I heard Got Til It's Gone on the radio all the time in late 1997. So it surprised me to later learn that it only made 36th place on the overall chart. It's the one Janet song whose "handling" bothers me the most because its quality isn't even up for debate. It's one of the strongest, most hypnotic, haunting things she's ever done, the video is beautiful, there's no reason in my mind that it shouldn't be up there with some of her biggest hits.

Alternately, imagine a world in which Together Again was released as the first single, I Get Lonely as the second, Go Deep as the third, and then after all that momentum is built up, Got Til It's Gone comes out. Such stuff as dreams are made on...

Oh, and if Go Deep hadn't had a totally garbage video.

That's the album that got me laid when I became sexually active. I had to play it before and during the sexcapade.


I respect the album, era, impact, and legacy of Control, but tired of the songs. From childhood to now, any time I hear Janet on the radio, it's usually a Control song. On every tour, she does most of the songs from that album. It's overkill. The only songs I don't tire of are Nasty and Funny How Time Flies.

20 Y.O. is nowhere near her best effort, but it's repeat value is greater. AFY is cute, but it doesn't do much for me. I love AFY, STCML, China Love, Would You Mind, Feels So Right, and Better Days, but the album overall has too much filler. There are a lot of songs I could do without. I haven't listened to the album in full for years. I always skip tracks.

Damita Jo didn't have the success that AFY has, but again, it's repeat value is greater. There's some songs I tend to skip over (My Baby, R&B Junkie), but many times I listen to it in full. She hasn't performed anything from DJ other than All Nite for over 10 years and DJ didn't get a tour, so I have a bigger appreciation for it.

I agree with much of what you said, except for the bolded. I like the Go Deep video!

I like the releasing of Together Again as the 2nd single. The public always expect Janet to come out with a dance lead single first, as if all she's ever done is dance music. I LOVE her ballads, mid tempos, and freaky jams. I think all of her lead singles are great, but I prefer her laid back approaches with That's The Way Love Goes, Got Til It's Gone, Call On Me, and No Sleeep.

Interesting. I do understand, but Control's message and imagery are so important and influential. I love that it exists in her discography and was the catalyst for her fame. She hasn't done anything as concise or focused since.

I rarely listen to AFY in full myself, but I don't listen to 20 in full either, so agree to disagree I guess. AFY's highs >>>>>>>>>> 20's, and that's enough to place it well above the latter album for me.

I don't disagree that DJ is better than AFY. It's her best 2000s album. I was more talking about DJ being better than Control.

Remember, Janet had a streak going with top 10 singles, so I guess her label didn't wanna mess that up. But what annoys me is if that's the case, why risk putting her as a feature on a song that completely ruined that. She could've easily had 22 straight top 10s.

I do think Control is perfect as an album and era. But I also prefer Rhythm Nation overall and think it's impact was even bigger. The title track is my favorite music video of all time. It was the first concert I attend when I was little.

Putting Damita Jo over Control comes down simply to Damita Jo having more repeat value and Control being dated/overplayed for me. Control is the stronger album content wise, but Damita Jo is the album I continue to listen to way more.

I know placing 20 Y.O. over anything besides the first two albums and Discipline would result in a side eye, but I've listened to 20 Y.O. A LOT this year. And today I'd rather hear Roll Witchu and Take Care over anything from Control again.

Just my opinion.

Nah, I totally get what you mean. It's annoying when you love an artist and there's demonstrable evidence that they've succeeded in more than just one tempo, yet they're characterized as strictly that. It's just that The Velvet Rope is such a great album. On the one hand, it still feels like something of a fan secret and that's special. On the other hand, I love it so much that part of me wishes more people had heard it and Together Again as this monstrous smash hit wonder going into the album launch and holiday shopping season would have been a sweet deal.

I was reading your lovely post and then I got to this part, where the chintzy Call On Me is mentioned in the same sentence as the other three.



She absolutely did have a streak and I can understand the label's inclination to keep that going as long as possible. I wonder what made I Get Lonely different, because it didn't do that hot at Top 40.

Are you referring to Shaggy's Luv Me, Luv Me? A six-minute song I tolerate because the chorus is so swagger-down-the-street worthy?

I just meant that maybe it wasn't smart for Janet to hop on a feature while her streak was going.

Yes. Because Janet's performances and tours are packed with high energy and uptempos, her ballads and midtempo jams often get lost in the shuffle. She's mastered so many types of tempos. They won't let anything but her dance songs be great.

I also knew my love for Call On Me would receive side eyes. I like the song a lot, still to this day. Also a lot of sentimental value as it released around the time I graduated high school. Played the hell out of it that summer.

20 YO has 5 truly listenable songs: Enjoy, Take Care, Love 2 Love, So Excited, and Daybreak. Call on Me is borderline. Anything else produced by JD is literal TRASH. He really ruined what could have been a promising album (based on the other tracks).

Same I really disliked the song upon first listen. The day I worked on my submission for the 20 Years Old - as it was known at the time - album cover, I got all hyped and was like "**** yeah I'm gonna jam to this song let me put it on!" and played it ten times in a row (a feat for me). The next day it was like, "oh, yeah... whatever, I don't like it."

I really like Call On Me, mostly for the brilliant sample in the middle 8 ("calllllllll on meeee, when you need someone who, caaaaares, say the world n i'll be theeeeereeee"), but there's no chance in hell it holds a candle to TTWLG/GTIG/Sleeep.

And if you're a With U hater you are not my friend tbh.

I have a challenge for you guys... if you're feeling up to one.

bring it!! This janetor is ready for the empress of pop!!!

So Excited should've been in the Top 40!! If Khia wasn't so butt hurt on being stuck inside a TV, she may have helped promote the song. Khia gets on my nerves so much.

nn you think Khia promo would've been the ticket to success for SEX? Janet put on several slay performances (her last great promo performances besides maybe the AI 2010 tbh) and it still didn't catch. The song was just not on trend.

I have been binge listening on Runaway lately. I just can't get enough! It's like Escapade's cute little sister.

Stan my favorite Janet song!

Speaking of Runaway, here's my challenge to all the Janet fans

Create a one-disc Design of a Decade track listing, including both Runaway and Twenty Foreplay, that doesn't skimp on the janet. album.

Daybreak and Love 2 Love are no better than With U, Roll Witchu, Days Go By, Get It Out Me, and Do It 2 Me.

With U is LIFE! That should've been bigger than it was. It sounds so good on the radio.

I'm doing it in chrono-ish order because I'm feeling too lazy to be creative about it.

1. Control (with intro)
2. Nasty
3. WHYDFML
4. When I Think
5. Let's Wait
6. (Let's Dance)
7. Rhythm Nation
8. Escapade
9. Black Cat
10. Come Back
11. Love Will Never
12. TTWLG
13. If
14. (Rain)
15. ATAP
16. Twenty Foreplay
17. Runaway
18. Again

That'll fit on one disc, right?