http://www.mtv.com/news/a...anet.jhtml

'I'm still gonna keep the beats hard underneath 'cause she's still a dancer at heart,' producer says.

By Matt Elias

When we caught up with producer Rodney Jerkins on the VMA red carpet in September, he was already hard at work on Janet Jackson's next LP. Now the super-producer is opening up a lot more on exactly what fans can expect for Janet's 11th studio album.

"Janet is like my sister now," Jerkins told MTV News on Wednesday (October 21) at his Los Angeles recording studio. "We definitely have this incredible chemistry, this bond — I think we musically connect, crazily. I knew it — it's funny 'cause I predicted this. Five years ago, people used to ask me who I wanted to work with, and I was like, 'Janet Jackson.' And I was so passionate about that because I've always been a fan of her music and what her and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have done in the past. And I felt like, knowing she wants to try new things, that I feel I can get it and I can deliver it for her," he said.

DarkChild explained that fans can look forward to an emotionally driven album.

"Since we've been working ... I feel like the studio has become a second home for her because with the whole situation with Michael [Jackson] happening, and I feel like right now, emotionally, she can come here and let all her feelings out. I got her writing again — she has the pen and the pad in her hand."

But it's not just the recent passing of her brother Michael that is fueling the content of Jackson's album. Fans are going to see a side of Janet that they've never seen before, thanks in part to Rodney's persuasion.

"You gotta understand, she lost her brother. She was in a relationship for seven years [with Jermaine Dupri] that's over now. There's things that she told me that I didn't even realize. You know, certain [things] like self-esteem that I didn't even realize that she dealt with for years that, you know. ... She's working on her book and she'll deal with that in her book, but also in songs, certain songs we're dealing with that head on. And sometimes it can be a touchy subject for us to even go into, and I kinda had to persuade her, 'Let's just go, let's talk about that.' And she's been doing it, and she's a pro about it."

Although Rodney says you can expect some up-tempo dance tracks on the new album, it won't have the futuristic sound we heard on her last project, 2008's Discipline.

"It's funny, 'cause when we just started the project, she was like, 'I wanna do 10 dance records, all up-tempo to dance. Let's just go dance,' " Jerkins said. The sound is inspired by worldwide influences, from African rhythms to Brazilian and Latin music, and RJ said we can expect features on this album like a Pitbull track that was recorded last week.

"But she hits me today and she says we need to do some mid-tempos as well," Rodney continued. "And I'm glad for that because there's a time when you listen to a record that you wanna mellow out and she always gives us those great smoothed-out mellow records. So now that she's in that zone, it's like 'Yes!' 'cause we can focus on that. But I'm still gonna keep the beats hard underneath 'cause she's still a dancer at heart."

Jenkins and Jackson co-produced her recently released single, "Make Me," which will be included on her greatest-hits compilation Number Ones, due in November. A release date has not been announced for her yet-untitled studio album.

Note to Janet-
Your willingness to "try"new things is appreciated, but your time has passed. If you should ever decide to work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, then your career MIGHT have a chance of being revitalized, but if not, you are going to continually put out lukewarm, unexciting, boring and mediocre records which only your hardcore fans will buy. Otherwise, they are going to be just expensive coasters sitting on people's tables. I was so disappointed with your last few albums, I just don't see it happening. I will be SHOCKED if your next album is halfway decent. Otherwise, are we just going to get more of "how horny" you are?!
[Edited 10/26/09 12:20pm]

kenlacam said:

She's supposed to be working with Jimmy and Terry this time around also. However, I still don't think Jimmy and Terry have the same niche they used to have.

I really want to hear what they came up with. Though I like Rodney's work and Feedback was a good song, both he and Janet have done better, and songs like Luv and Curtains don't stand out like the other tracks even though Rollercoaster was well done. And I don't really like the new song on the hits compilation she's coming out with. It's better than Britney and Madonna's latest single, but probably one of her worst songs.

