It’s been a sluggish “comeback” for Janet Jackson. It’s been seven years since we’ve last heard from the longstanding pop veteran, but she hasn’t received much in the way of commercial fanfare for her eleventh studio album Unbreakable, released last week.
The first three singles, “No Sleeep,” “Unbreakable,” and the Missy Elliot assisted “Burnitup!” respectively have failed to catch fire much unlike her previous smashes. And not for lack of quality now; her target audience is decidedly not the current crop of market drivers, Millenials and Generation Z. She is however receiving strong critical support for the project and after a thorough listen over the weekend it’s easy to see why. There really isn’t a dud among the 17 track listing. And a couple have already entered my heavy rotation; the throbbing DJ Mustard-esque “Dammn Baby” and today’s write-up, an upbeat flip on the lead single.
Los Angeles remixologist AFSHeeN is new to my sphere but he’s no stranger to the pop scene having reworked the likes of Fergie, John Legend, and Zedd already. Now he’s tried his hand at a revered icon, and has achieved something special. Actually found as an iTunes bonus track, his take on the album version of “No Sleeep,” one that features a verse from J. Cole, is a punchy wake up call for your midsection thanks to an enriched groove and a tribal-like cadence. Fit for the dance floor and the bedroom, you can’t go wrong here.
So if the original left you a little listless like me, get familiar with this revamp; you’ll have a whole new appreciation for the legendary Ms. Jackson’s latest body of work: