Home > Detroit Music > CD Review > Janet Jackson, 'Discipline'

Backstory: Ms. Jackson’s tenth studio album is her first for Island/Def Jam, where her fiancée Jermaine Dupri heads up urban music. Even though the title sounds like an echo of her 1986 breakthrough album “Control,” this is actually the first time since “Control” that Jackson hasn’t worked with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Why you should care: Jackson always brings out the A-list when it comes to collaborators, and “Discipline” is no exception. Besides Dupri, producers and guests include Missy Elliott, Ne-Yo, Stargate, Rodney Jerkins and the Dream (the up-and-comer behind Rihanna’s inescapable “Umbrella”). Plus, she seems to be the last remaining member of the once-mighty Jackson clan who isn’t certifiable.

Verdict: With too many songwriters and producers stirring the pot, “Discipline” is…well, pretty undisciplined. For every sweet midtempo groove like “What’s Ur Name,” there’s a lifeless ballad like “Greatest X”; for every dance-pop delight like lead single “Feedback,” there’s a throwaway disco anthem like “Rock With U” (and if that title is meant to evoke brother Michael’s ‘70s classic, it’s a terrible comparison). Even the album’s weirdest parts are uneven—the Prince-like helium vocals and twisted robot beats of “So Much Betta” are brilliant, but the faux-kinky title track and a series of skits involving a robotic servant named Kyoko are just flat-out lame. Still, the pleasures on “Discipline” outweigh the pain, making this a worthwhile addition to Jackson’s catalog.

X-Factor: Those Jacko-like backing vocals on “Can’t B Good” aren’t the real deal—they’re the work of avowed fan-boy Ne-Yo, who must have been pinching himself to be working with Michael's kid sister.

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