Discipline

Janet Jackson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 26, 2008)
• Original Release Date: February 26, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B00112ARJ0
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (295 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,599 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

International megastar Janet Jackson, who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide and is the newest signing to the Island Def Jam Music Group, has completed her first new single for the label with hitmaking producer Rodney Jerkins. "Feedback" will impact across-the-board at all radio formats on January 7th.

DISCIPLINE, Janet Jackson's new album - and the 10th studio album of her career - is scheduled to arrive in stores on February 26th. In addition to Rodney Jerkins, the new album brings together an A-list of guest producers, including Jermaine Dupri, Ne-Yo, Stargate, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream. DISCIPLINE was executive produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.

In a class all by herself, 5-time Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated Janet Jackson is currently starring in Why Did I Get Married?, the smash hit movie by Tyler Perry, which opened #1 at the box office. This is the third motion picture of Janet's career, and her third to open at #1, following the success of Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), and her leading title role in John Singleton's Poetic Justice (1993).

Product Description

2008 album from the R&B sensation. Janet says 'In putting Discipline out front -- as both the title of the album and title of a song about sexual surrender -- I wanted to announce that I was venturing into new creative waters. That meant working with producers like Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins, and Ne-Yo, whose songs spoke to the immediacy of my emotions. Like all my records, this one, whether intentional or not, has autobiographical roots. It's difficult for me to work any other way. I don't feel it, if I don't believe it, I can't sing it. I believe that discipline has given me the confidence to jump out of the nest. When L.A. Reid, Chairman of Island Def Jam, and I discussed co-executive producing this record, we both agreed that the feeling had to adventuresome and fresh.' Features the first single 'Feedback'. Island.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't hold Janet's former standards against her. February 28, 2008

By R, your friendly neighborhood reviewer

Format:Audio CD

Let me preface this by saying that this is Janet's best album since The Velvet Rope. And I genuinely mean that. And no offense to those three albums in between...I'm not downing them. Discipline is just better. All in all, this is a great album. Though I must admit that I AM a bit biased, I can't imagine why any level-headed "reviewer" here on Amazon would brand this CD as being one or two stars out of five. I'm guessing that most of this is spawned from the media and how it likes to give off the impression that Janet has no career to speak of. Which is sad, in my opinion because obviously these type people haven't experienced Janet at her finest. She's consistently put out great music...moreso than any other artist I can think of off the top of my head. Another thing I've noticed alot frequently is that Janet gets criticised for her "overly sexual" lyrics. Why is it that R. Kelly (along with other "aging" male R&B acts) can get away with nothing but praise when all they talk about on a single album is what Janet gets slammed for doing on two out of fourteen tracks? When Janet resorts to singing about "Booty Meat" (see Soulja Boy) then, by all means, flame away. But, as for now, kindly recognize that Janet is as dignified, strong, enduring, and strangely innocent today as she was when she was 20 YO.

Overall Grade: B+

Feedback: one of the albums best tracks is also it's first single. A straight-up dance song (and currently #3 on the US Dance Charts) this is pretty different than anything I've heard from Janet....which is good. In fact, the space age instrumentals sound like something that Kayne would gravitate towards. One of my favorites.... B+

Luv: Another dance-oriented track and one of the more mainstream tracks on Discipline, this is actually better than Feedback in my opinion. It's hard to imagine any fan of modern pop music turning their back on this song. A

Rollercoaster: Very strange song for Miss Jackson. Sounds one part African-inspired, one-part modern dance, and one-part something else all together. As you can see, this is a very hard song to describe with my minimal writing abilities. But the word bizarre comes to mind. B+

Rock With U: NOT a cover of her brother's single. This track (the second single) is definitely a "chill" song. Futuristic, robotic, and sexy like a shiny, sleek, expensive car. A definite house-type song, destined to be heard in the clubs. Luv it. A.

2nite: A guilty pleasure of mine for sure...sounds like something Janet would've did in the eighties with Control. Not amazing, but it sure is danceable. Very fitting for the album. B-

Can't B Good: Possibly my favorite song from Discipline. I loved this song thirty seconds into hearing it for the first time. It's reminiscent of the "janet." era, for sure and another "chill" song. Reminds me of "The Body That Loves You" coupled with a modern hip hop beat. Amazing. Bordering on A+...not quite there, though.

