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JANET JACKSON: Damita Jo (Virgin) Janet Jackson was going all the way musically long before she made nipple rings fashionable. With Damita Jo - Jackson's middle name - she verifies that she still has what it takes to be a titillating performer. Like the libido-driven All For You, this album continues in that vein, too. As the hip-hop- propelled title track infers, Jackson is "sexy, quiet, shy, but down for a good time." All those moods are reflected in the lengthy 22- track journey. Like the Kennedys, the Jacksons can't seem to escape the spotlight or avoid suffering the consequence of career-hurting headlines from various misfortunes. Here, Jackson makes a concerted effort to cast off the cross of being Michael Jackson's blood relation with subdued grace. Where her previous albums were bold and brazen, Jackson takes a left turn with Damita Jo. The sound is still voluptuous and lusty - but it also brims with extreme surprises. The album reads almost like a scorching brown-bag book: it captures Jackson in love (Spending Time With You), in lust (the self- explanatory Moist), and enjoying leisure time at the club (All Nite (Don't Stop) with a sample of Herbie Hancock's Hang Up Your Hang Ups. Jackson's greying fans may expect something more substantial - okay, so the boob-sneak was an unexpected revelation - but long- time fans won't be disappointed as she purrs, mourns and sings barely above a whisper throughout the album's run. The lyrical content deficit is easily compensated with a stinging rhythm drive on several tracks, including R&B Junkie, which borrows the beat from a classic Evelyn Champagne King old- school jam, I'm In Love. Elsewhere, white-hot producer Kanye West adds a welcome dose of new- school flava with the Jay-Z- assisted Strawberry Bounce. Despite a few missteps, Damita Jo is loaded with a higher ratio of worthy-to- mediocre songs than might be expected. This personal diary allows us a glimpse of Jackson's everyday life. Maybe next time, she'll reveal more musically and show less cleavage. (Hey Janet, when we've seen it all, enough is enough!)