Jennifer Lopez Is in Her 'Happy Era' as She Kicks Off Jazzy, Throwback-Style Vegas Residency with Jokes and Ja Rule
- - Jennifer Lopez Is in Her 'Happy Era' as She Kicks Off Jazzy, Throwback-Style Vegas Residency with Jokes and Ja Rule
Mark GrayDecember 31, 2025 at 10:50 PM
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Jennifer Lopez in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, 2025 -
Jennifer Lopez kicked off her Up All Night residency at Caesars Palace on Tuesday
A blend of modern-day music and jazzy, old school Vegas, the show features a 15-person orchestra
"I'm in my happy era," she told the crowd, many in a pre-New Year’s Eve celebratory spirit
Jennifer Lopez is jazzing up Las Vegas again.On Tuesday, the actress and pop star kicked off her Up All Night residency show at Caesars Palace’s The Colosseum, and the evening included more than two hours of Lopez’s hits, dance moves, countless costume changes and even a surprise guest.Moving all over the stage, Lopez, 56, showed off her incredible endurance while belting out signature hits such as "Dance Again," "Let’s Get Loud," "I'm Into You" and "On the Floor."A blend of modern-day music and jazzy, old school Vegas, the show features a 15-person orchestra and silver jewel-encrusted piano with the letters "JLo" highlighted in gold, which the former Fly Girl stood atop in a dramatic pink gown during "Love Don't Cost a Thing.""I'm in my happy era," she told the crowd, many in a pre-New Year’s Eve celebratory spirit. The show, meanwhile, harkened back to eras gone by, featuring burlesque, showgirl outfits, a homage to West Side Story and references to past Vegas royalty, including The Rat Pack and Elvis Presley. Lopez often changed the familiar pop arrangements of her songs to fit a moody, zesty energy.
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Jennifer Lopez in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, 2025
The residency show is a bit of a love letter to the music idols and genres from decades past."I thought about all these inspirations that I had, the timeless movies and the classic musicals, the entertainers who shaped the performer I am, who's standing in front of you tonight," she said. "So tonight, if you would indulge me, I'd like to live out some of my little girl fantasies and celebrate those memories, but in my own way. I'd like to pay homage to all the amazing entertainers that have graced this stage before me."Midway through Up All Night, the crowd sprang to its feet when it heard the nostalgic voice of Ja Rule echoing throughout the Colosseum, as the rapper walked through the aisles and joined Lopez on stage for "I’m Real" and "Ain’t It Funny."
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Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, 2025
The Hustlers actress also poked fun at her headline-grabbing love life and her divorce from Ben Affleck, prefacing her quip by bringing up her first residency, which debuted nearly 10 years ago. "And in that time, I've only been married twice," she cracked, quickly adding, "That's not true. It was only once. It felt like twice."She joyfully added, "I'm just kidding. It's fine. It's all good. The good news is that I'm learning and I'm growing and we’re in our happy era."Lopez beamed through the show, from the moment she stepped out of an oversized champagne bottle to the moment she left under a cloud of balloons and confetti.
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Jennifer Lopez in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, 2025
While much of the show featured many of Lopez’s vintage hits, she brought things up to date, turning the stage dark while performing "Kiss of the Spider Woman" from her 2025 movie of the same name. The "Dinero" entertainer also didn’t shy from her Latin roots, singing "El Anillo" (which translates to "The Ring") in Spanish.
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Jennifer Lopez in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, 2025
In the fourth and final act of the evening, Lopez let fans into her personal life after a stripped-down version of 1999's "If You Had My Love," her first No. 1 single."I've sung that song so many times, so many stages in so many different ways," she said, indicating she’s performed that song while happy, sad or full of hope. "Now I sing it empowered," she said. "Because the truth is that if you wanted to have my love, you'd have to earn it. You have to treat me right. You have to respect me. You have to accept me for everything that I am."She continued, "I know love is a complicated thing, don't get me wrong. I know that. You can't have love without heartbreak, though, right? It happens sometimes. That's what you sign up for. So you can't have love without heartbreak."The "Up All Night" residency is Lopez’s second extended engagement in Las Vegas. In 2016, she began the "All I Have" residency at Planet Hollywood, which ran for three years and was a haven for celebrity attendees. Over the course of 120 shows, the entertainer’s gross ticket sales topped more than $100 million.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
