Jennifer Lopez Originally Wanted To Call New Song ‘Lonely’ ‘Negrita Del Bronx’

Jennifer Lopez almost gave a different titled to her new duet with Maluma, “Lonely.” The star revealed she and the singer originally planned to name the track after lyrics in which she refers to herself in Spanish as a “Black girl,” which some fans have since found controversial.

In a joint interview as part of Billboard Latin Music Week, the two admitted they originally wanted to title it “Negrita del Bronx,” the same as the words that appear in the song. Per an Entertainment Tonight report, the lyrics translate to “little Black girl from the Bronx.”

Jennifer admitted that they both loved the idea of the original title, but said they were discouraged from using it, though she didn’t explicitly reveal by whom.

“They liked ‘Lonely’ better,” the mom of twins said, using an air quote around “they.”

“But we like ‘Negrita del Bronx’ better,” Maluma chimed in.

The song features both English and Spanish lyrics, and the two have faced some backlash since the song was released on September 24 alongside the track “Pa’ Ti,” which also has a Spanglish version.

Though many slammed the singer and actress on social media, Metro reported that others pointed out that the term “Negrita” can be used as a term of endearment, and although it translates literally to mean “Black girl,” it can often refer to someone who is dark-skinned.

In the new interview, Jennifer added that she is proud of her Latinx heritage as they both explained how important it was for them to sing in both languages.

“I’m proud of that. And there’s no reason for me to ever hide that part of myself to be successful. To the contrary, I feel it’s the secret to my success,” JLo explained.

“Pa’ Ti” and “Lonely” both appear on the soundtrack to Jennifer and Maluma’s upcoming movie Marry Me. The “Do It Well” singer explained that she made sure their roots were well represented in the songs.

“I wanted to make an album in English and Spanish. I wanted it to be the first English movie that had a bilingual soundtrack,” she said.

Jennifer added that the soundtrack won’t be like her other albums and described the writing and recording process as being “different” to what she’s done before.

The 51-year-old previously shared shots from her Billboard photo shoot on Instagram. One included a sizzling look at her lounging by a swimming pool in a cut-out gown as she seductively arched her back.