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Listen to Janet’s new single “No Sleeep” in full

Janet Jackson has released her brand new single No Sleeep in full on her website.

The track, of which a clip was released last week, emerged following a countdown clock on Janet’s official website.

No Sleeep is Janet’s first new material since 2010 when she released the track Nothing to coincide with her appearance in the movie Why Did I Get Married Too? directed by Tyler Perry.

In a tweet to coincide with the release, Janet dedicated the song to her love.

The song will hit radio stations worldwide today and is on sale now on AmazoniTunes and Spotify.

In an initial review, The Guardian said:

“While the general consensus among pop stars nowadays is that all singles must be at least 124 BPM, Janet’s always done things slightly differently. In 1993 the Janet album was launched with the laid-back That’s The Way Love Goes, while follow up The Velvet Rope was ushered in by the relatively low-key Got ‘Til It’s Gone. As it is with this new album. Opening with a sample of pouring rain and distant thunder, the first word you hear is “plush” which is the perfect word to describe the sort of low-slung, slowly unfurling jam Janet was always able to perfect but that had more recently got pushed aside for almost embarrassingly graphic elongated moans. On first listen it seems to be missing any discernible hooks, but slowly the chorus starts to dig its claws in, while the sudden vocal shift from soft coo to full-bodied yearning in the middle eight is a hairs on the back of the neck moment. Plus any song that manages to incorporate the phrase “fait accompli” into its chorus is on to something. As a grand return it’s one that seems to want to slink in almost unannounced, but that also simultaneously leaves it open for a big banger to follow.”

At Janet Love we’ve transcribed the lyrics to the new track so you can sing along.

No Sleeep Lyrics
Written by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson

Plush
Yeah
Come on

You missing me
I’m missing you
Whenever we meet, we ain’t gonna get no sleep
When I get to be together with you
It’s fait accompli, we ain’t gonna get no sleep

A vision rolling round in my head, but I don’t really talk about it
I’m loving what you’re doing to me and I don’t wanna do without it
Day and night, I dream of us doing whatever
But I guess I’ll have to wait until that day comes

You missing me
I’m missing you
Whenever we meet, we ain’t gonna get no sleep
When I get to be together with you
It’s fait accompli, we ain’t gonna get no sleep

48 hours of love
It’s gonna be a weekend marathon
So you better get ready my king
Cause I’m a be the queen of insomnia
Stay wide awake
For every moment we spend together
Cause every second you’re away feels like forever

You missing me
I’m missing you
Whenever we meet, we ain’t gonna get no sleep
When I get to be together with you
It’s fait accompli, we ain’t gonna get no sleep
(repeat)

Don’t have time to sleep but we can dream so think outside the box, my baby
Show me how much you are missing me, I read between the lines
And I sure hope it rains

Plush

We ain’t gonna get no sleep
We ain’t gonna get no sleep
We ain’t gonna get no sleep

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No Sleeep confirmed as new Janet Jackson single

In a post on her official website, artwork has been posted for Janet’s upcoming single No Sleeep.

The website does not yet confirm a release date.

Janet Jackson No Sleeep

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Forbes Report: Janet’s new album makes a lot of financial sense

In a report on Forbes.com, Hugh McIntyre talks about Janet’s upcoming album and the reason her new business model makes sense in a music industry landscape that has dramatically changed since the release of her most successful albums.

Why Janet Jackson’s Musical Comeback Makes A Lot Of Financial Sense

By Hugh McIntyre

Just a few weeks ago, Janet Jackson, one of the most celebrated artists of all time, announced her return after a seven year hiatus from recording music. Now 49, the singer faces a different landscape than she’s used to, and her comeback could have been an uphill battle…but in typical Jackson form, she’s doing things her own way, and it actually might end up being a great business decision.

