It’s not exactly at the top of my pop wish list, but lately I’ve found myself hoping for a Janet Jackson revival. In a way, it’s already begun. She’s revived her acting career, with top billing in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? (the recent hit sequel to Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? from 2007), and she’ll appear in Perry’s next project, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. This coming Fourth of July weekend, she’ll headline the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans with Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige. (She’s the magazine’s August cover girl.) True You, her diet and self-help book comes out in the fall. And of course, there was that standing ovation — Simon Cowell included! — after her American Idol finale performance in May.

All that’s missing is a new album.

I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be eagerly awaiting new Janet Jackson music. You see, I always wanted to love her more than I did. She’s had her moments — chief among them, “If,” her best single; “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” her best video; and “Doesn’t Really Matter,” her last great hit — but for me, something was always missing.

At her ’80s and ’90s peak, she lacked the awe-inspiring vocal might of Whitney Houston, one of her few hit-making peers. She lacked Madonna’s gift for extreme reinvention. She lacked the pure musical genius of her big brother Michael. Every time I saw her smiling and giggling in one of her videos, I frowned, wishing she would display just a little bit more edge.

She tried going there, all the way to the cutting edge, with the topless Rolling Stone cover, with the soft-core eroticism of janet., with her Justin Timberlake-assisted “wardrobe malfunction” at Super Bowl XXXVIII — but she made the gross miscalculation of equating sex and exhibitionism with edginess (Madonna did, too, but she also toyed with religious imagery and tossed trippy visuals, performance art, NYC grit, electronica, and a bullet bra into the mix). After Nipplegate, when Jackson’s sales started slipping (her most recent album, 2008’s Discipline, didn’t even go gold in the U.S.), I was relieved. Soon, I figured, she’d give up, and we’d never again be subjected to the sweet little girl we’d watched grow up forcing her sex down our throats.

Then something strange happened on the night of the Idol finale. She appeared onstage in a sleek, simple black and red dress, with a new short ‘do, looking like she’d chopped off 20 years along with her hair. “Give me a beat!” she demanded, and launched into “Nasty.” It felt like 1986 all over again. For the first time ever, I was kind of in love with Janet Jackson. But what about her distracted fans, the ones who haven’t bothered to buy her last few albums and have moved on to younger, more relevant models like Beyoncé and Rihanna? Here’s what Miss Jackson can do to win them back and get nasty again.

1) Give us a beat — courtesy of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis! Discipline was the first Jackson album since 1986’s Control not to feature her longtime production team, and it’s been nearly a decade since she’s worked almost exclusively with Jam and Lewis. When she started fooling around with too many other producers (2004’s Damita Jo), her sales went into decline. Now that she’s played the field and hopefully gotten whatever that was out of her system, it’s time for Jackson to re-commit to the architects of her greatest hits.

2) Act her age. The new look is a good start. Sex sells, but after 40, it’s time to sell something else. Jackson has been through a lot in the last few years — the death of her brother, the end of her relationship with Jermaine Dupri. It’s time for a return to the lyrical depth of Rhythm Nation 1814, but this time, instead of looking outward, she should focus inward. Love is a beautiful thing — so is sex — but there’s so much more to sing about.

3) Thank Tyler Perry and move on. It was great of Perry to remind Jackson that she was once a pretty good actress. Why not push herself now and try to become a great one? She should go after a meaty role that will allow her to stretch as an actress and as a singer, too. Isn’t there a Lena Horne biopic in the works? She should try to snatch that plum role from Alicia Keys, who despite a handful of film appearances has made a minimal impression as an actress. No, Jackson doesn’t sound or look anything like Horne, but then nothing about Diana Ross screamed Billie Holliday, and she received an Oscar nomination for expertly channeling Lady Day in Lady Sings the Blues.

4) Pay tribute to Michael one last time. When Natalie Cole duetted with her late dad, Nat King Cole, she scored the biggest album of her career and doubled the three Grammys already on her mantel. Michael Jackson left behind tons of unreleased recordings. Surely one of them would make an excellent brother-sister duet. She and Michael, may he rest in peace, still owe us: The world deserves better than “Scream.”

http://trueslant.com/jere...ise-again/

She and Michael, may he rest in peace, still owe us

Really? Michael and Janet pretty much gave their lives to entertain the world and gave us some of the best music in popular music history. They don't owe people shit these days

One started out at 5 years old and the other started at 8. They've paid their dues

ScarletScandal said:

[img:$uid]http://i47.tinypic.com/k9f6gi.jpg[/img:$uid]

very exciting

" At her ’80s and ’90s peak, she lacked the awe-inspiring vocal might of Whitney Houston Her sales at the time say differently, one of her few hit-making peers. She lacked Madonna’s gift for extreme reinvention PR stunts is no gift. She lacked the pure musical genius of her big brother Michael Bullshit. Every time I saw her smiling and giggling in one of her videos, I frowned, wishing she would display just a little bit more edge. Jeremey needs some glasses."

and his 4th suggestion sucks and Janet doesn't owe him a damn thing

bboy87 said:

She and Michael, may he rest in peace, still owe us

Really? Michael and Janet pretty much gave their lives to entertain the world and gave us some of the best music in popular music history. They don't owe people shit these days

One started out at 5 years old and the other started at 8. They've paid their dues

Exactly. Michael and Janet don't owe us shit.

midiscover said:

" At her ’80s and ’90s peak, she lacked the awe-inspiring vocal might of Whitney Houston Her sales at the time say differently, one of her few hit-making peers. She lacked Madonna’s gift for extreme reinvention PR stunts is no gift. She lacked the pure musical genius of her big brother Michael Bullshit. Every time I saw her smiling and giggling in one of her videos, I frowned, wishing she would display just a little bit more edge. Jeremey needs some glasses."

and his 4th suggestion sucks and Janet doesn't owe him a damn thing

The word 'genius' and Janet Jackson does not go together, even Prince acknowledged this.

