Track Listing

1. Looking For Love
2. Damita Jo
3. Sexhibition
4. Strawberry Bounce
5. My Baby (featuring Kanye West)
6. The Islands
7. Spending Time With You
8. Magic Hour
9. Island Life
10. All Nite (Don't Stop)
11. R&B Junkie
12. I Want You
13. Like You Don't Love Me
14. Thinkin' Bout My Ex
15. Warmth
16. Moist
17. It All Comes Down To Love
18. Truly
19. The One
20. SloLove
21. Country
22. Just A Little While

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38381 in Music
• Released on: 2004-03-30
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
On her eighth studio album, Damita Jo--the title lifted from her middle name--Janet Jackson teams up with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis once again on what is perhaps the most feverish album in her two decade long career. Whether she's taking the listener on a torrid excursion in the four song island suite, or boasting of her sexual prowess on "Sexhibition's" word games lyrics, where she tells fans "relax, it's just sex," the singer tries hard--maybe too hard--to establish herself as a sexual avatar with portfolio. But in "Strawberry Bounce," she seems more like a pole dancer in stilettos than a social revolutionary, as she catalogs the way she plans to make her inamorato lose control, and she just sounds silly on "Moist," which extols the female orgasm. Instead, the best moments on the album are when Jackson comes off as saucy and winsome instead of a heavy breather, like on the down-tempo "Thinkin' Bout My Ex," her collaboration with Babyface, which seems lifted right out of her autobiography, and on the athletic Prince clone "Just A Little While." The title track is Jackson's own version of J-Lo's "Jenny On the Block," and she sounds just as insincere as Lopez when she tried to convince us that she was just an ordinary neighborhood diva. Instead, Janet’s much more persuasive when she joins up with hip-hop savant Kanye West on "My Baby," pairing her breathy, little girl vocals to his sharp, focused rap. Then and only then does Damita Jo sound like love can actually trump sex. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews

"Truly" Surprising
To those who:

1) Thought she would tone down after the OVERLY EXAGGERATED super bowl incident
2) Was trying to do something "shocking" so she could promote a mediocre album and remind the world she's still exists (think Madonna @ the VMA's & "American Life")
3) Think the album is nothing but explicit, extreme, almost fetish sexual themes

...You're all in for a surprise

Yes, there are some sexual themes, but it isn't as drastic or excessive as some critics perceive it to be (it isn't anything different from the raunchiest lyrics by D'Angelo or Maxwell). It's actually a little unfair and hypocritical because had the accident NOT happen, people would've dubbed this album to be "sexy" and "exotic" or something. But the accident did happen, and now the same people are dubbing this album to be "trashy" and "cheap".

The songs on the album vary, ranging from slow ballads to upbeat club songs; "Spending Time With You" and "My Baby (featuring Kanye West)" have extremely catchy hooks. The fusion of rock and synthesizers in "Sexhibition" works well. The smoothness in "Warmth" is very appealing while the hypnotic flow of "All Nite (Don't Stop)" gets very addictive with each listen (just the way she sings the line "this rhythm just makes me high" leaves me yearning for more). But above it all, the song that got my immediate approval when I first listened was the old school R&B sound of "R&B Junkie". Though most of the songs on the album are good, there are those few things that I have a problem with: I don't understand what's so great about "Strawberry Bounce". The song is lacking; the lyrics are mediocre and the beat is too simple (it consists of Jay-Z in the background saying "bounce", handclaps, and "la-la-la" loops. It sounds more like little girls playing double-dutch jump rope). For some reason, the lead single (although it failed to get any airplay) "Just A Little While" sounds like a jingle for Pepsi (I don't know why, it just does). The main thing that seems to be bothering everyone is the interludes. Now, I don't mind interludes; I actually enjoy some... but many of her interludes aren't needed and some just don't make sense. Janet shares gems like "Country":

"J... Jo... Dunk? Booty... Damita Jo...isn't that like a country name -Damita Jo? It is isn't it? The "Damita" I don't think is country, but it's the "Jo" that's country, which just happens to be my father's name. Well my mother is from the south... so...Damita Jo..."

Wow! That was deep...

Anyway... In general, this album is decent enough to listen. This album starts off strong but then towards the end, it falls flat, leaving a shaky last appeal. The thing is that there aren't enough top quality songs to call this album "Excellent". Still, listening to the diversity of songs in "Damita Jo" was refreshing. When "it all comes down" to it, this album is pretty good.

OMG I LOVEEEEEEE THIS ALBUM!!!
I absolutely LOVE every song on this album! I give this album a 10! And it's not just cuz Janet and I share the same first name, Lol, but because Janet Jackson surely put out another good album yet again! Big WOOT for her! All the songs have a special meaning to me!

1. Looking For Love - Interlude:~
I like this track cuz it is so true... we're all so different, and there are so many contradictions between us... but in the end all of us are looking for the same thing, and that makes us all so similar no matter how different we are... because in the end, we're all looking for Love.

2. Damita Jo:~ (SCORE 9)
I like this song. I like the beat and its kinda hip-hop like. The song basically talks bout who she is, and asking everyone... do you like me just for what you see? Do you really think I'm that person you see on TV?

3. Sexhibition:~ (SCORE 10)
I LOVE this song. Prolly like my third favorite on this album. It just makes me wanna get up and dance Lol. It's got like a danceable rock/pop beat to it... What's this song about? ummmm sex. Lol

4. Strawberry Bounce:~ (SCORE 7)
I like this song, but I kinda scroll past this track when I hear this album unless I really wanna hear it. It's has an addictive hook and all, but it is not one of my favorites on this album.

