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5.0 out of 5 stars Saving the Best for Last, October 31, 2007

By CyberLouis (ALEXANDRIA, VA USA)
I was surprised by this cd. After the disappointing Rebirth and Como Ama Una Mujer, I thought twice about buying Brave. Nonetheless, I bought it, have listened to it for several weeks, and do really enjoy it. What JLo did right with Brave: song selection, clever arrangements, and sticking to a good niche for her. There are basically two types of female singers: (1) the big voiced divas who can really sing (Celine, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson), and (2) those with can carry a tune but don't have much range or resonance, but are pretty and/or can dance (Madonna, Britney, Hillary Duff). JLo falls in the second category, and it is obvious that she is fully aware of this and picks songs accordingly. There are no attempts here to showcase a big voice. Why people criticize her for her singing limitations is a mystery to me. A big voice is not suitable for the songs on Brave. And that includes great songs like: Stay Together, Hold it Don't Drop It, Do It Well, Mile in These Shoes, The Way It Is, and Brave. The remaining songs are all good and catchy.

So, why isn't it selling? Quite frankly, many of us are tired of the J.Lo and Marc Anthony show. I am happy that she's married and pregnant, but don't need to be reminded of it every time she does a movie or a CD. El Cantante was a huge mistake. Marc can't carry a movie and the two of them together was a huge distraction. Como Ama Una Mujer was also a distraction from what she should be doing and obviously influenced by her relationship with Marc. And, to top it all, now she is touring with Marc while she is pregnant. In short, she's gone from being JLO, the Marilyn Monroe of our time, to being Mrs. Marc Anthony. It's too far a drift from her core image and it is not what people were buying. The lackluster sales of Brave are suggesting the damage is done and she may never recover.

Sadly, rumors are that her record label may drop her due to the poor sales of her last three cds including Brave. So, Brave may be her last CD, although it is her best. An even greater irony is that the queen of image, who transformed herself into an icon by selling that image, has lost track of who she was and is now is faltering in record sales and in the box office. Still, she will always have her place in show business as one of the top sex symbols of the our generation.