The marriage of pop star Jennifer Lopez and actor Ben Affleck is being hailed as renewed hope for those wanting to give love a second chance.
For Lopez, it is as much a new beginning as a return to an experience she mined for inspiration throughout her nearly three-decade career.
All eight solo albums, from the RnB stylings of her 1999 debut album On The 6 to the dance music abandon of 2014’s A.K.A., feature startling ballads and hits showcasing everything from frivolous observations to deep meditations on love and the resilience needed to thrive.
Put together, they form part of a useful blueprint Affleck can follow to keep their reunion an enduring hit. Here are nine songs where J Lo shares her thoughts on love and relationships.
1. ‘If You Had My Love’ (from the 1999 album ‘On The 6’)
If Affleck is serious about doing his part to maintain the relationship, all he needs to do is listen to Lopez’s debut single.
More than being a chart-topping hit, it also acts as a forthright guide on how to keep her love intact.
“Now if I give you me, this is how it’s got to be,” the song begins.
“First of all, I won't take your cheating on me / Tell me who can I trust if I can't trust in you / And I refuse to let you play me for a fool.”
Once that pledge of commitment is out of the way, Lopez wants her man to be open and expressive: “You said you want my love and you've got to have it all / But first, there are some things you need to know / If you want to live with all I have to give / I need to feel true love or it’s got to end.”
2. 'Love Don't Cost a Thing' (from the 2000 album ‘J Lo’)
Let's face it, there is no glittering gift Affleck can give J Lo — wedding ring aside — that she doesn't have or isn't perfectly capable of obtaining herself.
The good thing is, according to this 2000 hit, she appreciates subtler and consistent gestures instead.
"All that matters is that you treat me right / Give me all the things I need, that money can't buy," Lopez sings. "Even if you were broke / my love don't cost a thing.
3. 'Baby I Love U!' (from the 2003 album ‘This is me… Then’)
Reportedly written about Affleck during their initial two-year romance from 2002, the ballad remains vital, with lyrics focusing on taking advantage of life's second chances.
“There comes a time in everyone's life / when you know that everyone around you knows that everything has changed,” Lopez sings.
“You’re not the same, it's a new day / What I wanna know is are you willing to try?”
4. ‘He’ll Be Back’ (from the 2005 album ‘Rebirth’)
Did Lopez still hold a flame for Affleck during the 18 years they were apart?
While the RnB track doesn’t explicitly say so, she expresses pangs of regret and some remorse for her role in a previously doomed relationship.
Apparently, absence makes the heart sadder: “Miss him more as days go by / Try your hardest not to cry / And keep hope alive.”
5. 'Por Arriesgarnos' (from the 2007 album 'Como Ama Una Mujer')
Por Arriesgarnos, which translates to For Risking Ourselves, is taken from Lopez's Spanish album. The fraught ballad speaks of the work relationships need after the initial sugar rush of a new or — in the case of Affleck — reacquainted love is over.
According to Lopez, both parties have to be open about their scars.
"Let's love slowly without excuses, that you and I wanted," Lopez sings. "Come with me, there is nothing left but to love you."
6. 'Stay Together' (from the 2007 album 'Brave')
From On The 6 to Rebirth, Lopez often begins her albums with songs about healthy relationships.
Stay Together, the opening track from Brave, is no different.
An ode to monogamy, she describes the bumps and curveballs as part of the long road to a fulfilling union: "This time is in our favour / This time comes second nature / Heartbreaks are overrated / Stay together, that's the new trend.”
7. ‘Until It Beats No More’ (from the 2011 album ‘Love?’)
Perhaps a strong relationship also comes down to timing.
Released 11 years prior to the reunion with Affleck, the lyrics allude to the situation she was in before reconnecting with the Oscar-winning actor.
"I was down for the count, feeling like I've come to the end," the song begins, before Lopez declares, "but then you crashed through the door, to my soul."
8. ‘First Love’ (from the 2014 album ‘A.K.A.’)
With her last album, Lopez seems at peace with the whirlwind and tabloid fodder of past relationships.
Despite the struggles, she admits to still succumbing to the giddiness that comes with a new romance: "Mistakes I don’t worry about them no more / It ain't no thing, cause you got me up on cloud nine."
9. 'Marry Me' (from the soundtrack of the 2022 movie 'Marry Me')
Perhaps Lopez and Affleck's Las Vegas marriage is not as impulsive as we thought.
Released earlier in the year, the breezy pop of Marry Me speaks of a famous couple tying the knot in the city, to the world's surprise.
"I'ma fly out to Vegas / we could tie it up tonight, no patience,” she sings.
“Take my last name, put it where your name is / Have they ever seen a love this famous?"
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck through the years - in pictures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
SUZUME
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SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
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ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIG MATCH
Arsenal v Manchester City,
Sunday, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
