EXCLUSIVE – Jennifer Lopez’s music director reveals the TRUTH behind the 54-year-old singer’s ageless looks and incredible physique – while insisting she has NO plans to retire anytime soon: ‘Absolutely not’

She always impresses with her breathtaking stamina on stage – and now the woman behind Jennifer Lopez’s incredible routines has revealed how the singer stays at the top of her game.

Kim Burse – a music director who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Queen Latifah, Ciara and Tamara Braxton – has worked with 54-year-old Jennifer for 13 years and has worked on her tours including All I Have and It’s My Party.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Kim, 55, praised Jennifer for always working ‘really, really hard’, and also revealed that she doesn’t think the On The Floor hitmaker will retire any time soon.

Explaining why she thinks Jennifer looks just as amazing in her mid-50s, she said: ‘It’s the whole spectrum. It’s personal well-being, physical, like she’s taking care of everything. She makes sure she covers everything and she works hard, she really does.”

When asked if she thinks the Jenny from the Block singer will ever retire, Kim admitted she wouldn’t want to “put a stamp on it,” but said she doesn’t see that happening in the near future.

‘Absolutely not. She is not [retiring],’ she said.

Anyone who’s watched J.Lo’s Netflix documentary, Halftime, will know how hard the singer rehearsed to ensure her Super Bowl performance in February 2020 was nothing short of perfection, with Kim revealing that she arrived in the early hours would attend meetings to fit into her hectic schedule.

“With the Super Bowl, I look back on that time and we worked so hard for something that was six minutes at the most,” Kim said. “And we worked so, so hard from A to Z, making sure we had everything in order and she was with us every day during rehearsals.

“And in her Netflix documentary, the time I was sitting with her at her table in the movie and we were trying to go over the songs and timing was actually around 2:30 in the morning because she was shooting a movie. and so I got to meet her and we talked about the music after she finished filming.

“She still kept going, you know, she didn’t stop.”

The Super Bowl Halftime show usually lasts between 12 and 14 minutes, but because JLo shared the slot with Colombian singer Shakira, she had even less time to storm through eight songs, including Jenny from the Block and Get Right.

She was also joined on stage by her teenage daughter Emme, whom she shares with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, for a duet of Born in the USA.

Commenting on how they managed to pack so much into it, Kim continued: “I just tried to put the best moments into the few minutes we had, and I felt like we succeeded. She did a great job. It just did enough of each song and it’s almost like what we’re dealing with with TikTok today, it’s just these little short videos.

“It’s like before the pandemic or something, since we were right before the pandemic, it’s like we were already on our way to making one song of each as a short film that would be great on social media.”

Referring to live performances in general, Kim revealed that she is usually “just as nervous” as the performer and confirmed that she watched the Super Bowl Halftime show from the broadcast audio truck.

“Shakira’s music director was in the chair for her performance first and then when it was time for JLo’s performance, I switched with him and then I just looked at the engineer, making sure they had her up, and everything was in balance. Kim remembered.

The music director also talked about seeing celebrities like JLo in a “vulnerable” setting, and then witnessing their “transformation” before going on stage.

“When it’s time for the show and the outfit is put on, the shoes are put on, the makeup is applied and the hair is done, you see the total transformation.

‘And for me, that’s where I can look and say, ‘This is a star,’ because that transformation… you really start to understand that this is why this person is doing this, this is why this person has this job Kim explained.

‘This definitely brings them the respect of a diva. And I like the term diva as positive reinforcement. It demands respect for you, it is nothing against you. It makes it clear that you should be absolutely respected, your opinions valued, and your work understood.

“And I think that’s a great title because for women, in my opinion, they always have to work a little bit harder and push a little bit harder and thrive even a lot more, and so they’ve absolutely earned the right, those who to have. title. I consider it a positive title. And yes, I’ve worked for some divas and they were all great!’

Speaking of divas, Kim was band leader for CMT’s breaking glass: A Celebration of the Groundbreaking Women of Music television special, honoring singers Patti LaBelle, 79, and Tanya Tucker, 65.

“I even love the name of the show, Smashing Glass, and what that means for women in the industry,” Kim said of her involvement.

“I was so happy to be a part of it as a black female music director, I was so honored.

‘The whole situation was stained glass from start to finish, not only for me, but of course also for the winners. It was just so great to be doing great things with other women.”

Kim said she hopes the TV special – which features appearances from Amber Riley and Clint Black, among others – helps remind women that they are “worthy” and also wants it to inspire women to “keep going” when it comes to pursuing their dreams. .

‘I hope people come to understand how music can actually connect us all. I hope that every woman who watches this show will know that she is worth watching because we all have a dream… don’t give up and know that you absolutely have a chance of making your dreams come true.”

CMT SMASHING GLASS: A Celebration of the Groundbreaking Women of Music, an all-new, genre-defying musical salute premieres exclusively on CMT Wednesday, November 15 at 9 p.m.