Is it me or is JD obsessed now with giving Janet that comeback MIMI record? Last time i checked though JD who claims to be "doing" the new Mariah record, is listed amongst 10 producers named and also with a ??? next to it, meaning that his track(s) might not even been on there. JD is also forgetting that MIMI sold big, not because it was a good album, but mainly on the strength of two singles that were at the top of every playlist. Now i know the "little Egomaniac" likes to take the credit for that, but seriously, just because it happend like that for MC doesnt mean the same "comeback" (i hate that word) can happen for Janet.

One of the main reasons is that Janet and Mariah are two WAY different people and artists. If you look at Mariah, this is someone that at one point was doing an album a year through the entire 90's and still records at a pace thats quicker then the younger artists of today, where as Janet alot of times took huge gaps between records, mainly because there were 5-6 singles on each. Also the big that hurt Janet is the obvious SUPERBOWL incident, which Janet could have come out better than she did if she would have NOT allow Justin Timberlake to squeak out of it like the little RAT that he is. She honestly should have just said "look this was a stunt, but we all knew about it, sorry" and closed the case right there, but did she? NO and why, she let little JD dictate what she should do, Janet while promoting her last record, said in an interview she didnt want to talk "superbowl" anymore, which was cool, but then posed on every Magazine cover holding her breasts or sticking them out to the world as if to mock the whole thing. And as dumb as people are they arent that dumb, and they know when someone is bullshitting. Im not saying Janet cant be Sexy, shit she is, but you really have to be smart about it.

Though Mariah had her own Public meltdown, though was it really real? She came through it stronger mainly because when she did "Charmbracelet" she came back very low key, she wasnt posing on Magazines saying "hey the nuts back" or posing in StraightJacket with her breasts out or in her famous high heels. And another thing MC did, was tour for that album, doing small intimate shows for her loyal fans, this was her smartest move. So then when MIMI was ready, she pretty much had her name out there again in a positive light, and she just did what she pretty much had been doing for years, catch pop songs, sexy outfits, the works, and then toured the thing again. But of course JD cant do that, or at least realize thats what needs to be done. Janet might have to LOWKEY it for an album or so, and what i mean is, doing an album for your fans and tour for your fans, dont do "whats hip" do what the ones that got you here EXPECT.

hmm. Not sure why they would be treated equally.

I don't like either Mariah or Janet, but Mariah can at least sing.


It really shows just how talented Jimmy Jam and Terry lewis were, being able to pull all the tricks in the studio to make Janet's stale, tepid, voice actually come off sounding anything less that crusty. And to do it, album after album--they really deserve a Nobel peace prize for that.

As for Mariah, her issue was probably just one of saturation. The American pop landscape loves to see folks on top fall down, especially if they act like skank ho's. Her 'comeback' as it were is more attributed to her actual talent than her producers I think.


I don't like either though.






does/doesn't edit
[Edited 7/15/07 11:36am]

Well, you know I don’t get it myself and I agree that they are different artists. He needs to be able to compartmentalize each and just shut up about what he’s doing and what he wants to do. It seems a little unprofessional in a way.

As for Mariah, her meltdown pales in comparison to what these celebs are going through every other day. She didnt run anybody over, turn out a DUI, do a crack binge or wind up in a sex video. If you’re not strong, the business can tear/break you down. She fell down and got back up. While JD has been a big part of her hits, sometimes I think he gets too much credit. I think Mariah would be fine without him but they do seem to work well together and what works for Mimi may not necessarily work for JJ.

In the words of VoicesCarry, "Mariah can sing." There's the difference.

JackieBlue said:

He only made 4 songs on the album

JD can't give Janet a song like "We Belong Together" which is why that MIMI album caught so much fire.

JackieBlue said:

I agree its very unprofessional to hear all this talk about there being competition and all these other things. He talks about it like its a big time 80's wrestling match or something, i mean come one JD, both are established, regardlsess if they "sell" to todays mainstream, whatever, deal with it. Obviously im way more of a fan of Mariah than Janet, but i do have all Janets stuff, i just have not really cared about what shes been doing the last few years, as for Mariah im already anxious for her to be back, her release is slated for Nov.20, and im anxious to see and hear soemthing from her, even though i feel she is better than the material she puts out, i still feel she one day will do that classic album.

jayaredee said:

...which makes it pretty interesting that Janet is more of an albums artist while Mariah is more about singles.

AlexdeParis said:

True, and that's the point. Janet can't sell based on her voice because quite frankly she can't sing very well. But she sells based on great tracks and producation. Mimi doesn't have a Control, Rhythm Nation, Janet or even Velvet Rope under her hat like Janet.

