"Same Girl" is a song recorded by American entertainer
Jennifer Lopez for her eighth studio album, ''
A.K.A.'' (2014). The song was written by Lopez and
Chris Brown in collaboration with the song's producers Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson, Charles "Chizzy" Stephens, and Ryan "Ryghtous" Tedder, while
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 ...
handled vocal production of the song. A solo version of "Same Girl" was released on February 4, 2014, as the second
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
from ''A.K.A.''. An accompanying music video for the solo version of the song was directed by Steve Gomillion and Dennis Leupold in the
Castle Hill neighbourhood of
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, Lopez's hometown. "Same Girl" was remixed to feature fellow
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
artist and rapper
French Montana for its inclusion on the album. In 2022 a new orchestral version of the song was released in support of Lopez's
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
documentary ''
Halftime
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in ...
''.
This video embodies jennifer lopez in her home neighborhood with its residents. Among them are children, rappers, prostitutes, dancers who are living in South Bronx.
Background
Lopez tweeted a picture of herself on March 21, 2013 in the recording studio with her long-time collaborator
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 ...
and American singer
Chris Brown. Lopez captioned the picture with the hashtag "#SAMEGIRL", leading some to believe that it was either a song title or the name of Lopez's upcoming eighth studio album. Several days later, Brown described their collaborations as being "fun stuff" and "party music". In April, Lopez commented that she and Brown were "in the studio, writing songs and just getting that whole '
Jenny from the Block
"Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, which features American rappers Jadakiss and Styles P, both members of The LOX. It was released by Epic Records on September 26, 2002, as the lead single from her third studio ...
' flavor back".
She also revealed that they "worked on a bunch of ideas" and that they had discussed the possibility of recording a duet for Brown's upcoming sixth studio album, ''
X'' (2014).
In September 2013, Brown revealed the titles of two songs that he had written for Lopez: "Emotions" and "Same Girl".
On January 13, 2014, during her appearance on ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'', Lopez shared a 45-second preview of "Same Girl" and its music video. Two days later, Lopez revealed that the snippet was "just something
hewas doing for the fans" and that the song was not the first single from her upcoming album,
despite some speculation and media reporting that it would be. "Same Girl" is the second promotional single from ''A.K.A.'', after Lopez released the
DJ Mustard
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane (born June 5, 1990), known professionally as Mustard (also known as DJ Mustard), is an American record producer and beatmaker. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among var ...
-produced song "
Girls
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
" on January 22, 2014.
Like its successor, "Girls" was remixed to feature a rapper for its inclusion on the album; the album version of "Girls" features rapper
Tyga
Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson[Micheal Ray Stevenson ...](_blank)
.
Writing and production
"Same Girl" was written by Lopez and Brown in collaboration with the song's producers Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson, Charles "Chizzy" Stephens and Ryan "Ryghtous" Tedder.
It is a
R&B song,
with "J. Lo"'s self-assured vocal performance, triumphant brass, vocal samples and trap-tinged hi-hat rolls.
The song runs for a duration of three minutes and thirty seconds (3:30).
Lopez's vocals were recorded by Michael Glines and Patrick Doyle at Pink's Palace in
Hidden Hills, California
Hidden Hills is a city and gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California. It is located next to the city of Calabasas. It is notable for being home to many actors and celebrities. The population was 1,7 ...
, with further recorded by
Trevor Muzzy at Los Angeles'
Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios is a recording studio in Hollywood, California.
People and awards
Conway started in the early 1970s as a mastering studio. In 1976, the studio began recording albums, including projects by Elton John and Stevie Wond ...
and Cynthia Daniels at Monk Music
Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one of ...
, New York. Max Unruh recorded
French Montana's vicaks ub Atlanta, Georgia at Doppler Studios. He appears courtesy of
Bad Boy. Long time Lopez collaborator,
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 ...
was responsible for overall production while
audio mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic ...
was carried out by Jaycen Joshua's The Penna Project at
Larrabee Sound Studios
Larrabee Sound Studios is a recording studio complex in North Hollywood, California, originally established in 1969.
Facilities
Located at 4162 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, Larrabee has six studios, three tracking spaces, and a produ ...
in
North Hollywood, California
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
with assistance from Ryan Kaul.
[ Lopez, Jennifer, '' A.K.A.''. Capitol Records (]Universal Music Japan
, often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in the country regarding music distribution. The company is resp ...
