Unbreakable (Janet-Jackson-Album)

Vorlage:Use mdy dates Vorlage:Infobox album Unbreakable is the upcoming eleventh studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. It is set to be released on October 2, 2015. It is the first album to released under her independent label Rhythm Nation Records, distributed by BMG Rights Management. Seven years prior to its development, Jackson parted ways with Island Records due to dissatisfaction over the company's lack of promotion for her tenth studio album Discipline (2008). As a result, speculation arose as to whether she would pursue yet another traditional recording contract with a major label or release music through alternative means, such as the 360 deals offered by Live Nation Entertainment.

In 2009, she suffered the unexpected death of her brother Michael Jackson; she later performed a special tribute to him at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She also ended her seven-year relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri. Universal Music Enterprises and A&M Records subsequently released her second greatest hits compilation, Number Ones (2009). Although she began recording new material with producer Rodney Jerkins, she eventually abandoned the project, still unwilling to specify whether she intended to sign with a major label or release music independently. After starring in feature films Why Did I Get Married Too? and For Colored Girls in 2010, she embarked on the world concert tour Number Ones, Up Close and Personal in 2011 to promote her second compilation. In 2013, she indicated she was once again working on a new record. Later that year, she also revealed that she was married to her third husband, Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. She announced in May 2015, that she would embark on the Unbreakable World Tour and release her eleventh studio album through her newly formed, independent record label as a result of a partnership between herself and BMG.

Unbreakable reunites Jackson with the songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who last collaborated with her on her ninth studio album 20 Y.O. (2006). Songs on the album also include rappers J. Cole and Missy Elliott as featured artists. Jackson developed the concept for the album and the production of the supporting world tour simultaneously. Its theme reflects various experiences over the course of her life—including aspects of her childhood and the loss of Michael—in addition to socially conscious messages related to her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814. It is described as an open dialog on "where we stand today as individuals and as the inter-related elements of a planet." She has promoted the album through social media, frequently using the hashtag #ConversationsInACafe as well as taglines "I've been listening" and "Let's keep the conversation going." Its lead single, titled "No Sleeep", was released on June 22, 2015.

Background

After releasing her tenth studio album Discipline in 2008, Jackson parted ways with her 14-month label Island Records. A spokesperson for the singer added, "[Jackson] will have autonomy over her career, without the restrictions of a label system... Always known to break new ground and set trends, Janet's departure from Island Records makes her one of the first superstar artists to have the individual freedom to promote their work through a variety of avenues such as iTunes, mobile carriers and other diverse and innovative channels." Mariel Concepcion of Billboard magazine suggested "Jackson would seem to be a natural fit at Live Nation Artists, which is already home to Jay-Z, Nickelback and Shakira." The following year, she suffered the unexpected death of her brother Michael Jackson; she later performed a special tribute to him at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She also ended her seven-year relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri.

As a joint venture with EMI, Universal Music Enterprises subsequently released her second greatest hits compilation, Number Ones (2009) under A&M Records. Although she began recording new material with producer Rodney Jerkins, she eventually abandoned the project, still unwilling to specify whether she intended to sign with a major label or release music independently. UMe and A&M later released her third compilation Icon: Number Ones (2010) as the debut of the Icon album series, designed to feature "the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history." After starring in feature films Why Did I Get Married Too? and For Colored Girls in 2010, she embarked on the world concert tour Number Ones, Up Close and Personal in 2011 to promote her second compilation. In 2013, she indicated she was once again working on a new record. Later that year, she also revealed that she was married to her third husband, Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. She announced in May 2015, that she would embark on the Unbreakable World Tour and release her eleventh studio album through her newly formed, independent record label as a result of a partnership between herself and BMG.

Recording

In October 2009, just a month before Jackson released her second compilation album Number Ones (2009), American producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins revealed that they were working together on the singer's eleventh studio album:

Since we've been working ... I feel like the studio has become a second home for her because with the whole situation with Michael [Jackson] happening, and I feel like right now, emotionally, she can come here and let all her feelings out. [...] You gotta understand, she lost her brother. She was in a relationship for seven years [with Jermaine Dupri] that's over now. There's things that she told me that I didn't even realize. You know, certain [things] like self-esteem that I didn't even realize that she dealt with for years that, you know. ... She's working on her book and she'll deal with that in her book, but also in songs, certain songs we're dealing with that head on. And sometimes it can be a touchy subject for us to even go into, and I kinda had to persuade her, 'Let's just go, let's talk about that.' And she's been doing it, and she's a pro about it.

However, in 2010, Jackson revealed she had scrapped the recorded material with Jerkins. Although she recorded and released "Nothing" as the theme for the film Why Did I Get Married Too?, she stated: "There have been a lot of record labels that have asked me to sit down and talk with them, but I don't know if I want to do something completely independent, or go with a major". In August 2011, while touring with her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal world tour, the singer stated that she would "go back into the studio later this year or early next. I am not sure what I will be doing yet. I like to be inspired by what is going on in my life at that time". In 2013, she confirmed she was recording a new album and "creating the concept and initial thoughts on the music."

