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Janet Jackson

 
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Janet Jackson, Singer

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Janet Jackson
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  • Born: 16 May 1966
  • Birthplace: Gary, Indiana
  • Best Known As: The pop singer who bared her breast at Super Bowl 2004

Janet Jackson is the younger sister of the singing Jackson brothers, including the late "King of Pop" Michael Jackson. She released her first album in 1982; her career really took off with the 1986 album Control, which included the hit single "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" She quickly became a regular fixture in pop music and on MTV, known for her smartly sexy songs and high-energy dancing (the choreography in her videos was done by Paula Abdul). In 1999 she was a guest artist with Busta Rhymes on his hit "What's It Gonna Be." She also ventured into the movies, starring with Tupac Shakur and Maya Angelou in the 1993 film Poetic Justice. Her other albums include Damita Jo (2004, with a title taken from Jackson's middle name), 20 Y.O. (2006) and Discipline (2008).

Jackson caused a hubbub while performing in the halftime show of the 2004 Super Bowl, when her co-star Justin Timberlake pulled off a piece of Jackson's costume, exposing her right breast. Timberlake claimed the incident was unplanned and blamed a "wardrobe malfunction," but Jackson later issued a formal apology, admitting that the "costume reveal" was intentional... A month after the Super Bowl incident, singing legend Lena Horne blocked Jackson from playing her in a planned TV movie.

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Gale Contemporary Black Biography:

Janet Jackson

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singer; actor

Personal Information

Born Janet Jackson on May 16, 1966, in Gary, IN; daughter of Joseph (a music manager) and Katherine Corse Jackson (a homemaker and sales clerk); married James DeBarge (a singer), September 1984 (annulled 1985); married Rene Elizondo (film director, actor), March 1991 (divorced 2000).

Career

Actress on television series Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame, beginning 1977; recording and performing music artist, 1982-; guest artist on Herb Alpert's album Diamonds, 1987; signed recording contract with Virgin Records, 1991; songwriter, coproducer of own album janet., 1993; actress in film Poetic Justice, 1993; songwriter, coproducer of The Velvet Rope, 1998; songwriter, coproducer of All for You, 2001; actress, Poetic Justice, 1993; actress, The Klumps, Nutty Professor II, 2000.

Life's Work

Born into one of the most successful musical families in the history of pop, Janet Jackson began her entertainment career as a television actress but established herself as a singing star of the first order by the end of the 1980s. At the tender age of sixteen she released her first album, and though it took a few years before she scored any large-scale hits, she soon rivaled the astonishing success of her superstar brother Michael. She not only released a number of smash singles but also received many awards from her peers and from numerous civic organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The release of her long-awaited janet. album in 1993, along with her motion picture debut in Poetic Justice, signaled her transition to grown-up pop idol: sexier, more versatile, and more independent. Though critics largely panned the film and had mixed responses to her album, Jackson managed to redefine herself and stake an even larger claim in the fiercely competitive pop world. Articulating her artistic goals in a Rolling Stone interview, she declared, "I'm talking about responding to the world emotionally, directly. Art that comes from the heart, not the head."

She was born in 1966 to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of nine children. When five of her brothers--known as the Jackson 5--became pop superstars in the early 1970s, the family moved to California. Janet's first stage appearance was in a Las Vegas revue when she was seven years old. Unlike her brothers, Janet first made her way into the public eye through acting: at age eleven she landed the role of Penny on the situation comedy Good Times. Parts in the series Diff'rent Strokes and Fame followed, as Janet Jackson grew up before the nation's eyes. It was at the urging of her father that she ventured into music. "My dad would tell me, 'You have to do this and this and this,"' she told Us magazine. "And I'd just say 'Okay,' and do it." Later on, Jackson remembered in a Rolling Stone interview, she told her father she didn't want him to manage her any longer: "I couldn't say the words--I was bawling like a baby--and finally he just said: 'You don't want me involved in your career. Isn't that it?' 'Yes,' I finally had the nerve to say, 'that's it."'