On the other hand, for the last few years, Janet said in some interviews she wants to make an album about racism and anger, and that she loves brazillian music, so maybe she will have a new sound, who knows
[Edited 10/26/09 12:23pm]

Janet, I've noticed, always has material that never makes the album but it gets leaked after a minute and you wonder why didn't she put it on the album, lol Guess we'll get a good feeling on where the album's going next year. I get excited every time she puts a new album out or is working on one.

kenlacam said:

She is working w/ Jam and Lewis again, as well as Rodney. I THOUGHT she was working on slow songs w/ Jam and Lewis, and the upbeat stuff w/ Jerkins. But in a studio, who knows what can happen.

Timmy84 said:

Right! A lot of her best songs end up not being on the albums (i.e pops up, could this be love, put your hands on .. u get the picture) .. wasn't there an article floating around a few years back from someone claiming that Jimmy and Terry were upset with the fact that JD was producing on 20 Y.O? I remember it mentioning that a lot of Jimmy & terry's songs didnt make the album, and it spoke of songs produced by Dr Dre.

ViintageJunkiie said:

Yeah I did hear Jam & Lewis were upset with JD, lol Jam & Lewis and Rodney could be co-producing together. Remember when this "hip-hop" producer (I think his name was Rockwell) was co-producing with them on All For You?
[Edited 10/26/09 12:29pm]

I think she's about to go deep like she did on Velvet Rope. New things or not musically, she has a LOT to explore and cover emotionally on this upcoming album. Janet fans know her music truly shows what she's going through at the moment of recording, as indicated by the love on janet. and the pain on The Velvet Rope, and the new found bachelorettehood on All For You.

ernestsewell said:

That's true, that's why I never know what to expect. Janet always worked well when it came to tragedy.

Timmy84 said:

Agreed. Prince does too. I've always said he's at his best when he's in conflict (like the mid 80's w/ relationships w/ Susannah and his band, and in the mid 90's w/ the height of the WB fight). I think it's partly why All For You didn't do quite as well as people wanted, because it was a very "free" album. Velvet Rope took me a LONG time to get into because it was so moody, very textured, very, VERY dark. It was like walking through a strange house w/ no lights on, whereas janet. was like a summer's day on the beach, toes in the sand, waves lapping up at your ankles.

I look forward to her talking about MJ, and probably her breakup from Jermaine, as well as just the wanting to feel better again, the struggle for happiness.

Timmy84 said:

Yepp! I remember that Rockwell character (i think that was his name). I hope she does give us a little Velvet Rope tease

ViintageJunkiie said:

Rockwilder

Rockwell was that OTHER paranoid dude.

ernestsewell said:

Rockwilder! I knew Rockwell didn't sound right.

ernestsewell said:

LMAO! There we go! His name slipped my mind! Rumor has it that the stuff he produced wasn't even his, but a close friend of his who passed away. I find it kind of true since I havent heard from him since Destinys Childs "Bootylicious (Remix)"

Timmy84 said:

He did a couple of remixes, including on the import of "All For You" single. There's also a popular remix for "Doesn't Really Matter", which was just on the movie soundtrack originally. The version of "Doesn't Really Matter" on All For You is a mix of the original AND the Rockwilder mix. It's like a mash-up of both. That mashup version is what she used in concert on the All For You Tour as well. I kind of like when artists use a remix live. Madonna's known for doing that, especially with "Express Yourself", and later on "Like A Prayer", and "Keep It Together", "Fever", "Erotica", and "Justify My Love" to name a few. Madonna has said she often likes the remixes of her songs better than the album versions, which is how she approached Confessions On A Dance Floor. She wanted all the songs to sound like a better remix of some unheard original.