In August 2014, producer and engineer Ian Cross, who worked on her last three studio albums, confirmed to Barefoot Sound magazine that he was working on Jackson's new album, stating, "The new album is going to be great. It's a process. There's a lot in store, yet to come", also saying they worked in recording studios in Qatar, Paris and Middle East. He asserted that he and the singer "had a little bit more of a special relationship because we became friends naturally. You meet a lot of people and you become friends with a couple of them, but sometimes there is one person you become really good friends with. She asked me to work on an album with her called Discipline in 2007 and, again, just do the same thing, produce the vocals. That led to her hiring me full-time to work with her. That's where I'm at now". After Cross' declarations, Jackson herself responded to the rumor, neither confirming nor denying the works, stating: "If there is a new project, you'll hear it from my lips", she tweeted. Unbreakable saw Jackson reunite with long-time producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who did not contribute to her previous project.

Composition

The album opens with the title track "Unbreakable", a mid-tempo R&B song, which describes Jackson's unyielding devotion to her fans. Ryan Reed of Rolling Stone said the song "finds Jackson praising her loyal fan base over a groove built on a breezy vocal sample and thumping bass." Loren DiBlasi of MTV referred to the song as "timeless," stating "'Unbreakable' is classic Janet — angelic vocals delivered with timeless R&B style." "Burnitup!" is composed as an uptempo song with electronic beats, with processed vocal samples and "crisp" house drums. The opening of "Burnitup!" warns listeners with a voice shouting "Income!", before Elliott starts rapping, and hypes listeners up before Jackson's vocals and makes some kitty-quoting "meow" sounds. Jackson then asks "Mr. DJ" to "turn it up" and the crowd to "dance like no-one's watching", while Elliott raps "Make it work, make it work, make it work".

"No Sleeep" is an R&B and quiet storm song, which lyrically finds Jackson crooning about a long-distance romance over "soulful" keyboards and programmed drums. Opening with a sample of pouring rain and distant thunder, the first word heard is "plush", followed by Jackson singing the chorus: "You missing me, I'm missing you, whenever we meet, we ain't gonna get no sleep," in her signature breathy soprano.

Singles

The album's first single, titled "No Sleeep", was released on June 22, 2015. In early June, Jimmy Jam tweeted, "Early morning #Plush #NoSL333P #ConversationsInACafe", along with a picture of sheet music in a darkened studio. Fans quickly found out the titles "No SL333P" and "Plush" in the picture. Later, a snippet of the song was leaked, followed by a countdown on her official website which revealed the song on June 22, 2015. The album version of the song features additional verses from American rapper J. Cole. It was released to radio airplay and made available for digital download on July 23, 2015. Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart. The album version featuring J. Cole enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the Adult R&B Songs chart.

Release and promotion

On April 22, 2015, she tweeted, "Letting go doesn't mean you stop", after a fan created a mock Missing Persons poster of Jackson which had begun circulating the internet prompting Jackson to retweet it herself, adding to further speculation of a new album. On May 16, 2015, on her 49th birthday, Jackson announced a new album and world tour and stated "I promised you would hear it from my lips. And now you will. This year, new music, new world tour, a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going." It was later announced that she will release her new album in the fall of 2015 under her own record label, Rhythm Nation Records, distributed by BMG Rights Management. The launch of Rhythm Nation marks Jackson as among the few African-American female musicians to establish a record label. In June, she released the album's first single, "No Sleeep". That same month, she teased a track titled "Love", which was later re-titled "Unbreakable". The song is about how important her fans were to her. On August 20, 2015, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever", while also confirming the title of her eleventh studio album as Unbreakable, and is set to release on October 2, 2015.

To further promote the album, Jackson embarked on the accompanying Unbreakable World Tour in August 2015. Pre-sale tickets were made available exclusively to American Express and Citibank cardholders prior to general admission tickets going on sale on June 22, 2015. Jackson's forthcoming album was also made available for pre-order, along with vinyl copies of the album's lead single "No Sleeep". On September 19, 2015, Jackson was set to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. However, on September 18, her rep confirmed she had withdrawn from the festival.

Critical reception

Unbreakable has received positive reviews. Jim Fusilli of The Wall Street Journal complimented Jackson's vocals, as well as her efforts to craft a contemporary but familiar sound to add to her diverse catalog. He notes that she and her primary producers, Jam and Lewis, "explore a satisfying range of musical styles plucked from across the span of pop history" including funk, EDM and soul. Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Kyle Anderson called the album "her most sonically diverse set since 1997’s quirky, hypersexual The Velvet Rope" adding that "the most thrilling aspect of Unbreakable is her willingness to experiment." Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that Jackson depicts a far more subdued persona in comparison to the explicit nature of her previous albums. He states that "[f]or most of 'Unbreakable,' she plays big sister—someone who’s happily in love, willing to offer advice and wishing for a better world. It’s a benign role but a modest one, reinforced by the music." Newsday's Glenn Gamboa wrote that Unbreakable reflects her maturation, stating that after a tumultuous period in her career following the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, "Jackson finally seems like herself again—actually an even wiser version of herself." In her review for USA Today, Elysa Gardner wrote: "The young woman intent on liberating herself and the world is still socially and spiritually conscious, but she has evolved into a more settled, reflective artist ... With Unbreakable, Jackson, already a proven survivor—of both her family's well-publicized struggles and decades of changing trends in pop music and culture—gives us no reason to doubt that people will keep watching, and listening."

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, format(s), label, and references

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Vorlage:Abbr
Worldwide	October 2, 2015	Vorlage:Flatlist	Vorlage:Flatlist