"Ain't It Funny" is a song by American singer
Jennifer Lopez. It was written by Lopez and
Cory Rooney
Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael ...
for the
Adam Shankman-directed romantic comedy ''
The Wedding Planner
''The Wedding Planner'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman, in his feature film directorial debut, written by Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk, and starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.
Plot
Ambitious Sa ...
'' (2001). Shankman, however, felt that the song had too much of a
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
-influence to be featured in the film, and it was instead included on Lopez's second studio album, ''
J.Lo
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
'' (2001). "Ain't It Funny" was released as the third single from the album on June 20, 2001, by
Epic Records.
The song was used as background music in three
television advertisements
A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
in Japan to promote the 2001
Subaru Legacy
The is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy was sol ...
for a special campaign which was known as ''Three Keys Legacy''. Lopez herself was also featured in all three ads. The song shares the same title with Lopez's 2002 song "
Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)
"Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her remix album ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'' (2002). The song was marketed as a remix of "Ain't It Funny", but is actually an entirely different song with the sam ...
", which is a completely different song.
Writing and production
While watching a
rough cut
In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still used to describe projects that are recorded and ...
of ''
The Wedding Planner
''The Wedding Planner'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman, in his feature film directorial debut, written by Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk, and starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.
Plot
Ambitious Sa ...
'' (2001) in Canada,
Jennifer Lopez and
Cory Rooney
Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael ...
brainstormed ideas for its accompanying soundtrack. The two "pulled different thoughts and feelings" from the film's scenes.
The scene where Lopez's character is in the backseat of a car listening to
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...
and
Bridgette Wilson
Bridgette Leann Wilson Sampras (born September 25, 1973) is a former American actress, singer, model, and Miss Teen USA award winner. Wilson began her career as an actress after being crowned Miss Teen USA in 1990, playing the character of L ...
's characters talk about the wedding made Rooney think of the line "ain't it funny how some feelings you just can't deny and you can't move on even though you try".
According to Rooney, "all those words and melodies just started coming" to him while watching the scene.
After he conceived the idea for "Ain't It Funny", Rooney returned to his home and "roughed out the track" and composed the song's chorus. He then worked with Lopez for an hour to complete the song.
Tommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American music executive, producer and author. Mottola is currently the Chairman of Mottola Media Group and was previously the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columb ...
was so enthusiastic about the song that he contributed to its melody.
Adam Shankman, however, felt that "Ain't It Funny" had too much of a Latin influence for the film, due to its usage of
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...
. Lopez disagreed with Shankman and the two later agreed to use "
Love Don't Cost a Thing" in the film.
Composition
"Ain't It Funny" is a
Latin pop song, with a duration of four minutes and six seconds (4:06).
The song contains a
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
disco beat and a "bullfight trumpet",
as well as a "solid dancefloor thump".
Lyrically, Lopez sings about "creating the perfect romance in your mind, then facing reality when Mr. Right is less than ideal".
Critical response
The song received mixed to positive reviews. Josh Freedom du Lac of Wall of Sound wrote that "Ain't It Funny" steals its melody "wholesale" from Madonna's "
La Isla Bonita
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
", although it has a better rhythmic base. He concluded that it still "sort of runs in place, as though Lopez recorded it while standing on a treadmill".
Sal Cinquemani of
Slant Magazine responded positively to the song, calling it "terribly infectious". However he criticized the "overpowering choir of back-up vocalists" that sing the chorus.
Jake Barnes of Dot Music called the song bland, writing that Lopez should "check out"
Jill Scott's 2000 song "One Is the Magic Number" for how Latin pop "should be done properly".
''
Billboard''s Chuck Taylor praised the song's production as "Grade A" and its lyrics as "smart".
Chart performance
"Ain't It Funny" was a commercial success, peaking within the top ten in multiple countries. In Poland, the song peaked at No. 1 for eight weeks on the
Polish Singles Chart
The Polish music charts are provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (Polish: Związek Producentów Audio-Video).
Albums charts
In the 1970s and the 1980s, Polish music monthly ''Non Stop'' published a year-end list of t ...
.
In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at No. 3, making it her fifth top-ten single there, gaining popularity there it is still played on many radio stations regularly. "Ain't It Funny" charted at No. 3 in several other countries including the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden.
In Sweden, it exceeded sales of 10,000 copies and was certified Gold by the
Swedish Recording Industry Association
Grammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF), or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden. It has compiled and published the official record charts for the Swedish mu ...
. In Belgium, the song peaked at No. 8 in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
and No. 5 in
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
.
"Ain't It Funny" debuted and peaked at No. 25 in Australia on September 2, 2001.
"Ain't It Funny" peaked at No. 9 in Norway,
and Ireland for the week ending August 9, 2001.
The single debuted at No. 14 in Switzerland on July 29, 2001, and peaked at No. 9 three weeks later. It had a successful chart run in Switzerland, remaining on the Swiss Singles Chart for a total of twenty-six weeks.
In Spain, "Ain't It Funny" peaked at No. 10 for the week ending July 28, 2001.
Additionally, it reached the top twenty in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Hungary and Italy.