Music Moved Her

Janet's debut as a recording artist came with her 1982 album Janet Jackson, released by A&M Records. Although the album's highest-charting single failed to reach the Top 40, she established her own following by touring high schools to promote it and to encourage students to stay in school. She threw her family a curve in the summer of 1984, however, when she eloped with singer James DeBarge. The two announced their nuptials in September of that year from Michigan, though the wedding was annulled by the following spring and Jackson ended up returning to her family's home in Encino, California. "I went through a lot, from age 15 1/2 to about 19 years," she disclosed to Ebony in a 1993 interview. "I was very young. I used to hurt so badly that I'd ask God why, what have I done to deserve any of this? I feel now He was preparing me for this, for the future. That's the way I see it." In the wake of the marriage's annulment, Jackson was comforted by longtime friend Rene Elizondo, with whom she later developed a romantic relationship.

November of 1984 saw the release of Jackson's sophomore effort, Dream Street. Despite the participation of producers Giorgio Moroder and Jesse Johnson and a duet with pop legend Cliff Richard, the record didn't sell spectacularly. Not until her next album, Control, did Jackson become a contender in the pop world. Teamed with hot R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who cowrote much of the material, Jackson seemed in her musical element at last. "She had made two records with producers who basically said, 'Here's the song, go in and sing it,'" Jam told Steve Pond of Us. "And when she started working with us, she expected us to do the same thing. But you have to remember that it really wasn't her idea to be a singer. It was really her father's, and she's gone from basically doing something that her father suggested to really enjoying it and feeling confident about it."

Gained Confidence with Control

Released in 1986 and promoted domestically with a 13-city tour, Control began to move thanks to the single "What Have You Done for Me Lately," which rose to the top of the R&B chart. During the album's lengthy stay on the British pop chart, it reached the Number Eight position; in the United States it fared even better, topping the album chart and achieving platinum status. Thanks to the smash singles, "Nasty," "When I Think of You," "Let's Wait Awhile," "The Pleasure Principle," and the record's title track, the 20-year-old Jackson became the youngest artist to attain the number one position on the U.S. charts since Stevie Wonder reached it at age thirteen. Control went on to sell eight million copies.

Jackson performed at the 1987 Grammy Awards but didn't take home any statues; she was to be compensated generously in the ensuing years. She did, however, come up the winner in several categories of Billboard magazine's year-end survey. Also, the video for "Nasty"--choreographed by rising star Paula Abdul--won a trophy at the MTV Video Music Awards. In November, A&M released Control--The Remixes, a collection of eight alternate versions of Jackson's hits.

Bona Fide Superstardom

Though she began work on it in 1988, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 did not hit the stores until the fall of the following year. Jackson described it to Essence as an album "containing my views about what was going on in the world and the problems we have in trying to educate the kids and give them hope." Working again with Jam and Lewis, Jackson proved that Control's success was no accident. The album topped the U.S. charts four weeks after its release and produced hit after hit, including "Miss You Much," "Escape," the hard-rocking "Black Cat," "Come Back to Me," and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)." Jackson again performed at the Grammy Awards and again went home empty-handed, though the album's long-form video counterpart won a trophy. Yet Jackson received her share of honors, including a Los Angeles celebration of "Janet Jackson Week," a star on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame," and an array of Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Soul Train Awards. BMI honored her as songwriter of the year in 1990, "Janet Jackson's year," according to Essence writer David Ritz.

Ultimately, Rhythm Nation 1814--the number refers to the year in which the National Anthem of the United States was composed--became the first album ever to have seven of its singles on the Billboard Top Five; four of those singles reached the Number One position. Jackson's 1990 World Tour was an enormous success; she shared the wealth it generated by donating 25 cents from each ticket sold to the Cities in Schools program, which works to keep kids from dropping out of school. After the tour ended, she gave nearly a half-million dollars to the United Negro College Fund in the form of a "Rhythm Nation Scholarship." In 1991, she signed a recording contract with Virgin Records that, at $50 million, stood as the most lucrative in history--for about a week, after which time it was surpassed by brother Michael's new deal with Sony.