She’s In Charge
For the first time in her career, it looks like Janet is going to be in charge of the entire album recording and release process. Instead of working with a major label as she has always done throughout her many years as a globally-adored star (after disappointing sales of her last album, Discipline, she and Island Records parted ways), Janet has started her own label, Rhythm Nation. The company gets its name from her fourth album, which remains one of her best sellers (thanks to the four number one hits that were released off of it). She has partnered with BMG to distribute the album, meaning she doesn’t have to worry about actually getting the record out there to consumers…she just has to make it.

By owning the label that will be releasing her upcoming eleventh studio album, Janet is not only paying for all the costs associated with recording and promoting an album herself, she’ll be reaping almost all of the benefits. While album sales aren’t what they used to be, she’s going to take home a much higher percentage of each sale than she likely ever has, as there are fewer people taking pieces of the pie. If she doesn’t overspend on production, making a profit could be easy.

It’s A Great Excuse To Tour
Somebody as massively popular as Janet Jackson doesn’t really need to produce new material in order to venture out on a worldwide trek, but it does give her a great excuse to do so. Touring is where most of an artist’s money comes from these days, and a star like Janet can command hundreds of thousands per night. There are only so many “Greatest Hits” shows a singer can do before it feels like selling out, so even if she only performs a few new cuts, touring under the guise of promoting a new record is a tried and true route to a financially successful year.

She’s Got Nothing To Prove
At the end of the day, little to nothing is riding on the success of the album itself. If she manages things correctly, nobody will judge her should the record flop commercially. Janet is already one of the most successful pop icons of all time in every sense, and her legacy is not riding on how well a later record performs. If she focuses on creating a well-crafted album that has integrity and meaning, instead of reaching for top ten hits and blockbuster sellers, her fans will appreciate it, and she won’t be lambasted in the media as some other older pop stars are. It’s tough to be on top of the charts and all over radio after so many decades, but really great music knows no age, and can come from anywhere.

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Janet starts own record label: Rhythm Nation Records

Janet Jackson has today taken to Twitter to announce details of her new album and the establishment of her own record label, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation Records.

The as yet untitled album will be released in the Fall and the label will become the home of new and existing artists too.

Janet’s first album since 2008’s Discipline will be released via BMG in an unique deal to enable artists to retain control over their work. The artist services deal means that Janet will retain ownership of her recordings and full oversight of all costs and revenues.

BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said, “Janet is not just a supreme artist, she is a unique cultural force whose work resonates around the world. It is an honor that she has chosen BMG to release her long-awaited new album. We look forward to collaborating with her across every platform.”

Janet commented, “Thank you to the talented team at BMG, my new artistic home. The opportunity to be creative in music and every form of entertainment has great potential here.”

Jon Cohen, EVP of Recorded Music at BMG Chrysalis US said, “Janet is a cultural icon and pop star like no other. The release of her long-awaited new album will undoubtedly be one of the musical highlights of 2015. It is an honor to work with her.”

Fans have been anticipating new music ever since Janet published a video in which she confirmed she’d be releasing a new album this year as well as heading out on a world tour.

It was reported by RadioFacts that Janet’s latest material will be published by BMG.

The last time Janet released a single was Nothing in March 2010 which was recorded to coincide with the release of the film “Why Did I Get Married Too?

BMG TO RELEASE JANET JACKSON’S FIRST NEW ALBUM IN SEVEN YEARS THIS FALL 2015 THRU HER OWN RHYTHM NATION RECORDS

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NEW YORK/BERLIN, 3 JUNE 2015 – BMG is proud to announce that it will release the first album in seven years from Janet Jackson, icon, music artist, B.E.T honored, award-winning songwriter, producer, singer, Oscar and Golden Globe nominee and winner of the NAACP Best Supporting Actor award, publisher, dancer, businessperson, philanthropist and one of biggest-selling artists in popular music history.

The worldwide partnership with Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation will see the release in Fall 2015 of her first as-yet-untitled album and a commitment to pursue the full range of options within the broader Bertelsmann group of which BMG is part. With Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson becomes arguably the first female African-American recording artist to form her own record label. At Rhythm Nation Janet plans to offer a home to both new and established recording artists.