Live performances
From September 22–23, 2001, Lopez performed a set of two concerts in Puerto Rico, entitled
Let's Get Loud
"Let's Get Loud" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her debut studio album '' On the 6'' (1999). Originally written by the song's co-writer Gloria Estefan for herself, she felt as if the song was too similar to her previ ...
. These served as the first concerts of her career, in which she was "flanked by a 10-piece orchestra, a five-person choir and 11 dancers." "Ain't It Funny", among other songs, was included on the concerts' set list. In December 2001, Lopez,
Kid Rock and
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with '' Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single " Holla Holla". Dur ...
headlined a concert for the
USO
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
troops in a German military base. Lopez opened her set with "Ain't It Funny". After emerging from a center-stage trapdoor, she performed the song while backed by a line of male dancers "outfitted in military garb".
On January 1, 2002, the concert aired as a special on the
MTV Network
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
hosted by
Carson Daly, ''For the Troops: An MTV/USO Special''.
Joe D'Angelo of MTV News noted that she wore "a series of skimpy outfits despite chilly temperatures."
Music video
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was filmed in
sepia tone
In photography, toning is a method of altering the color of black-and-white photographs. In analog photography, it is a chemical process carried out on metal salt-based prints, such as silver prints, iron-based prints (cyanotype or Van Dyke br ...
and directed by
Herb Ritts
Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black ...
. It opens with Lopez traveling on a road where she finds a
fortune-teller
Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical wi ...
who shows Lopez her future with the cards. A group of female
gypsies
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
(one of them played by
The Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...
member
Carmit Bachar
Carmit Maile Bachar ( he, כרמית בכר; born September 4, 1974), known professionally as Carmit, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. She is a member of the Pussycat Dolls. She is married to longtime partner Kevin Whita ...
) show up and make over Lopez so as to make her one of their own. Then Lopez finds a man (played by Mexican soap opera actor
Eduardo Verástegui
José Eduardo Verástegui Córdoba (; born May 21, 1974) is a Mexican producer and actor. He was part of band Kairo and later a solo music career, before he started appearing in Mexican telenovelas and eventually feature films like ''Chasing Papi ...
) she could not resist, falling in love with him. In the middle of the video, there is an extended dance sequence, in which she performs a
flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
-influenced routine. Eventually all the people there start dancing together, including Lopez and her lover. The video debuted the week of July 2, 2001, internationally and in the autumn of 2001 in the U.S.
Track listings
Ain't It Funny
*Australian CD single
#"Ain't It Funny" – 4:05
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix 7") – 3:59
#"Ain't It Funny" (Brandnew Radio Mix) – 3:45
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix Pt. 1 & 2) – 8:28
#"Play" (Gene Lefosse Remix) – 7:16
*European CD single
#"Ain't It Funny" (Album Version) – 4:05
#"Ain't It Funny" (Brandnew Radio Mix) – 3:45
*European CD maxi single
#"Ain't It Funny" (Album Version) – 4:05
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix Pt. 1 & 2) – 8:28
#"Ain't It Funny" (Brandnew Extended) – 4:54
#"Ain't It Funny" (Tropical Dance Remix) – 3:49
#"Ain't It Funny" (D'Hip Mix) – 4:20
*Japanese CD single
#"Ain't It Funny" – 4:08
#"Qué Ironía (Ain't It Funny)" – 4:08
#"Pleasure Is Mine" – 4:18
*UK cassette single
#"Ain't It Funny" – 4:05
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix 7") – 3:59
#"Ain't It Funny" (Brandnew Radio Mix) – 3:45
*UK CD single
#"Ain't It Funny" – 4:05
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix Pt. 1 & 2) – 8:28
#"Ain't It Funny" (Almighty Mix) – 7:22
#"Ain't It Funny" (Video)
*European 12" vinyl
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix Pt. 1 & 2) – 8:28
#"Ain't It Funny" (Album Version) – 4:05
#"Ain't It Funny" (Brandnew Extended) – 4:54
#"Play" (Rui Da Silva Mix) – 7:19
*UK 12" vinyl
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix Pt. 1 & 2) – 8:28
#"Ain't It Funny" (Original Mix) – 4:05
#"Play" (Rui Da Silva Mix) – 7:19
Qué Ironía (Ain't It Funny)
*CD maxi single (Remixes)
#"Qué Ironía (Ain't It Funny)" (Tropical Dance Remix) – 3:47
#"Qué Ironía (Ain't It Funny)" (Radio Traffic Mix) – 3:12
#"Qué Ironía (Ain't It Funny)" (Tribal Mix) – 6:02
#"Qué Ironía (Ain't It Funny)" – 4:07
#"Ain't It Funny" (Silk's House Mix 7") – 3:59
#"Ain't It Funny" (Brandnew Radio Mix) – 3:45
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{authority control
2001 singles
2001 songs
Jennifer Lopez songs
Songs written by Cory Rooney
Songs written by Jennifer Lopez
Songs written for films
Song recordings produced by Cory Rooney
Song recordings produced by Dan Shea (producer)
Number-one singles in Poland
2002 singles
Music videos directed by Herb Ritts