La Janet

So while a day late with the videos and a dollar short with the promotion game, Ms. Nasty herself, the reigning queen of my "baby mama wish list" is back with another sex charged opus called "Discipline". You will notice right away that SOMETHING is missing if you read the liner notes. THIS is the first entire cd from La Janet that features NO production or songwriting by long time collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis nor Ms. Jackson herself. Troubled? I was at first...

Not to worry my loves, Janet is back with a work that is chock full of radio friendly ear candy. The cd opens with Janet interacting with a new "character" named Kyoko (I'm envisioning this as some futuristic androgynous bisexual robot in spite of Kyoko being a girls name that means Mirror). I'm starting to think its really crowded in Janet's head with Dunk, Boo, Damita Jo and Strawberry already running around in there. Anyway Janet logs in (MAJOR nod to Prince's The Gold Experience) and starts listening to the cd which opens with "Feedback".

Produced by Rodney Jerkins, this thumping dance track has Janet in her usual dominant sexual position asking if we like her sexy. Mama, the sexy has NEVER been your issue. With the chant "Light skin dark skin my Asian persuasion" ...for once I think she's actually talking about the docile sexual tendencies of Asian women and NOT the origin of her weave game.

Up next we have "Luv", one of my personal faves off the cd with its love as car wreck theme. This song should be her next single. It sorta reminds me of "Doesn't Really Matter" from a production standpoint, in that it sounds like J&L could have done this one. After "Luv" there's a hot ass crispy deep fried mess called "Rollercoaster". It's busy, boring, dated and ill fitting with the rest of the cd. Take note of the song playing in the background of the interlude "Bathroom Break", as I think its one of the hottest things NOT on the cd which leads me to believe it will be on the D2 edition of "Discipline", rumored to be coming out after the tour begins. Its said to be including remixes and songs left off the cd, which may include her alleged track with Maroon 5.

"Rock With You", the next hit single and another old school house/dance track has Janet in pocket surrounded by her usual wall of her own layered background vocals. Think Inner City. Produced by Jermaine Dupri and Ne-Yo, (how you doin...BOTH of you?), at the request of Janet who wanted something for "the kids". They delivered, and I'm sure the children are collectively losing their bowels over it. The video for this is currently being shot and is to feature Janet and a bunch of Janet impersonators in a futuristic nightclub setting. Luscious....

"2 Nite" is another hit dance track with a modern house feel to it. Janet's coos sit right on top of this track. In classic Janet mode the cd slows down to mid tempo with "Cant B Good" which is the best Michael Jackson vocal performance he never gave. "Never Letchu Go" is so generic down to the cheesetastic "juicy guitar" solo at the beginning reminding listeners of the melody, an oft used tactic to make the hook familiar by the time you get to it. "Greatest X" IMO could be one of her biggest mid/tempo ballad songs since "Again". The song tackles the subject of realizing that someone you let go in your life, probably the one, can only now be the "Greatest X". Honestly I think she wrote this song about herself. Is there a greater x then Janet? Have you seen Rene recently?

The cd speeds back up for a funky Daft Punk sampling joint "So Much Betta" that has Janet declaring that she's "Tired of being number two, I can do what she can't do. So much betta I'm for you". This refrain is followed by something backwards that I have fashioned in my mind into something absolutely debaucherous including most of Janet's erogenous zones and a few of mine. Believe me she has many, so it was hard to chose. I'm sure my truth is stranger then her fiction and this better be on her tour set list. The vocal for this is also interesting. It's like Janet met Camille from Prince's "Sign O The Times" and they formed an alliance. "The 1" featuring Missy Elliot is also another generic R&B, hippity hoppity song that is both age inappropriate and just contrived. This is the kind of thing I expected all over the cd, but was pleasantly surprised that it was kept to a minimum.

"What's Ur Name" is the second joint that I'm sure has Michael sitting somewhere wondering when he recorded this and if its not him, why he didn't. The song even has a BRIDGE! Love her vocal. She just wants dudes name to put in her sidekick so she can hit him back when she gets home...."cause I never seen you before, but I wanna see you some more". All this time I figured her for a iphone chick.

If you ever wondered how sexy Janet would sound reading the dictionary, the interlude "The Meaning" that sets up the Ne-Yo penned "Discipline" answers all questions. I 'd need to change my underwear every time I heard this, so it was much easier to just stop wearing them. And then there's "Discipline", another Janet slow jam baby making homage to how she likes to get her freak on. Note: Do NOT go around trying to figure out how you can turn "Discipline" into a child's name cause she was conceived to it. Kyoko is lovely though. Ol gal must have some strong erhm...muscles because she's always getting THAT job done. I would like to thank Ne-Yo for giving her lyrics that are suggestive and erotic without being just flat out nasty (*See "Moist" and "Warmth" from Damita Jo). I need a "cigarette" before I can finish this review.

Puff puff.....

Ok and closing out "Discipline" is "Curtains". All in all a much better effort from La Janet then the last 2 cds she blessed us with. Big up to Jermaine "Hornswaggle Bat Boy" Dupri for hooking up her vocal game. In that respect she has never sounded better. And do I really need to state thats she's absolutely beautiful?

Seijnsay says....a little Jam and Lewis could have gone a long way.

This entry was posted on 2.28.2008 at 11:25 AM and is filed under , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

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