Never Letchu Go: I can see why a lot of people would like this...but in all honesty, it's not for me. Very nineties...I can see Boyz 2 Men performing this. For me, the Japanese Bonus track "Let Me Know" would've been a better addition than this. Nice beat, though. C

Greatest X: VERY mainstream. Had this been a single, it would've reached a wide audience. Listening to this makes me picture a couple dancing cheek to cheek at their high school prom. Nice chorus, but the song really takes off more near the end. "Greatest X" has been compared by one music critic to One Republics "Apologize." Worth a few listens. If you didn't like it at first, it will surely grow on you. B

So Much Betta: The album goes back into dance tracks with this. It's a nice song, known for samplind Daft Punk. Not really much I can think to say about it. Janet's robot maid/assistant/whatever, Kyoko does the chorus. Interesting, short, and sweet, if not a tad repetetive. B-

The 1: Believe it or not, I used to hate this, but I must say that this is growing on me in a big way. It sounds like one of the better tracks from 20 y.o. And Missy Elliot might just catch you off guard with her opening rap. Watch for Janet to be flamed for the "seven inches" lyric as she was for Feedback's "period" one. B

What's Ur Name: Sweet, dreamy instrumentals and an all-around decent song. Kinda follows the trend of "good, not great songs" from the second part of this album, but it's still something worth hearing. I'm sure It'll grow on me. This is the closest thing resembling filler that you'll hear on this album. C

Discipline: Janet's already gotten some heat for the lyrics on this one. Not one of the albums stellar tracks, but very interesting and memorable. Memorable for it's sensual lyrics and S&M themes. Overall, though, it's very nice and smooth. C+

Curtains: Sexy is the first song that comes to mind. Sexy instrumentals, sexy lyrics, and, as always, sexy vocals from Janet. Another one that had to grow on me though. A nice closing song for an album that could've been The Velvet Rope part 2 had the second half been as strong as it's first. B+

4 stars for the album, 1 for it simply being Janet. :) Read more ›

90 of 108 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars What we have here is a failure to communicate February 28, 2008

By Terry Mesnard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

For me, The Velvet Rope was Janet's masterpiece, though I didn't feel that way at the time. It wasn't until later that I realized how often the CD found its way back into my CD player. Velvet Rope seemed to culminate all the ideas and concepts Janet had been toying with since she first came on the scene. It represented Janet at her most personal, vulnerable and sexy with songs that ranged from an abusive relationship, to loss of a loved one to being tied up (presumably with ropes that were velvet) during sexual encounters to a bunch of emotions that ran the gamut of chaste to...not so chaste. It was expressive, dark and moody. Since then, her releases have been very cheery, which isn't a problem in and of itself.

Here's the thing. I've been listening to Janet Jackson since Control, when I was a young kid in the 80s. I've loved every single album she's released and even when the last two haven't been so great, I've still enjoyed them. The problem is, ever since All For You, the CDs have begun to run together. While I really enjoyed 20 Y.O., I was hoping for further evolution of Janet as an artist and I placed my hope in Discipline. Unfortunately, what I'm finding is an artist that seems to be trying so hard to gain a hit again that she's giving up everything that makes her unique.

It starts with getting rid of Jam and Lewis, her cohorts in crime since the beginning. When 20 Y.O. came out, I had thought that maybe finding new producers might help her freshen her image, but that has backfired. The songs on Discipline are...well, a lot of them are boring. They feel like any of the other nameless R&B artists out there, pumping out music that anyone of them could sing as opposed to personal songs that have defined Janet over her 20+ year career....

"Feedback" is a fun song; I was hoping that it was a sign that Discipline would be a great, daring new CD. But, after that song, I found myself stuck in music that wasn't exciting, daring or different. The only songs that really stuck out to me throughout my listens were "The 1" with Missy, "The Greatest X," and the aforementioned "Feedback." Those are ones I've listened to on a few occasions because I've enjoyed them and they remind me of some of Janet's fun, good songs. A few songs in the middle, like "Rock With You" are enjoyable, if easily forgetable. Then there are the ones that simply are crud. The title track, for instance, is probably the biggest misstep of Janet's career. It's not the sexy, sultry song she wants it to be and he use of the word "daddy" just adds to the weirdness. Honestly, at 40, shouldn't Janet be past the father-figure authoritarian fantasy? Even if not, this was done much better...in the Velvet Rope with "Rope Burn."

