- Joined
- Jan 11, 2022
- Messages
- 310
escapadé too low!
i love that we all agree enjoy is the best thing to come out of 20 yo.
ACT BAD, DON'T HURT ME, LOOK SEXY, TALK DIRTY
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72. "Every Time"
The Velvet Rope (1997)
71. "So EXcited" (feat. Khia)
20 Y.O. (2006)
70. "Sexhibition"
Damita Jo (2004)
63. "State of the World"
Rhythm Nation (1989)
US Radio Chart #5
Instead of suicide he cries himself to sleep
What is happenin
To this world we live in?
There's got to be a better way-ay-ay!
I do love some woke Janft, and this fulfills that perfectly with a New Jack Swing flair, and also superior to its counterpart "The Knowledge". It received a soft-release as the eighth(!) single off Rhythm Nation and managed to make top five airplay in America with no real push or video. QUEEN
The Shep Pettibone remixes are also on Spotify and are fabulous.
62. "Rollercoaster"
Discipline (2008)
You do it to me every time
I get on your roller coaster ride
Evidence that Janet can make anything into a sexual metaphor, including amusement park rides. The first half of Discipline is loaded with bops and this is no exception. I would have released it as a single had the campaign not been derailed by Island refusing to promote it.
61. "New Agenda" (feat. Chuck D)
janet. (1993)
African American woman
I stand tall with pride
The janet album generally moved on from the social commentary that Rhythm Nation explored so heavily. But "New Agenda" re-visited that theme with a more hip hop driven sound that was markedly different than what we heard before from Janet. There are prominent 70s era samples from Stevie Wonder, Kool & the Gang, and Average White Band. She recently performed it for the first time since the janet world tour at the State of the World Tour in 2017.
60. "Better Days"
All for You (2001)
I'm about to change my vibe
Today the sun's gonna shine
One of the several underrated moments on All for You. Critics give the album flack for lacking the introspection of The Velvet Rope, which is a fair critique, but Janet was clearly trying to avoid the demons she explored on that previous album in favor of carefree post-divorce FUN. "Better Days" is a rare candid moment from the album that acknowledges that, and ends the album on a personal but uplifting note.
59. "What'll I Do"
janet. (1993)
#9 UK (b/w "Whoops Now"); #14 Australia
What'll I do for satisfaction?
If you take away, away your heart?
The superior track of the "Whoops Now"/"What'll I Do" release, in my opinion. This was Janet's first stab at a cover. It is mostly faithful to the original with the 60s rock/soul influence that climaxes into her belting out the "Boy I love ya! wanna hold ya, neeeaaaaarrrr YEAHHHHH!" She is clearly more confident here than we've heard on the previous albums, and venturing outside her comfort zone. It ain't essential, but it's fun!
The Dave Navarro remix puts a nice spin on it too, although I prefer the original.
58. "Feel it Boy" (with Beenie Man)
Tropical Storm (2002)
#9 UK, US #28
Forget everything and everybody
Boy let's just have a party
Me and you
This takes me back to the summer of 2002, Janet's hook completely sells the track. This collaboration was certainly marred by Beenie Man being a big fat homophobe. Janet apologized and said she would have never recorded the song with him had she known. For what it's worth, it semi-flopped outside of the UK, where it performed decently. I do remember it getting quite a bit of play on MTV/VH1 etc, but this and "Son of a Gun" pretty much marked the beginning of the end of Janet's imperial era.
Well that’s not saying much at all. It’s still a solid 3/10.i love that we all agree enjoy is the best thing to come out of 20 yo.
I'm no Janet connoisseur beyond skimming the singles mostly, so these are new to me. New Agenda is my favourite here, the voice has juice to it and the beat loose and warm. These are all strong so far.
Well that’s not saying much at all. It’s still a solid 3/10.
57. "Someday is Tonight"
Rhythm Nation (1989)
I want you so bad I can taste it
Arguably, the first Janet sex track is this sultry gem complimented by subtle moans and delicate vocals. Unlike her later attempts at this genre, there is a beautiful romanticism to it. It crescendos into an extended brassy outro, and then finishes off with Janet having an audible orgasm. Lovely!
56. "R&B Junkie"
Damita Jo (2004)
#101 US R&B Chart
We could bounce, skate and rock
Play that old school I like, yeah
"R&B Junkie"s charms took a few years to win me over, but it's a fabulous throwback moment on an album that occasionally veered toward too much to then-current R&B trends. It was pegged as a fourth single until Virgin abandoned the album, but it managed to attract some radio play anyway and hit #1 on the (Bubbling Under R&B) chart. She gave a fabulous live performance of it at the BET awards that year with "All Nite":
55. "What About"
The Velvet Rope (1997)
What about the times you said you didn't fuck her
That she only gave you head
UH!
Thematically this was an unofficial sequel to "This Time" from the janet album. It feels more traumatic than its counterpart, and its flamenco guitars grow into a climactic rock chorus that unfolds into one of her finer middle eights ("Don't want to live my life in misery, don't tell me you did it cause you love me, I don't believe..."). She made the interesting choice of performing it at the VH1 Fashion Awards shown above, instead of performing one of the biggest hits of the year ("Together Again") or her then current single ("Every Time"). This was rumored to be about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky at the time() which Janet denied.
54. "Take Me Away"
Unbreakable (2015)
Oh I get a natural high just looking in his eyes
So just hold me close, I'm waiting for you
This easily could have been from All for You, and is the most pure pop chorus she's given us in several albums. I love the ad-libs near the end, followed by the guitar, it's effortless and something completely unexpected following the mature R&B sound we got from "No Sleeep". An underrated bop!
53. "What's it Gonna Be?!"
E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1999)
US #3, UK #6
Gonna make gonna make gonna make your body cream
Make you have wet dreams
What what what, what's it gonna be?!
I used to think the video looked so much better than it does now![]()
Basically "No Scrubs" but add cock rings! Anyway, this was one of several Janet collaborations that bridged The Velvet Rope and All for You. The other being the less superior "Boyfriend/Girlfriend" with Blackstreet. The video aside, I think the song has aged rather well and Janet serves impressive vox.
52. "You Want This"
janet. (1993)
#8 US, #14 UK
By the time I'm through with
You'll be begging me for more
"You Want This" is heavily based on a sample from "Love Child" (Supremes), but updates it into a 90s new jack swing girl power anthem. I'll say there are more memorable singles on the parent album but this has grown a lot on me over the years and the video is one of her bests.
And one of the best things to come out of Janet since 2000.
Not really. Not at ALL actually.and seems like a more understated counterpart to MJ's "Will You Be There"
It’s also giving me shanice “I Love Your Smile” teas with the productionNot really. Not at ALL actually.
Anyway, Feedback is dead fun and I’ll forever love the period line![]()