Best Janet Jackson album?

[Brian Ryan 1,468]

Best: The Velvet Rope
Worst: Discipline (I still want my money back she promised) 

[ReidOne 12,427]

1 minute ago, BrianxRyan said:

Worst: Discipline (I still want my money back she promised) 

Discipline had some really great moments ("Feedback" is a Janet classic, and I was literally dancing around my house last night to "So Much Betta") but on the whole, it's not a solid album. 

But worst HAS to be '20 Y.O.' ... what a mess. 

[ReidOne 12,427]

Also, honorable mentions for the 2004 album 'Damita Jo'... It's such a shame it was completely overshadowed by the Super Bowl Nipplegate scandal, because this album was great. But everyone "hated it" because hating on Janet was the "cool" thing to do after the Super Bowl.

It was a true "return to form" for Janet (reuniting with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for production of most of the songs, after she branched out to other producers on 2001's 'All For You' to mixed results). 

It's definitely not her best work, but it's closer to the classics than most people realize. 

And it gave us these two amazing bops!! 2 of my all-time favorite Janet tunes...

 

 

[Brian Ryan 1,468]

1 minute ago, ReidOne said:

Discipline had some really great moments ("Feedback" is a Janet classic, and I was literally dancing around my house last night to "So Much Betta") but on the whole, it's not a solid album. 

But worst HAS to be '20 Y.O.' ... what a mess. 

 

no, you didn't that's one of her best. Feedback and whatever that 2nd single were good. Overall, that album was horrible. I still remember buying the Deluxe on Itunes then finishing it and just deleting. She's the reason I ALWAYS listen to albums before I buy. Her new album was redeemable though.

[Aleks 3,946]

"Control" is my favorite one by far!

Favorites

• Let's Wait Awhile

• The Pleasure Principle

Least favorite

• You Can Be Mine

[ReidOne 12,427]

12 minutes ago, BrianxRyan said:

no, you didn't that's one of her best. 

You really think so?! I feel the same way about '20 YO' that you feel about 'Discipline.' I could hardly listen to it. There's only a handful of songs that I can stand to listen to... "Get It Out Me" is my JAM, but it's the only one I stan for from that album. I also like Enjoy, So Excited, and Call On Me. But that's it. I can't stand the rest.

 

12 minutes ago, BrianxRyan said:

no, you didn't that's one of her best. Feedback and whatever that 2nd single were good. Overall, that album was horrible. I still remember buying the Deluxe on Itunes then finishing it and just deleting. She's the reason I ALWAYS listen to albums before I buy. Her new album was redeemable though.

Yes, the 2nd single "Rock With U" was a bop!! 

I loved more than half the album, tho! Faves: 

Feedback
So Much Betta (with a 90's Daft Punk sample)
Rock With U
Discipline
Rollercoaster
Luv
Can't B Good
What's Ur Name

[ReidOne 12,427]

2 minutes ago, Aleks said:

"Control" is my favorite one by far!

Favorites

• Let's Wait Awhile

• The Pleasure Principle

Yes!!  

I will never forget in 2003, I took a trip to NYC (when I was 20). I was randomly wandering around the streets just soaking up the city (I'm from the midwest) and I randomly stumbled upon the movie theater that she used in the "Let's Wait Awhile" video. I had a total fangirl moment!! I went up to the ticket counter and asked the attendant (a young woman), "DO YOU REALIZE JANET JACKSON FILMED LETS WAIT AWHILE HERE!?" ... she was like "Uhhh... really? I did not. So, do you want to buy a movie ticket?" 

LMAO

My pics from that day (2003): 

 

Let's Wait Awhile video (1987): 

 

[Aleks 3,946]

1 minute ago, ReidOne said:

Yes!!  

I will never forget in 2003, I took a trip to NYC (when I was 20). I was randomly wandering around the streets just soaking up the city (I'm from the midwest) and I randomly stumbled upon the movie theater that she used in the "Let's Wait Awhile" video. I had a total fangirl moment!! I went up to the ticket counter and asked the attendant (a young woman), "DO YOU REALIZE JANET JACKSON FILMED LETS WAIT AWHILE HERE!?" ... she was like "Uhhh... really? I did not. So, do you want to buy a movie ticket?" 

