Janet Jackson's Discipline Lacks Commercial Appeal

It has been two years since Janet Jackson's last album 20 Y.O. That album failed to attract commercial success for Janet, only selling a little more than 1 million copies. Now Janet is back with her tenth studio album, Discipline. Will Discipline live up to the legacy Janet has created, or will it prove that her time has passed?

The first single off of Discipline is Feedback produced by Rodney Jerkins. The song is what you expect from current Janet; a combination of odd sound effects, unique vocal effects that hide her vocal deficiencies. The song is definitely not the strongest track on the album but is decent.

Rock With U is a Jermaine Dupri produced and Ne-Yo written track. The song is club inspired but much mellower than the first single. The song channels the spirit of bands Jamiroquai and Daft Punk. The song is fairly solid and hides Janet's vocal deficiencies quite nicely.

Luv is once again produced by Rodney Jerkins. The song is much more progressive R&B than the other tracks on the album. The song features a catchy melodic pattern and beat. The song is one of the strongest tracks on the album.

Rollercoaster is a fairly solid pop and R&B track. The song might not be one of the better tracks out now however it is one of the better tracks on the album.

The 1 features rapper Missy Elliott. The track was produced by Jermaine Dupri. The song finds Janet journeying into Beyonce's territory except more sexualized. The song just is not that great.

So Much Betta is another very awkward track. The only redeeming quality of the track is the chorus and bridge which are still average at best.

2Nite is another generic dance track. The song sounds slightly more appropriate for Britney Spears' Blackout last album than Janet Jackson.

The Greatest Ex Ever is one of the few slower songs that seem to channel previous Janet Jackson hits like Everytime. However the song just does not have the appeal of previous Janet mid-tempo ballads.

Can't B Good is one of the stronger tracks on the album. The song is very in the vein of contemporary instrumentation R&B. The song is a solid R&B mid-tempo track and definitely shows off Janet's voice to the fullest.

The title track Discipline is in the same vein as other Janet Jackson sensual ballad. The song will definitely be popular for fans of Janet Jackson circa the Velvet Rope album.

Curtains is a solid way to end the album. The song feels like the proper end for this album and the track is pretty enjoyable.

Discipline will appeal to fans of Janet Jackson. However, the album does not have commercial hit written all over it. There are a few solid tracks, however, the majority of the album sounds very similar. The other problem is there are way too many skits and interludes, which distracts from the overall album. Discipline gets 7 out of 10 stars. If you are a fan of Janet Jackson, make sure you pick up Discipline when it is available in stores on February 26.