J.Lo declares 2016 will be her year

CEBU, Philippines - With a career in both music and film, as well as a booming business and two kids, you’d think Jennifer Lopez has already hit her peak…but she’s only just begun.

In fact, J.Lo sat down with TV Guide and told them 2016 is going to be her year.

“It’s gonna be a big year for me,” she explains. “I have [American] Idol, I have Shades [of Blue], I have my Las Vegas residency beginning. I have so much stuff that we’re working on on the branding side. It’s gonna be a real J.Lo year, whether you like it or not!”

She does admit to having quite a few haters and people who have misunderstood her in the past.

“I think once I started doing ‘American Idol,’ people really got to know my real personality,” she says. “Maybe before there were a lot of misconceptions about me being a real diva or a problem or being very demanding. And then once I did that show they could see my true personality, which was kind of just an emotional, happy person who was actually nice.”

She further explains, “I think there was a misconception that I actually wasn’t nice. I don’t know why they do that to women in this business, but they tend to. A lot of us are really just like any one of your friends. I’m a real girls’ girl and I love hanging out with my besties. As unusual as my life is, I’m very normal and kind of down-to-earth.”

Part of that “Jenny from the block” personality has a lot to do with her upbringing. She grew up in the Bronx neighborhood of New York with little to her name. When she chose dancing over going to college, her mom kicked her out of the house.

“I was sleeping on a cot at a dance studio before I hit it big,” J.Lo reveals. “My life was about pounding the pavement, breaking away from under my parents’ wings and flying on my own.”

Now she’s become one of the most inspirational women in the industry, taking on different roles both on and off screen.

“I am happy to be one of the people who are breaking the mold,” she adds. “We can’t keep acting like we are in the ‘50s. Women are strong and bold. And now it is reflected in our art.”  (FREEMAN)