Earlier this week, Jennifer Lopez parted ways with longtime label, Sony/Epic, announcing that her upcoming seventh album, Love?, would instead be released via another label (to be named later). The lackluster performance of the singer-actress’ current single, “Louboutins,” must have led to the severing of ties, making the song’s “I’m taking back my love” lyric quite the literal statement.

The disappointing reception “Louboutins” has received certainly isn’t for Lopez’s lack of trying. She premiered the track during November’s American Music Awards, but folks were buzzing more about her misstep during the boxing-inspired number than the song (“The shoe must go on”). She then gave “Louboutins” a holiday spin with a December appearance on So You Think You Can Dance that kicked off with an over-the-top wish to jolly old Saint Nick (“A really big shoe”). She gamely gave “Louboutins” another go with a rain-slicked performance on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, but the retinas of those ringing in 2010 with Ryan Seacrest probably haven’t fully recovered from seeing Lopez completely wrapped in a flesh-colored bodysuit (“Shoe stopper”). (As you can tell, I had headlines at the ready for all.)

Lopez’s total commitment to “Louboutins” reminds me of a moment in one of my favorite movies, Mean Girls, when Gretchen, one of Regina’s underlings, keeps inserting the word “fetch” into conversation. Queen bee Regina finally shuts her down, saying, “Gretchen, stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen. It’s not going to happen!”

Could the sorry state of our economy be the reason the public is tuning a deaf ear to a song centered around $800 shoes? Still, all hope may not be lost for Lopez and her pricey “Louboutins.” Over on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Play chart, the track is cashing in, moving from #21 to #13 this week, with mixes from Space Cowboy, Cutmore, Moto Blanco, and Jody Den Broeder & Warren Rigg. While I’m usually moved by whatever Moto Blanco turns out, the Den Broeder/Rigg remix of “Louboutins” is my favorite, a stomping floor-filler. Hear here:

Even before hearing the mixes, it took several spins before I came around to “Louboutins.” Now I make no apologies for liking it: It’s stupid-good fun and totally catchy, just like pop music should be. With J-Lo both hosting and performing on the return of Saturday Night Live tonight, wanna bet she’ll be throwing on her “Louboutins” once again? Heel, yes!

Mixes of “Louboutins” aren’t available for download (thanks, Sony!), but for the original version, stroll on over to iTunes, Amazon MP3.