Jennifer Lopez joins Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to discuss her new song with Rauw Alejandro, ‘Cambia El Paso’. She tells Apple Music why she loves working with new artists, how the song came to be and what it represents, how self-love and being in a good place inspired her to return to the studio, and more.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music Why She Loves Working With New Artists

I love working with new artists and Rauw actually had called me to do a record with him ‘Tu La Tienes’ and I did it and he came by the studio. Sometimes with new artists, they have their own ideas. You don’t think they think about you. I mean, I’ve always felt that way. Even when I first started, do they want to do a record with me? So I’m always so flattered and happy when an artist that I see coming up, who I think is an amazing performer and really special talent will call me and say, would you get on this record? I mean, it’s amazing. It’s amazing for me. I’ve never taken that for granted working with other amazing, really, really special artists.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music About Working With Rauw Alejandro on ‘Cambia El Paso’

So when he called me to do that, I did my vocals and we both happened to be in Miami and I didn’t even think I was going to get to see him or meet him or anything. I did the record. They’re like, he’s in Miami, you’re in Miami, he’s in Miami. I said, yeah. And they’re like, have you done the vocals? He’ll come by. And I said, yeah, he’s on his way to the airport, but he’ll stop by. I said, yeah, have him come by. I’m here. I’m just working. I’ve been in the studio, working on music the past few months. So he came by, I played in the record. He loved it. You know, he was like, oh my God, I’m so great. I’m so excited. I said, let me play you something. I’ve been working on. Some things I’ve been working on. And he heard “Cambia EL Paso”. And he was like, well I can get that one too? Why can’t I get on that one? And I was like, okay. I said, but you got to do it right now. Can you do it right now? And I knew he had a plane and he’s like, yeah, takes off his jacket, tells his manager have the jet wait on the runway and did the record right there.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music About The Meaning and Origin of “Cambia El Paso”

It is about change and it is about taking a step. And it’s like, at once I just advance, just take one step. It doesn’t matter. Right. Left. Whatever. Take a step. When things don’t feel right. When you need to change, “Cambia El Paso,” that’s it. That’s all you have to do. And for me, it resonated, it resonated right now. So it was a great thing. Plus I also look at when it says dance, dance, dance, dance. To me because I started as a dancer.

To me that represents joy, happiness life. After my divorce so many years ago now, but I did a song called Dance Again that I kind of took from Enrique Iglesias. That was his song. And I was like, this is my song. You have to let me do this song. And he was like, that’s my song. And I was like, please, it’s my song. I’m telling you. And it just represents happiness to me because I love dancing so much because it’s kind of my first love, it represents joy, happiness, a freedom. And so this song is similar in that way, where it says all she wants to do is just dance, dance, dance, dance. It’s really about all she wants to do is be happy. All she wants to do is live.

This is a Summer record. This is a dance record. This is a record about changing things. It’s the change of season. The world is changing right now. So many things. It just, it felt right. And so I love the idea of just saying to them, here it is, let’s put it out right now. I’m going to shoot a video. I know who I’m calling, who can pull it together quick. Called my boy, Jesse Terrero. Said, let’s do this. He was like, yep. I could shoot in seven days, eight days, I was like, okay, I’ll see you in a week. We’ll shoot this video. This is what I think it should be. And that was it.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music How Self-Love and Being in a Good Place Inspired Her To Get in the Studio

I was in the Dominican Republic doing the movie, and while I was there, I had got to a point in my life where I really felt good on my own. I’m good. I love my life right now. I love what I’m doing. I love where I’m at. I love the person that I am continually kind of evolving into and becoming. And that kind of joy, that kind of happiness, that kind of love always inspires me. I think some people really get inspired when they’re heartbroken. You know what I mean? To write music, when they were in pain. For me, it’s the opposite. When I feel really good, I really feel like I do my best music. And so I got back from the Dominican Republic and I immediately had notified everybody that I know and be like, I want to get in the studio.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music About Releasing Singles Versus Albums and Her Upcoming Film and Album With Maluma

When you have a single that resonates with you, you just put it out now with streaming and the way things are. And I love putting together album projects and who knows this may turn into a Spanish album at some point or a Spanglish album, but I already have an album done with Marry Me, the Maluma movie and an album. So that’s for the February 14. So I thought I have an album coming, so right now it’s really just about music for music sake for me, for expression.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music She’s Happy and Has Never Been Better

I’m super happy. I know people are always wondering. How are you? What’s going on? Are you okay? This is it. I’ve never been better. And I want my people who care about me because I care about them so much, to know that I’ve really gotten to a place in my life where I’m great on my own. And I think once you get to that place, then amazing things happen to you that you never imagine in your life happening again. And so that is where I’m at. And I love all the love that’s coming my way right now and all of the, the good wishes. And I just want everybody to know that it’s the best time. It’s the best time of my life.

Jennifer Lopez Tells Apple Music About ‘This Is Me … Then’, 19 Years Later

When it entered the charts again, after 18 years, I was like, okay. You realize that it’s such a personal journey that people are on with you. They made me go back and listen to that record. I hadn’t listened to it in so long, right. So many things, one that it was a real pure moment in time. And that music, when it’s important, it never goes away. Right? So, just like love it just doesn’t go away. It’s just there. And when I listened to that on many, many different levels there, those songs are more relevant today than they even were then. But I have grown. And when I hear it, even in my voice, I go, wow, that was a different, more innocent, softer person, even. The way my voice sounded. I wish I could sound that way now, but I’ve lived and I’ve been through so much and so much has happened. And now when I sing, I sing with a rasp in my voice. I can’t get rid of that. I wish I had when I was then. That I was like, why can’t I sing with a rasp in my voice? Like Janis Joplin, I need more of that, I want more James Brown. I want more of this. You know? And now I can do that stuff sometimes. In my next… One of my records, I just recorded the other day. This song called ‘Higher Than Love’. And I think I’m going to put it in the movie as well. It’s just so raspy and strong and different.