This Is Me... Now is the upcoming ninth studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez. The album is scheduled to be released in 2024 by BMG Rights Management and Lopez's own Nuyorican Productions. The record is a sequel to Lopez's third studio album This Is Me... Then (2002). It will be her first studio album in ten years, since A.K.A. (2014).
Background
On November 25, 2022, the 20th anniversary of the release of This Is Me... Then (2002), Lopez announced her ninth studio album, This Is Me... Now with a video she released on her social media, featuring her recreating that album's cover which morphs into a photograph for the new album. The album will include a sequel to that album's song "Dear Ben" titled "Dear Ben Pt. II". Lopez described the album as an "emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey she has taken over the past two decades." The albums lyrics are very confessional with Lopez discussing the reputation of her love life. She stated that "People think they know things about what happened to me along the way, the men I was with—but they really have no idea, and a lot of times they get it so wrong. There's a part of me that was hiding a side of myself from everyone. And I feel like I'm at a place in my life, finally, where I have something to say about it."
On June 29, 2023, Lopez posted a photo of her self featuring the album's title, and the caption "album delivery day", alluding to the album being completed. In comments following the post, one of the album's producers, Rogét Chahayed said "It's time". On September 11, 2023, it was announced Lopez had signed a "recording and publishing partnership" deal with BMG Rights Management, in conjunction with her own Nuyorican Productions. On September 21, Lopez partnered with Apple Music for an exclusive concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles to promote the album. The show was supposed to stream live on Apple TV but was postponed.
Recording and production
During an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Lopez confirmed that she worked primarily with a small group of producers on the album. It was primarily produced by Rogét Chahayed, Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman and Angel Lopez. Others like Kimberly "Kaydence" Krysiuk also joined the production team. This Is Me... Now was written and produced primarily from May to August 2022, amidst Lopez's reunion and marriage to her ex Ben Affleck. Lopez confirmed that the reunion inspired her to get back into the studio and write honest music, in ways that she had not done since This Is Me... Then (2002). Further sessions and additional credits come from Chauncey "Hit-boy" Hollis, Tay Keith, Yeti Beats and Carter Lang, with the album completing recording and production on 2023.