Jackson received a Chairman's Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1992 in recognition of her public service work, especially on behalf of young people. "I don't consider myself a social leader," the singer told Essence, "but I do feel a responsibility that comes with being an entertainer. For me the big issues all come down to the children. What are we doing to protect them, to make their future world better? I'll never stop fighting illiteracy and drugs [and helping organizations that work to combat AIDS]," she added.

As she addressed these large issues, however, she found increasing public attention focused on conflicts within her family. Public acrimony between her sister LaToya--also a performer--and the rest of the Jackson clan gained considerable publicity, and Janet was forced to comment, admitting the rift. She told Ritz of Essence that she tried to reestablish contact with LaToya, but "communication between us has proved impossible."

Meanwhile, she and Michael appeared together on the 1993 Grammy Awards, where he jokingly stated that their dual appearance put to rest rumors that they were the same person. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne quipped, "Only Michael would take such a story seriously--after all anyone can see it is he and LaToya who look frighteningly alike." Janet admitted to competitive feelings with her brother in her Ebony interview, noting that she wants "to break his records," yet she insisted that this was not mere familial jealousy. "I'm very competitive. If someone is at No. 1 and I'm at No. 2, then I want the No. 1 spot. But I feel there is enough room for everyone. Everyone. I really do. Enough room for Whitney [Houston, megastar soul-pop diva], for myself, for my brother, for everyone."

Justice and janet.: Two New Personae

The year 1993 marked not only the release of another massively successful Jackson album, but her first acting role in a feature film. Jackson was cast by director-writer John Singleton, who became a Hollywood sensation with his debut film Boyz N the Hood, to play the lead role in his follow-up effort, Poetic Justice. "It was something about Janet that really made me feel this character was her," he told Allison Samuels of Upscale magazine. "It's something about her eyes that are very telling." Though she grew up in the suburbs, Singleton remarked to Essence that he had "always viewed Janet as the Ultimate Homegirl. She has a secret fire. I call it subdued intensity." Jackson was advised against accepting the role by some industry figures who wanted her to stay closer to her pop singer persona. "The studio head adamantly warned me against it," she said. "'It's a mistake for your first feature film to be all Black.' He said it was too ethnic, too artsy, too heavy. 'Make a comedy. Take it easy. Play a character closer to you. Play it safe.'" Instead, Jackson took the role of Singleton's hairdresser-poet, and prepared by--as Singleton recalled it--"doing hair in a salon on 54th Street in South Central Los Angeles."

Jackson made new friends during the project. She told Ritz: "I met four girls from South Central through John--one of them was a hairdresser--who wound up living with me for eight weeks. We shopped, played, danced, went to Disneyland. We did everything together, we talked long into the night about our lives, opening our hearts to each other. The learning process never stopped." Nonetheless, she and the film received a less-than-friendly response from critics. Time reviewer Richard Schickel called it "simply awful" and described Jackson's acting as a nonperformance, insisting that she "relates to the camera lens as if it were a mirror." Entertainment Weekly found the movie a "dawdling mishmash" and had no more praise for Jackson's work than did Schickel: "Jackson isn't an inept actress, yet there are no more edges to her personality than there are to her plastic Kewpie-doll visage."

While other artists might have withered at such critical scorn, Jackson seemed to sail past the debacle of the movie's critical reception and into the glow of her new album's success. The heavily-promoted janet. presented the singer's new, sexier image: lusty and independent. The hit singles "That's the Way Love Goes" and "If" sported steamy videos. Jackson explained to Us that her mother wanted to attend the filming of the latter. "I said, 'Some of my movements are very sexy. They're not dirty, they're very sexy. And just by you being my mother, I'd be embarrassed.' She responded, 'Well, if I make you shy in any way or pull back, then I shouldn't be there.' I said, 'No, you can come down if you like.'" Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, "She wound up not coming."

