...from what i can tell her, among fans and non fans, the two basic opposing arguments are these:

1. JANET IS OVER. PERIOD. The combination of the Superbowl, her 2 last flop albums, her age, and her overall Jackson-esque tabloid fodder has put the final nail in the coffin of her career.
You all would fall in the category of bitch cant tour no matter what.
-vs-

2. JANET IS STILL A MEGASTAR WITH POTENTIAL FOR A HUGE COMEBACK - if ONLY she would:

1. Dump JD as a producer and collaborator
2. Ditch Jam & Lewis and do something new
3. Drop the sex kitten act
4. Make a Madonna - esque musical and image reinvention
5. GO ON TOUR! And remind everyone how much ass she can kick as an entertainer.
6. Work with hip, chart-wise, young producers and songwriters

what side of the fence are you on, fan or non fans alike

GO ON TOUR! And remind everyone how much ass she can kick as an entertainer.
Worse with european producers together with Jam & Lewis and make real dance songs!

I think Janet is DEFINATELY at a crossroads in her career at this time.

I don't know if she can carry on at the level she has in the past.

I need a number 3.

Nothinbutjoy said:

As I said before...she should not focus on whats hip and new and just find herself again and do something that comes organically...(like 'Velvet Rope')...at this point she doesnt need to bring on new fans...she needs to WOW her fans again who have long gone elsewhere...remind them why they loved her to begin with. I'm on very thin ice with her and if she does another sex kitten/non-melodic/interlude/whispery album..I think I'm out...me who at one point was a paying fan club member who saw her front row at all her tours and almost tatooed the '1814' logo on my arm....

...

I think she just needs to pull out the other breast.
[Edited 7/20/07 14:01pm]

I don't think she or her career will be the same again and it makes me sad for her, unless she proves everyone wrong. During all for you, she was praised so much and the album sales did well and it seemed like she was going to be around forever, superbowl fucked her over big time, BIG TIME!

well janet definitly does NOT have to prove herself to anyone... she has already had 10 number 1 singles... and even more top 10 singles...

she is already a mega star... and if she wants to stop making music.. thats fine.. for her to enjoy life... and if she wants to keep making music.... i will always be willing to listen to her album.. and even buy it.. if i hear songs on the album i like...


the thing is... album sales today are really based upon popularity....
Im not trying to bring up Michael Jackson.. but thriller was an awesome album and even if you hated MJ you loved his music....
but today.. if you are NOT considered a "HOT" artist people don't pay attention to your music..

Look at beyonce's album vs Janet's 20 Y.O.... I personally thought JJ's album was way better.... I couldn't understand why people could claim to like beyonce's album but not janets.... The only reason why.. is because Beyonce is considered a 'HOT' artist... and when artist become less popular.. they sell less... People are so persuaded by the media....
(Janets latest album got 4 star ratings from most critics)

I personally don't care if everyone hates or likes an album... i buy it because i enjoy it.... I almost won't even buy an albu

LittleBLUECorvette said:

VANITYSprisonBYTCH said:

Agreed.

It doesn't really matter to me what she does now. I have enjoyed all or parts of her various albums throughout the years. Her work has meant a lot to me, and that can't be taken away.

I will never understand why she did the Superbowl, nor do I care to understand. It's sad that her legacy now comes down to a tit instead of the music and videos and everything else that made people love her. It was her decision. There's no point in analyzing it anymore.

Will she ever be as popular as she once was? No, because she's aging. Do I think she really cares all that much? No clue. I think she could easily have hits (big ones) again if she wanted to, if she did some exemplary work.

TotalAlisa said:

it could be cause beyonce is actually singing on her latest album and janet is just cooing through each song when we all know she's capable of so much better. I dont care if beyonce's hot or not, she made a GOOD CD this time, something janet was queen of doing once upon a time. I love janet way more but it doesn't mean I'm going to shun everyone else I lik

And I'm tired of fans saying she's janet jackson she doesn't have to record again, and the same with michael fans. You guys don't realize that this is a different time period and you're only as hot as your last hit. People are copying them left, right and centre and kids don't realize it and just laugh at the jacksons and their surgery if they're brought up without realizing that ne yo and everyone rips off their moves and their sound and all. I seriously doubt they want to retire without showing everyone who's boss after all these years. I don't know about you but it sucks for them to endure all that, whether they've done it to themselves or not, this is a legacy that people shrug off and it's not fair anymore.
[Edited 7/20/07 16:42pm]

VoicesCarry said:

I can't believe 1) you're so resigned and 2) you don't consider "With U" or "Take Care" or "Do it to Me" exemplary work.

badujunkie said:

Resigned to what? Her career path is completely beyond my control, and I don't need her to sell millions of records in order to derive enjoyment from her music.