The partnership with BMG makes Janet Jackson the biggest worldwide superstar yet to quit the traditional record label system for a so-called artist services deal, designed to put artists in the driving seat. Unlike a traditional record deal, under an artist services deal the artist retains ownership of their recordings and full oversight of all costs and revenues.

With sales of over 160 million records worldwide, Janet Jackson stands as one of the best-selling artists of all time as well as one of the most awarded with a string of hits that have left an indelible impression on pop culture. Her lengthy string of hits has powerfully influenced popular music, leaving an indelible impression on pop culture and opening doors through which other top artists have followed, many acknowledging her impact on their musical perceptions.

Ms. Jackson’s May 16 announcement of an upcoming new album and a world tour via #ConversationsInACafe sent fans into a social media frenzy.

BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said, “Janet is not just a supreme artist, she is a unique cultural force whose work resonates around the world. It is an honor that she has chosen BMG to release her long-awaited new album. We look forward to collaborating with her across every platform.”

Janet commented, “Thank you to the talented team at BMG, my new artistic home. The opportunity to be creative in music and every form of entertainment has great potential here.”

Jon Cohen, EVP of Recorded Music at BMG Chrysalis US said, “Janet is a cultural icon and pop star like no other. The release of her long-awaited new album will undoubtedly be one of the musical highlights of 2015. It is an honor to work with her.”

Janet began her career at the age of seven when she first performed with her family at the MGM in Las Vegas. The worldwide breakthrough came with her third album Controlin 1986, her legendary collaboration with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis which created the musical fusion of pop, R&B, soul, dance, jazz, rock and rap which defines her unique sound. Control won four American Music Awards out of twelve nominations and was nominated for an Album of the Year at the Grammys.

Next came Rhythm Nation 1814, a socially-conscious album critiquing injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs, and racial intolerance, which last year celebrated its 25thanniversary. It remains the only album yet to have launched number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in three separate calendar years

1993’s janet sent her career into the stratosphere and brought the worldwide smash ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’. From 1995’s Design Of A Decade retrospective through studio albums The Velvet Rope, All For You and Discipline, Janet has continued to thrill and inspire her fans worldwide.

Janet Jackson is one of very few music artists to have also achieved a successful acting career. Initially known as a young TV star, her first three films opened at number one at the box office with her next two big screen projects opening in the top three. Janet’s music has also made an impact in the film world when the artist received an Academy Award Nomination in the Best Music, Original Song category.

Zach Katz, Chief Creative Officer, BMG Chrysalis US, said: “Janet’s list of achievements and accomplishments is truly staggering. She is a global artist whose career has touched on virtually every area of popular culture. Her new album will undoubtedly have a significant impact. We look forward to collaborating with her and Rhythm Nation to nurture a new generation of artists.”

Venus Brown, for BMG Chrysalis US added: “As die-hard fans of her work and of the musical jewels that Janet Jackson has bestowed upon the world, we are beyond thrilled that she has chosen BMG to be her new partner. Her music and her video and concert styling, particularly Rhythm Nation 1814, changed the course of pop music.”

The agreement with Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation Records is the latest high-profile milestone for the new BMG, just six-and-a-half years since its launch. Key to the BMG approach is a commitment to transparency and fairness to artists, typified by its Artist Services deals. Over the past year BMG has released albums by the likes of alt-J, The Smashing Pumpkins, Anastacia, Backstreet Boys, Nena, Bryan Ferry, You Me At Six and The Charlatans.

Janet Jackson is represented by William Morris Endeavor, Sterling Winters Company, attorneys Tom Hoberman and Don Steele, and JDJ Entertainment.

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Report: Janet to release new single imminently

Industry website Radio Facts is reporting that Janet Jackson will release her new single to radio within 30 days.

It is expected to be distributed by BMG, although the label that is responsible for its release is yet to be confirmed.