Instead of being the comback album Janet and friends have been hoping for since 20 Y.O., Discipline finds Janet so desperate to make a comeback album that she's willing to sacrifice her soul to do so. Melodramatic, I know, but this is the first time I've seen her singing songs she didn't write. Granted, Janet's not exactly the great poet of R&B, but it was her words, they came from her heart and they were about things she was facing. Instead of writing her album, she hired "hitmakers" to create songs and it shows. None of the songs really feel like a Janet song; they could just as easily be sung by any of the countless other R&B performers out there. What's worse, a lot of the songs feel like filler and I'm having trouble, looking at the song list, trying to remember how some of the songs go. By trying so desperately to make a comeback, Janet gave up what made her, her.

I know this isn't going to be a popular review and I'll have to be content with that. Believe me when I say that I'm sad that this is my first non-glowing review for Ms. Jackson. Before I bought this album, I was hearing a lot of less than stellar things being said here and elsewhere, I just told myself that these people were the haters and that her album would be good. Unfortunately, that's not the case and I've been seeing some fans, both longtime fans and new, saying similar things.

In a career that spans more than 20 years, everyone is entitled to a dud. As a fan of her work, this would be that one for me.

2.5 stars Read more ›

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How Janet got her groove back... February 26, 2008

By Nse Ette TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

Janet Jackson returns with her tenth studio album, "Discipline", hoping to regain the chart glory she once had before that infamous Superbowl incident. Ditching long-time producers Jam and Lewis, she's hooked up with a slew of producers and songwriters (she doesn't write anything this time, she'd previously co-written most songs on every album from "Control" to date) such as Rodney (Darkchild) Jerkins, Ne-Yo, Tricky Stewart, Stargate, and boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, to mention a few. More upbeat (and much better) than her previous release "20 Y.O.", the moods range from club bangers, mid-tempo numbers, edgy funky numbers, and chilled out baby making music.

Falling into the Upbeat club bangers category are lead-off Darkchild produced single "Feedback" (with stomping beats, intermittent rolling marching band drums, and distorted vocodered vocals), "Rock with U" (not big brother Michael's hit, but a funky song with bubbly 80s sounding synths, and Janet cooing over the beats, penned by Ne-Yo and Jermaine Dupri - the interlude before this song, "Bathroom break" is quite funny with a Daft Punk song playing in the background), and the club friendly Stargate produced "2nite" (with great bubbling synth breaks). Taking the tempo down a bit (and still highly danceable), we have the lovely "LUV" (nice echoing chorus and harmonies and a heavy bassline), and "Let me know" (a bonus on the Japanese version, as well as on iTunes) which is cut from the same Pop fabric as her hit "Runaway"....

The edgy funk numbers are the rather atonal and sparse Darkchild produced "Rollercoaster" with percussion giving a spinning sound (faintly reminiscent of "Escapade" and it's catchy and grows on you), the Prince-like "So much betta" with chipmunk vocals and a sample from Daft Punk (who really must remember to buy Kanye West a nice "Thank you" card) it reminds me a bit of "Nasty", and the sexually charged "The 1" with Missy Elliott, nice percussion, chiming sounds and bursts of electric guitar. These three sound most like Janet's Jam/Lewis stuff of the past.

For ballads, there's the soothing lite-jazz of "Can't be good" (which reminds me a bit of "I can't help it" by Michael), the catchy "Greatest X" (she must have an ex fixation, there was "Thinkin' bout my ex" on "Damita Jo"), "What's ur name", and (for the first time on a Janet album) the title track "Discipline" which is the best of the lot; A steamy slowed down Jodeci/R Kelly style soulful ballad with lovely harmonies, (again) sexually charged masochistic lyrics about "having misbehaved and wanting her daddy to discipline her and make her cry", and heavy breathing at the end. What was her crime? "I touched myself/when you told me to wait". Surprisingly, it works very well, and is her most memorable ballad since "I want you".

The other ballads; "Never letchu go" (with sprinklings of electric guitar), and "Curtains" are not bad, but I get the feeling they would sound better sung by someone like Mary J Blige or Mariah Carey. They are so-so songs which need someone with powerful vocal chops to carry them off, Janet sounds lost in the mix here. I feel these could have been replaced with more upbeat songs, but like I said, they are not bad.

Good to see that she has toned down the overt sexual nature of her lyrics that appeared in her last 3 albums (we really didn't need to know about the temperature or humidity of her hidden body parts, "Warmth" and "Moist"), she doesn't have to be an oversexed android all the time. I think this album could bring Janet back on top, IF radio gives her a chance. So far, "Feedback" has been given a wide berth, but that doesn't detract from the fact that this is a very good fun album which should give Janet her 6th #1 album.
P.S. I do not like the album cover photo; she looks like a bad drag queen. :-) Read more ›