From corner boy to crooner! After a few seasons playing Dukie on HBO's The Wire, actor-turned-singer Jermaine Crawford is ditching the hot blocks and hoping instead to steam up the bedroom with the video for his song "Janet." Oh yes, that's Janet with a period at the end, much like Ms. Jackson's 1993 masterpiece. Crawford's track pays homage to the baby-making classics penned and performed by Janet Jackson. Present is the drip-drop melody familiar to "Someday is Tonight" and "Any Time, Any Place." Seductive are the lyrics, though they are tame compared to Jackson’s slow-burners "Rope Burn" and "Would You Mind." Yet this vulnerable yarn spun by Crawford is tinged with traces of "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)," melding a bit of innocence with adult desires.
And how about those visuals? Black and white right out of a Rhythm Nation video, featuring a model with dead-ringer nods to the hair, fashion and jewelry choices Janet rocked during her iconic phase in the '90s. "Janet." earns a play so hardcore fans can grade Crawford on his tribute, but also for its somewhat subtle journey into sensuality.
