Damita Jo

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"Relax, it's just sex," Janet Jackson murmurs at the conclusion of "Sexhibition," the third song on her eighth album, Damita Jo. Those words were recorded long before Jackson wound up America with her breast-baring exploits at the halftime show at the 2004 Super Bowl, but they nevertheless play like an casual response to the hysteria that engulfed the nation following her infamous "wardrobe malfunction." But, really, they're there to head off any criticism that could be leveled at Damita Jo, yet another album that finds Jackson exploring her sexuality, which she has been doing since 1993's janet.. With its preponderance of slow-tempo, sensual grooves, sexual imagery, the occasional up-tempo jam, and endless spoken interludes, it provided the blueprint for every record she made since, from the heavy eroticism of 1997's The Velvet Rope to the bedroom sighs of 2001's All for You. The latter suggested that she was abandoning the explicitness of The Velvet Rope, but Damita Jo proves that she was merely flirting with modesty, since it's as explicit as pop music gets. Without strong rhythmic or melodic hooks, the album's slow grooves blend together and Jackson disappears into the productions, once again largely the responsibility of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The end result is a low-key make-out record firmly in the tradition of The Velvet Rope, with a couple of standout tracks — on the slower side, "I Want You" has a verse that's memorable, while "Just a Little While" is a good dance tune.