Taking a Page From Madonna’s Old Playbook

Movie star and fashion agent-provocateur Jennifer Lopez may be a part-time pop diva, but her grasp of the role rivals that of many full-timers. Her multimillion-selling debut album, 1999’s “On the 6,” even snagged a Grammy nomination this year for the hit “Let’s Get Loud.”

The Bronx native doesn’t exactly offer breathtaking innovations or insights with her sophomore collection (in stores Tuesday), a generally upbeat mix of hip-hop, funk, R&B;, Latin styles and electronic-dance textures molded by such hot producers as Rodney Jerkins. But Lopez, who executive-produced, manages the elusive feat of sounding human--maybe even like one of your more fun-loving and independent girlfriends--as she portrays the various facets of a sensitive-yet-tough, lustful-yet-romantic modern woman.

Her warm voice is well-matched to the material, a dozen tunes in English and three en espanol, and she confidently switches emotional gears, good-naturedly refuting suspicions of gold-digging (“Love Don’t Cost a Thing”), huskily placing a booty call (“Come Over”), then seductively whispering a romantic confession (“Secretly”).

Echoes of “La Isla Bonita”-era Madonna pop up more than once. But it’s fitting, since Lopez’s chameleon-like persona also recalls the Material Girl of 10 years ago: outspoken and direct, sexually frank, but still somehow approachably down-to-earth.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.