Background and Release
Although originally set for European and Australian release only, promotional singles of the song were sent out to U.S. radio stations in the autumn of 2001 after the success of "I'm Real" in the United States. Lopez even stopped by MTV's Total Request Live to premier the video and explain the concept of the song. She said she had written the song while filming The Wedding Planner. The song was originally intended for the film's soundtrack, but did not make the final cut.
Due to lack of promotion and radio airplay, the single did not receive a proper U.S. commercial release and was therefore ineligible to chart on any of the Billboard charts. It nevertheless became an international hit, reaching the top five in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden, and the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland. Lopez also performed the song at the Royal Variety Performance on November 26, 2001, in front of Queen Elizabeth II.
"Ain't It Funny" later received a hip hop-oriented remix entitled "Ain't It Funny" (Murder Remix), which appeared on Lopez's 2002 remix album J to tha L-O!: The Remixes; it went on to be far more successful than the original track in the United States. Unlike "I'm Real", "Ain't It Funny"'s original version and its remix charted separately.
"Que Ironía" (meaning "What an Irony"), the Spanish-language version of "Ain't It Funny", was released to Spanish-speaking countries in 2001. This version is commercially available on all Latin American copies of the J.Lo album, and it is also available on some international CD singles.
Read more about this topic: Ain't It Funny
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