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So Janet Jackson’s new single “Feedback” debuted on the radio today, and given that I spent a good chunk of last night listening to the excellent–and chock-full-of-Janet–Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis four-disc box set, I was pretty psyched to hear it. But alas, this Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins maybe Darkchild, maybe Danjahandz-produced track is four minutes of robo-”sexiness” that once again muffles Janet’s voice until she sounds just like any other processed ab-showing diva out there; it sounds like it was left off of Blackout, then subsequently rejected by Cassie. And perhaps with good reason, as any pretense of eroticism was bled dry by a lyric at the very end of the song’s breakdown:
“My swagger’s serious / I’m heavy like a first-day period.”
No, really. I rewound the song three times to make sure. I mean… I don’t know about you, female readers, but “heavy like a first-day period” doesn’t really scream “sexy” to me. Or anything related to “swaggering,” for God’s sake. To me it means “hiding out while wearing sweatpants with lots of TiVoed Law & Order at the ready.” Or “do I really have to get out of bed for the sole purpose of sitting in front of my computer for ten hours?” Or “pass the Advil.” Or “please don’t touch me because I might burst into tears at any moment.” Although… you know, given the rough couple of years that she’s had–the Super Bowl, the Dupri-ing, and the stinkeriffic 20 Y.O.–that last scenario may be the case. This song may be a cry for help!
Anyway, to help remind Janet that she has the potential to be awesome, and that she can be sexy without saying the word “sexy” 200 times in the space of four minutes, I present the below video. Also, Jimmy and Terry, if you are reading this, can’t you help out your former protege in her time of need? She’s obviously in a very bad way. Perhaps you can even get her together with Mya, and the two of them can pow-wow over unfortunate lady-related lyrical metaphors.
“Feedback” [z100.com]
Sorry, Ms. Jackson, but ODB did “sexy sexy sexy” much better, years ago.
This is totally a Blackout reject. Yikes.
um. I don’t think this is about “periods” – I think she means it in the sense of your first day at school and that fist class that is usually full of the homework you’re going to be doing for the rest of the year. Just a shot in the dark.
The song still sucks. And I love Janet Jackson.
Once you said “Darkchild” produced it, I knew she was doomed to another month of the media rehashing her incredible weight loss.
If her brother’s putting Akon on his record, the least she could’ve done is go with T-Pain. Unless there’s a remix…
I don’t know….I kinda like it. I guess I just disagree with you all.
if you didn’t know it was janet and you just heard it somewhere you would think it’s britney.she needs to stop trying to keep up with the 20 year olds it sounds just like everything else out know with the computer animated voices be like you used to be. be original
To all you rejects out there giving “feedback” and acting like you know. First off, to the writer of this article before you write an article about Janet why don’t you do your homework… the song is produced by Danja, NOT Darkchild.
The song is fresh and there are those that just don’t want to accept what Janet’s doing now. She’s not going to be Rhythm Nation forever. This is just like the transition she made from Rhythm Nation to janet. People had a hard time accepting.
Yeah that’s sexy sexy sexy, I don’t mind if Janet says it’s heavy like a first-day period. Obviously the person who wrote this article can’t see the sexiness behind that. It is REALITY! Woman have periods. It is very real… to have that and feel confident is yes, sexy…
So to all you Janet haters why don’t you do some research and ‘Open’ your mind up a little…
So this’ll be 3 flops in a row for her, then…I wonder what label will want her after she blames Def Jam for the failure of this one and jumps ship.
Also, while it’s nowhere near as notable as the “period” line, the one about being “flyer than a pelican” also warrants a mention.
i doubt she will even pull in alicia keys type album sales but this is prob her last chance i have never heard of an artist coming back after three flops so she better hope this one does okay
@mina05: To say she won’t pull Alicia Keys numbers is the understatement of the century. We’re talking Platinum versus Iron Ore here. She couldn’t sniff Alicia’s…
…ok, I’m not going there.
@odiddy: Yes, women do get periods. You’re right! But that lyric… honestly. What were its first drafts? “I’m super like an extra-large tampon?” “I’ll stick to you like a clot?”
Also, if this track was indeed produced by Danja, my Blackout comparison’s kinda even more apt, no?
@maura:
So with you on this one, in fact, Janet should skip the tampons and just go into menopause.
@ceejeemcbeegee: Seconded. I can’t wait to see her in assless chaps for the video.
I am feelin’ this track. Everything will always sound a little like something else out there and I like how Feedback sounds. Janet always seems to have her detractors no matter what she does. Madonna, on the other hand, has had some of the most vapid lyrics out there (Get Together sound familiar?) but hers and her music overall are always said to be “pure brilliance”. The double standard continues. I bet the album will be hot. 8/10 is what I give this lead single. Quit focussing on the period. It’s great mindless pop that will rock the clubs and have heads bobbin’ on the drive home, etc… If she had tried deep lyrics, people would be saying. “Who does she think she is, Joni Mitchell??!! “
Oh well. She still looks FIERCE!
@mina05:
It’s the kind of mindless fun that she should’ve come out with last year. I’m willing to give her a pass and pull out my party pads with wings.
Wawawawawaaaaiiit a minute. I always thought Love Will Never Do was a duet? I JUST realsied she is singing the lyrics for both in this clip. Can someone PLEEEASE explain?
“I think people really need to get over expecting so much from POP MUSIC.”
