Now that the hype has settled surrounding the release of Janet Jackson's new collection Discipline, let's take a closer look at the music.

Heading south on the album charts, Discipline still holds onto a top 30 spot, having peaked the first week out at #1.

The biggest issue I have with Discipline is that Janet Jackson has thrown herself at the mercy of her producers.

Jermaine Dupri is all over the album as the main architect, whipping up Justin Timberlake like grooves on "Feedback."

With "Rollercoaster," we hear the sample machine cranked up to the max, with screams, grunts, and beats bouncing around Janet's lyrics for maximum punch.

The problem is that these musical theatrics craft the opposite effect that Janet's sweet voice projects.

Trying too hard to be cutting Edge, Discipline disappoints.

This album is better than Janet's last one, but the real Ms. Jackson is still pressing too hard to find her authentic voice.

You can tell a lot just from the CD pictures accompanying Discipline.

Where's the musical beef?

Here are some other thoughts about Discipline...

The Los Angeles Times: "Discipline tries to service both Tyler Perry-loving moms and their gone-wild progeny, sacrificing Jackson's own vision in the process."

Dot Music: "Still, if not perfect, there's plenty to like on Discipline, and while none of it is exactly vintage Janet, there's enough here to keep the Jackson name on pop's A-list for a little while longer."

Boston Globe: "Jackson's decision to recycle the nympho routine one more time is just boring."

Entertainment Weekly: "Despite a couple of promising tracks the music generally befits the absurd lyrics...Dupri, Ne-Yo, Rodney Jerkins, The-Dream, and StarGate often drown out Jackson's breathy vocals with soulless beats.

PopMatters: "On Discipline, Janet sounds part nympho, part aging diva trying to keep up with her would be replacements. It works on some songs, but fails miserably on most."

Hartford Courant: "When juxtaposed with the album's bubble-gum bounce, the creepy parts just seem creepier."

Village Voice: "Discipline is the most cohesive deep-groove album from La Jackson since "Control."

I'd say there is overall consensus that Discipline is pretty weak.

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