Today’s From The Vault pick comes in the form of Janet Jackson‘s ‘Call On Me’.
A duet with St. Louis native Nelly, the cut was released in 2006 as the first single from the superstar’s ninth LP,’20 Y.O’. With production courtesy of then-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, ‘Call’ was a moderate hit, peaking at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 for six weeks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
The track was the triple-threat diva’s first “hand-clap ballad” try out, which had been rather controversial among her legion of fans. In spite of the change in style, the track still had all the winning elements of a classic Janet cut: great harmonies, whimsical melody, catchy hooks…
The Hype Williams directed music video depicts the ‘All For You’ singer as a mystical goddess, and is influenced by African and Asian cultures.
Although its use of CGI was criticized by some, it remains one of the 45 year old’s most artistic videos to date.
One thing is for sure: Janet Jackson is a living legend, a visionary who has changed the face of the entertainment industry forever. Having said that, we strongly feel it’s about time J stopped celebrating past glories from the 80’s and 90’s and started concentrating on having another decade filled with #1’s. As we have stated in previous posts, Damita Jo still has IT in abundance, so there is absoluetly no reason why, given the right material and promotion, she shouldn’t be back on top.
Judging from some of today’s biggest acts, it’s clear to say that the world is in need of some more Discipline from Ms. Jackson (if you Nasty!)
Your thoughts?