Currently I like So Excited, Get It Out Me, Show Me, Daybreak, Enjoy (one of my favourite Janet tracks for sure) and Take Care. With U is fine but it is just a standard JD knockoff of one of his old productions (We Belong Together). For that matter, so is Get It Out Me (Control Myself knockoff on the bridge). But I can't honestly say much of this is exemplary work. Control is exemplary work. Rhythm Nation, janet., The Velvet Rope - exemplary work. She hasn't done exemplary work in 10 years, even though I still love her music. Do I ever pop in 20 Y.O. and actually listen to it all the way through? No. It has nothing to say.
[Edited 7/20/07 16:47pm]

TotalAlisa said:

True

yeah I like get it out me, enjoy, daybreak, so excited and take care a lot

I wanted to like with u but it sounds so repetitive with the same hook the whole way through and like the lovechild of we belong together and shake it off

badujunkie said:

She just simply needs to re-invent herself.People are tired of the whole "sex-kitten-with-a-smile" image.It's old and played out.Imagine how silly Madonna would look if she were still carrying on like it was 1992...discussing her sex habits in interviews,and appearing topless on her CD covers.It's time for Janet to turn things around and try a new approach.As long as she keeps the focus on her boobs and her sex life,NOBODY is gonna forget the Superbowl Tittiegate scandal Only a truly inspired album could make people forget about all that.

Dump Jam and Lewis and their tired beats!

Tell Jermaine Dupri to STAY FAR AWAY FROM HER CAREER AND MUSIC!

Call up some some truly edgy producers and songwriters.How about Dangermouse,the mastermind behind Gnarls Barkley and the Gorillaz? How about some cool slow jams by Robin Thicke? How about some kickass dance tracks produced by an unknown European producer? You know....someone that everybody else isn't already working with.If she did this,and resisted the urge to write more tired songs about getting laid,she might actually come up with something interesting.Her career is far from over...it just needs a shot of "re-invention"!

.
[Edited 7/21/07 9:45am]

SoulAlive said:

Agree with most things you said. However, Jam/Lewis can still write good melodies and slow jams (e.g. Take Care). I think she should continue to explore other pop/dance producers, but keep Jam/lewis for a ballad or two. Hopefully, her debut in the new Tyler Perry Movie (due in November) will provide anticipation for her next music project. Janet is already a legend in Pop/R&B music and is destined for a solid comeback IMO.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

PrettyMan72 said:

Jam and Lewis can still come up with a good slow jam,but Robin Thicke's slow jams are superb."Lost Without You" and "Can U Believe" are the best songs on the radio right now,imo.Imagine Janet singing over a cool,relaxed groove like "Lost Without You".A song like that is tailor-made for her!

She's been selling sex for so long and now her days are numbered (or OVER) because of her age - unless she changes this image.

To me, her records never really sounded corny (except for some of All 4 U) so I don't think the problem is the producers, I think it is the lyrical content of the songs and videos.

Like, if Danger Mouse or Kylie's producers go make her another album about getting laid then nothing will have changed really.

Cinnie said:

but that's the thing: she needs to write songs about OTHER THINGS besides sex! Write deep,profound lyrics....dig deeper....talk about the world! Jam and Lewis just sit back and don't encourage her to write about different things.They've become complacent and they don't challenge her and inspire her to dig deeper.That's why she needs to dump them.

There is no debate, she sux.

SoulAlive said:

I thought Jam and Lewis could still do a good record with her if she wrote about something else besides sex, but I didn't realize it might be their fault she is still in that sex kitten gutter lyrically.

Didn't they write "Again" and "Runaway"? you know?

I remember around 1995 the interview that accompanied the making of "Runaway" Janet said "if it isn't broken why fix it" about why she continues to work with Jam And Lewis, but I guess now it is broken.

I guess I will go with choice 2
[Edited 7/21/07 12:15pm]

Cinnie said:

Well Janet is still working with Jam & Lewis. I didn't listen to Polow's interview but he was to have said Jimmy & Terry were gonna be part of the new album, least I think that's the gist of what I got.

Cinnie said:

New producers will bring about new inspiration.I'm pretty sure that Dangermouse would encourage Janet to write about something else than the joys of good sex Many R&B producers have become complacent and they never really venture out lyrically,relying on tired songs about love and/or sex.

If you take a look at Janet's "copycats"/competitors, their lyrics are nowhere near as explicit about sex. Does Janet think that is her "edge"?

Cinnie said:

I think so. That's probably why she'll probably continue to do those type of records because like Madonna (and Betty Davis) back in the day she's willing to say things female artists today probably don't wanna go into. But it IS getting stale, I'll have to say.