mikek1 said:

The argument is not about right or wrong. It's about creativity and originality and when everybody does the same thing.

mikek1 said:

who are you... and where did you get this "advice" from...

God, this thread blows me away - you people are really up in arms about this, huh? All I know is if I looked that good @ 40, just lost some major pounds & had an album coming out I can't say I'd be doing it much differently. Give her a break...

lol,no matter how much u disagree and put down Janet it wont matter she dont know yall and shes gonna continue 2 do whatever she pleases...u guyz can get a bit when it comes 2 people u dont even know...
so either buy it or dont...end of discussion

CalhounSq said:

i.e. my sig....buttnaked, some glitter on my ass...and a beepa...


talkin' about "Hey ya'll buy my cd...oh yeah..look at my ass."

I can front as much as I dog her....I'd be the airbrushed hoochie on vibe....I'm guilty....

NEW YORK -Janet Jackson has never been afraid to expose some skin. The 40-year-old singer, newly svelte after losing some 60 pounds, appears on the cover of Vibe magazine wearing a skimpy bikini bottom and a necklace made of large shells. Her right arm covers her breasts.

Will she ever stop posing for sexy photos? "Of course. When I'm 80," she tells Vibe. "That's when I'll call it quits."

Two years ago, Justin Timberlake pulled off a part of Jackson's bustier, briefly exposing one of her breasts, during the Super Bowl halftime show.

In an interview in the magazine's September issue, on newsstands Aug. 15, Jackson says the incident — variously referred to as "Nipplegate" and the "bra-ha-ha" — is history.

"It's just over and done with. It's old. It's the past. It's history. I'm onto something new. Everybody got their licks in — those who wanted to — and it's done," she says.

Jackson credits her boyfriend, 33-year-old music producer Jermaine Dupri, for giving her self-esteem "a little boost."

"I came to realize that younger men had less of a problem with who I am than older men," she says. "With the younger guys, there was less ego. Things were less competitive. They weren't threatened by who made more and who made less."

She says that with Dupri, she feels as if she's met her match.

"When I look at Jermaine, I see myself," Jackson says. "I feel as if I'm looking in the mirror. The connection I feel with him I have never felt with anybody else."

Her new album, "20 Y.O.," is slated for release Sept. 26. Dupri produced a few tracks, and longtime collaborators Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis pitched in on the disc as well.

The pop star recently said she had packed on extra weight for a role in the upcoming movie "Tennessee," which she ultimately had to pass on because of her new record.

When asked if she'd rather have a hit album or win an Oscar, she says: "Win an Oscar. It's just a passion. But can't I have both? Everybody in my family says I'm spoiled anyway. I want both..."

Rhondab said:

Janet said:

mirror mirror on the wall who's the tore-up-est of them all?

PurpleCharm said:

Co-sign. And stop telling everybody who asks about your sex life with Jermaine Dupri.

CalhounSq said:

you and Jill Scott both, huh

Krytonite said:

that's just sloppy writing. 15 years ago, she was buttoned up head to toe.

Krytonite said:

"Yes, I'm moving on to the same old thing"

Dayspring said:

i wish she was like that now... i almost wish she was a virgin... so she wouldnt be talking about sex so much

sallysassalot said:

The last Janet album that I liked was 'Rhythm Nation'.That's when she actually had something to say in her music.But,nowadays,it's just "fuck me,fuck me,fuck me".That's her only message and she hasn't really evolved,musically or otherwise,since then.

SoulAlive said:

I would say that she started getting out of control (no pun intended) with her coochie, when "All For You" came out. Sure, there was "Any Time, Any Place" on ".janet", but that was a JAM.

Rogue588 said:

Especially after the R. got his hands on it.

AlexdeParis said:

Nah. I was talking about the album version..

Rogue588 said:

Don't care. It was a jam, but it was even better after he remixed it. YMMV.

i think if her music was hittin', no one would be so tired of her lack of clothes. But, as it stands it's just the same ole same ole.

Somewhere she ran out of inspiration or creativity. VR was her last decent CD I think. Maybe her split with Rene really took the wind out of her sails. Or maybe he was a better muse for her. She's been on empty for some time now.

She seems to have a bad case of arrested development. And, something is off with her face now. She has dead eyes...she at least looked alert in the pic where Rene was holding her boobs, but now she looks drugged and far away.
[Edited 8/12/06 22:05pm]

oops, double post.
[Edited 8/12/06 22:05pm]

I'm not sure if it was the break from Renee that really shook Janet, or if it was the (relative) flop that was The Velvet Rope that made Janet question her direction. She was coming off 3 solid blockbuster albums in a row, and all of a sudden there was a discernable drop in her sales/radio play after janet.; I think she thought she had to go towards a more "safe" route in her career.

After TVR, she's still had a handful of good/great songs per album, but nowhere near where she was before 1997. Instead of pulling out 6-7 classic singles per album, she now only has 2 or 3 "great" songs on a disc, and 9 or 10 passble songs.

I think Janet has fallen prey to the same syndrome that her brother did years before: she's more concerned with sales and hits than she is with artistic integrity. She'd rather have a #1 song with a track that could be a hit for Ciara or Usher than she would have a groundbreaking/different song that might not go top 20.

