Mimi vs. Janet - The showdown
A chart battle is looming for Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson. Jackson will release her new album Discipline on Feb 26, Carey's long player, tentatively titled I'm That Chick, is due on April 1. And judging by new tracks previewed at a Melbourne listening session last week, Mimi will blitz.
Carey beats, lyrics, and vocal delivery are superior. Mimi's new songs are about love, lust, being played and her breakdown - or her "breakthrough" as a Carey describes it. Touch My Body, shortlisted as the first single, hints at a new celebrity must have - a sex tape. "If there's a camera up in here then I'd best not catch this flick on YouTube," Carey warns. "If you run your mouth and brag about this secret rendezvous, I will hunt you down."
Collaborating producers include Jermaine Dupri, Polow Da Don, Stargate, Danja, Tricky Sterwart and The Dream.
By comparison, the new Janet is geared to the clubs. With Timbaland's succesful electro experiments, US urban is moving towards chunkier beats and house. Yet Jackson's new tunes fail to repeat past glories. Her dance tracks are overproduced, the ballads are banal. "My body's here, it's soaking wet, I wanna give you something you won't forget," Janet sings on Tonight. "Ain't you curious, don't you wanna know, how deep my love can go? Don't resist the fight, do it all night." (Herald Sun Australia - Mariah Connection)
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