20 Y.O.

by

Janet Jackson

Edit

Well, my review can pretty much be summed up with - kind of boring.

That is very hard for me to say, because I've been a longtime Janet fan. Granted, the only album of hers I ever actually owned myself was janet. but I have enjoyed everything since Control and couldn't get enough of her Control, Rhythm Nation, janet., and Velvet Rope videos, and would frequently listen to other friends' copies with them. A new Janet Jackson album or single - well, it pretty much went without saying it would be solidly good and a hit.

Damita Jo passed me by - I barely remember anything about it. That said, I have listened to this album, and frankly it just isn't that good. It's not per se "BAD" but Janet is capable of FAR more. In the past, her filler material was better than much of this.

Again, I say this album isn't that good not becuase the music isn't solid - it is - but rather because the execution just doesn't work. There's no new ground here. Granted, I see that she's doing something a bit different with some of the tracks, especially in the beginning (There seems to be a good freestyle/retro vibe that I enjoyed) of the disc. However, a lot of the more "upbeat" (a misnomer) tunes here are what I call "taking-a-nap pop music" meaning, they're not bad, but they don't pull me at all. It's the kind of thin, repetitive beat that would lull me to sleep on a sunny Sunday afternoon, rather than make me nod my head. One reviewer said she sounded comfortable here - well, perhaps a bit too much so.

I do like "Enjoy" (the best bassline on the album, in my opinion) and "Call on Me." That's where the 2 stars come in. I'll skip the disc and MAYBE buy the "Call on Me" single. I've no doubt JJ will have the big comeback she deserves, just not yet. Bottom line, thanks to Amazon for providing sound clips - listen for yourself and see what YOU think.