5. My Baby (featuring Kanye West):~ (SCORE 8)
I like this song, but just like Strawberry Bounce, I'm never really in the mood to hear it all the time. I read many reviews and everyone seems to LOVE it, and I do too, but it is not one of my favorites for some reason. I like what it says though... it's about her love for her babay Lol.

6. The Islands- Interlude:~
I like this interlude cuz she's talking about her favorite things, and that is being on an island with her baby just curling up reading a good book. Ummm, that is sooo me too! Lol.

7. Spending Time With You:~ (SCORE 9)
I LOVE this song and I can't help but listen to it all the time. I love the music. It's slow and has a good beat. I love the lyrics though. It's about her saying how much she loves spending time with the one she loves and how that's all she wants to do. Me too!

8. The Magic Hour- Interlude:~
I like this track cuz she talks about her favorite time: when it's almost dark, and the sun has gone down, and there is still that little bit of light left... and yes, that is beautiful to see!

9: Island Life:~ (SCORE 10!)
I ADORE this song! My absolute favorite song on this album! I love the music, I love the lyrics, and I love everything about it! I think I play this track over and over again cuz I just love it so much! I just can't help but sing to this song out really loud and blast it whenever it comes on. Lol.

10. All Nite (Don't Stop):~ (SCORE 10)
I LOVE this song. This is probably my second favorite track on this album. I like this track a LOT because I just can't help but get up and dance every time I hear it. It has an awesome dance beat that you just can't get outta your head and can't help but dance to.

11. R&B Junkie:~ (SCORE 8)
I like this song. It has a old-school dance beat to it and it's kinda addictive. I like this song, although it is not one of my favorites on the album.

12. I Want You:~ (SCORE 9.5)
This song is the reason why I bought this album after seeing the music video. I love this song a lot. I love the lyrics. The song is about how much she wants to be with the one she loves, and how much she wishes it would be him who would be with her, and not anyone else. This song is one of my favorites on the album.

13. Like You Don't Love Me:~ (SCORE 7)
I like this song, but it is probably one of my least favorite songs I like in the album. It's a good song, but not one of the ones I am eager to hear all the time.

14. Thinking About my Ex:~ (SCORE 9.5)
This song almost made me wanna cry. This is a VERY beautiful song and it was very beautifully written. The song is about her not trying to break the heart of the one she is currently with, but as much as she doesn't wanna break his heart, she admits that she can't help but think about her ex. The music is very slow jam-like, and I love listening to it. This song is one of my favorites on the album.

15. Warmth:~ (SCORE 7.5)
I like this song... but then I heard the lyrics. Lol. This is one of Janet Jackson's most sexually explicit songs ever! I like the song all in all, but they aren't necessarily my favorite lyrics at all.

16. Moist:~ (SCORE 9)
I really like the music to this song. But of course, the lyrics to this song are quite sexual and explicit. This song appears to be a continuation to the previous song, but less sexually extreme than the previous song.

17. It All Comes Down To Love- Interlude:~
I like this interlude, but it doesn't bare a great deal of significance on the album. This feels just like an add in to fill up the album.

18. Truly:~ (SCORE 8)
This song is very nice and I like it. It's slow and the lyrics describe how much she loves the one she loves.

19. The One- Interlude:~
I like this interlude. This interlude appears to be like a continuation to the first interlude "Looking for Love".

20. SloLove:~ (SCORE 10)
I love this song! This is one of my favorites in the whole album. I would say it ties in third place with "Sexhibition". This song also makes me wanna get up and dance. The beat is very upbeat and almost a little disco like in the good sense.

21. Country- Interlude:~
This interlude is basically about Janet's name "Damita Jo" and how it sounds like a country name.

22. Just A Little While:~ (SCORE 10)
I LOVE this song! This song has a little bit of a rock beat to it, and it makes you wanna get up and dance. This song is defintely one of my favorites on the album. The song is about how much she likes the one she is interested in, and how she hopes that he will be interested in her too.

As you can see, I love this whole album!! I like every song on this album and I love listening to it. I strongly recommend it even if you're not a Janet Jackson fan, because I can guarentee you'll like at least one song in it.~

Still in Control.
Janet Jackson is letting it all hang out on her fabulously down-and-dirty "Damita Jo." On this CD, Jackson's raunchy lyrics, which appear on a number of these songs, leave almost nothing to the imagination, exploring sexual themes that pick up where her last three albums left off. If the parental advisory sticker isn't a sufficient warning, then take a cursory look at the tracklisting: titles like "Warmth," "Moist," "Sexhibition," and "Strawberry Bounce." But there's so much more to "Damita Jo" than its eye-opening lyrics. While she faithfully reunites with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, she also branches out and works with other hitmakers like Kayne West, Babyface, and Dallas Austin. The result is her most diverse-sounding album to date. The flavor is still r&b, but with some new welcome kicks. Janet sets a romantic tone in the sweet "Spending Time With You," hooks up with Kayne West on the slammin' "My Baby," and collaborates with Babyface on "Thinking of My Ex," a killer ballad that should make current beau Jermaine Dupri nervous. Clubheads and DJs will salivate over the disco glitter of "Slolove," and "R&B Junkie" outright steals the hook off Evelyn Champagne King's "I'm in Love" and runs with it. As with Janet's last few discs, "Damita Jo" has its share of interludes, and their abundance threatens the flow and overall quality of the disc. One day, Janet will hopefully be confident enough to do away with the interludes and let the music speak for itself. And the weak "Just a Little While" was a poor choice for a debut single. That aside, "Damita Jo" stands tall on its merits and looks poised to be a solid hit during the spring and summer.