This week has been, in a word, historic for Jennifer Lopez. The singer was given the keys to the city of Miami Beach, she was honored with her very own day (July 24!), and she celebrated her 50th birthday with a Gatsby-approved gold-themed bash in a—wait for it—$32 million mansion owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. "You know I planned this," she told her legions of Miami fans on Thursday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena during the first of three consecutive shows for her It's My Party tour. The singer wanted to finish off the North American leg of the tour with a week-long bang in the city she calls her second home. And for one night (or three nights if you're a baller), we were all invited to JLo's birthday party along with thousands of other guests.
Jennifer Lopez is finishing the North American leg of her It's My Party tour with three consecutive shows in Miami
From the moment JLo steps on stage, you've entered a lit and lavish birthday party (with balloons and all) featuring tons of dancing, singing and a fair amount of costume changes. She opens with two head-bopping hits—her latest track Medicine and an oldie Love Don't Cost a Thing. In one moment, she cries out in celebration. "It's my birthday," she squeals as she twirls and kicks up her gold balloons to the crowd who cheer her on.
For the bulk of the show, the singer performs her classic tracks—Ain't It Funny, If You Had My Love and, of course, Jenny From the Block, all with glittery and patterned body 'birthday' suits and a cast of backup dancers behind her. It's what I imagine her actual 50th birthday looked like one day prior. But in between, she also sprinkles in some covers that she says "inspire" her. Gravity by Sara Bareilles and Titanium by David Guetta and Sia are belted out while she's wearing a gorgeous red gown.
Probably the most memorable part is when she pays tribute to Selena Quintanilla, who she portrayed in the 1997 film and sings Si Una Vez. And for those of you who have seen clips of the concert on social media (thanks, A-Rod!), this is the part where she brings out her 11-year-old daughter Emme to sing with her.
The 50-year-old impressed her 'party guests' with impressive costumes and performances
Toward the end of the show, a clip comes on while JLo is changing into the seventh and final costume of the night. In the video, she's giving an interview as a twenty-something-year-old and talking about how she wants to make music she's proud of even when she's 50 or 60 years old. So yes, this concert is about her milestone 50th birthday, but more than that, it's about her achievements in her career that spans three decades; achievements that have delighted not only her fans from all over the world, but the singer herself.
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
