I think that's what it is.

The artistic letdown that we know as "All For You" killed her popularity. Yes it sold a few million and scored a number 1 pop hit. Another top ten. But the true fans and casual consumers who bought and listened to the full length LP were the ones who put the nail in the coffin. It sucks.

Had the album not sucked as bad as it did, its subsequent tour might not have sold so poorly in many markets. Hard core fans can say what they want (I'm one of them), but she played to SEVERAL 3/4 and 1/2 full houses on that tour. That's when our girl started to really feel the sting.

She and her team rush-released an album (by her standards, at least) and came up with a publicity stunt to try to re-gain interest in her. We all know what happened next...I say if "All For You" had been a solid follow up to her most brilliant (albeit slow to sell big numbers) album, "The Velvet Rope," which had a more DIVERSE ECLECTIC and ultimately URBAN sound, and not a half assed POP album trying to compete with Britney Xtina and JLo, the tour would have been a bigger success and the Superbowl/Damita Jo fiasco would have never happened. 20 Y.O. is damn good, but it was already too late. It pains me to say it as a lifelong fan, but she seems to have run her course and is now going to be forced to be a nostalgia act...she already gave her first big performance at an awards show from this era with an opening of "Pleasure Principle..."

For being a singer she's had a decent run,

I disagree wholeheartedly. I found and still find All for You to be a fresh, fun album. It's my 2nd favorite even though it gets trashed here.

I disagree as well. Compared to what followed - especially 20 JOkes - AFY is a masterpiece.

Janet's career is far from over. She just needs to do a successful greatest hits tour and release a decent, Troll-free album and she'll be back.

It wasn't a bad record, by any means. It just didn't have that quality and substance her previous work had. Honestly, AFY sounded like any other urban pop album that was released back in 2001. It was released four years after her masterpiece, The Velvet Rope was released and it was eagerly anticipated. I remember when I first heard it, I really wasn't that all happy about it because it sounded like she was trying to be a Britney Spears-like figure. All For You isn't my favorite Janet release nor is it one her best, IMO. But all cons aside, the album did have some killer tunes on it and my personal favorite was Truth. And I know alot of you Janet fans are going bash me for making this generalization, but I liked her recent album, 20 Y.O. and Damita Jo better than All For You for some reason.
[Edited 12/30/06 2:28am]

Shapeshifter said:

Right.

Without the SuperBowl, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
[Edited 12/30/06 5:08am]

VoicesCarry said:

Not really. The Superbowl was a silly publicity stunt which backfired. She then went and compounded it by treating people like imbeciles by claiming it was a "wardrobe malfunction". And Justit didn't help matters by gallantly refusing to back her and leaving her to carry the opprobrium.

Superbowl really wouldn't have mattered if Damita Jo had had as many strong songs on it as AFY did - or, better still, if it had been another Janet or TVR. Unfortunately it was largely a lame album filled with absolutely embarassing interludes. 20 JOkes - even worse - simply threw handfuls of dirt into the grave she'd dug for herself.

She needs to have a very serious rethink about her next album. She's got enough money to take some risks with her music, start working with more leftfield producers and songwriters. If someone like Pink can reinvent herself quite successfully from album to album, she ought to be able to do the same.

Shapeshifter said:

No matter how good that album had been, it would not have sold. America suddenly had a reason to hate Janet. Virgin at that point pulled their support, MTV pulled their support, radio pulled their support. All major avenues of promo that are normally used to push albums were cut off.

Without the SuperBowl, All Nite (Don't Stop) would have been a major hit. But it didn't even chart.



I agree.

badujunkie said:

All For You is a fun album with a lot of very catchy tracks, catchier than anything she has done since. And that is why it sold so well, and only stopped selling when Virgin made the inane decision to stop promoting after single #3. I can easily pick 7 or 8 radio-ready singles off that album - I can't say the same for Damita Jo or 20 Y.O. It sounds like Janet having fun, and not Britney/Xtina/JLO to me. She has always been pop. It's a companion piece to janet, her poppiest effort to date.



She is a nostalgia act because she performed a few old tracks this era? The BBA was an attempt to get people excited for the tour, nothing more.

All she needs is a very very catchy, undeniable song to get on the radio again. She didn't bring it with this record. She was simply trying too hard to appeal to contemporary trends, and it also reeks of fulfilling a contractual obligation ie. last album for Virgin. She is now a free agent and is in talks with Geffen. I am sure that things will be better on a new label that actually bothers to promote and support its artists.

In my opinion, "All For You", is a perfect example of "if it ain't broke, let's fuck it up until it is". This is the album where she totally got away from the formula that made "Janet" and "The Velet Rope", such a success. The music was much more thought out, the samples, were used in a more inventive way and she just seemed to be having fun with those cd's. Every album since has lacked creativity and is full of, "let's see what old "B" side, I can use today". U would think that an artist like Janet would have come out with something harder than what she did, as a first single for this CD. I still say that, Beyonce, won that round. DejaVu, seemed to have everything that a single should have. This is something that Janet's single with Nelly, lacked. She just rested on her rep as a Jackson and thought that, that would be enough to get her through....It wasn't. Ms. Jackson, for the first time, really has to work!!!

lazycrockett said:

There, I fixed your post.

