration… watching musicals with my mom on the couch. It was just kind of fantasies, everything was so glamorous and beautiful… these big production numbers, the women were always dressed so elegantly, everybody was singing and dancing and happy. I just imagined that’s what life should be like. It really inspired me to act, sing and dance. Not just do one but do all of it because in a musical you have to do all three.

How was the experience of performing at the World Cup?

It was so exciting. There was so much energy. Going out on to a field, and a stadium with a 100,000 people, knowing that 2 billion people are watching (on TV)… it’s such a world stage. It was really a rush. Pitbull, who I have worked with so much and you know is like a brother to me, and I looked at each other, like… can you believe this is happening?! We are at the World Cup and we are going to sing a song, it’s the opening ceremony, this is crazy! It was just one of those surreal, fun moments in life that you just couldn’t believe was happening.

How does it make you feel to be connected to JLovers through social media?

I love it. Before this I could not really tell you what I was feeling; what’s right and what’s wrong about what they say about me. And now I have that opportunity, I don’t always feel the need to refute every silly story that comes out, but if I ever need to speak to you guys or I want you to know something, I can share my music… my inspiration with you.

Some of your fans wonder if you would ever skydive, go bungee jumping…

No! Never! I don’t really love roller coasters. I just feel like I have enough stress in my life; enough pressure; enough things going on. I don’t need to be scared, I don’t need anybody to terrify me by throwing me out of a plane! Call me crazy.

J-facts

One of her first live appearances was as a dancer at New Kids on the Block’s American Music Awards performance in 1991.

Janet Jackson’s video to That’s The Way Love Goes (1993) featured a young JLo and she slow-danced her way through the song.

Before recording her first album, On The 6 (1999), she was busy acting in films. And Selena (1997) brought her critical acclaim.

If you’ve ever wondered what her 2002 song Dear Ben is about, well, think Ben Affleck. They almost got married in 2003… almost, until Marc Anthony stepped in and said ‘I do’ in 2004.

Finally, she is 44 years old!

JLo or Beyonce? Who is Ms Bootylicious? Tellt2@abp.in