would 2008 still have been a rocky year for her?

I think she does slow songs really well when she really uses her voice. Songs like Can't Be Good, Enjoy, Spending Time With You, etc. suit her voice really well and she would have gained a newfound respect if that were her new sound.

No. Janet would completely lose whatever fanbase she has now. People would be complaining about why didn't she do a rock or dance song. Janet will be remembered for her dance tracks and slow songs.

At least Sade kept herself intersting and re-invented her music.

I love Ms.Jackson SO MUCH, but her music right now is like watching paint dry.

Harlepolis said:

Very True, BORING has nothing to do with "slow" music, that is the confusion that people have. There is some boring dance music out there, i mean Reggaeton music makes everyone dance, but its possibly the most boring music on the planet. The thing with Janet is she is stuck in that web, and so is mariah, Mariah is stuck in that midtempo jam web and Janet is stuck in that "im a victim and everything is the labels fault" web. So to me if she really feels that way, do the album you want too, DONT SIGN WITH ANYONE, walk the talk.

Janet is not Sade, and never will be...never will be...never will be...
[Edited 11/11/08 13:54pm]

I just heard Wendy Williams mention this. She said that IDJ wanted "Discipline" to be a Sade-esque album.

daPrettyman said:

They fired ITs ass and IT is still talking shit?

Whoa,,,thats the spirit
[Edited 11/11/08 13:47pm]

Harlepolis said:

She didn't get fired, Charlemaigne and one other person got the axe.

daPrettyman said:

Really?

Didn't somebody posted this article about the entire Wendy Williams getting fired?

And I'm glad Cuntemagne got the boot. Thats def good news.

Harlepolis said:

Funny, lots of people would say that about Sade's entire catalog (not me, I'm a fan).

I find it odd that Def Jam wanted Janet to do a Sade-esque album. There is only one Sade and at best the closest you can get is working with members of her band.
Janet has a pleasant voice but I doubt she can get loud like Sade either.

If she sounded like Sade I still don't know if it would have made a difference for her.

Anyway, I'm glad she left that suggestion alone.

badujunkie said:

Different strokes,,,,

If I had a dime for everytime somebody say that Miles Davis was "boring as hell", I would've rivaled Trump.

But I can't hold that against folks, its what they "think".

Harlepolis said:

Indeed.

Harlepolis said:

http://urbaninsite.com/pr...e-cutbacks

Wendy Williams Staffers Experience Cutbacks

"The Wendy Williams Experience" co-host Charlamagne Tha God and much of the show’s production staff has been fired in a cost cutting move by WBLS/New York, according to the New York Times. Williams said, "I was disappointed in their decision not to have him on the show but I’m not worried about his ability to go on and do very well for himself; he’s a true friend and continues to be an important member of the team and will be on my TV show this summer."

JackieBlue said:

The record company was thinking that Janet's mainstream audience has grown up. The majority of "grown" mainstream people love slow/Sade-esque albmum and songs. They probably wanted to put Janet in an evening gown and totally change her style to this sultry/seductive woman (kind of like what they did to Queen Latifah) and sell a million albums (vs. a half-million). That formula has worked for some, but I don't think Janet would sell-out like that.

I could see her doing an independent thing and marketing her music/shows to mostly gay audiences.

daPrettyman said:

it's so true though!!! Most people expected her to mature even more after Velvet Rope, and there were hints of that in some of her decent slow songs like spending time with you, enjoy, can't be good etc. but she was still following the same formula even if she still ruled doing it.

I know some janet fans who were moving onto alicia keys, india arie. etc. during the All For You era cause they were maturing and the labels were right.

TotalAlisa said:

I think that fact that they wanted her to do a "Sade" kind of album is a clear indication that she was losing her fanbase and that they wanted her to explore new sounds. Janet is suffering from the same sickness that her brother is suffering from; If it ain't broke, let's fuck it up some more. It's okay to reinvent yourself, but one must always remember what made them successful to begin with and stick with that formula. You can't expect to put out an album like Britney, if you are not her and expect your fans to like it, just because you are who you are...

She would have sounded wonderful...and I'll take her deep, slow/mid-tempo songs and baby makers over the rest of her collection ANYDAY.

She is the Queen of the slow jam and no one can arrange a song like that the way Janet (and, by default, JJ/TL) do. Therefore, to have an album full of reflective, grooving, Sade-like material would be the ultimate for me.

Honestly, that's why I love "The Velvet Rope" and, though I don't think other people don't want to directly attribute the reason why they like that album to that, I believe that is why many of her fans feel like it stand out.

I hate that the direction of "Discipline" didn't move towards that.

shorttrini said:

Thats basically it, its cool to do "new sounds" but when all youre doing is following others because they have the mainstreams ear now, its boring because youre just repeating and copying, and honestly that makes you look "old". Micheal jackson doing songs with Akon are bigger examples of selling out than Janet doing a "sade" like album.

shorttrini said:

well it can backfire. like you might gain a new audience but will it be more than the fans she has now??? Or it could even out, if she loses fans and gains new ones.

Again with Sade

One of the org favorites
[Edited 11/11/08 15:03pm]

ThreadBare said:

You see why I love you?

Who knows,it might have been a refreshing change of pace for Janet.Imagine her in a beautiful evening gown,singing well-written songs of substance,being classy and sophisticated.What's clear is that her recent direction hasn't worked for her at all.

alphastreet said:

I think her fans have definitely grown up and do want something more mature but not necessarily like Sade. To me Sade has such a distinct sound and style so maybe that comparison isn't the best. I think with the right team her music can grow and I think she can also do mature uptempo music as well.

I think if Janet wants to continue to dance music that's great but I think she needs to go for it full speed and she and whatever label she decides to get with has to do it without fear and with an adjustment of expectations. This isn't the 90s anymore. Not only is the scene different but so is marketing and sales.

At the end of the day, Janet is 42, she isnt going to get new fans, no one is just going to get into her now on a new record, lets be real, and its not just for janet, its for ANYONE that has had a career of longevity, no one is just getting into any "more seasoned" artist with 20+ years under their belts "new albums", at this point they are all selling to their diehards.

lilgish said:

i think sade is sooooo gorgeous. But for the most part she is boring. I do enjoy some of her songs. and she has amazing stage presence. But she just seems boring.

I like people who dance something that is full of energy

TotalAlisa said:

True,but at this point,she's got nothing to lose.Might as well experiment a little and go in a different direction.

SoulAlive said:

I think she can do her own style not try and emulate Sade. And once again, where's that Brazilian album? She can also do uptempo music on a project like that and the remixes could be hot to death.

She doesn't have to sit on a stool, she can still be youthful, fashionable and hot doing great Brazilian-tinged music.

JackieBlue said:

Now THAAAAAT would be super-dope