Janet needs to reevaluate her role in music; if she's truly got nothing more to offer society than her usual "baby-making" songs, then maybe she should just bow out. Her legacy would still be intact, and her fans wouldn't have to snap up every piece of mediocre crap that she released just to complete the collection. She's 40 and behaving like Britney did after JT deflowered her. C'mon Penny, you must have more to say about sex than "there's no place warmer than my mouth" or "I didn't even get to cum yet".Otherwise, we're all going to have to assume that you really didn't have much at all to say about the subject in the first place. Even Prince eventually grew up and gave us a more mature perspective on sex with "Forever in My Life" and Lovesexy.

cheyenne said:

She's hungry, thinking of three cheeseburgers and a supersize shake.

Axchi696 said:

Tina Turner did the whole sexpot grandma thing and got away with it. In fact, she made a whole second career out of it. I think Janet and her people have simply run out of ideas. She raised the bar with every album release from Control through to Velvet Rope. All For You was good but in parts sounded like she was treading water and going through routines. Damita Jo had some moments, but a lot of it was really boring. I dread to think what "20 YO" will be like, but the single's atrocious. Prince did the mature take on sex quite brilliantly in "Come On", his last - I think - overtly sexual song.

Imago said:

don't tell me janet hasn't any talent! she does, i don't know why she's changed. i liked that album she did when she was getting a divorce.
[Edited 8/13/06 2:34am]

There's a contest between Janet and Beyonce?!



Regardless of whether she's still cool, because I havent heard much past "All For You", Janets a legend. Beyonce's got a looong way to go.

Rhondab said:

well, it's good she covers them titties.....I've seen one once.....

Axchi696 said:

I agree. And I think most of her fans suffer from the same syndrome. It appears that most of her fans panic if Janet's sales aren't as high compared to other artists. I think Janet and her team panic as well as if everything commercially successful is automatically critically acclaimed. It might be true to have it both ways in most cases, but then again, just because a cd doesn't appeal to the general public doesn't mean it's bad. So yes, Janet and her team appear to be afraid to take a risk at this point in time, particularly after Damita Jo. But maybe Janet has always been that way, and just lucked-out before.



I don't think she wants to reevaluate her role music--or I guess she has already reevaluated it in regard to making it more commercial or keeping her in the game. So I think her role in music is to be regarded as a top-selling pop artist of sorts, at an age when most of that particular genre no longer have mass appeal. I think she is doing exactly what she wants to do. Some (if not most from what I can tell) fans are happy with it; some aren't.

And just a response to the issue mentioned upthread of Janet not being able to sing, well a lot of rock artists can't sing either (Anthony Keides to use a prime example, but there are more). To me, at least Janet doesn't sing off-key, and her voice is pleasant enough if not the type to belt-out a song like Beyonce or Christina. Vocally, Janet isn't the worst singer out there.

As a long-time Janet fan, I guess my problem is that I'm getting over the whole pop-music artist with back-up dancers sort of thing as far as buying cd's. I guess, I have finally outgrown(???) that genre, and prefer more band--singer--songwriter--musician types even those who aren't well-know on which to spend my money. There might be some vocalists whom I might spend a dollar two on, but even with just vocalist types...Well right now, I don't spend my money on them either. lol I guess the influences in my life have changed. I'd rather buy a cd from some obscure band, and go to a small club or venue to see them perform, than from a any major artist necessarily. I don't know if I'm going to buy Jan's next cd. I might if there is a song I can't live without, but I'm not going to buy it if it's the same ol' same ol because I already have those Janet-doing-what-she-does-best cd's in my collection.

As far as the topic, sure Janet is beautiful. I'm not going to hold that against her because there are a lot of other artists in music or even acting who sell or are marketable because they are good-looking. In some cases, their looks can work against them, too, where no one takes them seriously. It's difficult to say about Jan. I would imagine people buy her music due to the whole package, including Janet's personal appeal. But I do think there was time when Janet--either intentionally or unintentionally--was more of a real artist, with something important or at least interesting to share, and she has always been beautiful whether heavy or thin.

Consequently, I don't think her good-looks have anything to do with the music she is putting-out. It's more about Janet needing to be accepted and validated. I don't know if that's a bad thing or not because we are all have that need to a certain extent. It can be very lonely being a tortured, frustrated, critically acclaimed artist, only appealing to a handful who get your message. Obviously, the general public measures success by sales, and since a lot of people just want to be entertained, preferring not to address something making them think, feeling uncomfortable, or even challenging a standard form, well an artist with any message has a more difficult time topping Billboard's chart. And for Janet as well as many of her fans, being #1 if extremely important because they all need to be validated.
[Edited 8/14/06 6:17am]

I'm too old to be watching BET or MTV for that matter so I can't help you with your last question.
Beyonce beats her hands down even if a comparison is made with Janet years ago, the young girl is simply better looking and for the time being, better proportioned.

Janet is beautiful, but her age is now begining to show through in her face.
Great body though.

Number23 said:

Number23 said:

Well half and I mean a BIG half of her is hanging out.....so I guess you're right.....but "allowing Satan to insert his and shoot his into your busted vagina?" I think is a bit over the top.

Did I mention "BIG" half?
dammmmm.....