To commemorate the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album, 1986’s ‘Control,’ Pop icon Janet Jackson released her ninth studio album – the aptly titled ’20 Y.O.’ – in September 2006.
Famously dating Jermaine Dupri at the time, the LP may have featured contributions from her longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, but its singles were helmed by the So So Def founder (who also served as the project’s executive producer).
Given the fragility of the GRAMMY winner’s career at the time, only two years removed from the infamous Super Bowl incident, fans disapproved of the album’s creative direction and pointed to Dupri’s involvement as the reason it stalled at Platinum status and yielded no sizable hits.
Recently reflecting on the effort’s commercial performance, J.D. took to our friends at Page Six to address why it’s unlikely he’ll reunite with his former boo in the studio any time soon.
His quotes inside:
After hinting that he and JJ would not be collaborating any time soon, he explained:
“The only reason I say that is because I feel cheated in a way from the ‘20 Y.O.’ album that I did … a lot of people discredit me for that album. It has nothing to do with me and her,” Dupri told the outlet.
Elaborating, JD said:
“I saw a lot of fans say, ‘JD messed her career up with that album’ . . . That album almost sold 400,000 copies in its first week and produced a No. 1 hit. I don’t know why that’s not a success,” he said.
*****
As he indicated, the LP’s lead single – ‘Call on Me’ (featuring Nelly) – may have peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 but it did peak at #1 on the R&B chart and on the Billboard Sales chart.
![Extended Trailer: Prime Video's 'Cruel Intentions' Series [Starring Savannah Lee Smith, Sarah Catherine Hook, & Zac Burgess]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/cruel-intentions-prime-trailer-tv-adaptation-thatgrapejuice-2024-464x260.jpg "Extended Trailer: Prime Video's 'Cruel Intentions' Series [Starring Savannah Lee Smith, Sarah Catherine Hook, & Zac Burgess].")
Girls today would sell their souls for those numbers but I’ll never forgive him for that Khia collab
Lol Idk why but I loved that song
Lol exactly, I’ll never forgive him for bringing that toilet bug into her life lol.
Thought you hated him for cutting Khia outta the video upon its release.
Lmao you have me confused with someone else, I never wanted that beast anywhere near Janet or her video.
Enjoy is a beautiful song from 20 YO. Janet had a great look that era and Call on Me was a hit. This is the ONLY Janet album that really has fillers though… something that Jimmy and Terry would never allow. Discipline was a better album…
With U and Call on Me were jams
So excited is a BOP period and call on me with u is pretty too
He needs to take his ego out of it. 20YO was trash musically, easily the weakest album in Janet’s catalog, and it is indeed his fault for producing the weak music, period. There’s a reason why it sold less than Damita Jo,which was released during the Superbowl drama lol.
100% this. JD thought he was some superproducer after Cofessions and reignited his ego after Mariah hit no.1 with We Belong Together. He had done nothing noteworthy since but that moment went to his head to such a degree that he thinks he deserves better or is beyond criticism. In today’s terms, 400k is fab but back then, for arguably the world’s biggest R&B star, it was weak.
Exactly, he started thinking his sound was so special that he could produce anybody, when in reality his sound is basic and all sounds the same; Confessions and We Belong Together are basically the same song melodically and lyrically if we’re being honest. Janet wasn’t/isn’t just one of the world’s biggest R&B stars, she’s one of history’s biggest Pop stars, that’s why 400k was considered weak, but if the MUSIC was better, it would have sold more.
I’m not sure if it would’ve sold more no matter what the music was. She was still mostly blacklisted from mainstream radio black radio showed some support but nothing like she used to receive before the “n*pplegate” Incident. Tv was still iffy on her with Les moonves still highly trying to block her at every turn. It was just a bad time and the blacklist was working in tarnishing her legacy.
Jermaine’s idea of success is first week sales, but to the fans, success means having something lasting and memorable. As executive producer, Jermaine failed to create a fitting sound for Janet; it was mostly lackluster, and the work that Jimmy & Terry did apart from Jermaine sounded like it belonged on an entirely different project. I like three songs: “So Excited”, “With U” and “Enjoy”.
Call on me is a smash
That’s the idea of success for a lot of fans/stans these days too
I actually didn’t like this album when it first came out. Fast forward to 2018 I gave it a listen and it actually snaps. The production now brings back memories of the 2000s era of music and still sounds better than much of what’s being released now.
20 Y.O. is my 2nd Favorite from her Janet. That album is everything to me.It was so slept on too which is sad. To me it has different types of genre of music I hear for instance
Blues and Funk- (Do it 2 me)
R & B/Soul- (Love2Love/ Call on Me)
Rock- (This Body) ThatBeatIsSick
Pop- (Enjoy/ Daybreak)
Slow Mellow Jams- (With U/Roll Wit U)(Bonus Track)
Dance/Hip Hop- (So Excited/ Get it out me)
If your not feeling it try revisiting it its a classic for me I love Janet Damito Jo is my all time fav.
Thank Goodness!!!
I actually love that album and it grew on me..it was a different for her but it still had that Janet vibe to it! Actually it’s her most urban album lol
It wasn’t a terrible album, but the material was not worthy of Janet. Trash like So Excited is like something Normani would release to try and get attention.
He said Normani 😂🤣😂🤣😂 Clarkson where u at boo?
I understand his sentiment and the pressure from long time fans was very heavy during that time. That being said, I actually liked the album and think some banging videos could have pushed it to platinum. The songs people have mentioned thus far and “Roll Witchu” are all repeat listens for me…
Jd I feel cheated you dated Ms Janet and I didn’t.