A life's ambition realised? Or a cynical throw of the loaded Latin dice to consolidate the expansion of the J-Lo brand?
Acknowledged as the most influential Hispanic artist of our time, it is perhaps surprising it took so long for Jenny to show us the hacienda.
The single 'Que Hiciste' is a rump shaking dancefloor filler, but unrepresentative of what is an essentially easy, if classy, listening exercise. It does prove conclusively that Lopez can sing, and in relation to her acting career is definitely more "Out Of Sight" than "Gigli".
Her first album in Spanish includes ballads about pain and deliverance, but is often overproduced ( four tracks feature the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra ) and whiffs of the forgettably exotic.
The title track (which means "How a Woman Loves") might wow the diners on a Caribbean cruise and the single "Que Hiciste" is at least a lively moment among the tepid balladry, too often interrupted with clumsy guitar solos.

There's no use beating about the bush: With crooner husband Marc Anthony at her side, Jennifer Lopez has at last made her big splash into Spanish-language pop. A splash of soulless stagnation, that is. "Como Ama Una Mujer (How a Woman Loves)" makes a better coaster for dinner parties than a CD for the stereo. Bought digitally, it would be truly worthless.

Granted, everyone knows that Jennifer Lopez is no Julie Andrews when she opens her mouth, but she is no Jimmy Durante either. And what was the secret to his success as a singer? Not vocal agility, but a strong personality, the ability to inflect emotional depth and sincerity and an indefinable passion that makes a performer unique. Lopez lacks these attributes here, so the output has no worth.

Though her debut album "On the 6" is a pleasant if already dated look back at late 90's English-language Latin pop, her subsequent records have been guilty pleasures at their best and pop schlock at their worst, with the latter predominating. In fact, no trace of genuine Latin instrumentation has been heard since that first album, doubtlessly due to Ricky Martin being the flavor of the month at the time of its release. Accordingly, the transition from the faux-urban hip-pop and slinky Middle-Eastern tinged radio drivel that marked 2005's "Rebirth" is indeed an eyebrow-raiser.

That she is not fluent in Spanish certainly shows in her vocal delivery, but the tepid songs don't help. Lead single "Que Hiciste (What Did You Do?)" sounds promising when it bursts into a rhythmic riot of Spanish guitars and winning instrumentation but ultimately sinks like a pound of lead. Going off in too many directions at once, it becomes embarrassingly scattered and awkward.

A few songs in, it becomes evident that the disc is too heavy on the ballads; nearly every song sounds like a banal Telenovela theme, and most drag on for so long they can only be described as cumbersome. The six-minute title track drifts away like cotton candy, and the more urgent ballads sound more self-important than sincere, reaching their culminations with nary an impressive moment. "Tu (You)" in particular is significant since Lopez attempts to hold notes that require sufficient vocal flair. The result is the sound of a train as it fast approaches a station, screeching against the rails.

The disc concludes with "Adios (Goodbye)," a supposed live recording with a super-imposed crowd and a giggling Lopez. This is ironic from a singer who has never toured and has cracked her voice during numerous televised performances. This selection would be a fine listen in the hands of a more capable singer.

Love her or hate her, Jennifer Lopez has star quality that shines through on even her most mediocre projects, but that lucky streak has hit a murky end with "Como Ama Una Mujer." A much better purchase would be "Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love)," the final full-length album from Selena, whom Lopez was privileged to portray in her eponymous 1997 biopic. For something more current, "Fijacion Oral Vol. 1" by Shakira, who deserves commendation for being her own writer, still sports dizzying musical heights two years after its release. The difference is not just in the material, but in the passion.

This woman is brave! Brave for continuing doing something she can't clearly do. SING. In here, she tries to reach the audience she left so far behind, the latin audience. I give her credit for her efforts, or who ever was behind this. If you want to buy a good product from a real singer who has never left his people in the dust, buy Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez's 10th husband. He can really SING and has real talent.Jennifer, dear, go home, cook or clean, stay all day looking in the mirror or something.

Wow.

I didn't know music could get this bad. I just didn't.

No words can describe how awful this CD is, but criticizing it is too easy.

Let me list the reasons why you should not buy this travesty of an album (even the word "album" is used loosely - at best, this collection resembles a group of theme songs from various C-Grade Telenovela series):

1. THE VOICE :

There is no voice. Granted, JLO was never known for her vocal ability, but having taken vocal lessons and practice from husband Marc Antony, one would think she would sound better, but NO. If anything, Jennifers' weak voice is showcased as being even more weak as she literally whines her way through over an hour of the most godawful caterwauling ever heard this side of the Nanjing Massacre.

2. THE MUSIC :

There is no music. The first single "Que Hiciste" has some Spanish sounding instruments thrown in for that "authentic Mexican experience" (yeah, right), but from then on out, its one disgusting ballad after the other. There is no melody, and at one point, I was wishing that SOME poor B-side from her "On the 6" album would pop up to put me out of my misery. Let it be clear - the music on this is non-existent, and Im not just saying that for effect.

3. THE ACCENT:

JLO is not a genuine native Spanish speaker, but she has definitely worked on her accent. However, its a bit sad when Beyonce's new Spanish version of "Irreplaceable" sounds more authentic than anything on this godforsaken CD. Jennifer sounds very forced and gimmicky here, enunciating her Rs and Ts with gusto and a very misplaced conviction. The efforts only lead to what one can call an overwhelming sense of underwhelmingness (the term has come into existence upon the release of this CD)

Jennifer, what went wrong? You had the best producers (though, when you think of it, Marc Antony's only claim to fame in the US is his horrendous "You Sang to Me") and enough moolah to pull this off. Inexcusable.

More than that, it proves that the global Spanish revolution that sort of began in the late 90s with the Ricky Martin craze, is definitely over. Jennifer is done with, and when I start respecting her lesser, more vapid counterparts such as Thalia, its a sad day indeed.

True Spanish language albums have CLASS stamped upon them - the only shining example of this is 'Fijacion Oral Vol 1' by our girl Shakira. This album still gives me goosebumps two years past its' release.

'Coma Ama Una Mujer' is a failed effort for all concerned. And if you respect music and your money, you will definitely need to look elsewhere for fulfilment.

Vaya con dios, JLO

To be honest, I laughed in disdain when I heard that Jennifer Lopez was releasing an all-Spanish language album. Granted, she does have talent as she is a decent actress. However, she does not possess any talent as far as music is concerned. Bottom line: She is no Gloria Estefan, who will forever be the reigning Queen of Latin Pop. Since Celia Cruz's passing, Estefan has held the thrown as the modern queen of Latin music. When Lopez first burst onto the music scene, she received the comparison that she would be the new Gloria. Sorry, that will never happen.

For one, Lopez is not a native Spanish speaker, nor does she write any songs. Her voice is extremely limited, and although she may have improved some, it is far from being Gloria or Selena-quality. Jennifer may be respected as an actress (with fair reason, too), though she is seen as a laughingstock in the music industry. "Como Ama Una Mujer" will never been seen as a classic. Now, "Mi Tierra" by Ms. Estefan is a classic, being the greatest-selling Latin album in music history.

Why has Gloria held the title of Latin pop queen for 20-plus years? The answer is blatantly obvious.

I much rather Jennifer stick to acting and dancing, which is her more her territory. She will never be recognized as a true artist. If it wasn't for Marc Anthony, excellent salsa crooner and husband to Ms. Lopez, this album never would've been born.

If anything, this album will sell due to the status Jennifer Lopez possesses, not because of her or the album's musicianship.