"As princess of America's black royal family," reasoned Rolling Stone reviewer Touré, "everything Janet Jackson does is important." Thus "when she announces her sexual maturity, as she does on her new album, janet., it's a cultural moment." Touré noted that Jackson's new duties as coproducer somewhat toned down the pyrotechnics of Jam and Lewis, "resulting in a less groundbreaking sound but a wider-ranging album," and dubbed it a "victory." Upscale reviewer David Taylor pointed to janet.'s combination "of a variety of musical genres--funk, hip-hop, jazz, rock and rap," as well as diverse guest vocals from opera star Kathleen Battle and Chuck D of Public Enemy, deeming the 1993 release "without a doubt, an outstanding album." Entertainment Weekly, meanwhile, found it overproduced, fraught with "Hallmark [greeting card] lyrics," and uncertain about its own sexual boldness." Nonetheless, the album soon proved that reviews one way or another were immaterial to Jackson's success as a musical artist. And despite her struggles, as Singleton commented in the Us interview, "The way I look at it, she just has a really good job."

With not only a good job, but an incredibly famous family, Jackson was able to team up with one of the most noted entertainers of the twentieth century, her brother, Michael Jackson. The pair teamed up in 1995 to record the single "Scream." The song was a send up to the many media outlets that had been tormenting Michael in the early 1990s. The video created for the song proved to be one of the most expensive in history and arguably one of the most excitingly choreographed videos ever.

Her Design of a Decade release in 1996 celebrated ten years at the top of the charts for Jackson. The compilation included hits from Control through the janet. album and two new songs, "Twenty Foreplay" and "Runaway" and was also available in video form. But her next feature album, The Velvet Rope, took the newfound sexuality from janet. to the next level. In a 1997 interview with Jet, Janet said "The Velvet Rope will mean different things to different people. To me, it became the concept that allowed me to put into words and music so much of what I've been going through. The Velvet Rope is my most personal album."

The album included topics on everything from racism to AIDS, same sex love and soft-shelled bondage. But the most revealing portions of the recording would not be decipherable until the announcement in 1999 of a marriage between Jackson and long-time companion, Rene Elizondo. With the announcement that he was filing for divorce from the singer, Elizondo revealed that the pair had been married since 1991. Elizondo went on to file suit against Jackson for $10 million, citing uncompensated work on albums dating back to Rhythm Nation 1814. Jackson had begun publicly recognizing Elizondo's contributions to her career during the promotion of The Velvet Rope.

Jackson was able to keep the turmoil in her relationship out of the press even after the release of such a revealing piece and continued to expand her entertainment career with a successful tour surrounding The Velvet Rope. Her next project had her once again wetting her acting chops in a comedy, starring opposite comedian Eddie Murphy in The Klumps, Nutty Professor II. Her next release, All For You, appeared to be the opposite of The Velvet Rope by trading in the sad solitude for an upbeat and happy song, but still oozed sexuality. The first single, "All For You" was the tenth number one single for the singer so she still had much to celebrate. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Jackson stated, "This album could have ended up exactly like The Velvet Rope because of what's gone on in my life since then, like the divorce. But I believe we have choices and paths, and it's about choosing the right path, the promising path."

Jackson received the Merit award at the 28th annual American Music awards. She was also the first artist honored by MTV Icon, a series of programs dedicated to artists they consider music video icons. She also launched an All For You World Tour during the summer of 2001. With more than 30 years in entertainment, Jackson managed to remain an innovator and trend setter in the entertainment business. In 2004, Jackson received the Legend Award at the Radio Music Awards.

Also in 2004, Jackson released her Damita Jo, album. But controversy dogged her that year, after an incident during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston. Singer Justin Timberlake ripped off part of her costume, exposing her right breast in what publicists termed a "wardrobe malfunction. " The furor triggered an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission and led the CBS television network rescinding its invitation for Jackson to appear at the Grammy Awards ceremony, because she would not apologize.

