Ok. I am not a fan of Janet Damita Jo Jackson nor do I know her vast musical repertoire by heart. I believe that in the acclaimed, "cursed" Jackson family, the non-plus ultra is the author of "Billie Jean" and other splendid melodies, who has been deceased for almost more than a year.

Why talk about this artist, loved and hated, now unfortunately far from the great successes pre-Super Bowl XXXVIII of 2004 where one of her ample breasts was exposed by her friend Justin Timberlake, an act that cost her the flop of 3 studio albums, her singles, and her image? Janet Jackson represented until a few years ago the top of the top of the global pop/r'n'b music, her works were particularly appreciated by both the public and critics. Now Janet represents something that no longer exists, she is the embodiment of a Superstar who, due to a "false" step (that being the Super Bowl show, as already highlighted), can no longer rise with great dignity and splendor, roaring and powerful. Contemporary society, especially in the United States, shows bigoted attitudes, a tiny mistake can turn into a five-star negative media phenomenon which has the absolute power to compromise an individual's reputation forever. A similar case to Jackson (although much more severe) where the creative and artistic abilities of an entertainment figure are nullified by socially sanctionable and deviant conduct is Chris Brown, a very young artist whose popularity drastically collapsed due to his "dispute" with Rihanna.

But let's move forward. The album "janet." from 1993 represents the peak of Jackson's popularity, where she delves into and takes to the extreme the analysis of themes like sex, sexuality, racism, a profound analysis of herself, of her own intimacy. An analysis that is already pushed in the promotional photo for the album cover where Janet, with curly hair, smiling and free from any thoughts, lets two unknown hands feel the bounty of her assets. The themes of this work will be further explored in the subsequent album "The Velvet Rope", but that is another story.

Musically speaking, this record is dominated by that "New Jack Swing" style extended with a bit of healthy R'n'B, pop, soul, funk, and '90s Dance. For this reason, many of the 27 (!) tracks (naturally excluding the various Intros, Outros, Interludes, a constant in Jackson's works) can be associated with their counterparts in the "Dangerous" and "HIStory" albums of her brother Michael. Despite this, there are the so-called "stand-out" tracks, meaning innovations, something different from the majority. The first of these stand-out tracks is "That's The Way Love Goes," the first single, a very valid, intense track, useful for a nice spicy evening given the "sex" atmosphere (please forgive this quote), where Miss Jackson avoids unnecessary vocal explanations to almost pant the track's lyrics. A brilliant example of innovation in a very pop and commercial context is "Throb", a particularly danceable track that ignites with a series of melodies, distorted sounds, and trumpets that brazenly allude to sex. The innovation I mentioned earlier is the almost lack of lyrics and Janet’s very voice, limited to singing a kind of chorus and mostly panting a few other phrases; what really matters in this track are distorted voices that barely say anything and a series of explosive and extreme sex orgasms. Very lyrical, accompanied by few instruments, piano, and violins in particular, without percussion, almost classical, like a "soundtrack" is the particular ballad "Again". In "What I'll Do" you encounter an atypical funk/rock when compared to the rest of the album.

The "New Jack Swing" sounds definitely recede towards the end of the album, moving towards a more mature and modern r'n'b seasoned with soul/funk in the tracks "Where Are You Now", "Any Time Any Place", "The Body That Loves You". Very funky is "Whoops Now", the hidden track of the concluding track "Sweet Dreams".

The uptempo "If" is very danceable, very suitable for mid-'90s clubs, yet still convincing to the ear now, a typical song that anyone who listens to it without knowing the artist’s name can easily attribute it to Janet Jackson. Convincing are also "This Time" and "You Want This", also uptempo oriented towards the typical New Jack Swing. With current hindsight, I notice great similarities between songs like "Funky Big Band" and tracks that are going to compose "HIStory" by her brother Michael, notably "Tabloid Junkie" and "2 Bad".