As someone whose life has been changed and enriched by truly great POP MUSIC again and again, this is the saddest thing I’ve read all day.
Sorry to be the lone voice of dissent, but I love the song. It’s sassy, it’s fun, and it’s got a chance of bringing Janet back from the wardrobe malfunction that shot her down and catapaulted the white man who reached over and pulled her breast out to the top… I think people really need to get over expecting so much from POP MUSIC. Janet can be introspective – check out Control, Rhythm Nation, janet., or Velvet Rope. So she’s happy and wants to do frolicking music… fine. Do your thing Miss Jackson.
Well, actually, I like this track. I think it’s on fiyah. Janet really came with it! It’s been hard after the SB fiasco…but folks have been seriously hard on her. It seems that I’m the only one who liked it…but I LOVED Damito Jo. But I must admit that 20 YO left something to be desired. But, I seriously think this new album is going to set it off. This song is HOT. However, I think Jan could have done without using the “n-word”…she’s too intelligent to resort to that…and “heavy like a first day period…” girl’s got too much class for that. I could have done without those two lines. But, she is trying to keep up with the young divas…I think she’s in a class all by herself…but she’s got to once again set herself a part from the competition. Cause she’s not 20 YO anymore. Ya heard?
Maybe I should just slap a beat together, record my voice with a robotic effect and post my song on youtube saying this is the latest from Britney Spears… or Janet Jackson… or T-Pain because they all sound the fucking same.
@mina05: With lyrics like that, surely a Spinal Tap cover isn’t too far off…
@maura:@odiddy: All I’ve seen on the internets is that Darkchild produced this song, not “Danja.”
@odiddy:
To all you rejects out there giving “feedback”
Love the pun.
@odiddy: Comments like this one make me embarrassed to be a Janet Jackson fan. I’ll leave it at that.
Hmmm, I like it quite a bit, but I suspect it won’t last very long, I don’t think this Rihanna/Britney sound is suited for Janet.
At that point Def Jam, unlike Virgin, will have a second smash single before the album drops in February. Hey, one can only hope…
I mean the lyrics are very juvenile come on now
Janet is a music veteran it’s really something you could hear fergie or britney doing. and i bet the rest of the songs on the album are about her v@gina it get’s really old after awhile.
who came up with these corny juvenile lyrics?
light Skin, Dark Skin, My Asian Persuasion, I Got them all that’s why these girls out here hatin
Cause I’m sexy
Do you like my style
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
I Could rock you down
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
You can work me out
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
Let me show you how
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
So here’s my demonstration
A peep show
Tonight my body’s and exhibition baby
Though it’s on display don’t be scared to
Touch It It said so
So come and get it babe
Strum me like a guitar blow out my amplifier
When you hear some feedback keep going take it higher
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback oh
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback oh
Light Skin, Dark Skin, My Asian Persuasion,
I Got them all that’s why these girls out here hatin
Cause I’m sexy
Do you like my style
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
I could rock you down
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
You can work me out
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
Let me show you how
Yeah that sexy sexy sexy
Before we go any more further
Let me put you up on this secret babe
I got novelties so appeasing
Feed my fetish please
Satisfy me babe
Strum me like a guitar blow out my amplifier
When you hear some feedback keep going take it higher
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback oh
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback oh
You like it how I work my spine
Got you feeling all hypnotized (hypnotized)
I gotta body like a CL5
Make a Nigg@ wanna test drive but I’m so on fire
Flyer than a pelican find another chick better than I don’t see her
Cause my swag is serious
Something heavy like a first day period
Strum me like a guitar blow out my amplifier
When you hear some feedback keep going take it higher
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback
Strum me like a guitar blow out my amplifier
When you hear some feedback keep going take it higher
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback oh
Crank it up give it to me come on
Crank it up give it to me come on
I’m gonna feedback feedback oh
Feedback feedback oh
I thought the “now I’m a slut” act was reserved for sophomore efforts? By that measure, Janet is one horny grad-student.
sexy 36 times
feedback 34 times
and the word nigg@ doesn’t make the song sound any better
a George Michael wanna be?
oh you could have thought of a better one
nothing is going to change the fact that this song is garbage please look at the lyrics juvenile high school lyrics and this is supposed to bring her back from two flops? saying the same things over and over
of course there will be the old tired my Vagina is wet songs and appearing half naked in the video’s and the whispering songs
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Wow there are some dumb fucks here!!! You guys have no taste in music. The song is hot and it will definitely top the charts Mina05 who the fuck are you a George Michael wanna be? Janet’s last CDs didn’t flops. They all were platniumn CDs. I get tired of people comparing her with tired ass Britney. Britney tries to copy Janet, and there is no comparison. All you jealous ass bitches back off Janet!
i’m not sure why people should hate janet or her music in general, given her beauty, generosity and overall consistency from 1986-2003. it’s not like she’s a drunk who falls asleep in her car after getting high.
i don’t know why people would have such a virulent hatred of janet jackson because of her damn nipple. she’s beautiful, generous, and enduring. she was very consistent from 1986-2003. it’s not like she’s a drunk who falls asleep parking her car after getting high.
Aw, some of y’all are harsh! I am really digging “Feedback.” It’s far from Janet’s best work, but still infinitely better than anything off her last album. I’m staying optimistic that the new album is gonna be a return to greatness for Ms. Jackson.