Multi – million selling pop superstar Janet Jackson is out to tease you in 16 songs of pure pop funk fusion.

The album is her 4^th with Virgin Records and 8^th studio album overall. Janet once again joins forces with longtime friends and creative allies Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who’ve worked with her since 1986’s ‘Control’. She also partners with innovators like Dallas Austin, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Rich Harrison, Swedish team and Murlyn Music. The result is an album that finds Janet focussed more in control creatively than earlier.

From start to finish the album brims with pulsing, slow to up – tempo pieces as well as sexy, introspective looks at life, love and the ups and downs of relationships.

How innovative can you get? ‘Damito Jo’is Janet’s middle name and something new for an album title. The song speaks about her as an artist an as a woman. In between tracks Janet reveals her inner feelings in five interludes, wherein she talks about the song she’s about to sing, or her feelings on the song and her deep rooted thoughts, be it on love, island life, twilight and her childhood days.

Janet’s saucy and sexy lyrics are the focal point on the album with the highlights in songs like ‘My Baby’ featuring hip hop newcomer Kanye West, to the groovy Strawberry Bounce, the cool and inviting Spending time with you or even R & B Junkie that ozzles with just that. Two pieces, the rocky edged, Just a little while and the more R & B leaning I want you gives a brief indication of Janet’s diversity on this album. Like you don’t love me has good guitar plucking, is slow and set in the funky groove. These tracks showcase Janet’s sexier side of life. Her songs Warmth, Moist, Thinking about my ex and Truly are steamy and while they show Janet in many musical and personal moods, the songs lack staying power melodies.

There are rewarding moments here and there, but the basic idea remains static, without developing into anything new. The tone is plain all over and communicates best with the simple ensemble arrangements. Expectations from her run high but the results are mixed, even the most die - hard Janet fans may just like it, but some may not want to.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira