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Extended Interview: Ryan Seacrest Sits Down With Jennifer Lopez

Our own E! News anchor learns how the babies changed J.Lo's life, and what her new album means for the artist as she matures

By Jennifer Arrow Apr 21, 2011 11:00 PMTags

Will Jennifer Lopez leave with American Idol after this season is over?! That's what we're all wondering today, after reports that Jenny is in talks to do her own reality talent show (her rep told E! News they had no comment on the story), but what did the multihyphenate babe tell our own Ryan Seacrest?

The E! News anchor sat down with J.Lo herself for the latest on her Idol employment, plus how the babies have changed her life and what her new album means for the artist as she matures:

WATCH: See more from Ryan Seacrest on E! News every Wednesday at 7 and 11:30 p.m.!

When asked if she was considering a return to the hit reality series next season, Lopez told Seacrest, "Of course, of course. Here's what's the great thing about this moment for me. There's tons of possibilities, and I'm open to whatever God has in store for me down the line. And whatever it is, I'm going to do my best."

What led the megastar to do the show in the first place? Lopez says, "The big major thing when Marc and I sat down and talked about it was, it would be nice to be in one place with the babies. They've been traveling since they were like 3 weeks old. That was a major consideration, too. So when I looked at my whole life and where I was, and the kind of freedoms that I had to choose to do what I wanted to do...I went with my gut."

And why are so many good things happening at once for the singer, actress and Most Beautiful Woman Alive? She told Seacrest: "I'm just happy in that—in my life, in my skin, in my body, in what I have to offer, and finally, it's just comfortable with myself in the best way...And I think the babies had a lot to do with that." Awww...

So what's driving Lopez's suddenly resurgent singing career? Lopez puts it down to her accumulated life wisdom, saying, "A lot of people can sing, as you can see when we're on the road, but artists have a message—[a message] to express to the world, and you have a point of view. Whatever that is, if you think of the great artists of our time: Bruce Springsteen, it's that working man's struggle; or Madonna, challenging religion and sex; or Michael Jackson, who wanted to spread love in the world in his way. Everybody has a message, and it becomes part of your expression, and that comes through in the music. And that's what I try to tell the kids, it's not just about getting up there and who hits the biggest notes—as you see, that doesn't keep you on the show. It's about who can connect, who can make somebody feel something, smile, and think and go, 'Oh, I love that song!' That's what being an artist is: Do you feel what I feel?"

Do you love J.Lo as judge? Would you prefer she stick with Idol, or should she get her own show? Hit the comments!

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