I just want to say this about aging superstars (with a nod to Prince and his ass-out pants in 1992)
The very things that made women pop stars popular (looks, talent, personality) are the very things that will be used against them once they start to age. Janet has survived a good deal longer than anybody thought, but even she knows her days are numbered. You got all these young folks biting at her ankles (Beyonce, Brittany, Christina, Mya, etc.). She knows that it is THEIR time. Why? The industry likes fresh meat. So does America. Hell, so do I. Getting old is so frowned upon in our society that it is shameful. Janet showed us her breast (yeah, she did it on purpose, don't be stupid, she's 2 shakes from being 40) for three reasons: 1) she wanted to do something provocative (thus, the titty) and 2) she’s gotta drum up new buyers for the new album coming out, and 3) she was being sweet by offering us some milk.
Personally I think Janet is okay, no big beef with her or her music. I think she could stand to grow up a bit. She seems to have regressed since The Velvet Rope, but hey, she’s out to make dollars, not art. With The Velvet Rope Janet bared her soul to a very uninterested and unsurprisingly superficial audience (“Bitch, we don’t wanna hear about your domestic abuse! You a millionaire! Fuck you! Dance!”) which is perhaps why the album didn’t do as well as the rest of her joints (except for the first two, which really don’t count.) I will say this…actually I’ll say it to Janet directly because she always reads my blogs:
Dear Janet: It’s okay to retire. I don’t expect you to be on top always, I don’t. You gave us some good albums and I am appreciative of your efforts. Now if you want to do something else, that’s cool. Try mountain climbing.
There. Somebody need to say it before she kills her damn self by continuing to make meaningless pop music like her brother, Prince, Whitney, Bobby, etc., and so many others who think they will always be popular.
Janet: you had your day in the sun and that’s good enough for me. So keep your titty to yourself.