Awards

Platinum records for Control, 1986, Rhythm Nation 1814, 1989, and janet., 1993; voted top R&B artist, top pop singles artist female, top dance sales artist, and top dance club play artist, 1986, by Billboard; American Music Awards for best R&B single ("Nasty") and best female R&B artist, 1987, for favorite dance single and soul/R&B single ("Miss You Much"), 1990; and for favorite pop/rock female artist, soul/R&B female artist, and dance/music artist, 1991; MTV Video Music Awards, 1987 and 1991; Grammy Award for best music video, 1990; three Soul Train Awards, 1990; awarded star on Hollywood ''Walk of Fame" during "Janet Jackson Week," Los Angeles, 1990; Billboard-Tanqueray Sterling Artist of Achievement, 1990; songwriter of the year, BMI Pop Awards, 1990; Chairman's Award, NAACP, 1992; Sammy Davis, Jr., Award for Entertainer of the Year, 1992; American Music Awards, Award of Merit, 2001; Inaugural honoree as an Icon by MTV, 2001.

Works

Selected discography

  • Janet Jackson, A&M, 1982.
  • Dream Street, A&M, 1984.
  • Control, A&M, 1986.
  • (Guest appearance) Herb Alpert, Diamonds, A&M, 1987.
  • Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, A&M, 1989.
  • janet., Virgin, 1993.
  • Design of a Decade, Virgin, 1996.
  • The Velvet Rope, Virgin, 1998.
  • All For You, Virgin, 2001.
  • Damita Jo, Virgin, 2004.

Further Reading

Books

  • Rees, Dafydd, and Luke Crampton, Rock Movers & Shakers, Billboard Books, 1991.
Periodicals
  • Chicago Tribune, April 23, 2001.
  • Ebony, September 1986; September 1993; March 1999.
  • Entertainment Weekly, May 21, 1993; July 23, 1993; May 4, 2001.
  • Essence, May 1993, pp. 84-86, 140-142.
  • Jet, November 17, 1997; June 19, 2000; January 29, 2001; April 20, 2001.
  • Newsweek, July 21, 1986; May 24, 1993, p. 51.
  • Rolling Stone, April 24, 1986; October 19, 1989; June 24, 1993, p. 78; September 16, 1993, pp. 38-43, 82.
  • Time, April 26, 1993, p. 73; July 26, 1993, pp. 67-68.
  • Upscale, June 1993, pp. 27-31; September/October 1993, p. 108.
  • Us, August 1993, pp. 66-74, 92.
Online
  • Billboard.com, www.billboard.com/bb/releases/week_1/index.jsp, April 1, 2004
  • E! Online, www.eonline.com, April 5, 2004.
  • USAToday.com, www.usatoday.com/life/digest.htm, February 2, 2004; www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-10-26-rma-winners_x.htm, October 26, 2004.
Other
  • Additional information for this profile was provided by Virgin Records and Levine/Schneider Public Relations press materials, 1993.

— Simon Glickman and Leslie Rochelle

Quotes By:

Janet Jackson

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Quotes:

"I used to hurt so badly that I'd ask God why, what have I done to deserve any of this? I feel now He was preparing me for this, for the future. That's the way I see it."

AMG AllMovie Guide:

Janet Jackson

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Biography

Of the many siblings of mega-star Michael Jackson, Michael's youngest sister Janet is one of the few with enough genuine talent to succeed without her family ties. Jackson's fame rests largely on her successful, elaborately produced music videos, wherein the talented singer and dancer projects a more accessible, realistic image than her otherworldly brother. She is also a skilled and agreeable actress, as witness her series-TV stints on Good Times (1977-78), Diff'rent Strokes (1981-82) and Fame (1984). In 1993, Janet Jackson made her movie debut as a South Central L.A. beautician in director John Singleton's Poetic Justice (1993); the film was no classic, but Janet dominated every scene she was in, even those shared with notorious rap artist Tupac Shakur. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gale Musician Profiles:

Janet Jackson

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Singer, songwriter

During her impressive run as one of pop music's ruling divas, Janet Jackson cemented her place in music history while outlasting older brother Michael Jackson as a musical act of consequence. Jackson has remained a major figure who writes, records, tours actively, and wins awards for her work. Also an actress, Jackson appeared in the films Poetic Justice in 1993, Nutty Professor II in 2000 and Why Did I Get Married in 2007.

