20 Y.O.

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Editorial reviews

Description
Ninth album from the RnB diva celebrates the 20 years sinceher breakthrough album 'Control', in which time she has arguably eclipsed the success and fame of her elder brother, becoming the biggest-selling female artist in the world. With Jermaine Dupri joining as producer alongside Jackson regulars Jam & Lewis, '20 Y.O.' moves away from the slow jams featured heavily on her recent albums and marks a return to the uptempo dance sound that made her name, with the lyrics of some songs referencing those of tracks on 'Control'. Includes the singles 'Call On Me' and 'So Excited'.

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-08-12 rating:
20 Years Ohhh
The title and opening suggest we reflect on her first twenty years (see later correction) where J pores over the ground covered between Control and 20 while voicing over samples from your favourite JJ&J releases.
Preparing us to embark on a new direction? I think Not!!! Why don't you just Hit me baby yet one more time....
Junkyard drum samples? .....check.
Four by four-square rigid syncopation? sparse urban production...check, check.
Paula Abdul Militant choreography?...check.
Philosophical (well she seems to think they are) interludes to link the tracks?... oh Janet do we have to?... check!
All proving that in twenty years we have come exactly nowhere.

Preceding the Twenty years between the first record(that you want us to remember) and this, there are a few very carefully forgotten bits of musical embarrassment locked in the Jackson "family" albums marked Early Childhood. Two early 80's pieces so awful they simply ceased to exist before the JJ engine reboots for the dance floor smash that was Control. 20 takes us right back to those fragile beginnings.

Just as Miss Spears is starting to lose it, J picks up one of her discarded jump suits, noting the similarity to her own spandex and tries it on for size.... Oh Dear.
The target range for this album lies approximately between that of a Bratz doll and your first dental retainer. And for the first time in years there is no set piece pornographic Parental Advisory to worry your (Republican) Mom & Dad that your rebellious tendencies will bring about your retirement from beauty pageants before you've graduated to cheerleading - although Love 2 Love "comes" (sic) desperately close. So Excited can't even live in the shadow of Herbie Hancock's monumental ROCKIT. Sampling this was a bad move for track #1 proper. It takes ten more (if you count the wretched interludes) before I'm woken up by the rolling chugger that is Enjoy, then we have to crawl back under the covers again, because it's time for the sorry Miss Jackson to sleep with the listener again through Take Care.
Wait a minute! What if 20 celebrates two decades with Flyte Tyme?
Jimmy - Terry - Andre.....YOU can do better than this.

Someone once said "Never impersonate yourself, somebody else always does it better..."

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review by: J date: 2007-12-10 rating:
GREAT ALBUM!
This is the first Janet album I bought! At first I listened, skipped a few tacks and just added it to my collection, few months later I listened again and it was on non-stop! I didnt realise how good this album is, now that i have just about neally all her albums, i know it isnt her best work but there's some cool tracks! I was starting to type the tracks i like and realise theyr all great. Dont listen to the bad reviews! Buy it now!

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review by: date: 2007-10-28 rating:
20 Years... and Janet's still got it!
In September of 2006, Janet Jackson released what is probably her most Urban album yet, 20 Y.O., follow-up from DAMITA JO (2004). 20 Y.O. itself isn't one of Janet's best efforts to date by any means; it has its faults and weaknesses, but for the most part the songs are tight and slick. Janet took a slightly different turn with this album also, working with her current boyfriend Jermaine Dupri. She has said herself that the album is meant to be an anniversary of her breakthrough set, CONTROL (1986), though in my opinion it really sounds nothing like it.

