On the 6 is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. It was released on June 1, 1999, by the Work Group. Lopez worked with several producers on the album, including Rodney Jerkins, Cory Rooney, Dan Shea and her boyfriend at the time, rapper and record producer Sean "Puffy" Combs. A Spanish edition of the album was released on November 24, 1999. This version of the album shuffles the track list, omits "Feelin' So Good" as well as the English version of "Waiting For Tonight", while including an all-new Spanish track ("Es Amor"), in addition to Spanish versions of "Open Off My Love" ("El Deseo de Tu Amor"), "Promise Me You'll Try" ("Amar es Para Siempre") and "Waiting for Tonight" ("Una Noche Más") - the latter of which also appeared on the album's original release as a bonus track. The remainder of the tracks on this edition appear as they did on the album's original release.
Critics greeted Lopez's musical debut with a generally positive response. On the 6 was praised for its conservative, though dynamic, musical style and combination of Latin with pop and R&B. Critics commented on Lopez's vocal ability and many generally gave good remarks for her versatility and somewhat "seductive" and "sultry" singing, however, some critics found the vocals quite underwhelming. The album was successful on the charts, reaching the top ten or top twenty in the United States and several other countries around the world. On the 6 went on to sell three million copies in the US, being certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and an additional three million copies worldwide.
The album produced five singles, three of which hit the main US Hot 100 chart. "If You Had My Love" peaked at number one in the US, while "Waiting for Tonight" peaked at number eight. "No Me Ames", a ballad with Lopez's then-future husband, now ex-husband, Marc Anthony, did not reach the US Hot 100 chart, but was a hit on Billboards Latin chart, while "Feelin' So Good" hit number 51 on the Hot 100, and peaked at number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart. A fifth and final single, "Let's Get Loud" did not chart on the Hot 100, but became a major hit in several other countries. At the time of the album's release, several other Latin recording artists (including Ricky Martin, Shakira and Marc Anthony) were achieving success on the mainstream Billboard Top 200 album chart and the Hot 100 singles chart; this was termed a Latin "explosion".
Background
Since her childhood, Lopez's Puerto Rican parents stressed the importance of a good work ethic and the ability to speak English. They encouraged their three daughters to put on performances at home, singing and dancing in front of each other and their friends so they would stay out of trouble. During her final year of high school, Lopez learned about a casting call for several teenage girls for small film roles. She auditioned and was cast in My Little Girl (1986), a low-budget film co-written and directed by Connie Kaiserman. After filming her role, Lopez knew that she wanted to become a "famous movie star". She told her parents, but they told her it was a "really stupid" idea and "no Latinos did that". Her disagreement with them led Lopez to move out of her family home and into a Manhattan apartment. During this period, Lopez performed in regional productions of several musicals before being hired for the chorus in a musical which toured Europe for five months. She was unhappy with the role, since she was the only member of the chorus not to have a solo. She got a job on the Japanese show Synchronicity as a dancer, singer and choreographer. Lopez then obtained her first high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. She moved to Los Angeles with then-boyfriend David Cruz to film the series, and remained a cast member until 1993 (when she decided to pursue a full-time acting career).