A year before releasing her sixth solo album, The Velvet Rope, in 1997, Janet Jackson gifted her fans with her first greatest hits album, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996. I remember the initial criticisms about the title since the bulk of the songs were from her third (Control) and fourth (Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814) albums. The singles that accompanied both of those albums saw release dates between 1986 and 1991. In addition, only one song from her 1993 album, Janet, is included. The omission of songs from Janet is a surprise, as that album had five number-one singles.
Nevertheless, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 would still sell 4.3 million copies. In support of the album, Ms. Jackson released two singles. The infectious “Runaway” and this week’s Slow Jam Saturday spotlight, “Twenty Foreplay.” Jackson wrote and produced the song with her frequent collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. I’ve always loved the song because it starts with a seventies-style ballad before going into a mid-tempo R&B groove.
I still remember being at the age of fourteen and smiling from ear to ear when Janet sang, “Seeing your face glow is the nicest of hellos.” And now, as a married man and father, one of the greatest joys in life is seeing my wife and son wake up in the morning after a peaceful sleep. I must also make mention of the video with its b&w cinematography and the homage to Dorothy Dandridge.
Considering that the song is a fan favorite when it comes to her slow jams, it’s a surprise that Janet didn’t perform the song live until 2017’s State of the World Tour. If I am ever blessed enough to see Janet live, “Twenty Foreplay” is the one song that would get the biggest reaction from me. Illuminating sensuality and romance while avoiding crassness, “Twenty Foreplay” is one of my favorite ballads in Mrs. Jackson’s catalog.
Final Grade: A
While Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 is available to stream online, for some reason, “Twenty Foreplay” is omitted.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.