1. 20 (Intro) (00:53)
2. So Excited (featuring Khia) (03:14) - 10/10
3. Show Me (03:38) - 10/10
4. Get It Out Me (03:04) - 10/10
5. Do It 2 Me (04:06) - 10/10
6. This Body (04:10) - 10/10
7. 20 Part 2 (Interlude) (00:27)
8. With U (05:08) - 9/10
9. Call On Me (with Nelly) (03:24) - 8/10
10. 20 Part 3 (Interlude) (00:28)
11. Daybreak (04:21) - 10/10
12. Enjoy (04:30) - 10/10
13. 20 Part 4 (Interlude) (00:43)
14. Take Care (05:43) - 10/10
15. Love 2 Love (05:03) - 8/10
16. 20 Part 5 (Outro) (01:03)

The album begins with an Interlude with Janet speaking about what she's talked about through her songs in the past twenty years of her career, and at the end she states on this effort she wants to have fun. Which is exactly what the album is. It starts the album off quite well. The next four tracks: "So Excited" featuring Khia, the second single, "Show Me," "Get It Out Me" and "Do It 2 Me" are the dance tracks of the album, and work really well on the album. I can't choose a favourite out of the four - they're all so brilliant! "This Body" has an rock feel to it, but is still an Urban cut. It could have been Janet's 2007 Black Cat, but unfortunately it is not. Great song still. The album continues with yet another interlude, before the next two tracks: "With U" and "Call On Me" (with Nelly). The former is a mild R'n'B number while the latter is really the worst song on the album. Why it was chosen as the first single from the album I do not know. Followed by another meaningless Interlude, "Daybreak" and "Enjoy," the latter being one of my favourites on the album, pick things back up. 20 Y.O. continues with a sexy interlude, which puts the listener in the mood for the next track, "Take Care." I sometimes find Janet's baby-making songs quite tiresome, but this is easily the best song on the set for me. It's done in a much more classy way to her usual baby-making songs. Reminds me of her hit single "Anytime, Anyplace" from the amazing "JANET." (1993) album. "Love 2 Love" is only slightly better than the worst song, "Call On Me," and really isn't a good closure. The Outro is hilarious and by far the best Interlude on the album.

In conclusion, 20 Y.O. isn't really on par with Janet's other albums, but it's definately still five-star worthy and worth a listen from anyone who is a fan of any of her past work or anyone who likes Urban music. Personally, I prefer her pop/rock music, which seemed to stop at DAMITA JO, which may explain the reason for me thinking this is Janet's worst album yet. Or maybe it's the fact that longtime producers Jam & Lewis weren't involved in this album as much. Although it's a nice album to listen to, you see a dramatic change in Janet's music and even her vocals also. I'm hoping her next is better, even though 20 Y.O. is still excellent and proves that Janet really is still in control.

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review by: Game Addict date: 2007-08-08 rating:
So Not Excited!
Wel not a very good album best track is so excited 5/10 buy it if you must.


review by: A New Yorker date: 2007-07-01 rating:
This album really signifies everything that she had done in the past.,
After hearing this album for some time I realize that this album is not "Classic Janet" or "New Janet" or anything. It just a celebration of 20 year in the music business. It is what it is. People will probably be playing her previous albums such as 'Control,' 'Velvet Rope' and/or her other works just to celebrate her 20 years in the business. To be honest I really haven't heard the `Damita Jo' album but I'll probably go back and listen to that just for the connection to this album but as for now it is a mix of music styles from all her albums recollected.

Although '20 Y.O.' only has 11 tracks, you won't find much filler here. Even the interlude are better this go around. Although it may not have a true break-out single, the album as a whole is pretty good. From the female anthem "Show Me" to the Escapish "Daybreak" to the rockish "This Body", there's something for everyone on this album. It's also nice that she got back with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis but you can't really tell that they're together until you flip to the last page of the booklet.

The songs that stood out to me was of course was the chart-topping hit, "Call On Me" (with Nelly unfortunately), "So Excited" featuring Khia, "Love 2 Love," "Daybreak," "With U", "Get It Out Me", "Take Care", and "This Body".

20 Y.O. is fun and simply consistent. You can play this album from the beginning to the end and almost not skip a track including the interludes because each track flows perfectly well together.

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