Janet needs to stop looking for the winning formula for radio and just make a great album, like she's done before.
Mariah is the only one concerned about being #1 and beating the Beatles #1 record. Let her go after her little "goal" while Janet can get us back on the dancefloor.

jayaredee said:

Umm, Hmmm. Very interesting point! Very interesting! I'm more into Janet's mid-tempo stuff myself along with her slow jams. Maybe JD does actually see that Janet and Carey are different artists'. I mean, how could he not? Artists' are not going to please EVERYONE! What allot like from some, they won't be able to stand for others. That's why there's an array of artists' from yesterday and today to choose from. I'm one of the one's that comment on the artists' I truly dig. Don't waste my time commenting on the ones I don't. I don't expect to be pleased by the artists' I do listen to. I'm wondering why some feel that (and I'm not saying you) Janet has to please even the folks that don't care for her music, don't give a damn, or even bother listening to her? I guess some just sit, watch, observe and comment no matter what...

DawnD said:

Well JD isn't even a good producer so that's enough reason for her not to work with him. But being that she has no opinions and is controlled by the men in her life, it would be no suprise if she makes another album with him again, unfortunately for her lifeless career.

He obviously tried to give Janet a Mariah like comeback with "Call on Me," being the typical boring, bland, r&b slow jam, but it didn't go over. And why, despite the decent airplay it got? People just aren't bought over by Janet's vocal ability. They wanted a record they could dance to, and So Excited was definately not the solution.

Boy VoicesCarry will be pissed at me for spitting on his god.

lastdecember said:

JD is a schmuck. JJ does not have the vocal talent that Mariah has period.

Allot of female artists' don't have the singing chops as Mariah Carey, but I like her voice. To each his/her own. I wish her well with her new material.

DawnD said:

I meant to say, I like Janet's voice. It's soft and distinct. Call it whatever you will. But, I like the fact that she's not like every other female singer/songwriter/entertainer out there or from the 80s. Hummmmm, maybe that's one of the many reasons she gets so much flack. Some will say, she does because she can't sing. Well, i like her voice.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...hYihBTV1NA

Last year, when Mariah came here in concert, I was like, woohoo, finally, somebody who could sing, folks are going to be blown away. Now, I'm not a Mariah fan, don't have one cd of her's, why, idk, but the concert I knew was going to be the "stuff". An true artist, not just a whole lot of studio tricks It was one of the worst shows I have ever seen, I haven't been that disappointed in a longtime. So the fact that I really wasn't a big Mariah fan to begin with, but I did give her props for at least being a singer. Mariah's all hype in my eyes. Maybe it was just a bad day, but I think she just something a lot of people are just riding, on a talent that use to exist, but no longer.

Janet can't sing, but she can perform her behind off. After ever show I felt like I really went somewhere. I hope she never gets to the point of just standing around on stage posing half naked, with a host of unknown rappers taking up 2/3 of the show. If so, I'd encourage her to retire and live the good life with the money she's made.
[Edited 7/15/07 17:06pm]

morningsong said:

I think Mariah's got a lot of stage fright and tries to live to what her fans want her to do. Mariah tries to entertain like a Madonna and a Janet because of who she is - a huge selling entertainer - but because she doesn't do rehearsals like a Janet and Madonna, because she's not as skilled a dancer as those two are and because she obviously has vocal power over the both of them, it gets difficult for Mariah to put a great show.

morningsong said:

Mariah works with very well known rappers

jayaredee said:

Mariah doesn't have have an "All For You". Janet can do R&B very well but she is a real pop singer and many of the tracks on "All For You" proved that. I love Janet when she brings out some really danceable grooves, which were lacking on "20 YO" despite an effort to pad the album with Ciara sound a like tracks.

Ciara and Rihanna are doing a better job at being Janet these days.

VinnyM27 said:

Ciara sound alike tracks!?! Okay!
I like the fact that Janet isn't in one category. She's in many. She does allot of musical genre's. That's what i dig about her! I do love her r&b stuff moreso than her pop stuff. Enjoy, With U, and Take Care from 20 Y.O. gives me chills and in a good way!

I heard a few tracks of from Ciara’s album the other day and I dont know what to make of her or where shes going but a few of those songs are banging. I’m talking about the ones that haven’t been released and are sorta along that 80s vein. You can’t not dance to them.

When Janet talks about wanting to dance those are the kind of songs I think of. Today If came on the radio and I almost lost it. One of Janet’s hottest tracks. Ever. IMO.

DawnD said:

What gave you chills in a bad way?

I love both janet and mariah but they are not the same artist. And if you ask me, mariah tries to make her uptempo numbers sound like janet's, why else did she work with jimmy jam and terry lewis so much? And don't tell me it's because she grew up on cherelle tracks, she even named control as one of the best albums ever.

mariah has a better voice and was viewed as a celine or whitney in the 90's which is why she always outsold janet, but that's not to dog janet in anyway. Janet has the better package overall even though her voice is nothing like mariah's, yet identifiable.