Janet confirmed earlier this month that she would be releasing a new album and also embarking on a new world tour.

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Daily Beast Article: Janet Jackson Deserves Our Respect

In an article posted on The Daily Beast, Stereo Williams looks ahead to Janet’s upcoming album outlining just how well respected and successful Janet Jackson has been.

Janet Jackson Deserves Our Respect: The Pop Diva and Sex Goddess Reclaims Her Throne
Stereo Williams
She’s sold over 140 million albums and has a record 18 consecutive top 10 hits. Now, Janet Jackson is returning with a new album and world tour. Don’t call it a comeback.
“I promised you’d hear it from my lips. And now you will. This year. New music. New world tour. A new movement. I’ve been listening. Let’s keep the conversation going.”

That was the message pop megastar Janet Jackson gave to her fans this past weekend. On her 49th birthday, the legendary Ms. Jackson announced from her website that she is returning to music after a quiet several years. It’s been seven years since her last studio album, 2008s Discipline; and four years since “Number Ones: Up Close and Personal,” her last major tour. The news of Janet’s return sent social media into a flurry. Fans had been wondering out loud what the six-time Grammy winner has been up to—there had been rumors for the past several months that she was working with her longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She’d tweeted that she would let the world know when she was good and ready—and this weekend, she did.

Since the announcement, fans and media have been asking whether or not Janet Jackson can pull off a successful comeback at this point in her career. Since her 2001 album, All For You, Janet’s missteps have been well-documented: from the infamous “Nipplegate” controversy during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, to the string of lukewarm albums that followed. Over the years, her album sales declined, she started and ended a high-profile relationship with superproducer Jermaine Dupri, was blacklisted from radio stations (due to Nipplegate), lost her superstar brother, starred in a couple of Tyler Perry movies, and got married to a billionaire. With Janet finally returning, everyone seems to question whether or not she can reclaim her place in pop music. But in all of the commentary, a very important point has apparently been forgotten:

Janet Jackson doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone.

From 1986 to 2001, Janet consistently delivered the best dance pop music of her generation. It was better than Madonna’s over that same stretch. It was even better than her legendary brother Michael’s post-Thriller output. That may seem like blasphemy to some, but with Jam and Lewis in her corner, Janet’s albums from Control to All For You were more thematically unified and fully-realized than well-crafted-but-inconsistent late 80s/early 90s MJ albums like Bad andDangerous. With Control, she helped lay the groundwork for New Jack Swing (Jam and Lewis deserve as much credit for popularizing that sound as Teddy Riley or L.A. Reid and Babyface) and with Rhythm Nation, she delivered that genre’s most compelling and ambitious LP. For what it’s worth, Michael didn’t get hip to New Jack Swing until he teamed with Riley in 1991, which was five years after his sister and about two years before the style was dead. Whatever dismissals one can toss at Janet as a songwriter, it’s obvious that her albums were representations of her—even with Jam and Lewis handling the bulk of the music. The Velvet Rope is very much an album that feels introspective and brazenly personal.

But while other superstars of her era can release new music without scrutiny, Janet is being analyzed and dissected. Having announced her comeback, the news was met with skepticism in some circles. Talk show host Wendy Williams had some “advice” for Jackson. “She should stick with her number ones, the songs that we know,” Williams said on her show. “Janet is 49 years old right now. She’s married to that billionaire WASP… she wants to put out new music but nobody bought the music last time. I think that this comeback is going to be impossible; she’s living in a Beyoncé/Rihanna/Taylor Swift world. The music-buying public barely buys and they’re young kids, they’re not us with mortgages and tuition.”

“She needs to sit down and wait for Mariah, Britney and Jennifer to leave [their Las Vegas residencies] and do all the songs that we know the words to.”

