In an interview with madmoiZelle.com, a French website, Janet has said that her upcoming tour is for the most part ready, including the stage and setlist, but that her record company asked her to complete an album and then tour.
She also says that one of her New Year’s resolutions was to help the environment by going green.
In an exclusive interview with Janet Love, the director for Janet’s latest video has told us how he came to work with her and how he has hopes of choreographing something for her upcoming tour.
1) Firstly, congratulations on the Feedback video. Where did the idea come from?
Thank you. Janet gave me a lot of freedom to do what I wanted, although she told me that she was feeling very futuristic.
2) How did you come to work with Janet? Did ‘her’ people call ‘your’ people?
There is a video I made for a British band called Unklejam which seems to excite people in America.
When it was made, there was an article in the papers about how Justin Timberlake went crazy for the video on YouTube and asked them to support him on tour.
Then a little while after that, out of the blue I got the call from New York saying that she liked it, and wanted to talk about making a video together.
3) How closely did you work with Janet to formulate the idea behind the video?
I worked a little with her and her superhuman choreographer, Gil.
Janet is good at contributing her experience and outlook, but also knowing when to let go, which is a quality that I think the best bands and artists have.
4) How long did it take to shoot/edit?
The shoot took 2 very long days.
After that we had a deadline, with only a couple of weeks, but fortunately we had a really strong crew and post team.
Without them I would have been lost.
5) What was Janet like to work with?
She has an amazing aura. I’m very lucky to have worked with a magic person.
6) There are several different interpretations as to the meaning of the video. What’s yours?
I would love to know the interpretations! Post them on Janet Love and I’ll stop by!
7) Do you have any funny anecdotes from the set of the video?
Janet trusted me enough to pour 25 gallons of honey over her while she was suspended on wires.
The other kids in class really love when I tell them that one.
8) Is there a possibility of working with Janet in the future?
I definitely hope so.
I know that Gil, the choreographer is very keen for me to choreograph some songs for the tour.
He describes my style as ‘naive British animalism’, and says that its gonna freak out America.
9) Did you ever dream you’d be working with Janet?
Man, I’ll try to put this into perspective for you.
18 years ago me and my sister begged my mother to let us stay up and watch the premiere of Rhythm nation video on Channel 4.
18 months ago I was making videos for my friends bands, and talking about Michael and the whole Jackson family legacy and what a massive impact it has had on our lives
18 days ago I am on my cell phone affectionately bickering with Janet Jackson about why the sounds need to be louder.
10) Finally, I’m a KCL student myself and I know that you were at Goldsmith’s. What message would you have for any budding directors who aspire to reach the dizzying heights that you’ve reached.
Haha
Try to enjoy everything because everything is all there is.
The Daily Star today features a review of Janet’s new album from the recent London listening party.
I’ve had a sneak peek at two of this year’s biggest albums, Janet Jackson’s Discipline and That Chick by Mariah Carey.
I can reveal that Janet, 41, kicks out the slow jams in favour of club bangers on her strongest and most varied collection in donkey’s years.
Destiny’s Child producer Rodney Jerkins, 30, is the man behind the standout cuts. Sweet, synth heavy lead-off track Love Love Love is the musical equivalent of Fruit Pastels while buzzy hook fest Feedback is the girl’s best single in a decade.
Elsewhere the deliciously Stevie Wonder-ish This Can’t Be Good highlights Janet’s whisper-quiet vocal texture, while Tonight sounds like a future No 1.
Only the super sexy (or plain filthy) title track, a ballad penned by Ne-Yo, 26, misses the mark.
Meanwhile the Daily Mirror has this to say:
After a first listen to Janet’s “comeback” album Discipline, we’re sure her infamous wardrobe malfunction will be forgotten.
Lyrics like: “I’ve misbehaved, I touched myself” and “Tie me to something, take off all my clothes. Take your frustrations out on me” will guarantee that.
After years of British fans asking for it, it looks set to happen – Janet is reported to soon be playing at G-A-Y, a nightclub in central London. A source told the Daily Star:
“Janet is really excited about her new music and can’t wait to get out and start performing again for her fans. She’s very eager to get to the UK, so when she was approached about playing G.A.Y she thought it sounded a wonderful way to mark her comeback.
“The capacity will mean it’s an intimate show and one of her smallest in years. It will be truly spectacular.”
The club is destined to move venues soon and Janet’s appearance is destined to be the last at its current home at the Astoria in Soho. Other acts that have performed at the legendary nightclub include Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera, The Spice Girls and Kelly Rowland.
A new promotional photo of Janet has been released on photographer Mark Liddell‘s website. Click on the image the left to enlarge.
In an interview with news agency AFP, Janet seems split between voting for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. She told Agence France-Presse in an interview she is excited by both of the leading Democrats in the race for the US presidency.”They’re both really exciting. That’s difficult for someone like me, having someone African-American and also having a woman,” said Jackson, the youngest sister of Michael Jackson and a US pop icon in her own right.
Asked if she would be following another prominent US black figure, talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, in endorsing Obama or if she was excited by the prospect of the first black US president, she said “of course that would be exciting.”
“But it would also be exciting to have a woman in office as well,” she added. “That’s why we should have two presidents.”
The artwork for Janet’s upcoming album, Discipline, has been released to fans via her official mailing list. The black and white image features Janet wearing beyond elbow length gloves with the words “JANET” and “DISCIPLINE” written on each arm. Click the image to the left to enlarge.
A new biography released today by Island Def Jam has revealed three new song titles from Janet’s upcoming album.
