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Just when one though that ol' J Lo was gonna dip permanently into the hip-hop domain that garnered the massive success of last years "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny," she surprises with a disc that is something she never has been: Dull!

Save for the contagious "Jenny From The Block," which seems to be her attempt at "damage control" from those numerous alleged tales of her diva-ish exploits ("Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got, I'm still Jenny from the block"), the album is filled with ballads that just don't go anywhere. 

And does she really think that anyone is buying the "down-to earth" urban girl image that "Jenny" portrays?

Covering the cool Carly Simon tune "You Belong to Me," probably sounded like a great idea (since Ben Affleck is currently on lease to her), but someone should have reminded her that Ms. Simon has the pipes for a song like that and "Jenny" dosen't.

Though the CD does get some needed help from LL Cool J (who dishes up a spicy duet with Lopez on "All I Have"), it could have used more collaborative help.

Akin to her former squeeze (P Diddy), Lopez seems to trying to change her image with every release. On her debut in '99, Lopez attempted to ride the then mega-huge Latin explosion, but when the salsa-laced hype lost steam, she adopted the street-wise J Lo image for her sophomore disc (to much success). Where she is trying to go now is anyone's guess.

And I am sure that P Diddy (who played a big hand in her first two releases) is kind of grinning with the realization that she needed his musical guidance more than she ever though she would.