20 Y.O. | ||||
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Studio album by Janet Jackson | ||||
Released | September 26, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:54 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer |
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Janet Jackson chronology | ||||
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Singles from 20 Y.O. | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 52/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Blender | |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ |
Los Angeles Times | (mixed) |
The New York Times | (mixed) |
Rolling Stone | |
Slant Magazine | |
Stylus Magazine | C+ |
The Village Voice | (negative) |
Yahoo! Music UK |
20 Y.O. is the ninth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. Released on September 20, 2006, by Virgin Records, the title makes reference to her third studio album Control which was released in 1986, a commemoration to its twentieth anniversary. 20 Y.O. represents the "celebration of the joyful liberation and history-making musical style" of Control. An R&B and dance music album, Jackson enlisted a range of producers to work on material with, including LRoc, Manuel Seal, The Avila Brothers and No I.D., in addition to her longtime partners Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and then-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri.
20 Y.O. received mixed reviews from music critics, with many of them chastising the production and involvement of Dupri. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, making it Jackson's eighth consecutive top three debut and second consecutive number two album debut. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it platinum, becoming Jackson's eighth consecutive platinum album. Internationally, the album failed to make an impact on charts, reaching the top sixty in Australia and number 43 on European charts. Worldwide the album has sold 1.2 million copies. 20 Y.O. earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2007.
To promote 20 Y.O., the singer appeared in various magazines, and performed on the Today Show and Billboard Music Awards. To further promote the release online, Jackson launched the "Design Me" cover contest, giving fans an opportunity to create the artwork for the album by downloading images of her and creating proposed covers for the album. Jackson hand-picked dozens of images to be used in the contest. She selected her top four favorites, which were used for the standard edition's cover on American pressings of 20 Y.O.