Shapeshifter said:

the thing is, damita jo is a strong record. it was handled poorly by virgin and that only compounded the super bowl fiasco. all nite should have been the first single. i don't care what leaked or what was planned...all nite should have been the first single. folks would have bought that cd up. follow it with slo love or rnb junkie and she would have had a smash record on her hands. nobody would have cared about super bowl anymore.

instead, they release love me for a little a while followed by i want you, both of which got crap reception. following the super bowl drama, she needed to come strong with some signature dance hits. she f'd up at the super bowl, no doubt, but those two weak singles are what killed damita jo. then no tour? what was she thinking? i honestly think its too late for any major come back.

20 YO is such an average record...and contrary to what the word on the street is...i don't think she's gonna tour. there's been no real talk: no open calls for auditions, no serious talk about rehearsals or set designers or sponsors or any of the rumbling you hear when someone's in preparations for a tour. if she doesn't tour, her career is over. when you're having a down time you have to get out and remind people what your skills are. prince never stopped touring, madonna went back on the road...you have to do it.

double post.
[Edited 12/30/06 7:45am]

it wasn't AFY, it was definitely Nipplegate that killed her career. i don't have DJ OR 20YO because of that. that was such an ill-conceived publicity stunt for her grown a**. i was mad at her for being oblivious to the boundaries of common decency and giving "middle america" a chance to dissect and destroy her like that. her attempt to "compete" with Britney and Xtina was in AFY being racy (remember she had to pull Would You Mind) with lots of expletives in an attempt to be "edgy". still had great singles, but the Super Bowl did it. since then her fans (like me) are either ambivalent or are only sufficient to fill half an arena, no "new converts" or "returnees" and the industry machine has blacklisted her.

sallysassalot said:

IYHO....cause IMHO damita jo is horrible. and i tried...the last time you brought out the "its a good album" claim i gave it another listen and found it just as dull, uninspiring and boring as i originally did.

Fuck all that beating around the bush,,,,,a BLACK NIPPLE on AmeriKKKa's real ugly racist mug is what REALLY killed Janet's career.

And like the last time I said it, folks will try their LAST BREATH to prove otherwise

sallysassalot said:

I thought she had already auditioned dancers to tour, it was on the dvd for the 20 Y.O. special edition.

sosgemini said:

obviously any opinion i give is "in my opinion," lol.

Harlepolis said:

maybe. one thing's for sure though, it was an incredibly inappropriate moment for her to be "daring" (if it was on purpose).

she messed up. you can blame it on racism all you want. i prefer to blame it on the person who decided plopp her titty out on primetime television.

jayaredee said:

oh, maybe. i didn't buy that, i just bought the regular edition. still, usually when a major is getting ready to go out you hear leaks about getting sponsors, which company is handling the outing, leaks on venues and dates...lots of little rumblings. there's been nothing.

sallysassalot said:

Yeah, i won't believe it till there's an official announcement. It seems like the tour was planned in the hopes that 20 Y.O. would be a hit.

sallysassalot said:

How long before everyone retaliates with Madonna comparisons

jayaredee said:

madonna was smart enough to use the right mediums. yeah, she's been vulgar or sexually provocative on tv...but on cable or late night. madonna would never be so stupid as to go on the super bowl, the most watched sporting event of the year and one where all of middle america is watching, and show her tit.

personally, i think dropping race is a reason in this is case is a lame excuse. there are times when people have to take responsibility for bad decisions. this is one of those times.

the only place race comes in is how quick everyone was to forgive justin. personally, i think that's more of a male/female issue but i am certain race comes in there, too. nonetheless, if ol' girl kept her titty in check, it wouldn't even be an issue.
[Edited 12/30/06 8:17am]

sallysassalot said:

She already has her troupe of dancers. Her dancers have always been selected in advance, at the beginning of every era. One of them, Blake, recently left and posted this on his MySpace:

"Hi guys... Just wanted to reach out to all my fans and say thatI decided to turn down Janet Jackson's world tour. I feel that at this time in my life I want to focus more on my acting and music career! I am currently in the studio recording tracks and also in acting class once a week. also if all goes well with Dancelife then I would want to be around for 2nd season. I know this is very sad but I feel like bigger things are yet to come and its gonna be great! Thanks for your everlasting support! Love Blake."



I am pretty sure that Amex will be one of the sponsors considering the exclusive material and interview she did for them in conjunction with the Billboard Awards.

Also there has been talk of venues.

sallysassalot said:

Can we leave Madonna OUT of this ? Who gives a shit?

The bottom line is Janet fucked up by showing her black titty to white America, thereby destroying the souls of white Christian 5-year-olds everywhere. Meanwhile, Justin is off celebrating two consecutive number one hits and full MTV and radio support.

VoicesCarry said:

well, we'll see...i don't think its gonna happen (though i really, really want it to).

sallysassalot said:

Who knows? I have never seen her live so yes I want it to happen, too.

She is considering offers from new labels, though.

sallysassalot said:

Great, this will be officially 300+ posts now.

All I have to say is Janet wanted attention and she got it. Now let everyone come in and say it was all racism. Isn't that the same reason MJ gave when he was accused of being a child molester 2 times?

sallysassalot said:

Oh dahling! There were FAAAAR more inappropriate moments on primetime TV. The American public(and middle America) is not that hypersensitive about so-called inappropriate imagery.

Janet didn't have to be dumb enough to take it there,,,,but somehow like Kramer's incident, I'm glad she did becoz it exposed ALOT of so-called liberal driven people

Janet needs to give it up. Move on to something else--film, television, fashion--just ANYthing. I think, given the right script, she would make a great sit-com actress. She's done it before, she can do it again.

She's got to re-invent herself. The music industry is pathetic nowadays, anyway. JUMP SHIP!!