New Janet Jackson song: Heartbeat Love featuring Pitbull

Producer Rodney Jerkins, better known as Darkchild, has just released a hot new single by Janet Jackson featuring Pitbull, called Heartbeat Love. Listen to the song above!

When I previously heard the demo (working title Not My Love) featuring just the vocals of Pitbull and a stand-in female guide vocal, I wasn't that all impressed. But this final version of the song is damn hot and happening! Definitely one for the clubs.

I'm not sure if it's Janet Jackson featuring Pitbull or the other way round, as Pitbull opens the song and plays an equally-important role. I think out of respect, they're letting Janet have top billing. Whichever way, it doesn't matter, just as long as it's going to be on Janet's next album!

Janet also has another new song coming out soon. She recently recorded the track Nothing produced by ex-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, and it will be the theme song for the upcoming Tyler Perry film Why Did I Get Married Too? Janet will be appearing in this sequel as well.

It's exciting because Janet didn't contribute any song to the first Why Did I Get Married? soundtrack, even though she had the lead role. And Janet's track record reveals that the songs she contributed for soundtracks/films have all been smashes:

1) The Best Things In Life Are Free (with Luther Vandross)

- For the Mo' Money soundtrack, 1992

- Billboard Hot 100: #10

2) Again

- Closing song in the film Poetic Justice, starring Janet in her film debut

- Third single from her janet. album, 1993

- Billboard Hot 100: #1 for 2 weeks

- Nominated for Best Original Song at the 66th Academy Awards, where she performed it live

3) Doesn't Really Matter

- Lead single from the soundtrack of Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, 2000

- Janet starred in this sequel alongside several Eddie Murphys

- Billboard Hot 100: #1 for 3 weeks

- It was her ninth #1 single and she became the first artist to score #1 singles in the 80's, 90's and 00's

4) Nothing

- Lead single from the soundtrack of Why Did I Get Married Too?, 2010

- Ten years later, and back on the soundtrack of a sequel, will Janet be the first artist to score #1 singles in the 80's, 90's, 00's AND 10's???

Nothing is likely to be a mid-tempo ballad, given the storyline of the film, so it's probably going to be more like an Again rather than a Doesn't Really Matter. Which doesn't bode well for its prospects to be the next #1 single for Janet.

Looking at the #1 singles on the Hot 100 for the past few years, the last ballad to scale the summit goes way back to May 2008 with Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love, which is not exactly a ballad in the strictest sense. Owl Cities reached #1 in November last year with Fireflies, but it's not exactly a ballad too.

Point is, the current trend for music is upbeat, dancey, electronic, and Lady Gaga-ish. So a traditional ballad will stand no chance in reaching #1 on the Hot 100. Heartbeat Love will stand a better chance than Nothing.

And also because Why Did I Get Married Too? is most likely not going to be as enormous a box office hit as Nutty Professor II. The first film grossed just US$55 million, compared to Nutty Professor II's US$166 million. I'll be happy if ANY Janet song reaches #1. Hope Heartbeat Love will be the one.

Pitbull scored a massive hit last year with I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho), which peaked at #2. And Rodney Jerkins has been working with some of the hottest artists for the past 12 years. His resume includes #1 hits with Brandy & Monica, Monica, J. Lo and Destiny's Child. He produced four tracks from Janet's last album Discipline, and was most recently responsible for the Lagy Gaga and Beyonce duet Telephone, on Gaga's The Fame Monster EP.

I'm hoping the old team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will be involved in Janet's new album, but if Heartbeat Love is anything to go by, the new album will be hot, even without them. But I like the old school Janet too. Hope this will be the one to really bring her back.