I'm not always thrilled w/ Janet remixes. They're okay, but not spectacular. However, the "IF" remixes are fabulous. Those "R&B" remixes from the Rhythm Nation album are horrible. There are some good remixes from Velvet Rope album too. There's a Jonathan Peter's remix of "Doesn't Really Matter" (JP Club Mix) that has a flamenco guitar/Spanish feel to it that rocks my socks every time. It's like a manic salsa.

ernestsewell said:

You had 2 remind me of that crap, didn't u!

kenlacam said:

Dear Kenlacam,

Janet put Jam & Lewis on the map
Janet put Tina on the map

What hott production has Jam & Lewis done since they stopped working with Janet?
What iconic moves did Tina come up with since she stopped working with Janet?

Janet was clearly the main ingredient to the music all the way down to the choreography

P.S.- Jam & Lewis worked on Damita Jo and 20 Y.O.

Try again.

midiscover said:

CH!!! Why did I just picture Tina dancing in front of her bathroom mirror crying while doing the dance to "If"?! LMAO

ViintageJunkiie said:

!!



CH!! Jam & Lewis aren't going to be on this upcoming album

midiscover said:

You haven't done your homework then, if you have to ask those questions.

ernestsewell said:

I know the answer it's - zip, zero, nada

I read the title to this thread and thought at Rodney and Janet doing anything "new" together. But to be fair, I'm not a Janet fan, and I don't know of anything Rodney produced after Kierra Sheard's debut single. So, in what ways has he evolved as a producer since then? What do they mean by "new things" because he doesn't really say? Janet's already covered a lot of genres and vibes to the best of her ability, so...

midiscover said:

It was Rockwilder and I think Trust a Try and Come On Get Up were so awesome, they should have been singles in 2002 and the All For You era shouldn't have been as short as it was. I found it funny how All For You's 3 singles were songs with samples, and the songs without samples were not released with the exception of Doesn't Really Matter.

I'm used to Janet being a sex kitten on a track or two, but this time, I really hope she leaves it out or at least does it with class. She needs to realize that the expectations for her are high cause she is the other jackson superstar that now remains.

Also, I hope one of her singles is on the soundtrack of her new movie, movies and doing soundtracks always worked in her favour.

alphastreet said:

I don't understand why people keep saying this shit! If people didn't care about Janet before MJ died best believe they won't this time around. And Janet's not the other Jackson. She's just Janet.

midiscover said:

I know she's just Janet and even though I know her popularity has really fallen and people are focusing on michael and not janet right now, but if she put out a good track that is for once not an unreleased great bonus track, she may have a hit or two. I think she deserves it.

alphastreet said:

Janet had always said she loved "Come On Get Up" and that it would be a single. I think that song was SCREAMING for remixes and Maxi Single distribution. I feel like Virgin dropped the ball on it all for some reason.

This is an interesting quote on Wikipedia, which sort of makes me remember things about why it was never released:
"There were plans to release "Come On Get Up" as a commercial single in 2002 and a video was to be shot for the single, but it was canceled. Instead, promo CDs and vinyls were issued to DJs in Japan and America only in November of 2002. Also, on MTV's TRL in Spring 2001, Janet had told Carson Daly that "Trust a Try" would be a future single, but there were no plans for the single release. Instead of releasing "Come On Get Up" and "Trust a Try", Jackson began work on her next studio album, Damita Jo."

ernestsewell said:

I think I added the Trust A Try bit LOL I think Virgin paying Mariah to leave is the real reason All For You suddenly halted. Even though Son of a Gun flopped and the album was tanking, it immediately climbed up the charts the minute the HBO concert was aired. If Trust a Try or Come On Get Up were supporting singles, the album may have stayed in the top 50 for a little while longer. And it makes me so sad how futuristic and awesome Trust a Try was and she couldn't release it, but other people like Britney with Toxic and No Doubt with Hella Good which had similar types of sounds got all the credit.

ernestsewell said:

Virgin pulled the plug on Janet early because they started promoting Glitter. They could've milked that whole album for another year. It was still popular in 2002 anyway.