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E! Online

Strong and sensual.

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The Guardian

The obligatory boring ballads aside, the results are astonishing.

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Blender

What's titillating about Damita Jo isn't some easy flash of sexuality, but the varied soundbeds that Jackson and her producers create to house her love games, and the confidence with which she plays. [May 2004, p.116]

The New York Times

The album is even sleeker and sexier than its predecessor, "All for You," and in saner times, that would be enough to ensure its success. [28 Mar 2004]

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Los Angeles Times

All this heavy construction is undertaken in the service of one of pop's thinnest, wispiest voices, and although Jackson's lack of vocal presence leaves a void at the heart of "Damita Jo," she's enough of a personality to create a few serviceable personas.

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Q Magazine

The sex tracks themselves are more scary than seductive.... [But] the dancefloor tunes are far more slinky. [May 2004, p.107]

Billboard

At 22 tracks, "Damita Jo" has its fair share of hits and misses.

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Entertainment Weekly

For the most part, the songs are stylized set pieces--the furthest thing from steamy R&B--and they evaporate as you listen to them. [9 Apr 2004, p.83]

Dot Music

That it'll be her most scrutinised release is a problem, because its stilted, wearying, obsessive concentration on an uncomfortably forced notion of it's creator's sexuality means it's the only album she's made in the last dozen years that doesn't merit such focussed attention.

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All Music Guide

Without strong rhythmic or melodic hooks, the album's slow grooves blend together and Jackson disappears into the productions.

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Rolling Stone

Smacks of trying too hard.

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New York Magazine

Damita Jo, sadly, is an outdated product of the turn-of-the-millennium pop scene, in which female singers conflated sexual openness with empowerment.

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Playlouder

Finds her flailing club-footedly some twelve steps behind contemporary R&B, whispering distractedly through a seemingly unending array of interludes and phoning in songs that even Mariah at her most barely-there would dismiss as a trifle on the insipid side.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 57 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Joseph V gave it a7:
Not thrilled by this CD. I think it's her weakest. Maybe I just haven't gotten into it yet...

P Ray gave it an8:
All For You was rubbish, 20yo is rubbish, in contrast Damito Jo is everything that the latter two fail to be, the most naturally sexy, fresh, funky that Janet has sounded in years. Didnt need the marketing stunt if thats what it was. Unlike All For You which had some rubbish sex songs, this has good ones, unllike 20 yo which has some rubbish dance songs and a load of bland songs, Damito Jos efforts are all better than all the weak tracks on bothe those albums.

Jay B gave it a10:
Janet continues to do what she does best. Damita Jo showcases Janets ever increasing self awareness, while also containing the many sweet R&B tracks that has made her such a success. One of 2004's best R&B albums!

Chonte J gave it a10:
this is the cd of the year

Eliot T gave it a5:
This album is nowhere near as good as any of her past work...I can see why the album needed controversy...

aaliyah j gave it a10:
THIS IS THE BEST CD

Biggs gave it a 10:
Well crafted CD. Janet, Jam, and Lewis have done it again with help from a few others. Janet is a pleasure to listen to. You can feel her energy and space that she is in, LOVE.

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Damita Jo

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