Tue:30-09-2008

- Another 'Malfunction' For Janet Jackson?

Janet Drops Def Jam, Or Did Def Jam Drop Janet?

Is Janet Jackson suffering another 'malfunction'?

Perhaps, but thankfully this time there is no nipple involved. As you may of heard (or not) 90's superstar Janet Jackson's latest release 'Discipline' bombed when it was released earlier this year. But rather than simply wallowing about the 'sales malfunction', Janet has decided to incite blame and take action.  Miss Jackson is saying farewell to her label Def Jam, and is going independent.

This separation occurs just 14 months after she signed on to the label. Janet has announced through her publicist, "Now more than 20 years after the release of her iconic album, 'Control', Janet will have autonomy over her career, without the restrictions of a label system".

She goes on to say, "Always known to break new ground and set trends, Janet's departure from Island makes her one of the first superstar artists to have the individual freedom to promote their work through a variety of avenues such as iTunes, mobile carriers and other diverse and innovative channels."

It is no secret that Janet's camp blames the label for the albums' lack of success. Jackson's longtime collaborator Rodney Jerkins told rapup.com "We didn't get the support from the record company, [Janet] felt like it wasn't pushed. I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly. She just didn't get her just due as an artist of that magnitude."

This statement contradicts a report from Billboard.com which suggested the heads of the label were not that happy with the 178,000 copies sold in the first week of release, "due to the huge promotion that Def Jam pushed behind the project".

There is no doubt Janet is major talent, but there remains the question: is the reason behind her less than stellar sales to do with the product that is being released into the market, or the public relations behind it? With this in mind, it is interesting to not that artists such has Lily Allen have used word of mouth and raw talent to achieve downloads of 19 million from Myspace. 

The Jackson brand is a music institution, but if reviews from her ROCK WITCHU tour are to believed, the veteran is resting on her laurels and perhaps a little out of touch.

A reviewer from the Hollywood Reporter wrote "The singer's Rock Witchu tour is her first in seven years, overloaded with blinding dazzle, pyrotechnics and gaudy style over substance. The myriad production numbers were reminiscent of a poor Vegas revue and emotionally distant, the band and backup singers bolstering her vocals hidden away, leaving one to wonder if some -- or most -- of it was prerecorded." OUCH!

While it appears going Indie is all the rage, Janet will have to step up as this new venture will expose her for the true artist she is.  Now without any scapegoat for future failures, her ability to resonate with Generation Y music lovers will be fully revealed.  And the fact remains, Janet can't afford any more malfunctions. 

'Sorry Miss Jackson' but are you for real?

By Stephen Mai

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