Nov 19, 2009

Janet Jackson is returning home. The pop star has reportedly inked a new deal with A&M Records, the label to which she was first signed.

A source tells the New York Daily News that Interscope Geffen A&M quietly signed Jackson to a recording contract in October. She was also seen at a UFC fight with Interscope head honcho Jimmy Iovine last month.

“Jimmy has given the mandate to make this Janet record a success,” says the paper’s source. “He believes that he has the right team in place to finally take Janet back to the top of the music charts. It’s a top priority for the label.”

The 43-year-old singer’s greatest hits package Number Ones was released this week through A&M. She is working on her eleventh studio album with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who will oversee production. The project is in the early stages and is due in the second quarter of 2010.

The youngest Jackson began her career at A&M when she was 16 and released the 14x platinum Rhythm Nation 1814 on the label in 1989. She was most recently signed to Island Def Jam.





http://www.nydailynews.co...cords.html

I wondered the other day where her album would land. It's cool she's back at home base. Maybe that "full circle" thing will happen, and she'll get back to the top of the charts as she did w/ Control on A&M.

She had 4 albums on A&M, 5 on Virgin, and one on Island Def Jam.

this might actually be great

Good for her.

Kudos...

Sadly it's not the same A&M records. It's just a boutique label now.
I still wish her the best and make an album for me to really enjoy. We're the same age and we have grown together musically.
I miss Jan.

ernestsewell said:

Well, technically she was at the top of the charts as of last year It's just she's not the commercial titan she once was. But then, no one is these days. For perspective, Discipline sold 450,000 copies and it doesn't look like Mariah's new album is going to come even close to that.

Congrats Janni! We love you

She's A&M's most successful artist ever

midiscover said:

Hmm, not quite. But she's up there.

ernestsewell said:

Well, I read that she is.

It would be nice to hear herb make a guest appearance once again.

This reminds me of when Diana Ross returned to Motown in the mid 80's after a not so successful tenure with EMI.

Hopefully Janet's return home will pan out much better.
[Edited 11/19/09 21:33pm]

I wish her the best.

Why doesn't she just let Jimmy and Terry produce the damn album?
Rodney? Darkchild? Really? I'm still excited to hear it
after "Make Me Move" (I like it) but still - I'd so much
rather hear what Jimmy and Terry could make happen for Jan. Oh well.
[Edited 11/19/09 23:07pm]

hopefully her next album will do better than her last one...i loved "feedback" but the rest of the album wasn't marketed the right way

amit1234 said:

Actually,Diana was with RCA from 1981-87.She returned to Motown in 1988 but never really had any more big hits there.The RCA years produced several huge singles ("Muscles","Mirror Mirror","Missing You",etc).

So,you never know how it could turn out.A&M Records is not exactly the same label that it used to be.
[Edited 11/20/09 5:26am]

Vanilli said:

I thought she was working with them. She said that early on, right? I would be shocked if she does a whole album with Darkchild, who is mostly known for singles and/or upbeat stuff. She'll work with others and I would hope Jimmy and Terry would still be in the mix. She called them her fathers! Better than her actual one!

I'm warming up to Darkchild. He seems to have a lot of hope in Janet and wants to team up with her and become a force like in the glory days of Janet and Jam & Lewis. He was also promoting her GH album all this week on twitter lol. I don't think Jam & Lewis are out of the picture. Jam made an appearance in the interview. Also did anyone notice that for the first time Janet mentioned Terry? She usually just talks about Jam.

tricky2 said:

Exactly. It's all Universal.

Lose Jerkins and these cookie cutter so called producers.

i wish she return all the way home and make a full album with jam&lewis, but of course the industry has changed and im sure the execs feel she need some hot young producer.they really dont know what to do with janet, i keep hearing people say well she's not a singer so she cant make adult music but some of her best songs are her slow jams and mid tempo stuff.

Graycap23 said:

agreed, i think the largest problem with today's music is the lack of craft in the songwriting...jerkins and the rest of todays producers don't have an ear to craft a song song that can stand the test of time...the lack of melodies or unique arrangements leave songs sounding dull after repeated listenings...

what happened to the art of songwriting?

sosgemini said:

It became the art of the beat.

daPrettyman said:

Then it is DEAD.

Graycap23 said:

its been dead to me, its sad but there is nobody thats come along in the last 10 years that i own a cd of.i find myself buying greatest hits or if a artist i am a fan of makes new music i will support it.

I like Rodney Jerkins style, but I don't really love her new song. And though his songs on Discipline were alright, I like the songs not by him better. I'm still looking forward to the album though, cause she'll be writing her own lyrics again and focusing on dance. From what I've seen so far of the new video, I don't like her dancing much, she really needs a new choreographer cause she's not bringing it, even though she looks hot and sounds good on it.

lowkey said:

That's the problem! Record labels don't know what to do with her. When she started being all experimental and making music that didn't appeal to the public they made her go commercial a la All for You. Then they want her to tone it down and do R&B but she wants to do dance music. It's so weird listening to The Velvet Rope and then fast forward to this decade and we have albums like 20 YO and Damita Jo But I think Rodeny stepped it up with "Make me" it's reminiscent to her work with Jam & Lewis. But he didn't do much with the vocals. I bet Janet added the harmonies to get that classic feel. He's really a hit and miss.