He spreads love across multiple places. In My Kinda People, complete with Jazze Pha and Menta Malone in the background, he sings about Southern simplcity:

I can smell it, somebody put wood grain in the air
And there's a lot of fine ass women everywhere
Ain't nothin' wrong with passin' and drinkin and havin' fun
Why don't you take your dead ass home if you ain't havin' none?

From the spoken words in I Am Selling Soul and Sometimes, he gives more than just lyricism -- he also slams spoken word, in surround sound even.

Sometimes good just ain't good enough
And othertimes evil will get you even
Sometimes faith is not knowing any better
Sometimes nothing is what you believe in...sometimes I don't even have a hook.

He also uses the N-word in Southern style that's love instead of hatred in the lively When We Were Friends. He uses romance and love, complete with watching Blockbuster movies, in All Day Love Affair.

As it he put it himself, he's "the obviously odd, five foot, six inch god" proclaimed in Evening News. I believe that's the best assessment that can be made.

8/10. The best release this year so far. Your take?

To remain plain and simplistic, realistic, accurate, articulate, and absolutely artistic
Uninhibited, unadulterated, unstoppable, unfuckwithable and unforgettable
But since I've been granted the power of choice to make God be the voice he is so all the credibility is his
So let these be words of wisdom and in the same breath warning...
Son, I shine like Sunday morning
- Sometimes

Declarations of the passion and the newness that is Damita Jo along with Strawberry Bounce set the album off to a strong start, but rarely give any newfound passion that we've been accustomed to. Undoubtedbly, with Dallas Austin introducing us with the first release Just A Little While, fans were unaccustomed to the Prince infusion, resulting in quickly releasing the solid, albeit non-groundbreaking track I Want You.

With Jam and Lewis present, as with every release, the Janet Jackson sound is still there. Island Life and Truly are standard Flytetyme tracks expected off of every album. The infusion of old-school beats is a boost that some of these tracks provide. With Spending Time With You, with a slight interpolation of the Gap Band, and R&B Junkie breaking off Evelyn Champagne King, the 80's enhancements uplift the album for the old-school legion.

The addition of other production teams give this album variety also. With BAG & Arnthor helming All Night (Don't Stop) and Slo Love, there's additional funk that effortlessly guides people to the floor. Having Kanye West pulsing us into I Want You and My Baby, along with Babyface giving us his signature cut Thinking About My Ex, the current fan base are granted songs designed for this day and age.

Janet has previously given us many things to be thankful of...and with Jam and Lewis guiding the ship, the results have been stellar. With groundbreaking songs from All For You like the minimalist funk of the initial track All for You, the emotion of Son of A Gun, and the rock-infused Trust a Try, the album, while not a blockbuster when compared to her previous efforts, was a release that signalled growth inside of the woman that is Damita Jo. The rub here? This album is a continuation of comfort and familiarity, rather than satisfying the above-the-radar expectations that is her norm. There are tracks not present on the United States release of Damita Jo as well. With Could This Be Love and Put Your Hands On missing, the album lacks more of what her fan base has been accustomed to. It's expected that videos, her performances, and interviews will boost this album as they have in the past. Now, more than ever, however, it's absolutely essential.

As albums go, this is not a bad album release from artists with a smaller fan base, and for that it, it gets a rating of 7/10. In the realm that is Janet, this release can be considered a minor setback, however, placing it at a 6/10 when compared to her other releases. There's so much that has been received in the past that has made the future so bright, I've had to wear my shades. This time, however, I didn't need to wear them. We can only hope that the next release will shine a bit brighter.

Express yourself to eXponent. It's a good thing.