Janet’s commercial lag isn’t all that unique. Most chartbusting superstars of yesteryear have experienced sales declines in the era of streaming music and illegal downloading. And great artists do age, with younger generations finding their own heroes to listen to. Prince hasn’t been the chart-topping juggernaut of his heyday in quite some time. But that doesn’t matter because he’s Prince. No one really cares if he doesn’t have a “When Doves Cry” or a “Diamonds and Pearls” dominating radio anymore; his legacy is as firmly set as Stevie Wonder’s or Neil Young’s. The Purple One has released six albums in the last ten years and only two have attained gold status. Paul McCartney’s last two albums didn’t hit the gold mark, either. Similarly, the most recent albums by icons like U2 and Bruce Springsteen only garnered relatively modest sales. Madonna’s status as a consistent presence on the pop charts waned around the same time as Janet’s did; the Material Girl has mostly dominated just the dance/club charts over the last decade. That transition hasn’t led to any loss in Madonna’s status as the so-called “Queen of Pop.”

No one is telling those aging legends to stop releasing new music. We don’t seem to expect them to have to compete with their younger counterparts at all. If their die-hard fans enjoy the albums and the artists enjoy making them, they’ve earned the right to not be judged by the same standard as the hit-making pop star of the moment. Once a legendary artist has cemented their place in the canon of popular music, there is nothing left for them to do to affirm it. The greats don’t have to keep auditioning. They made the grade long ago, and everything they achieve now is just an addendum to their legacy.

So what does a “successful” Janet Jackson comeback mean? Battling the Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts of the world for pop supremacy? None of that matters. None of that is necessary. A successful Janet Jackson comeback simply means that one of the greatest artists of the last 30 years is back to doing what she loves and what her fans love seeing her do. Delivering a compelling album and an electrifying tour is all that matters, not sales or Grammys. She’s done all of that time and again. It’s past time to recognize that Janet Jackson is among the artists at the very top of popular music’s hierarchy. It’s past time to give her the respect she deserves. She doesn’t have to prove she’s still “hot” or “relevant.” She’s a legend. She should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She should be as heralded as Tina Turner. This return isn’t about her “proving” anything to us. She’s doing this for her. And that’s good enough.

With all the great music she’s given the world, she’s more than earned that right.

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Darren Blogs: Janet Love reopens

Welcome back Janet Lovers. It’s a new era and it’s time we regrouped and had a centralised place to share the Janet Love.

The #janfam is big. The new album and new tour that Janet has in store is the first that will benefit from heavy social media promotion. We have already seen in the last few days an insurgence of activity on Twitter and other social platforms.

Janet trended multiple times on her birthday and that was down to the devoted fan base.

This is the first time we can come together as a fan group to promote her project to a wider and new audience. We are stronger together. So let’s stay that way.

We welcome contributions by allowing you to comment on any news we post. Start the conversation.

There isn’t much of the old site left but I did manage to retrieve some old news stories from 2008 which I’ve uploaded – its format might be a little awry but it’s better than nothing.

I’ll be updating you with news as it happens and we’ve some very special surprises over the coming months for you. So get involved. Let’s keep the conversation going…

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Janet continues tweeting about #conversationsinacafe

Janet has continued publishing tweets from other users with the hashtag #conversationsinacafe.

The messages, all of which have a socially conscious aspect to them, include one by long time producer and friend Jimmy Jam which shows a photo of a young boy looking hungry and searching for food.

Once again there has been no official confirmation that any of the tweets relate to an upcoming project but speculation amongst fans remains high that the messages are a prelude ahead of an official announcement about an upcoming Janet project.

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Jimmy Jam tweets possible song lyrics

Jimmy Jam, Janet’s long time friend and music producer, has today tweeted an image which shows a handwritten note by Janet including potential lyrics to an upcoming song.

Using the hashtag #conversationsinacafe, the words “Just can’t feel casual bout casualties” are clearly shown in handwriting similar to Janet’s well known autograph.

Whilst there has been no official confirmation from Janet’s camp about the tweet, interactions on social media have shown others in her management team and friendship group use the same hashtag.

Conversations in a cafe
Janet’s handwriting shows potential lyrics to new song