balance." Jay Cocks of TIME magazine offered a mixed review, stating "[f]or all its sass, there is something a little too careful about this album: the rhythms are too studied and studiobound, the sexiness slightly forced. It's as if Jackson, aware that this was her premier effort under a new, $40 million record deal, felt weighed down by the burden of proving herself. When, however, she kicks loose on What'll I Do, a nifty, '60s-style soul stirrer, it's clear that Jackson's got nothing to prove to anyone, including herself." Jon Pareles of The New York Times compares Jackson to her brother Michael and Madonna, stating "Jackson's real strength, abetted by Jam and Lewis, is the way she tops dance-club rhythms with pop melodies. Less up-to-the-second than Madonna but still effective, the Jackson team has obviously been listening to the competition. Madonna's 'Justify My Love' echoes in 'That's the Way Love Goes,' and 'If' resembles Michael Jackson's 'Why You Wanna Trip on Me,' starting with screaming guitar and a chanted verse, rising to a sweet melody." He also comments that despite its shortcomings, "[t]he album's not about being real; it's about seamlessness and ingenuity, about giving the public something it can use. For a superstar, Jackson is downright selfless, but she gets the job done." Chris Willman of the Los Angeles Times gave an unfavorable review. Although sex in popular music is considered a standard concept, Willman states the only reason the album would cause a reaction is because of Jackson's well-known conservative nature. He comments: "So be it. Jackson's first album in four years is destined for a long ride at No. 1, not because it's any great piece of work, but largely for its aphrodisiacal aspirations." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly stated that "[i]f musical variety and daring lyrics were all that mattered, Janet would make the grade. But the album has a lot to prove. It is the first delivery under her $40 million contract with Virgin, and its title—which translates as 'Janet, period'—is meant as a declaration of independence from her oddball siblings ... She still sounds like a young woman from a male-dominated family who is searching for her identity and voice. Mostly, though, Janet sounds like a mess—period." David Sinclair of The Times wrote: "In the steamy, post-Madonna climate of the 1990s, Jackson is not about to let thoughts of love get in the way