A Child TV Star
Having grown up in America's most celebrated musical family—and in the shadow of her eccentric megastar brother, Michael—Jackson has nonetheless demonstrated a willingness to veer at least briefly from the assured path of mainstream pop. "My concepts are never bright ideas; they're never notions I think will sell or be trendy or attract new fans," she told Rolling Stone's David Ritz. "I don't think that way. All I can do is sing from my life." In addition to establishing herself as a fixture in the firmament of pop music, Jackson has also pursued an acting career, though with decidedly mixed results.

Jackson was born in 1966 to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of nine children. Five of her brothers became known as the Jackson 5 and, led by the charismatic Michael, they achieved pop stardom in the early 1970s. The family moved to Encino, California, an affluent section of the San Fernando Valley. In the interview with Ritz, Jackson recalled her upbringing in the Jackson home there, "with peacocks and llamas and giraffes in the back yard." When asked if she was lonely, she replied, "At times, yes," but added, "On certain days, I felt like the luckiest kid in the world." She called "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by soul-rock sensations Sly and the Family Stone "one of the biggest musical influences of my life," adding, "I was only 3 years old when that song had me jumping up and down."

Jackson's debut stage appearance was in a Jackson 5 revue at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas when she was seven. Unlike her brothers, however, she made her way into the public eye through acting. At eleven, after capturing the attention of influential television producer Norman Lear, she landed the role of the abused child Penny on the situation comedy Good Times. Parts on the series Diff'rent Strokes and Fame followed, as Jackson grew up before the nation's eyes. It was at the urging of her father that she ventured into music.

Debut Album
Her solo recording debut, Janet Jackson, was released by A&M Records in 1982. Although the album's highest-charting single failed to reach the top 40, the young singer established her own tradition by touring high schools to promote it. She shocked the Jackson clan in the summer of 1984, however, when she eloped with singer James DeBarge. The couple contacted the family from Michigan to announce they had married, though the wedding was annulled the following spring and Jackson ended up returning to her family's home in Encino. After the annulment, she was comforted by longtime friend Rene Elizondo, with whom she would later develop a romantic relationship.

November of 1984 saw the release of Jackson's sophomore effort, Dream Street. Despite the participation of producers Giorgio Moroder and Jesse Johnson and a duet with pop legend Cliff Richard, the record went nowhere.

With her 1986 album Control, Jackson at last gave an indication of her potential. The project teamed her with hot R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who co-wrote much of the material. Sales of the album surged after the release of the single "What Have You Done for Me Lately," which moved to the top of the R&B chart. It eventually reached the peak spot on the album chart and achieved platinum status five times over. The 20-year-old Jackson became the youngest artist to reach the number one position on the American charts since Stevie Wonder had reached it at age 13. Jackson performed at the 1987 Grammy Awards but didn't take home any trophies. She did, however, win an armload of American Music Awards and came up the favorite in several categories of Billboard magazine's 1986 year-end survey. A&M soon released Control—The Remixes, a collection of eight alternate versions of Jackson's hits.

Greater Success with Rhythm Nation
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, released in 1989, demonstrated even greater pop ambition. "Control was an album about what I went through in my life when I was 19 and the self-discovery that resulted," reads a quote in Jackson's Virgin Records biography. "Rhythm Nation contained my views about what was going on in the world and the problems we have in trying to educate the kids—the idea was to give them hope." Working again with Jam and Lewis, Jackson proved that Control's success was no accident. Rhythm Nation topped the American charts four weeks after its release, and produced a string of hits. The album's long-form video won a Grammy, and Jackson received her fair share of tributes. These included a Los Angeles "Janet Jackson Week," a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, a meeting with then-President George H.W. Bush, and an array of Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Soul Train Awards. BMI honored her as Songwriter of the Year in 1990.

Rhythm Nation 1814—the number refers to the year "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written—became the first album ever to have seven of its singles on the Billboard top five; four of those singles reached number one. Jackson's 1990 World Tour was an enormous success, and some of its profits helped the Cities in Schools program, which encourages students to stay in school. After the tour ended, she gave the United Negro College Fund a "Rhythm Nation Scholarship" to the tune of a half-million dollars.

New Contract, Family Woes
In 1991 Janet Jackson signed a huge recording contract with Virgin Records. The deal, at $50 million, stood as the most lucrative in history—for about a week, after which time it was surpassed by her brother Michael's new deal with Sony. Janet Jackson has admitted to a friendly rivalry with her brother, but her adoration of him is obvious in every interview she gives. It was he, she noted, who gave her the most important early encouragement when she began singing: "Michael told me to ‘just practice, always have confidence in yourself, and never give up,’" she recalled in Jet.

In 1992 the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) gave Jackson its Chairman's Award for her public service work, especially on behalf of young people. As she addressed these larger issues, however, she found increasing public attention focused on conflicts within her family. Public acrimony between her sister LaToya, also a performer, and the rest of the Jackson clan gained considerable publicity, and Janet was forced to comment, admitting the rift; she later remarked that she found it impossible to communicate with her sister.

Meanwhile, she and Michael appeared together on the 1993 Grammy Awards, where he jokingly stated that their dual appearance put to rest rumors that they were the same person. Michael's own public troubles—especially public accusations that he had molested a young fan—placed even greater stress on the Jackson clan. During Janet's 1994 concert tour, Robert Christgau of the Village Voice reported that she asked the crowd to "bow our heads and say a silent prayer for my brother Michael."

Director John Singleton wrote the central role of his 1993 film Poetic Justice specifically for Jackson, but her much-hyped return to acting was something of a disappointment. The film fared poorly at the box office, and reviewers were less than kind to its star. "Jackson isn't an inept actress," said Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, "yet there are no more edges to her personality than there are to her plastic Kewpie-doll visage." Yet this relatively unsuccessful detour hardly dented Jackson's meteoric career, and she appeared in Nutty Professor II with Eddie Murphy in 2000.

"Deeply Sexual" Persona
Jackson's 1993 album janet. announced her arrival as an adult pop figure, openly celebrating her sexuality. "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know," she told Ritz. "For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process." She added that what "excites me isn't becoming a bigger star but a better artist, deeper, truer to the things I find exciting." The album's guest appearances by opera singer Kathleen Battle and rapper Chuck D. of the celebrated rap group Public Enemy attested to her expanded musical palette. The album earned five-times platinum sales in December of 1993.

Some critics considered Jackson at the top of her form with janet. Rolling Stone's year-end roundup of major releases found her in "more versatile voice than ever," adding that she "perches atop the rhythmic percolations—cool, not exactly calm, but collected." Yet while many applauded Jackson's newly bold persona, reviewers like Entertainment Weekly's David Browne felt she sounded "tentative" and found the album to be "a mess—period." Even so, it was enormously successful, as was her 1994 tour. Jackson also appeared on her brother Michael's 1995 single "Scream" and in its innovative video, which was nominated for several awards. A&M Records released a greatest hits collection, Design of a Decade: 1986-1996, in 1995, which earned multiplatinum sales in December of that year.

Lucrative Contract Renewal Deal
Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records in 1996 in a four-album, $80 million deal. The first album to follow was the multiplatinum-selling The Velvet Rope, released in 1997. According to Pamela Johnson of Essence magazine, on the album "[Jackson] speaks with her trademark candor to a range of topics: the unhealed wound that can be manifest in depression, an abused woman confronting her cruel lover, assorted childhood emotional traumas.…Grouped together, the subject matter sounds raw, grim. But as ususal, Jackson turns it into a funky good time."

Instead of her music, Jackson's personal life was the focus of attention in May of 2000. Rene Elizondo filed for divorce from Jackson, revealing that the couple had been secretly married since May of 1991. Though initially reported to be an amicable split, Elizondo sued Jackson for $10 million in January of 2001 over the validity of a prenuptial agreement.

Amid the personal turmoil surrounding the divorce, Jackson released All for You in 2001. The album reached multiplatinum sales in May of 2001, and the title track earned the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2002.

