Julian
Daydreamer
Posts: 2,035
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Post by Julian on Oct 13, 2015 23:40:21 GMT -5
Janet's new studio album has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 116k. Many of her fans feel like it's her best work since 1998's "The Velvet Rope". The album has had nearly no promo with the only actual form of promo being her worldwide Unbreakable Tour. How do you all feel about the album? Personally, I think it's a really great body of work and I liked how Janet dived into different genres yet still made the songs her own.
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J.T.
"I have great faith in fools; my friends call it confidence."
Posts: 1,455
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Post by J.T. on Oct 14, 2015 5:55:17 GMT -5
I feel like there has been an inordinate amount of publicity for the album given the current status of the music industry. You pinpoint the primary marketing tool, her concert. Concerts now provide a far greater market share for musicians than at any other time in recording history. Thus, the cross-pollination of marketing the album and concert together is a wise move. Also, marketing mediums have changed. For example, there are no more television ads running for album releases. Rather, there is social media. Janet Jackson has employed an army to shape her social media presence. Google "Queen of Content" for insight on this. Finally, she has made some appearances this year (unlike in the past 5 years). Remember, she is married to a billionaire who shies from the limelight. He, and she, have no financial reason to frequent the spotlight she has stated a disdain for.
As for her album, I don't like it. I have listened to it twice through. Perhaps it grows on me? But I doubt it based on my initial listen. I have historically liked Janet Jackson so there is definitely no negative bias toward her work. Janet, Velvet Rope, & Rhythm Nation can stand as three formidable albums against nearly any other artist's three best albums in my opinion. I was actually quite excited to listen to Unbreakable! But so far, not even one song has captured me.
Finally, 116k sales is quite good this day and age. She's not selling like The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, or Drake, but she is still in the most elite upper echelons of the music industry with sales like this. Do you think the album will sell approx. 400k stateside given the enormity of the tour and Xmas holidays?
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Post by JessieLou on Oct 14, 2015 7:04:24 GMT -5
It's her best album in years. Someone on Pulse said this and I thought this was a very good point - she is probably avoiding doing interviews because they won't talk about the music - it'll be about Michael, her marriage, Nipplegate, etc.
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Post by Jason on Oct 16, 2015 10:03:46 GMT -5
I like the album. That probably shouldn't come as a big surprise. I don't think every song on it is amazing. However, like Drag, I do appreciate that she's dabbling in other genres and experimenting with different songs. In an industry where record label bosses are usually only interested in making as much money as they can, so they want profitable artists to continue recording the same album over and over again, it's refreshing to see Janet not on that hamster wheel. I guess that's the freedom that comes with releasing music on your own record label. I can't say that there's an album she's released that I've disliked (although I think Damita Jo was a little rough, because it was rushed so it could be released hot on the heels of "Nipplegate"...and some of the wrong songs were chosen as singles), but my three favorite are Control, Rhythm Nation 1814, and janet. I don't think Unbreakable is anywhere near on par with those albums. But, in terms of risk-taking with non-Pop-accesible songs, I think it's somewhat similar to The Velvet Rope. I also like the strategy of marketing the album by way of the tour. She's not going to get the type of promotional push that artists like Taylor Swift or Beyonce will. Those who love her and her past hits will always go see her in concert. Exposing that audience to some of the new songs - when they might not have heard any of them otherwise - is going to do more to generate album sales than anything else at this stage of her career.
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