SonofBaldwin

Awww. Ciara and Tinashe put together this "No Sleeep" video in anticipation for Janet's. That was sweet of them. Hehe.

I've waited a lifetime to see a collaboration between Janet and Maxwell or Janet and D'Angelo.

Oh, by the way: Was anyone else surprised that she had those two little girls dancing to "No Sleeep"? Also, the thick woman dancing for Janet, Allison, is going to be my favorite this era. I can just tell.

She had those two little girls dancing to "No Sleeep" on the BET Awards though.

Yes, but she was also visibly annoyed that the audience kept cheering Janet as she was trying to throw shade about her weight loss, and about her new music.

I think it tapes in NYC.

Wendy Williams was so PRESSED that her audience cheered Janet on during the Hot Topics segment. Wendy kept trying to throw Janet shade, but the audience kept cheering whenever she mentioned Janet's name. She was so bothered and I was so glad. LOL!

Lamont is a stone-cold FOOL for this. LOL!

Janet said, "Diamonds! Love don't come for free!" LOL!

When I clicked into this thread, I said to myself, "If it's not about 'Empty,' I'm not even going to read it." But then I seed you, LawdToday, and I knowed there is a God! LOL! No, but seriously, this song is so incredible and so prescient. How it remained an album track and was never relased as a single; how she has never performed this song live is beyond me. It seems like that song was imported from the 23rd century. The melody, the harmonies, Janet's lead vocal performance, the lyrics, the production--everything about that song is simply perfection. Even The Guardian knows it: In a Pitchfork article on TLC’s 1999 album FanMail, Lindsay Zoladz investigates that album’s foreshadowing of today’s sense of dislocation brought on by technology, at one point referring to it as “a transmission from the future”. On The Velvet Rope, Janet pre-empted them on the futuristic, glitchy ballad Empty, a song that anticipated Tinder by about 15 years. Fascinated by the implications of people connecting to others through a computer (“I wonder what kind of reality that creates, and what kind of romantic frustrations it produces,” she mused at the time), it perfectly sums up both the illicit thrill of communicating and sharing intimate details with a stranger and the oddly unsatisfying dislocation that can create (“if I can’t read your thoughts, then I feel empty”). While FanMail’s overriding conceptual approach now seems dated, the way Empty is constructed still feels forward-thinking, even with the slightly hackneyed, looped modem sound that forms part of the song’s intro. In fact, part of Empty’s majesty comes from the sonic layering; that initial modem sound quickly joined by a cluster of glacial bell sounds, a two-stepesque scattershot beat that seems to mirror the tap-tap of a keyboard, and processed choir that harmonises with the very human lilt of Jackson’s sweet vocal. Out of all the enduring Janet Jackson songs, Empty feels like the one most referenced in 2015, specifically in the fusion of electronic music and R&B showcased by artists such as FKA twigs and Kelela. http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jun/03/janet-jackson-10-of-the-best

http://thatgrapejuice.net/2015/06/exclusive-miguel-muses-wildheart-janet-jackson-comeback-more/ TGJ: So, speaking of marching to your own drum and ignoring the ideals basically, Janet Jackson is making headlines recently for shunning the traditional system and kind of going alone. She’s one of the biggest artists to kind of go the indie route. As someone that, in relation to your last answer, kind of marches to the beat of their own drum, what’s your take on that? And, is she an artist that you could ever see as a collaborator within the future? Miguel: I think, there’s no better person to do it. Janet Jackson is iconic. Especially for us, we grew up in the 90s. I was born in the 80s and was raised a bit in the 80s, but I grew up in the 90s. Janet is one of those artists that just– she’s Janet. She can and should go out on her own and stand on her own two feet. She has the wherewithal, the fan base to do it. I think as the business in music progresses, I think we’ll see a lot more artists doing that anyway. We live in a time where it is about niche. You can look at it in little things like food is now. There’s this whole appreciation of more smaller companies that make quality products. That’s who we are culturally. We’re appreciating those kinds of things—and I think, Janet stepping out on her own kind of speaks to that social, the climate, I guess. TGJ: Is she an artist you could ever see as a working with in the future? Miguel: Are you ****ing kidding me? I’d love to write for Janet.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6613041/janet-jackson-no-sleeep-debuts-airplay-charts Janet Jackson's 'No Sleeep' Debuts on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Charts Radio helps power Jackson's comeback as her latest single launches. 'It's a perfect summertime groove,' one programmer beams. Janet Jackson makes her Billboard chart return as "No Sleeep" debuts at No. 15 on the Adult R&B Songs chart (dated July 11) The sultry song marks her first entry on the list in five years; her last, "Nothing," peaked at No. 15 in May 2010. "No Sleeep" grants Jackson her 27th hit on Adult R&B Songs (which originated in 1993), tying her with Faith Evans for third-most visits among women. Mary J. Blige leads with 51, followed by Mariah Carey (33). The debut also earns Jackson her highest entrance ever on the chart. The new single concurrently bows on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay at No. 27 with 6.7 million in first-week audience, according to Nielsen Music, marking her 36th hit on the chart. It's her highest debut in more than 20 years: "Scream," with brother Michael, launched at No. 6 on June 3, 1995. Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes" remains the record-holder as the only song to debut at No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (May 1, 1993). An early supporter of "No Sleeep," adult R&B WDAS Philadelphia, played the track 22 times during the tracking week ending June 28. Derrick "DC" Corbett, the station's director of urban programming, tells Billboard that the song "just felt like us. It's a perfect summertime groove, and it's rare when you hear a song and everyone's opinion of the record within the building is ultra-positive. That, coupled with the fact that she's an icon that we all grew up with, made it a no-brainer for us. "We're happy to be a small contributor to her success with ['Sleeep'], and it's exciting to have her back in the mix." The single arrived on June 22, a week after Jackson announced her Unbreakable World Tour, which is slated to kick off in Vancouver, B.C. on Aug. 31, with the first leg of North American dates planned through Nov. 13. "No Sleeep," produced by longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, previews Jackson's upcoming studio album, due in the fall, her first since 2008's Discipline.

http://streamable.com/go4e?t=276.1

In addition to that, Janet performs dance moves with a great deal of grace and percision. She's not sloppy. She hits the mark tightly.

http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2015/performances/janet-jackson-dance-tribute-ciara-tinashe-jason-derulo.html

So I got Ciara performing "If" correct, but I was wrong about Tinashe (I thought "Control") and I was half-right with Jason (I predicted "Alright" or "Rhythm Nation.").

It was clear that Ciara studied Janet DOWN. It was also clear that Janet is a better dancer than Tinashe, Jason, AND Ciara. No shade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhe8JSel0C0

I think Ciara did the best, followed by Jason, and then Tinashe. Ciara was the most dynamic. Jason the smoothest. Tinashe seemed a little unprepared. Ciara's "If" performance was great but she was a little bit stiff. I knew Janet wasn't gonna perform, but I wish she did so that she could teach these kids how to do it right. Overall, I was super-excited, but a tad underwhelmed. MTV definitely did it better at MTV Icon.

Thank you.

I doubt any ballads are going to be performed because the award is called ULTIMATE ICON: Dance Music Visual Award. Also, Gil wouldn't have to meet with Ciara in order to teach her the dances to "Again" or "Come Back to Me" because there are no dances for those songs.

Gabrielle Union is a Janet STAN: