Very few do it as well as Jennifer Lopez.
From the recording studio to the movie theater, the TV screen to the Super Bowl, the multi-hyphenate has spent the last several decades proving that there's very little she can't do while sporting a body that's inspired a million gym memberships. But while she's achieved success in nearly everything she's attempted, she's made, perhaps, her biggest impact in the world of music.
Beginning with the release of her debut single "If You Had My Love" in 1999, Lopez provided the soundtrack to our lives for the last 21 years, helping us turn up at the club with hit after hit. And with each one of them comes the obligatory music video to help promote the track. Only, in her hands, the music video is no mere obligation. It's a damn work of art.
The music video is the place where each of her distinct talents can come together, with the acting, the singing and the dancing all working in concert to give us something we'll never forget.
In honor of the icon's 51st birthday on July 24, we're counting down the 10 best music videos in her repertoire. And just know—this wasn't easy. When they're all so good, how could it be?
10. "Jenny From the Block"
The clip for this single off the 2002 album This Is Me... Then is iconic for one very important reason: then-fiancé Ben Affleck's appearance. Was it intended to be a commentary on the paparazzi's obsession with the couple, known in the press as Bennifer? Sure. Is the only thing we remember the way Affleck rubs down her backside on that yacht? You betcha.
9. "Booty"
There's nothing subtle about the Hype Williams-directed video for this track off 2014's A.K.A. But considering the subject matter, anything less would've been a let-down, no? Kudos to Iggy Azalea for having the guts to go cheek to cheek with one of the most celebrated rear ends in music history.
8. "On the Floor"
When this lead single from 2011's Love? arrived, it had been a minute since JLo had herself a hit. But the song's embrace of EDM, which had taken over the scene at the time, helped her land the year's best-selling song by a female artist. This choreography-heavy video, which reminded everyone of her unparalleled skills on, you know, the floor, certainly didn't hurt.
7. "If You Had My Love"
The one that started it all. This video for her debut 1999 single signaled to the music industry that the former Fly Girl was flyer than they even knew, kickstarting a career with serious longevity.
6. "Do It Well"
This track off the 2007 album Brave might not have taken off as she would've liked, but the video—directed by the legendary David LaChapelle—is fierce AF. She tackles the aggressive choreography like a pro, reminding that there are very few like her in the biz. It's truly a powerhouse performance.
5. "Dinero"
There's only one word to describe this video for her hit standalone single from 2018: expensive. Directed by Joseph Kahn and featuring some spot-on performances from DJ Khaled and Cardi B, this black-and-white beauty more than lives up to its name. She walks an ostrich on a leash and eats a Jersey Mike's sub, you guys! It's wild.
4. "I'm Glad"
JLo recruited LaChapelle to direct the video for this R&B ballad off This Is Me... Then and, together, the two expertly recreated all the iconic imagery from the 1983 film Flashdance. The performance she gives here is next-level, with nary a body double in sight. (Sorry, Jennifer Beals.) If her dancing in Hustlers blew you away, this video's like that—on steroids.
3. "Get Right"
In the video for this funk-influenced song off JLo's 2005 album Rebirth, director Francis Lawrence—who would go on to helm three of the four Hunger Games films, among others—coaxed eight distinct performances out of his leading lady, each populating a crowded night club with their own storylines. And that's to say nothing of the cane choreography. Iconic!
2. "I'm Real (Remix)"
Controversy has followed this song since its release in 2001 as a single off the album J.Lo, but that hasn't hampered the cultural impact the video has made. Take one look at Normani's "Motivation" video and you'll see just how much this clip inspired a generation of pop stars who've come up in Lopez's wake. That scene between her and Ja Rule on the basketball court is as close to early '00s perfection as it gets.
1. "Waiting for Tonight"
While "If You Had My Love" started it all, this clip for the third single from On the 6 was the one that put her on the map. Admit it, just hearing the phrase "Jennifer Lopez music video" conjures images of green laser lights. From the use of those verdant strobes to the body crystals, this was the Y2K dance party where every millennial wanted to be. It is, without a doubt, one of the most fabulous things she has ever done.
Happy birthday, JLo!