LMAO

My pics from that day (2003): 

 

Let's Wait Awhile video (1987): 

 

Oh my God, that's amazing! I wanna go to New York just so I can take selfies in front of it. 

[Thomas P 18,479]

50 minutes ago, ReidOne said:

...and if we are talking singles, my all-time favorite Janet single (song AND video) has to be "If" from the 'janet.' album. 

This song and video is considered the "pinnacle" of Janet's career among many of us Janet fans over age 30. It was not her biggest hit (but by no means a flop --- it peaked at #4 on the Hot 100), but it's really Janet at her best. 

- Music is a funky blend of pop, dance, rock, and R&B. Truly the best of all worlds. 
- Brilliant choreography.
- the sexiest Janet has ever looked.
- Amazing set design, lighting, cinematography.
- scandalous lyrics ("your smooth and shiny feels so good against my lips, sugar, I want you so bad I can taste your love right now, baby" --- sung as she wipes her lips in the choreography, lol)

 

 

It's also inspired some amazing tributes! Here is Pink, Usher and Mya performing the choreography in 2001 at the MTV Icon tribute to Janet: 

And my personal fave, Ciara performing it at the BET Awards tribute to Janet in 2015: 

 

 

1 hour ago, ReidOne said:

It's impossible to choose!! Janet has one of the best pop discographies of all time. 

Every album she released from 1986-1997 was pretty much solid from start to finish: 

Control (1986)
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
janet. (1993)
The Velvet Rope (1997)

@Thomas P since you are such a fan of Beyonce's 'Lemonade' I recommend you start with Rhythm Nation, since that was basically a huge point of inspiration for 'Lemonade':

- politically fueled lyrics tackling topics like racism, sexism, poverty, education, etc...
- a "visual album" with a mini-movie with 4 music videos released to hype the album launch
- timeless bops
- shattered chart records (the first album EVER to score 7 top 5 hit singles)

This was actually really helpful! Thank you.

[Thomas P 18,479]

1 hour ago, ReidOne said:

It's impossible to choose!! Janet has one of the best pop discographies of all time. 

Every album she released from 1986-1997 was pretty much solid from start to finish: 

Control (1986)
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
janet. (1993)
The Velvet Rope (1997)

@Thomas P since you are such a fan of Beyonce's 'Lemonade' I recommend you start with Rhythm Nation, since that was basically a huge point of inspiration for 'Lemonade':

- politically fueled lyrics tackling topics like racism, sexism, poverty, education, etc...
- a "visual album" with a mini-movie with 4 music videos released to hype the album launch
- timeless bops
- shattered chart records (the first album EVER to score 7 top 5 hit singles)

Okay I've listened to control, Rythm nation, and most of velvet rope. Velvet rope is like art in my ears, but the other two have more bops. Rythm Nation is my fav song for sure.

[ReidOne 12,427]

11 minutes ago, Thomas P said:

Okay I've listened to control, Rythm nation, and most of velvet rope. Velvet rope is like art in my ears, but the other two have more bops. Rythm Nation is my fav song for sure.

Yes!! You get a 100% for today!!! Completely agree with all you just said. 

Now, don't miss the janet. album because it is probably my personal fave out of them all. Even though The Velvet Rope is her most artistic and most personal (and gives me my goddamn LIFE), janet. is her greatest balance of artistry and pop bops. With some seriously legit R&B.

'janet.' was her coming-of-age "sex" album and it was released in 1993, at the height of Michael's downfall with his admitted drug addiction (and rehab visit) for painkillers and all the child molestation allegations. Why is that important? Because in the realm of the Jackson family, Janet always lived in MJ's shadow before this. But when his downfall happened in 1993, Janet was **peaking.** And the US went CRAZY with the realization that Janet is basically his female equivalent.

