A quick test – sing the last Janet Jackson single? No? OK, hum the last Janet Jackson single? Not that either, huh. Right, can any of you even name the last Janet Jackson single, or at least come vaguely close to naming it?
Chances are you don't know that either – the last Janet Jackson single to be released around the world was called So Excited. And, no, we don't know how it goes because the British release date keeps getting pushed back. None of this sounds particularly healthy for Janet Jackson or her 20 Y.O album, does it? In fact, things are so generally unhealthy for Janet Jackson's album that her boyfriend Jermaine Dupri – president of Virgin Records' urban division – has just either quit (or been sacked from) his job. And if this doesn't mean that Janet Jackson is going to whack her boobies out again in the next week or so, nothing does.
It's not a good time to be a Jackson. A few years ago and anything any member of the Jackson family did instantly turned to gold – well, except for LaToya; people do have standards, after all. But lately things have started to crumble in the Jackson empire. Michael Jackson has stopped selling gazillions of records in order to dress up as a lady, swig Jesus Juice and plan his latest giraffe-blood waterpark, while lesser Jackson brother Jermaine Jackson courted ridicule with his naughty Michael Jackson book. In fact, the only Jackson to do well lately has been Randy 'how many times do I have to keep telling you dogs I'm not related to Michael' Jackson.
Things aren't exactly peachy for Janet Jackson at the moment either – she'd fought off the negative press from having her tit fall out at the Super Bowl and the weird secret teenage daughter claims, and Janet Jackson even survived playing her arse like the bongos. But something was wrong – it was like there was no confidence in Janet Jackson's newest album. First it was named 20 Y.O to mark the 20th anniversary of her Control album – meaning it may as well be called Hey You! Remember When I Was Good? Then Janet Jackson decided to show off her boobs and let her vastly untalented fans try and design the 20 Y.O album cover; and if that's not an act of desperation we're not sure what is. Then – just to hammer home how badly 20 Y.O was doing – Janet Jackson promised to thwack her norks out with Justin Timberlake again if people bought her album.
In actual fact, the album sales for 20 Y.O were the lowest that Janet Jackson had seen in a decade. The album has done so badly that Janet Jackson's boyfriend and executive producer of 20 Y.O Jermaine Dupri has stepped doen from his position as president of Virgin Records' urban division because of it, saying:
"Since there are so many rumours running rampant about my position at Virgin Records, I feel that it is necessary to set the record straight. I was not forced out of the company, I made a decision that it was in my best interest to leave."
Jermaine Dupri will be fine – he co-wrote and produced much of Mariah Carey's latest bajillion-selling album so he's not exactly strapped at the moment – but what about poor old Janet Jackson now that her album has officially become a terrifying failure? We guess that if she hurries over quickly enough, Michael might still have some of that Jesus Juice left.
Read more:
Janet Jackson Boyfriend Leaves Job As Album Bombs – Reuters
[story by Stuart Heritage]
Mel says
The album is utter rubbish. I hope she never comes back. Him too.
chris says
Well Mell, looks like you’re out of luck because MJ is being honoured with a Diamon award at the World Music Awards in London in november.
The award is for artists that sold more than 100million records, so I guess they better give him 3 considering he has sold more than 300million in his lifetime.
Great news for Jacko and great news for the rest of the world. I hope he performs something to remind the world why he is so famous.
David says
Here Here.
Michael Jackson is and will always be the King Of Pop!
Sarah says
Michael Jackson is clearly the greatest artist on the planet, and nobody will take that away from him, ever! Not even the tabloids or the media, they can go burn in a hole, they
will never bring down the king of pop. and seriously, the whole janet jackson superbowl story is really getting old people, give her a break, shes having enough trouble with
this messed up record
Daniel says
Well isn’t it a shame for her. And big deal to Michael getting an award this year. Mariah and Celin got that awards years ago.
I think that she should have taken more time off, because after 5 weeks the album hasnt even reached 500,000 copies in sales and that is pretty darn bad.
What’s happened here? BAD MANAGEMENT!!!