This music video from mega-popstar Jennifer Lopez was released in 1999 as a Billboard Top 100 single off her debut album. The video begins with shots of a lush jungle setting followed by images of a distant city. Lopez and her girlfriends seem to float between these two worlds. The video portrays Lopez as an “everygirl” preparing for a big night out to celebrate the new millenium. The video intersperses cuts of Lopez primping and scrutinizing herself in the mirror with scenes of her dancing in the jungle setting. The lines between the jungle and the nightclub are clearly blurred, with Lopez and her friends occupying both spaces. The lyrics describe how she’s been waiting for so long for a chance to be with her crush and how she hopes that the chance to be with him tonight will end “the days when the sun used to set/ On my empty heart all alone in my bed.” As the song climaxes, Lopez emerges soaking-wet from a pool of water.

discussion

Why is the jungle setting used in the music video? Put yourself in the position of the music video director — what motivations go into making this decision?

Does the video portray Lopez (and her friends) as exotic? What does it mean to call a woman “exotic”? Is this label tied to race and ethnicity? If so, how?

How does Jennifer Lopez’s sexuality function in this video? Is it an important part of the video’s narrative? In what ways?