Top > Entertainment > 2006 > September > 2006-09-28

Janet in Retrospect

It seems as if Janet Jackson has been around forever, simply surviving the music industry for 20 years apparently awards you an eternal spot in the back of music lovers` minds. Aptly named `20 Y.O`, her newly released album marks the number of years that have passed since the release of her debut album `Control`. 20 Y.O. has an eclectic mix of hip-hop, R&B and soul tracks that will pleasantly surprise classic Janet fans and appeal to a younger audience.

The highly anticipated album has been released by Virgin Records and promises to be an ear-catcher. Jackson teams up with the most successful pop/R&B producer of the post-2000 period, Jermaine `JD` Dupri, and long-time friends and hitmakers Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis, her original collaborators on `Control`. The four now make up an unparalleled dream team of talent behind the microphone and the mixing board.

Naming her album 20 Y.O is what has provoked the media to offer numerous summaries of her illustrious, two decade career. They have chosen to focus not on her album but on her career, with emphasis on her inspiration of generations of music lovers and the launch of thousands of admirers and imitators around the world.