Love Don't Cost a Thing

"Love Don't Cost a Thing"
Single by Jennifer Lopez
from the album J.Lo
Released	January 8, 2001 January 27, 2001
Format	CD maxi single, 12" maxi single
Recorded	2000 Cove City Sound Studios (Glen Cove, New York) Sony Music Studios (New York City, New York)
Genre	Dance-pop, R&B
Length	3:42
Label	Epic
Writer(s)	Damon Sharpe, Greg Lawson, Georgette Franklin, Jeremy Monroe, Amille Harris
Producer	Ric Wake
Certification	Platinum (ARIA) Gold (IFPI: Switzerland) Silver (BPI)
Jennifer Lopez singles chronology
"Let's Get Loud" (2000) "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (2001) "Play" (2001)

"Love Don't Cost a Thing" is the lead single from Jennifer Lopez's second album, J.Lo (2001). It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, besides being her first number one in the United Kingdom. Its Spanish-language version, "Amor Se Paga con Amor" ("Love Is Paid with Love"), featured on the Latin American edition of J.Lo, was restricted to the U.S. Latin music charts. Lopez performed the song for the first time at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2000 in November 2000 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Music video

The video starts while Lopez is talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone; he tells her that he is not going to be able to make it. He then asks her if she received the bracelet that he had bought for her and she says yes and tells him that it is beautiful, but she would prefer him there with her instead, and the last thing she needs is another bracelet, she then hangs up. The camera then switches to a view of Lopez coming out of her villa, and stepping into her convertible, then she drives onto the highway, eventually throwing her purse from the car. She continues on to a beach where she starts walking, and starts to strip; first she takes off her sunglasses, then her coat, and then her necklace. Then she removes a post card from her pocket, that reads: "Wish you were here"; Lopez is shown on it with a couple of dancers on a beach (one of the dancers is her ex-husband, Cris Judd). The camera then zooms in on the post card, Lopez and the dancers performs a routine*. Afterwards, the camera zooms out to its previous position before they started the routine. Lopez then proceeds to tear the post card in half, afterwards she throws it. Then Lopez runs to the beach, stripping to her underwear, and at the end of the video takes her top off and covers her breasts with her hands. Throughout the video there are inter cut scenes of Lopez in her golden underwear lying on the sand and on the water, and dancing near trees.

• *Notice that in this segment of the video the audio swaps from the Original Version to a special version of the RJ Schoolyard Remix. When the camera zooms out again the audio swaps again to Original Version. Lopez used this version as a base of her live performances too.

The video received two nominations at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Female Video and Best Dance Video.

Chart performance

In the U.S., "Love Don't Cost a Thing" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of December 9, 2000 at a lofty number forty-six. Within three weeks, the single was on the top twenty, and most notably rose from number ten to number four the week of January 27, 2001, as airplay of the single maximized. Despite becoming the first of four number one Hot 100 Airplay hits for Lopez, "Love Don't Cost a Thing" peaked at number three for two consecutive weeks, unable to break the stride of stronger singles from Shaggy and Joe.

In Asia, the song topped the MTV Asia Hitlist for seven weeks, the longest stay at number one for a Lopez single. Since its debut, airplay increased rapidly, but fellow Latin artists Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera's duet "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" prevented the song for staying at the top spot for three weeks, by gaining more airplay. Thus, Lopez's single peaked at number two for three weeks, before descending the top twenty.

Track listings

U.S. CD single

1. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (HQ2 Club Vocal Mix)
2. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (Main Rap #1 featuring P. Diddy)
3. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (RJ Schoolyard Mix featuring Fat Joe)
4. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (Full Intention Club Mix)
5. "Let's Get Loud" (Kung Pow Club Mix)

UK enhanced CD single

1. "Love Don't Cost a Thing"
2. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (Full Intention Club Mix)
3. On the 6 Megamix ("If You Had My Love"/"Waiting for Tonight"/"Let's Get Loud")
4. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (Video)

Australian CD single

1. "Love Don't Cost a Thing"
2. On the 6 Megamix ("If You Had My Love"/"Waiting for Tonight"/"Let's Get Loud")
3. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (RJ Schoolyard Mix featuring Fat Joe)

Charts

"Love Don't Cost a Thing"

Certifications

"Amor Se Paga con Amor"

References