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Rauw Alejandro, a rising star in the Latin music scene and Jennifer Lopez just released the summer’s hottest new track, “Cambia El Paso.”

In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Lopez talked about how this song came together and what it was like working with Alejandro for the first time. Their song, which translates to “change the step,” was produced by Trevor Muzzy – a longtime collaborator on many of Lopez’s songs – and has an upbeat reggaeton tempo and empowering lyrics, which will make everyone want to get up and dance along. 

“I only want to sing things that strike me emotionally and really hit a chord with me. Those are the things that always wind up being the most, not just true, but that other people connect to the most. Because you know that if you’re feeling it, other people are feeling it too,” She told Lowe.

“So this…it is about change. It’s about taking a step – just advance- take one step, doesn’t matter if it’s right or left, take a step when things don’t feel right. When you need a change (cambia el paso), that’s all you have to do. For me, that resonated right now.”

When asked about working with Alejandro, Lopez said she was shocked and flattered that he would ask to collaborate with her. “It’s unreal, and I love working with new artists,” she says. “With new artists, they have their own ideas, and you don’t think that they think about you. I’ve always felt that way even when I first started, like ‘they want to do a record with me?’ So I’m always flattered and happy when an artist I see coming up, who I think is an amazing performer with a really special talent, will call me and say, ‘will you get on this record?’ I never take that for granted, working with other really amazing and special artists.”

Lopez disclosed that it was by pure chance that this song came to be given the small amount of time they had available to record. “When he called me to do that, I did my vocals, and we both happened to be in Miami, and I didn’t think I would get to see him or meet him or anything,” she shared. Alejandro was on his way to the airport when his team contacted Lopez to see if they could meet in person and go over the song. “He came by, I played him the record, and he loved it! He was like, ‘OMG, that sounds so great! I’m so excited,’” she adds. 

She goes on to tell Lowe, “So I said ‘let me play you something I’ve been working on, some things I’ve been working on.’ He heard [the song] and was like, ‘I can do that one too. Why can’t I get on that one?’ and I said, ‘okay, but you gotta do it right now. Can you do it right now?’ and he’s like ‘yeah.’ And takes his jacket off, and tells his managers to have the jet wait on the runaway, and he did the record right there.”

Currently, Lopez is finishing up her ninth studio album, including some of last year’s singles, “Pa Ti” and “Lonely,” two songs that featured Latin singer Maluma. The two are also set to appear in the romantic comedy Marry Me, where they play two music superstars who are engaged to be married until Kat (Lopez) calls it quits after learning of Bastian’s (Maluma) extramarital affairs. 

While fans of Lopez will have to wait a little longer to hear her new album, Lopez says that new music is on the horizon.

“I already have an album done with Marry Me; the Maluma movie.” She adds, “It will come out February 14th.”