). Catalog. UICC 10004.
According to Lopez, the song is about "getting back to your roots and remembering where you're from",
returning to the themes of 2002 hit "
Jenny from the Block
"Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, which features American rappers Jadakiss and Styles P, both members of The LOX. It was released by Epic Records on September 26, 2002, as the lead single from her third studio ...
".
[ "Cause I'm on the same grind, no I never changed, I'm loving everyday, I know that I'm the same Jenny from around the way now," Lopez sings. In 2022, an orchestral version of the song titled "Same Girl" (Halftime Remix) was released in promotion of her Netflix's documentary '' Jennifer Lopez: Halftime'' which documents Lopez's preparations for her performance at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show (2020) and the film '' Hustlers'' (2019).
]
Music video
The music video for "Same Girl" was shot guerrilla style in the Castle Hill neighborhood of The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, Lopez's hometown, during the weekend of December 28, 2013. It was directed by Steve Gomillion and Dennis Leupold, who have worked previously with Lopez on a variety of projects. The music video was described by Jocelyn Vena of MTV News as a "love letter" to the singer's hometown. The clip features Lopez taking on the subway, singing on a rooftop, a brothel, a strip club, a dance club and a market. Walking throughout her neighborhood while greeting locals, taking pictures with fans and dancing. In the video, it's about the fact that the Bronx is a diverse neighborhood with beautiful people at heart and that it doesn't matter who you are. The South Bronx is special. And those who live there are also special people. Among them are most often dancers, gangsters, sex workers, lgbtq people, but also people who own small grocery businesses or others.
The video ends with a note from Lopez that reads: "Thank you Andrew Freedman House, Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, and to all my people in the Bronx... You're forever in my heart."
On the music video, Lopez said: "This was probably the craziest thing I've done in my career of music and movies. I like just being able to do things spontaneously, and not have everything so planned out." Recalling her decision to travel back to the Bronx and ride the subway for the music video, Lopez stated during an interview with Jay Leno: "Life can be so complicated and complex for everybody and for me as well and I just felt like, I just wanna get back on the train ..It really just reminded me of all those amazing memories of riding on that train back and forth to Manhattan and back to the Bronx."
Track listing
Digital promotional single
#"Same Girl" - 3:30
Album track download/stream
#"Same Girl" (featuring French Montana) - 4:06
Halftime Remix
#"Same Girl" (featuring French Montana; Halftime Remix) – 4:20
Credits and personnel
Adapted from album booklet.
Recording locations
*Pink's Palace (Hidden Hills, California
Hidden Hills is a city and gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California. It is located next to the city of Calabasas. It is notable for being home to many actors and celebrities. The population was 1,7 ...
)
*Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios is a recording studio in Hollywood, California.
People and awards
Conway started in the early 1970s as a mastering studio. In 1976, the studio began recording albums, including projects by Elton John and Stevie Wond ...
(Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, California)
*Monk Music Studios (Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one of ...
, New York)
*Doppler Studios (Atlanta, Georgia) (French Montana's vocals, album version only)
*Mixing: The Penna Project at Larrabee Sound Studios
Larrabee Sound Studios is a recording studio complex in North Hollywood, California, originally established in 1969.
Facilities
Located at 4162 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, Larrabee has six studios, three tracking spaces, and a produ ...
(North Hollywood, California
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
)
Personnel
*Jennifer Lopez - lead vocals, songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
* French Montana - featured vocals (album version only)
* Chris Brown - songwriter
*Cynthia Daniels - additional vocal recording
*Patrick Doyle - vocal recording
*Michael Glines - vocal recording
*Jaycen Joshua - audio mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic ...
*Ryan Kaul - assistant mixing engineer
* Trevor Muzzy - additional vocal recording
*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 ...
- vocal production
*Charles "Chizzy" Stephens III - songwriter, producer
*Ryan M. "Ryghtous" Tedder - songwriter, producer
*Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson - songwriter, producer
*Max Unruh - vocal recording (French Montana's vocals, album version only)
Charts
Release history
References
External links
{{Use mdy dates, date=January 2014
French Montana songs
Jennifer Lopez songs
2014 songs
Songs written by French Montana
Songs written by Jennifer Lopez
Songs written by Chris Brown
Song recordings produced by Amadeus (record producer)
Song recordings produced by Cory Rooney
Songs written by Ryan Tedder
American contemporary R&B songs