While people can say what they like about Jennifer Lopez’s singing abilities, one can’t deny that she’s undoubtedly one of the hardest working women in Hollywood — and she has a growing empire in TV, film, and music that proves just how successful she’s been since landing her big break as a backup dancer for a bunch of artists.
Lopez, who recently reconciled with ex-fiance Ben Affleck, got her name out in the entertainment industry when she was cast as a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color before going on to dance for New Kids On The Block and Janet Jackson. With the latter, Lopez event went on to star in Jackson’s music video for her 1993 single “That’s The Way Loves Goes.”
Needless to say, Lopez was already proving herself to be someone who was dedicated and devoted to her craft, and while she was considered as one of the best female dancers who quite literally everybody wanted to work with, J. Lo still believed there was more she would achieve in her life than just being a backup dancer.
When Jackson’s Janet World Tour was quickly approaching, the 55-year-old personally requested Lopez to join her for the 123-date concert, which kicked off in November 1993 and concluded in April 1995, but the “Get Right” chart-topper declined the opportunity because she knew that her big break in music was just around the corner.
Jennifer Lopez Turns Down Janet Jackson
Saying “no” to an artist as big as Jackson at the time sounded like the most bizarre thing to do — especially for an up-and-coming dancer who, despite her talent, was running from gig to gig with little to no financial security on where her next paycheck is coming from.
Going on a two-year tour with a mainstream artist would have been perfect for Lopez if she wanted to continue pursuing a career as a dancer because she knows that she practically won’t have to pay for anything while on the road, and she’d have made a ton of money from what she saved while traveling from show to show.
But according to Jackson, Lopez decided to call her and let her know that she wouldn’t be joining the Janet World Tour, and her decision was simply based on the fact that J. Lo was already mingling with a string of producers who were looking to find the next big superstar.
While nothing was set in stone, Lopez felt confident about not going on tour with Jackson so that she should focus her time on her entryway into the music industry.
"She was supposed to do the whole 'Janet' tour, but she only did the 'That's The Way Love Goes' video," Jackson revealed to Vibe magazine back in 2001. “Then she called me and said she wanted out, because she wanted to do her own thing.”
Jackson made it clear that just because Lopez decided not to continue working as her backup dancer, there were no ill feelings towards the Latin superstar by any means.
Six years after the Janet World Tour commenced did Lopez go on to release her debut album, On the 6, which was released in June 1999, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 200 but still shifting over eight million copies worldwide.
At this point, it was clear that Lopez was destined to become a superstar all along, and her belief of not going on a two-year tour with Jackson to work on her music career most certainly paid off.
Her debut album featured the hits “If You Had My Love,” “Waiting for Tonight,” and “Let’s Get Loud,” to name a few, while Lopez’s sophomore, J. Lo, was just as successful following its release in January 2001.
It spawned hits such as “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “Play,” “Ain’t It Funny,” and “i’m Real.”
Her second album went on to shift another eight million worldwide, turning Lopez into one of the best-selling pop stars in a very short amount of time.
Since dropping dancing for music, Lopez has expanded her business empire with the expansion of her own film production company titled Nuyorican Productions.
At the start of 2021, Lopez joined the likes of Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian by launching her very own makeup line called JLo Beauty, which is sure to bring in plenty of money if the venture proves to be a success.
Her acting career continues to flourish just as well, with a number of movies dropping in the forthcoming months, including Marry Me, Shotgun Wedding, The Mother, The Godmother, and Atlas.
No matter what anybody says about Lopez, she’s worked hard to get to where she is today.