JD is just stupid and thinks everyone needs to have a gangsta rapper in their music. I remember during the velvet rope era people were asking janet why she wasn't working with babyface like everyone and their mother that time, janet never used to work with people everyone else was working with, but it seems like JD wants her to conform

and if you ask me, JD has succeeded in alienating mainstream audiences and non black fans by making her say shit like "i'm going back to my r&b roots" and only going to urban station to promoto 20 YO
[Edited 7/15/07 18:17pm]

alphastreet said:

Yeah that's the only thing he succeeded but the problem was some of her urban fan base had a difficulty with the album, not a lot but there were some who thought "20 Y.O." was iffy. Janet should gear to a pop comeback, because her career was built on worldwide appeal after "Control" was issued in 1986. I feel like Janet's again at the crossroads she was after releasing her first two albums, which did worser than "Damita Jo" and "20 Y.O.", the next thing is will Janet's next one finally break this curse and set her on a path on a steady sales rate? That's the million dollar question.

And actually JD is not even in the director's seat of this album. This time, it's L.A. Reid and likely we'll find out if and when Janet will work with such and such. Something tells me JD won't have much say on the album this time. His recent interviews state that he's ticked that he's not allowed to be on his girlfriend's project. If it doesn't work the first time, why the hell would you wanna try it again so that's where JD failed in my eyes.

timmy which interview is this you speak of?

I hope L.A. Reid doesn't produce a crappy record like tlc or toni braxton's flops in 2002, I know he's a no-nonsense type of guy so maybe he'll encourage janet to give it her all

interesting point you make there about black fans as well. They could see through her and knew that 'call on me' was not sincere. It lacked the spark of a janet song because it was so fake, it only went to number one on the r&b charts cause of fans with too much time on their hands constantly voting and stuff. No one I know really liked that song at all.
[Edited 7/15/07 18:30pm]

jayaredee said:

Aww, come on. Folks always say stuff like that. It's insulting to her really. Do folks really expect for her to always behave and look like she's in her twenties. Some will probably still think she should look 25 at 55 and will still say, oh such and such is doing a better job at being Janet than Janet these day. Those women are trying to fathom having a career like Janet's. Just because those ladies have hits today, doesnt' mean they'll have hits tomorrow. Sure, some can say the same about Miss Jackson. But, how many will have the sheer, raw, iron will to sustain a career like hers? Oh, nobody knows. But, let them keep up with trying to be Janet more than the actual Janet. Yeah, right.

janet is obviously the better artist and a legend with a bigger and better catalogue, but this has been happening for awhile. Her copycats sing better material than her current work. I listen to beyonce and rihanna's new stuff and can't seem to locate where I've misplaced 20 YO, and I've been a janet fanatic for more than half my life. At least I'm one of those people who KNOWS janet and realizes that she has biters instead of being a youngin writing her off and not knowing her back catalogue

alphastreet said:

True. But, you actually liked B Day better than 20? I mean, again to each his/her own. B's definitely sold more. Allot of folks has said that 20 was better, that's why i asked. Sometimes (and I'm not saying you're like this) the public seems to gravitate towards what's more popular as oppose to what's actually better. To me, Jill Scott's material is better than allot of stuff that's out but, she's not selling much, cause she's not popular. See,this is what I was talking about concerning image taking a front seat to talent. Nowadays, image will kick talent in it's ass everytime. It's not right. I know, B is on top. She worked hard to get to where she is. But, so did Janet. Her father put her to work as a child. I think she does exceptionally well not to have wanted to be a singer in the first place. Truth be told, she doesn't get credit for making albums for the past 25 years. That's why I admire, PRINCE, MJ, JANET and including MADONNA. They are still doing it after surviving the 80s and 90s. I think it's unfortunate that they are treated as though whenever they release new material it's like their first album ever made. It's like artists are expected to always impress people as oppose to writing from the heart with a beautiful melody of music.

I liked 20 YO last year though it's far from what janet is capable of and wasn't really feeling B'day though I was in love with the singles and thought they were much stronger than janet's stuff. I prefer deja vu so much more than the bland trying-to-be-hip hop Call On Me and yes I listen to B'day way more because I gave it a second chance and there's stronger material and EDGE to it, janet barely singing on 20 Y.O. is anything but edgy. She came close with get it out me, do it to me, daybreak and enjoy, but the rest was garbage. And maybe I enjoy bee because she reminds me of what janet used to be when I watch her videos and all.
[Edited 7/15/07 19:28pm]
[Edited 7/15/07 19:28pm]

alphastreet said:

So, you're into Janet's edgy stuff? I loves' me some VELVET ROPE! I said when it first hit the streets, this could be her best, if not one of her best. Allot of folks weren't feelin' it at all. Now, it's like one of the best things since sliced apples.