Jennifer Lopez’s residency struggles while Dolly Parton sells out fast

NOW PLAYING

Want to see more of NewsNation? Get 24/7 fact-based news coverage with the NewsNation app or add NewsNation as a preferred source on Google!

Welcome to “The Scoop” — the ultimate back-to-the-office water cooler cheat sheet, your go-to source for all things everyone really wants to know! Get the latest on everything from the political swamp maneuvering in D.C. and Hollywood drama to jaw-dropping small-town shenanigans from Paula Froelich. Subscribe to her newsletter here.

(NewsNation) — You gotta give it to Jennifer Lopez — the woman wants to work… but the question remains: does anyone want to see her work?

Lopez, who had to cancel her North American tour last year due to lack of ticket sales and general interest,  is now on a bizarre tour of third-tier music venues in places like Turkey, Kazakhstan, Albania, Abu Dhabi and an assorted array of hotels in Egypt.

She is also trying to drum up interest in her “residency” in Las Vegas — which is really a series of three shows over New Year’s, and six dates in March, as opposed to a Bruno Mars or Adele type residency where the artist performs so much he or she lives in Vegas during the run of their show.

Unfortunately for Lopez, the ticket sales are slow.

According to Ticketmaster, many tickets in all sections for all shows are still available, which doesn’t augur well for future performances.

My music insider said, “(Lopez) made a deal for up to 100 shows over three years, but there’s been little interest so far from the fans — especially at these prices.” Prices are between $121 and $1300 for Lopez’s Vegas shows. A Lopez insider denied there were 100 shows, but said “She has the option to perform more if she feels like it”.

To be fair, Lopez announced the New Years Eve shows in May — leaving plenty of time for sales to pick up (A Lopez insider told me there is a “huge” Q4 promotion plan — so get ready to be blanketed by JLo.)

J.Lo falling behind Dolly Parton in ticket sales

However, Vegas insiders are comparing her to Dolly Parton. 

Parton announced her two-week gig at Caesar’s at the end of June — over a month after Lopez announced her “residency” — and sold out in a day.

There are currently no seats left for any Parton shows, which will take place in the first two weeks of December, just before Lopez’s “Up All Night” shows, and the country queen’s resale tickets are going for over $10,000. 

“It’s shocking how well Dolly did — and how poorly JLo is doing (per sales),” my insider added. 

Meanwhile, Lopez is trying to drum up as much publicity for herself as possible, hiking up the raunch factor.

Jennifer Lopez exploring “naughty” side in her music

According to the US Sun, while performing at the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy Monday, Lopez reportedly told the audience about her different desires in the bedroom, saying: “I have to be honest with you, sometimes I get in different moods at night. I don’t know about you, but I do — and sometimes I like it hard… Other days, I am feeling a little romantic,” she continued. “You put on candles and soft music. On those days, I like it real slow.”

“But there’s other days … maybe because it’s a new kind of time for me, maybe because it’s summertime and it’s hot outside, I feel a little more naughty,” she said. “You ever get that feeling? Where you feel like being naughty? On those days, I like it real fast.”

Lopez, who has been filmed “doggystyle” with a dancer behind her, also performed (as I told you she would) her new song, “Up All Night,” which takes shots at her ex-husband Ben Affleck.

“I’m up all night, dancing on somebody, living my best life / I bet you wish that you were by my side / I got tired of you breaking me down / Look at me now,” she sings on the tune.

It remains to be seen if Lopez will be so sexually suggestive during her concerts in Muslim nations like Abu Dhabi, Turkey or Kazakhstan.

  • FILE - Actress Jennifer Lopez wears a creation as part of the Versace Spring-Summer 2020 collection, unveiled during the fashion week, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
  • Jennifer Lopez, a cast member in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," poses at the premiere of the film during the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
  • Jennifer Lopez at an awards show.

A source told the US Sun that Lopez has “written and recorded enough tracks for a whole new album.”

Which would be yet another page she’s trying to replicate from the Taylor Swift manual (Also from the same manual: A movie, a documentary about the movie, songs about the ex, songs about her love life, etc.).

Jennifer Lopez celebrates her 56th birthday

Meanwhile, Lopez celebrated her 56th birthday surrounded by her dancers and manager-cum-constant-companion, Benny Medina, in Antalya, Turkey, posting an Instagram reel of her in a backless dress with Medina dancing around a three-tiered cake with sparklers on it.

It’s a far cry from last year’s Bridgerton-themed birthday party she held for herself in the Hamptons, where she was left heartbroken after her then-husband Ben Affleck failed to show.

Lopez is expected on stage tomorrow in Warsaw, Poland.

A rep declined comment.

Industry insiders fear Jennifer Lopez is overexposed

It remains to be seen if Lopez’s ticket sales will pick up (Beyoncé also had slow sales when the “Cowboy Carter” tour was announced, but picked up after tickets were discounted). But music industry insiders still fear Lopez is still too overexposed and there is a weariness in her fan base, which rejected her last autobiographical album “This Is Me… Now.” 

“It just all seems so desperate,” one Hollywood insider told me. “Maybe she should just stay home for a minute. She clearly doesn’t need the money and her fans need a break.”

Entertainment

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20260112181412