Jennifer Lopez News

Jennifer Lopez is hoping to visit Australia as part of a promotional tour centred on the release of her new album, Rebirth.

If negotiations between Sony BMG staff in the US and Australia are successful, Lopez could be here in the first half of the year to present her new music to Australian fans.

The pop diva formerly known as J.Lo (yes it's true, she now wants to be known as Jennifer) had all but confirmed a visit to Sydney in late February, for a brief promotional tour. But release dates for the album in the United States were shifted to February 28, so Lopez's management is trying to work out different dates for her proposed trip to Australia, possibly in March.

"We want her to come, and she definitely wants to come out here, but it's a matter of finding space in her schedule," a spokeswoman for Sony BMG Australia said.

For some fans, the old "finding a hole in the schedule" line might indicate Lopez actually is too busy to visit our shores. But insiders insist the singer has definite plans to visit Australia this year, and she has not given up on the trip simply because of scheduling changes.

The prospect of Lopez's visit brings back memories of her trip to Sydney in 2001 when she arrived in true superstar style, with husband-to-be Cris Judd. (Now firmly in the category of ex-husband).

Her press conference at the Boomerang mansion in Elizabeth Bay was an absolute circus of beefy security guards (watching over J.Lo's arrival by boat), gushing publicists and one of the largest entertainment media packs I've ever seen.

Members of the press were warned off about asking questions about her troubled break-up with Puff Daddy - although we snuck a few in anyway - but it was hilarious simply witnessing the frenzy surrounding Lopez's every word and movement.

Of course, that was before the "Bennifer" years (when attention was primarily focused on Lopez's relationship with Ben Affleck) and film flops including Gigli, so it will be interesting to see whether Lopez can create a similar fuss this time around.

As for the music? The word from the States is that Lopez is back in form with some hot R'n'B dance tunes, but we'll have to wait and see whether the singer makes a massive impact on the charts.