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The First Review!

Filed under: Janet Jackson > Mariah Carey

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Exciting news diva lovers!

DefJam had a listening session in London on Wednesday, where they played most of Mariah and Janet's new albums.

CLICK HERE to get a detailed review of each record!

[Image via Celebrity Babylon.]

Review by Discopop:

Janet and Mariah - First listen!

So, Def Jam were showing off the two female jewels in their crown today with playbacks of the new Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey albums.

Label Boss Antonio "LA" Reid seemed very excited about both of them, although that is his job, and mentioned plans for six singles from Mariah's That Chick, which hits the stores in April.

First up, though, was Janet's Discipline. If you've heard the single, Feedback, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the album. It's crisp, danceable R&B lavished with Janet's trademark velvet harmonies.

The stand-out track was probably Tonight, a bubbling club track which can only be Jackson's response to Rihanna's Don't Stop The Music. Reid mentioned that some of the tracks weren't finished - and this one sounded like it was missing a sample somewhere in the mix. Once that's added, this could be Janet's biggest dance success since Together Again.

Love, Love, Love and This Can't Be Good saw the lyrical return of the sweet singer who first raised her head on Let's Wait Awhile - all coy and bashful while falling head over heels in love.

But the sleazy siren of 20 YO is also present. Title track Discipline is a gruseome plea for fetishistic S&M sex - with Janet referring to her lover as "Daddy" while asking to be tied up and disciplined. Given that her father is a well-documented control freak who used to beat his kids, this is more than a little uncomfortable.

Speaking of family connections, there's long been a rumour that Janet and Michael will team up again (as they did on 1996's Scream) this year. Well, nothing I heard today confirms that rumour - but there is a track called Rock With You that appears to sample the single of the same name from Off The Wall. Could the finished version feature guest vocals by the former King of Pop? I genuinely hope not.

The remaining two tracks, Rollercoaster and Greatest Ex Ever, didn't really set my world alight - but you never know what'll happen on repeated listens.

The main thing seems to be that Janet is back on form, vocally and lyrically. The record is very safe and commercial, although I'm not sure where they'll go for the third single (Tonight surely has to be the second). But as a first step towards career rehabilitation Def Jam have made a strong play for their newest diva.

Their old diva (in terms of contract, not age, of course) is Mariah, who is riding high after the 7xPlatinum-selling Emancipation Of Mimi.

We got to hear 10 tracks from the follow-up, That Chick, which I have to say sounded more polished and commercial than Janet's effort.

One track in particular is set to make big bucks, and that's Bye Bye - a torch song for people "who lost they grandmothers". I guarantee that Simon Cowell will be sick of hearing badly-realised auditions of it by the end of the year.

Lyrics were never Carey's strong point, mind you, so her paean to loss is summed up with not-very-insightful Hallmark platitudes like "I'd give the world to see your face" and "Life goes on". Profound, eh?

Still, at least it's better than when she desperately attempts to prove how bang up to date she is. In Touch My Body, she purrs to her lover: "If there's a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on youtube (youtube)". Not exactly the sexiest boudoir come-on you've ever heard, is it?

But there are plenty of good tunes to counter the awesomely bad lyrics. Migrate, about a night out with Mariah while she wears jeans ("yeah, they fit", she informs us) is sure to be a candidate for heavy MTV rotation, although I hope to god they excise T-Pain's hopelessly strained vocals. Lovin' You Long Time, meanwhile, is a strutting uptempo number very much in the style of It's Like That.

So, what have we learnt from this listening "event"? Well, I wasn't overwhelmed by the music - despite (or perhaps because of) the fact it was played so ear-splittingly loud that it felt like I was being punched repeatedly in the ears by a cyberman. Both artists have turned in a tuneful, competent set of R&B songs, but I'm not sure that any of them have the charisma or vitality to compete with the Rihannas and Beyonces of this world.

Both albums: 6/10 (scores may go up or down after further listens at levels tolerable to the human ear).
Posted: January 16, 2008 at 8:17 pm


158 comments to “The First Review!”

More comments: [1] 2 »

  1. amaranta says – reply to this


    1

    1!

  2. timothya says – reply to this


    2

    first muther fuckers

  3. sdlfkQFDS;LDFKLG says – reply to this


    3

    firs

  4. Shabang-bang says – reply to this


    4

    Can't stand Mariah. Janet's okay, but honestly I think a little over-rated.

  5. KATHLEEN says – reply to this


    5

    FIRST GO OBAMA

  6. Rebecca says – reply to this


    6

    First

  7. sdfsd says – reply to this


    7

    first

  8. ryan says – reply to this


    8

    boobies!

  9. costamesaboy says – reply to this


    9

    does she have any kids???????? seriously

  10. OPRAH says – reply to this


    10

    OBAMA 08
    OBAMA ROCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  11. cheese says – reply to this


    11

    1ST?

  12. lc says – reply to this


    12

    bitch

  13. meme says – reply to this


    13

    love both of them good luck

  14. mcfan says – reply to this


    14

    first?

  15. hstew says – reply to this


    15

    first

  16. Tiffani says – reply to this


    16

    divas make me happy!!

  17. t_baby918 says – reply to this


    17

    first

  18. joh says – reply to this


    18

    go mariah!!!

  19. Tiffani says – reply to this


    19

    divas are exciting!

  20. Tin says – reply to this


    20

    first?

  21. GOD says – reply to this


    21

    first?

  22. first says – reply to this


    22

    first

  23. SAI'S GOLDEN AGE ANGEL says – reply to this


    23

    I CAME TO HAVE A PARTY :)
    So what's it gonna be???

    Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

  24. me says – reply to this


    24

    first

  25. adv says – reply to this


    25

    first

  26. RC says – reply to this


    26

    Can't wait 4 new Mariah!!!

  27. Slut says – reply to this


    27

    hahahahahahahahahaha first review and it's bad!!!!! What did you expect???

  28. Jill says – reply to this


    28

    Love her! She is such a talented singer and has such class.

  29. dyaln says – reply to this


    29

    1st!, yea i luv mariah

  30. mizar says – reply to this


    30

    first

  31. sara elizabeth says – reply to this


    31

    I wont be buying either… or obtaining them illegally.

  32. cock says – reply to this


    32

    SnM yay

  33. kyle says – reply to this


    33

    these are lame reviews. says barely anything about either album.

  34. Ross says – reply to this


    34

    I'm so excited for Mariah's new album!!!

  35. yu says – reply to this


    35

    first!!

  36. j says – reply to this


    36

    can't wait for mariah's album

  37. Frances says – reply to this


    37

    first ? =S

  38. abby says – reply to this


    38

    talk to me on aim! ahbeeex3

  39. Dan says – reply to this


    39

    1st

  40. abby says – reply to this


    40

    talk to me on aim! ahbeeex3

  41. abby says – reply to this


    41

    talk to me on aim! ahbeeex3

  42. abby says – reply to this


    42

    talk to me on aim! ahbeeex3

  43. soulja boyy says – reply to this


    43

    FIRSTT wat now?

  44. abby ! says – reply to this


    44

    talk to me on aim ! ahbeeex3 !