As for the poster, why do you think Janet is focusing on movies now, success in the music business is not a given for her anymore and to say Michael owes anybody anything more after all these years is just ludicrous!

[Edited 7/1/10 20:36pm]

ReggaeQueen said:

midiscover said:

" At her ’80s and ’90s peak, she lacked the awe-inspiring vocal might of Whitney Houston Her sales at the time say differently, one of her few hit-making peers. She lacked Madonna’s gift for extreme reinvention PR stunts is no gift. She lacked the pure musical genius of her big brother Michael Bullshit. Every time I saw her smiling and giggling in one of her videos, I frowned, wishing she would display just a little bit more edge. Jeremey needs some glasses."

and his 4th suggestion sucks and Janet doesn't owe him a damn thing

The word 'genius' and Michael Jackson does not go together.

I agree, FailureQueen.

midiscover said:

ReggaeQueen said:

The word 'genius' and Michael Jackson does not go together.

I agree, FailureQueen.

Wow, I just ticked you off, I'm so sorry.....NOT!

Michael Jackson is GENIUS!!!!!...

[Edited 7/1/10 20:41pm]

ReggaeQueen said:

midiscover said:

I agree, FailureQueen.

Wow, I'm just ticked off that Janet shits on my life, I'm so sorry.....that MJ can NOT do the same!

She's forever the flawless queen. Praise her name!

Janet Jackson is GENIUS!!!!!...

[Edited 7/1/10 20:41pm]

I guess, girl

Yeah, I think the days of her selling big numbers are over. If she wants to keep making music, she should go for substance, not the same old flavor of the month BS. And while I agree that her and Michael owe us absolutely nothing, #4 may not be a bad idea, a duet could be the key to making people give a damn about a new album. She needs some kinda bait.

midiscover said:

ReggaeQueen said:

The word 'genius' and Michael Jackson does not go together.

I agree, FailureQueen.

you know better than that

I'm seriously thinking of sending a bomb to folks' houses if they don't have a decent discussion in here.

[Edited 7/1/10 21:11pm]

No, hun. I don't find his nursery rhymes "genius", sorry

midiscover said:

No, hun. I don't find his nursery rhymes "genius", sorry

come on, now, we don't have to downplay one to boost the other up

CHIC0 said:

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That 11th one....I'm gonna need that cloth to slide down a lil more....

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! Nothing we haven't heard already. There are countless threads on "how Janet should revive her career". Yada, yada, yada. Seriously, gtfo.

and Janet would never do his 4th suggestion. Leave that for her desperate siblings. She would rather continue blazing up the bottom of the BB charts than to stoop that low.

[img:$uid]http://i48.tinypic.com/11v7dzn.gif[/img:$uid]

mimi07 said:

4) Pay tribute to Michael one last time. When Natalie Cole duetted with her late dad, Nat King Cole, she scored the biggest album of her career and doubled the three Grammys already on her mantel. Michael Jackson left behind tons of unreleased recordings. Surely one of them would make an excellent brother-sister duet. She and Michael, may he rest in peace, still owe us: The world deserves better than “Scream.”

http://trueslant.com/jere...ise-again/

Janet didn't need Michael when he was alive(rest his soul)So why would she use him now after he is gone to make a comeback musically. She is already doing fine now. Janet also has had hits after "Doesn't really matter"...U ever heard of the All 4 U album? With the number one self titled hit.

people who claim they dont like janet is always up in her business, she dont need advice from random bloggers or whoever this dude is.

Your nostalgia on Janet is very telling. i.e. You actually like the Jam and lewis stuff. Janet Jackson is an incredibly weak talent, only that princey/time thing gave her anything that would make you listen

No! The music business as it once was, is over. There will be no huge sales for anyone anymore.

Eminem and Drake have about peaked with their numbers. Jackson is older now and the young folks are not on her as the same age bracket was back in her hey day.

Lip-syncing at the Essence Festival this weekend, yuck.

Sure she could sale again. As others rightly stated, nobody numbers are what they used to be. I will say she's poised for a comeback.

bboy87 said:

ScarletScandal said:

[img:$uid]http://i47.tinypic.com/k9f6gi.jpg[/img:$uid]

I couldn´t be bothered to read the thread, but I love the gifs.

No chance.

midiscover said:

No, hun. I don't find his nursery rhymes "genius", sorry

Those Nursery rhymes made an impact bigger than her flopfail already forgotten ,stale , lifeless rhymes.....sorry

jcurley said:

Your nostalgia on Janet is very telling. i.e. You actually like the Jam and lewis stuff. Janet Jackson is an incredibly weak talent, only that princey/time thing gave her anything that would make you listen

Yes, an incredibly weak talent - which is why she is headlining major music festivals 30 years into her career.

Yes, her sales can rise again. 450k for Discipline was not the disaster people think it was and is on par or significantly higher than some "major" acts have sold with their latest albums. If she gets a hit and promotes consistently, she can scan gold quite easily.

It's more important for her to regenerate her touring base, though, and that is what I believe she is focusing on at the moment with her American Idol performance and the Essence Festival.

jcurley said:

Your nostalgia on Janet is very telling. i.e. You actually like the Jam and lewis stuff. Janet Jackson is an incredibly weak talent, only that princey/time thing gave her anything that would make you listen

Haters gonna hate!