The janet. album spawned hit (That's the Way Love Goes), after hit (If), after hit (Again), after hit (Anytime, Anyplace), after hit (You Want This), after hit (Because of Love). 

I live for it. 

and (apparently) so does Gaga: 

[ReidOne 12,427]

7 minutes ago, ReidOne said:

Yes!! You get a 100% for today!!! Completely agree with all you just said. 

Now, don't miss the janet. album because it is probably my personal fave out of them all. Even though The Velvet Rope is her most artistic and most personal (and gives me my goddamn LIFE), janet. is her greatest balance of artistry and pop bops. With some seriously legit R&B.

'janet.' was her coming-of-age "sex" album and it was released in 1993, at the height of Michael's downfall with his admitted drug addiction (and rehab visit) for painkillers and all the child molestation allegations. Why is that important? Because in the realm of the Jackson family, Janet always lived in MJ's shadow before this. But when his downfall happened in 1993, Janet was **peaking.** And the US went CRAZY with the realization that Janet is basically his female equivalent.

The janet. album spawned hit (That's the Way Love Goes), after hit (If), after hit (Again), after hit (Anytime, Anyplace), after hit (You Want This), after hit (Because of Love). 

I live for it. 

and (apparently) so does Gaga: 

I also want to add, the 'janet.' album was about much more than just sex. While I was a fan of it at the time of its release in the 90's, one of my favorite memories listening to it came in 2008, right as I was leaving the polling place after casting my vote for Barack Obama to become the first black President of the United States.

As I got in my car after voting, I played this song, "New Agenda," and --- to my surprise --- tears began streaming down my face uncontrollably. Just listen to these lyrics. I'll always feel a deep connection to this song because of that moment. It perfectly captured my feelings in that moment. 

This song is everything to me... It's Janet's "Born This Way." 

 

[Thomas P 18,479]

3 minutes ago, ReidOne said:

I also want to add, the 'janet.' album was about much more than just sex. While I was a fan of it at the time of its release in the 90's, one of my favorite memories listening to it came in 2008, right as I was leaving the polling place after casting my vote for Barack Obama to become the first black President of the United States.

As I got in my car after voting, I played this song, "New Agenda," and --- to my surprise --- tears began streaming down my face uncontrollably. Just listen to these lyrics. I'll always feel a deep connection to this song because of that moment. It perfectly summarized my feelings as my vote helped our nation enter a new era. 

This song is everything to me... It's Janet's "Born This Way." 

 

 

9 minutes ago, ReidOne said:

Yes!! You get a 100% for today!!! Completely agree with all you just said. 

Now, don't miss the janet. album because it is probably my personal fave out of them all. Even though The Velvet Rope is her most artistic and most personal (and gives me my goddamn LIFE), janet. is her greatest balance of artistry and pop bops. With some seriously legit R&B.

'janet.' was her coming-of-age "sex" album and it was released in 1993, at the height of Michael's downfall with his admitted drug addiction (and rehab visit) for painkillers and all the child molestation allegations. Why is that important? Because in the realm of the Jackson family, Janet always lived in MJ's shadow before this. But when his downfall happened in 1993, Janet was **peaking.** And the US went CRAZY with the realization that Janet is basically his female equivalent.

The janet. album spawned hit (That's the Way Love Goes), after hit (If), after hit (Again), after hit (Anytime, Anyplace), after hit (You Want This), after hit (Because of Love). 

I live for it. 

and (apparently) so does Gaga: 

I'm listening to the album now. It's beautiful. Like I love it so far. She's battling Madonna at this point for my fav 80s/90s artist, and I never thought anyone could come close to the love I have for Madge.

[ReidOne 12,427]

7 minutes ago, Thomas P said:

 

I'm listening to the album now. It's beautiful. Like I love it so far. She's battling Madonna at this point for my fav 80s/90s artist, and I never thought anyone could come close to the love I have for Madge.

 

[migamiga 12,101]

Velvet rope velvet rope velvet rope velvet rope. I can't recommend it enough!

im also a fan of control and rhythm nation