Play (Jennifer Lopez song)

After a high-profile title role as Selena Quintanilla in the musical biopic Selena (1997), Jennifer Lopez began developing her own career in music, later being signed to Work Records by Tommy Mottola.^[1][2] Her debut album On the 6 (1999) became an instant commercial success, and spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one song "If You Had My Love".^[3][4] This led her to begin recording new material for her second album in April 2000.^[5] Initially, the album was to be called A Passionate Journey.^[6] During this period, Lopez began to transition into a sex symbol and was nicknamed J.Lo by the public, which is known as a nickname and "public persona".^[4] Hence, she instead released an album entitled J.Lo, which she credits as being more "personal" and "romantic" than On the 6.^[4][7] "Love Don't Cost a Thing", the album's lead single, was globally premiered on November 16, 2000.^[8]

"Play"

A twenty-second sample of the song's bridge, in which Lopez explicitly pleads with a DJ to play her favorite song.

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"Play" is a dance-pop^[9] and electropop^[10] song with a length of three minutes and thirty-three seconds (3:33).^[11] It was written by Anders Bagge, Arnthor Birgisson, Cory Rooney and Christina Milian, with production from Bagge and Birgisson (collectively credited as Bag & Arnthor). Milian performed back up vocals on the song, prior to her own debut as a recording artist.^[12][13] Lopez recorded the lead vocals with Robert Williams at Murlyn Studios, Stockholm, and at Sony Music Studios in New York City. It was later mastered by Ted Jensen.^[14] On the song, Lopez pleads with a nightclub DJ to "play her favorite song", containing lyrics such as, "Play, come on DJ/ Play that song/ Play it all night long/ Just turn it up and turn me on".^{[citation needed]} It contains a "shuffling" electric guitar, as performed by Paul Pesco, over a "whistling electronica dance beat." A writer from Telegram & Gazette noted the track to be "Madonna-esque."^[15]

AllMusic's MacKenzie Wilson said "Play" "coincided with Lopez's funky style".^[16] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that "so many of the tracks" on the album "sound like they're straight out of 1986". He then went on to opine that "I'm Real" or the "funky" "Play" would have made a "brave" choice for the album's lead single, instead of "Love Don't Cost a Thing".^[17] A writer from The Indianapolis Star dismissed the album and its sexual content, while also using the explicit "Play" as an example of it not being appropriate for Lopez's target audience, who are predominantly preteens.^[18] Jake Barnes of Yahoo! Music UK noted "Play" to resemble the music of Prince.^[19]

"Play" experienced moderate commercial success. For the week of April 7, 2001, "Play" debuted at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, winning the "Hot Shot Debut of the Week" title. It also made its debut at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart.^[20] The following week, it jumped to number 46 on the Hot 100 and number 47 on the Airplay chart.^[21] For the week of April 21, "Play" jumped to number 28 to both charts.^[22] The song peaked at number 18 on the Hot 100 for the week ending May 19, failing to break into the top 10.^[23] In addition, the single peaked at number six on the Billboard Pop 100 as well as two on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.^[24][25] In Canada, it peaked at number five on the Canadian Singles Chart.^[26]

"Play" also achieved success outside North America. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart on May 6, 2001 — for the week ending date May 12, 2001. It remained on the chart for a total of twelve weeks.^[27] On April 29, 2001, the song debuted at number 21 on the Australian Singles Chart on April 30, 2001 — for the week ending date May 6, 2001. It eventually peaked at number 14 on the chart five weeks later.^[28] The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified it platinum, marking sales and streams of 70,000 units.^[29] In New Zealand, "Play" debuted at number 48 on the New Zealand Singles Chart on April 23, 2001. It became a top-ten hit there, peaking at number seven a month later.^[30] In Italy, the song debuted and peaked at number eight on the Italian Singles Chart on April 26, 2001.^[31] Elsewhere in Europe, it peaked within the top 10 in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland and the top 20 in Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, and Spain.^[31][32][33] It also reached top thirty in Austria.^[34]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of J.Lo.^[14]

In 2004, South Korean girl group Baby V.O.X. covered "Play" in Korean and English for their final album, Ride West, with participation from Lopez.^[99]