Lopez

Web posted on:
Tuesday, June 08, 1999 2:37:44 PM EST

From Mark Scheerer
CNN Entertainment News Correspondent

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former "fly girl" Jennifer Lopez has soared to fame as a dancer and a movie star. Now she's trying to make a name for herself in the music world as a pop singer -- and it seems to be working: Her first single, "If You Had My Love," hit the top of the Billboard Top 10 this week.

Lopez says the single blends her favorite sounds. "I'm very into Latin music. I'm very into R&B and hip-hop music, and I'm very into pop music," she says. "I just wanted to hear something that mixed all three."

The first big success for Lopez came as a "fly girl" dancer on the Damon Wayans show "In Living Color." From there, she danced into the movies, with two key roles: In 1997's "Selena," she portrayed the wildly popular Tejano musician Selena, who was shot to death at 23 years old by the former president of her fan club. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for the part.

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Listen to a clip of "If You Want My Love" Audio clip: 105k MPEG-3 Audio clip: 145k WAV Video clip: 875k QuickTime (Courtesy WORK Records)

Then she starred as a federal agent trying to capture a master thief in 1998's "Out of Sight," opposite "ER" hunk George Clooney. The critically acclaimed film made it onto dozens of critics' year-end "top 10" lists.

But singing isn't something new to her repertoire.

"I started my career in music theatre, which I guess a lot of people don't know," Lopez says.

She's titled her just-released album "On the 6," a reference to the subway line she rode to get from her home in the Bronx to auditions in Manhattan.

"Someone asked me how did you... get from the Bronx to the city -- basically like 'to fulfill my dreams'-type thing. I said I used to get on the six train from the Bronx to Manhattan."

So what does Lopez like best: acting, dancing or singing?

"I think dancing is my first love, only because I started my career that way," she says. But I really love all three. I couldn't pick a favorite."