They include “Roller Coaster” (produced by Rodney Jerkins), “Can’t Be Good” (produced and written by Ne-Yo), and “Letchu Go” (produced and written by Jermaine Dupri and co-written by Johnta Austin).
A Passion For Discipline
Sitting across from a roaring fireplace one winter afternoon in Vail, Janet is curled up on a dark leather couch as she discusses the unlikely topic of Discipline, the title of her new album. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, long graceful branches of towering trees are heavy with snow. In the distance, a lift carries skiers up an imposing mountain awash in white. Janet’s wearing a midnight-black sweat suit, her hair pulled back to the nape of her neck. Her body language is relaxed and her eyes are smiling. She’s trim, and also a little hoarse, having just fought off a cold. The whisper-quiet texture of her voice adds to the intimacy of the conversation.
“Discipline has been much on my mind,” she says. “It’s the idea that unifies the songs on this record. As a concept, and even a lifestyle, discipline goes extremely deep. It can be applied to so much about ourselves. In my case, I see it as one of defining aspects of my character. Discipline was there for me from the start. But it was not until this record that I began to understand its full meaning.
“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.
“So Discipline, as a storyline, begins in my childhood which someone could see as a classic study in discipline. Discipline was part of a family culture that I absorbed. I was born with it.
“I also 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 be adventuresome and fresh. I was interested in exploring musical scenarios–some exotic, many erotic, but all deeply emotional. I wanted to push the envelope. And I’m glad that ‘Discipline,’ both as a song and an album, does just that.
“‘Feedback,’ a Rodney Jerkins production, is a different metaphor that also explores sexual tension. It’s a provocative conversation that invites openness in an area where so many of us are closed off. The same could be said for Rodney’s “Roller Coaster,” a musical ride that reflects that up and downs of romantic/physical agitation and excitement.”
When asked how her concept of discipline has changed over the years, Janet reaches for her mug of hot tea, takes a sip and pauses several seconds before replying.
“Well, I guess if I go back to the beginning I see a little girl, 10-years-old, who’s appearing on ‘Good Times’ and sets her own alarm clock to wake up at 5:30 AM in order to be at work by 7. Then I think about a 15-year-old starting to make records. For the next 25 years, she makes an album every two or three years without fail. Going a little deeper, she learns that the music most connected to her heart has a rhythmic and harmonic complexity that requires work. That means hours and hours trying to compose lyrics and melodies that ring true; hours and hours in the studio layering the vocals that contain the different voices she hears inside her head. Then, of course, the months she spends planning and executing world tours, one after another.”
And does that artist see discipline as a burden?
“No, I see it as a blessing,” Janet is quick to say. “As a child, I took it for granted. That’s who I was. As a teenager, I wanted to sing and dance. I realized that required concentration. I wanted to reach people, and I had the good sense to see that couldn’t happen if my skills weren’t crafted with precision. But as I came to adulthood, I was hard on myself. Discipline is one thing; perfectionism is another. Perfectionism is a kind of punishment. It leads to permanent dissatisfaction and heartbreak. It’s wonderful to strive for excellence, but demanding perfection only leads to heartache and frustration. It took me years to learn that difficult lesson. But in finally learning it, I now see discipline in a new light.”
The light of the winter sun breaks through the grey sky and floods the room. Janet gets up and finds a copy of “Can’t Be Good,” a song written and produced for her by Ne-Yo, who also did “Discipline.” She slips it into the CD player. The sensuous groove stops the conversation; it’s all heavenly harmonies and sweet romantic ambivalence.
“The ambivalence and the discipline are in conflict,” says Janet when the song stops. “I can relate to the story. In fact, I can imagine myself in the story. After a long relationship that ends in pain, I turn to my old friend, discipline. I discipline myself not to get involved, not to be vulnerable, not to fall in love. My discipline protects me from any more hurt. My discipline keeps me on track. But here comes someone who’s so real and right that, as the song says, ‘This can’t be good.’ So discipline really isn’t discipline. It’s just self-protection and fear of being hurt. It’s resistance. Thankfully, the heat of pure passion melts the resistance. And the result is free-flowing love.”
“Listen to ‘Letchu Go,'” Janet continues. “It was written and produced by Jermaine. When I read the lyrics by Jermaine and Johnta Austin, I couldn’t help but cry. The more I thought about the story, the more I saw how it reveals another aspect of positive discipline, especially as it relates to relationships. The song says that we can’t stop trying just because we hit rough times. It’s not too late; we can’t give up on our fate; we can’t let go of that discipline that allows us to work through problems and find a way to the wonders that come with open and honest love.
“The album expresses what I need to express at this moment of my life,” she says. “It says that discipline, rather than being a problem, can bring pleasure. Discipline is a key to freedom. Discipline allows me–allows all of us–to focus. And the focus must be on thoughts and feelings that nourish our physical and spiritual lives.
“Funny, but my first big album also had a one-word title–Control. I was naive in thinking that I could control every aspect of my life. The only one who really has control is God. But it took discipline–the discipline of thought, the discipline of action, the discipline of creating music–to make me see that. Finally, discipline has to do with faith. I have faith that a gentle but steady discipline will let me continue to grow as an artist and a woman.”
Janet appears on the cover of next week’s Billboard Magazine. Janet will also be appearing on the cover of future editions of Essence Magazine and Rolling Stone.
Feedback will enter the UK charts this weekend in the top 150, according to midweek chart predictions. This is highly unusual given that the track was only released to the UK iTunes this week and the single has not been given an official UK release date.
