Singing icon Janet
Jackson is gearing up for a full-fledged return to music with her forthcoming
album 20 Years Old.The
project’s first single, "Call on Me," features St. Louis rapper Nelly
and currently sits at #15 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart
after five weeks. The
duo recently wrapped production on the live action/animation video, which was
inspired by Aesop’s Fables. "Call on Me" premiered Wednesday (July 26)
on BET.One
hundred fans got an early glimpse of the video Monday (July 24), as the singer
made a special appearance at the Met bar in London for a special playback and
showing.Produced
by Jermaine Dupri and longtime Jackson collaborators Jimmy "Jam" Harris
and Terry Lewis, 20 Years Old is described as a celebration of two decades
of continued growth for the songstress, as well as the essential newness of creativity.
The
album is set to be released on the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s solo debut Control.Last
week, the singer’s fans began submitting entries for a new Yahoo! Music contest
Jackson is holding, to find an album cover for the forthcoming release. The
singer handpicked 33 photos of herself from the last 20 years for fans to use
for the contest. Although
fans will vote on the covers, the final decision will be made by Jackson. The
top four will have their covers used on "selected publicly distributed copies"
of the songbird’s new album for the first 1 million copies, according to Virgin
Records.Sixteen
finalists will win Jackson’s complete album discography on CD. Each design will
get its own link that can be shared. For details on the contest as well as a look
at the entries, visit http://designme.janetjackson.com/20
Years Old
hits stores Sept. 26.