Janet is 40 years old, but she has said that she feels half her age, and her breakthrough as a pop phenomenon occurred in 1986 -- hence the title of her ninth album. 20 Y.O. is her safest and tamest work since 1984's Dream Street, not only because she couldn't have possibly taken her sexed-up confessional routine beyond the tidbits and techniques divulged throughout 2004's Damita Jo. With only a few exceptions, 20 Y.O. provides further refinements of the fun, flirtatious, midtempo songs of her past several albums. This is not a problem. Even when there are clear instances where Janet, along with principal collaborators Jermaine Dupri, Johnta Austin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis, are taking an extended ride on the electro-nostalgia bandwagon -- "So Excited" samples Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," patches of "Get It Out Me" resemble Afrika Bambaataa's "Looking for the Perfect Beat," "Show Me" might not have happened without the existence of Ciara's "Goodies" -- they are too fresh and infectious to be considered knock-offs. There are crafty analogues and references to various points in Jackson's past: "This Body"'s rock edge recalls "Black Cat" (though it's more of a strutter than a headbanger), "Daybreak" sparkles and glides like "Runaway" and "Escapade," and "Take Care" is a classic Janet ballad in the vein of "Come Back to Me." The parallels are natural enough that they don't seem all that premeditated. Almost as significantly, the album is roughly 20 minutes shorter than usual, with only a handful of interludes, so there's little meandering, in turn making it easier to become familiar with the curves. What really differentiates the album from its predecessors is that there's almost no trace of tension to be heard. It's all about fooling around and being in love. Janet's gang of assistants is on top of its game, and Janet herself has remembered that she doesn't have to be willfully explicit or eclectic to make a sexy and wholly enjoyable album. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Janet Jackson (Producer), Janet Jackson (Liner Notes), Janet Jackson (Executive Producer), Bobby Ross Avila (Bass), Bobby Ross Avila (Drums), Bobby Ross Avila (Keyboards), Bobby Ross Avila (Producer), Larry Corbett (Cello), Ian Cross (Engineer), Jermaine Dupri (Producer), Jermaine Dupri (Executive Producer), Jermaine Dupri (Mixing), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar), Jimmy Jam (Keyboards), Jimmy Jam (Producer), Jimmy Jam (Performer), Jimmy Jam (Executive Producer), Jimmy Jam (Drum Programming), Terry Lewis (Producer), Terry Lewis (Performer), Michele Richards (Violin), Manuel Seal, Jr. (Producer), Phil Tan (Mixing), Josephina Vergara (Violin), Robert Peterson (Violin), Suzie Katayama (String Arrangements), Chuck Wilson (Assistant Engineer), No I.D. (Producer), Janet Zeitoun (Hair Stylist), Danny Zook (Sample Clearance), Vida Sparks (Project Coordinator), Sara Parkins (Violin), Johnny Wright (Executive Producer), Johnny Wright (Management), John Horesco IV (Engineer), Fran Cooper (Make-Up), Andrea Liberman (Stylist), Yang-Qin Zhao (Cello), Matt Marrin (Engineer), Liliana Filipovic (Violin), Ghian Wright (Assistant Engineer), Tadd Mingo (Assistant Engineer), Diane McDonald (Coordination), Terrance "T-Love" Harris (Personal Assistant), Gerardo Hilera (Violin), Cheryl Kohfeld (Viola), Steve Richards (Cello), Rudolph Stein (Cello), James White (Photography), Josh Houghkirk (Mixing Assistant), Issiah "IZ" Avila (Percussion), Issiah "IZ" Avila (Drums), Issiah "IZ" Avila (Producer), Kenneth Crear (Management), Benjamin Ward (Art Direction), Benjamin Ward (Packaging)