A fairly heterogeneous album, I intend to recommend "janet." to aficionados of '90s sounds, of the old r'n'b, to fans of the old Janet Jackson, to the nostalgic of her old image, but also to all her detractors who disregard what I consider her talent without having minimally considered her works prior to that stupid Super Bowl sketch.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   Morning (00:31)

02   That's the Way Love Goes (04:25)

03   You Know... (00:12)

04   You Want This (05:05)

05   Be a Good Boy... (00:08)

06   If (04:31)

07   Back (00:04)

08   This Time (06:59)

09   Go On Miss Janet (00:04)

10   Throb (04:35)

Come for me

I can feel your body

Pressed against my body

Wrap yourself around me

Love to see you throbbin'

Throb

Throb

Throb…

I can feel your body

Pressed against my body

When you start to poundin'

Love to see you throbbin'

Throb

Throb

Throb…

Boom boom boom

Until noon, noon, noon

11   What'll I Do (04:05)

12   The Lounge (00:15)

13   Funky Big Band (05:23)

People gather 'round
At the lennox lounge
To hear the funky sounds
The beat hits so hard
There's no cover charge
You have to feel the groove
One thing is you've
Chorus:
Got to be real
If you want to hear the
Funky big band
He who knows it feels it
Got to be real
If you want to hear the
Funky big band
We who know it feel it
Harlem is the place
Where you'll find the face
Of those who feel the groove
It's not taught to thee
But it's born to we
Aw and I feel the groove
One thing is you've
Repeat Chorus

14   Racism (00:08)

and to a world sick with racism
get well soon

15   New Agenda (04:00)

It ain't nothin' but an us thing

And it's time for us to step it up and respect

That level of sisterhood that's been holdin' up our neighborhood

And if it wasn't for our mothers there would be no brothers

And if it wasn't for our sisters there would be no misters

So it ain't nothing but an us thing

She's strong and that's a fact

Not it's time for us to take up the slack

Step it up, step it up time to go to work



History hidden from me

To hide my identity

So I'd never feel

I am somebody

You've gouged my eyes

I see more clearly

You've tried to rub me of my humanity

My spirit you tried to break

My soul you tried to take

There's no need to be afraid

"Cause I won't do unto you now



Chorus:

Amen

All that we've been through

Our time has come to rejoice

A new agenda's due

Amen

It's time to know the truth

Our time has come to rejoice

A new agenda's due



Because of my gender

I've heard "no" too many times

Because of my race

I've heard "no" to many times

But with every "no" I grow in strength

That is why

African American women

I stand tall with pride

You want to know what it takes

To rid yourself of me now

There's nothing you can do

Accept me for who I am now



Repeat Chorus



Time to step it up, step it up

Better check yourself

I got vexed to protect what we got

Left her alone

Lookin' for your own

Here it is I know what I'm sayin'

But the Klan ain't playin' at the range

Gotta step it up us to a discuss a must

It ain't nothin' but an us thing

Rewind back to the time

Where the color of our mother

Had 'em call it a crime

Brother what in the world?

And the world says where in the black man

Support the women and the children

Time to step it up, step it up, it's play off time

And the rhyme go to check, so check yourself



Repeat Chorus

16   Love, Part 2 (00:11)

17   Because of Love (04:21)

18   Wind (00:11)

19   Again (03:47)

20   Another Lover (00:11)

21   Where Are You Now (05:47)

22   Hold On Baby (00:08)

23   The Body That Loves You (05:33)

24   Rain (00:18)

25   Any Time, Any Place (07:08)

26   Are You Still Up (01:36)

27   Sweet Dreams (00:15)

28   Whoops Now (05:00)

Friday morning

And all my work is done

I've packed my bags

I'm on the run

I got a feeling that

I'm gonna have some

Fun in the sun

With my friends

And he's got me going



Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Sorry I can't go

Sorry I can't go now



Friday noon

And my boss is on the phone

He's telling me

That I can't leave home

An extra hand at work

Is what he called for

He said we need you here

Tell my friends I'm going



Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

I don't know why

My job has called me in



It makes no difference

If you love work or not

If you dream your holiday

Hand on a door knob

Out with your friends and

Fun in the sun now

That's when the phone rings

Friday evening and I'm all alone at home

And all my friends are having fun

Another week and I'll leave the machine on

Next time he calls

He'll hear my voice

Saying nice and clear



Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

I'm out having fun in the sun

With my friends



Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

Whoops now

Sorry I can't go

I'm out having fun in the sun

With my friends

With my friends

With my friends

With my friends

With my friends

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