In 2004 Jackson released Damita Jo, but she was also embroiled in more controversy that year. During her halftime performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas, singer Justin Timberlake yanked off part of Jackson's outfit, exposing her breast. The duo intended to only expose Jackson's red bra. The furor over what publicists called a "wardrobe malfunction" prompted an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the television airwaves in the United States. Because Jackson initially did not apologize, she was asked not to appear at the Grammy Awards ceremony later that year. Further, Jackson was denied the lead role in a movie about legendary singer Lena Horne because of the incident. To date, Justin Timberlake has suffered no consequences for his part in the much-hyped media event.

Moved to Island Records
After a cooling off period with the media, the 40-year-old Jackson returned with the flirty and infectious album 20 Y.O. in 2006. Filled with self-referential allusions and smartly crafted songs, it prompted Andy Kellman of the All Music Guide to comment, "Janet's gang of assistants is on top of its game, and Janet herself has remembered that she doesn't have to be willfully explicit or eclectic to make a sexy and wholly enjoyable album." Despite positive reviews, 20 Y.O. fell off the charts after 15 weeks. Claiming the label did not adequately support the album, both Jackson and Jermaine Dupri, president of Virgin's urban music division and Jackson's rumored romantic partner, left the label for the Def Jam affiliated Island Records in 2008.

Jackson was a surprise hit in the 2007 film Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, for which she won the NAACP Image Award for supporting actress in a motion picture. Meanwhile, her debut for Island, Discipline, hit number one on the pop, hip-hop, and European album charts. Rolling Stone reviewer Keith Harris, however, was not kind in his assessment. "On her Def Jam debut, the beats are as crass and processed as Jackson's heavy breathing, so she sounds more like a sex droid than a blow up doll - which is way hotter - for starters, sex droids show more initiative."

When sales of Discipline topped out near the 400,000 mark, Jackson once again found herself in dispute with her label, and canceled plans for a worldwide tour. Even though most artists have suffered a severe drop in record sales during the change from physical purchases to the download method of music gathering, Jackson's versatility and drive seem to ensure that she will remain a star for many years to come.

Selected discography
Janet Jackson, A&M, 1982.
Dream Street, A&M, 1984.
Control, A&M, 1986.
Control—The Remixes, A&M, 1987.
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, A&M, 1989.
janet., Virgin, 1993.
(Contributor) Ready-to-Wear (Pret-a-Porter), (soundtrack), Columbia, 1994.
(Contributor) Michael Jackson, HIStory, Volume 1: Past, Present, and Future, (appears on "Scream"), Epic, 1995.
Design of a Decade: 1986-1996, A&M, 1995.
The Velvet Rope, Virgin, 1997.
All for You, Virgin, 2001.
Damita Jo, Virgin, 2004.
20 Y.O., Virgin, 2006.
Design of a Decade: 1986-1996, A&M, 2007.
Discipline, Island, 2008.

Sources
Books
Rees, Dafydd, and Luke Crampton, Rock Movers & Shakers, ABC/CLIO, 1991.

Periodicals
Billboard, August 26, 1995, p. 97.
Entertainment Weekly, May 21, 1993, pp. 46-48; July 23, 1993, pp. 42-43; December 16, 1994, p. 64; June 9, 1995, p. 60; May 4, 2001, p. 36.
Essence, May 1998, p. 114.
Jet, August 8, 1994, pp. 53-59; February 12, 1996, p. 35; January 22, 2001, p. 34.
Rolling Stone, September 16, 1993, pp. 38-43, 82; December 23, 1993, p. 152; January 27, 1994, p. 25.
Village Voice, January 4, 1994, pp. 69-70.

Online
Billboard.com, http://www.billboard.com/bb/releases/week_1/index.jsp (April 1, 2004).
"Discipline review," Rolling Stone, http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/18311721/review/18328487/discipline (February 21, 2008).
E! Online, http://www.eonline.com (April 5, 2004).
"Janet Jackson," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (June 15, 2008).
"Janet Jackson," Internet Movie Database,, http://www.imdb.com (June 15, 2008).
Janet Jackson Official Web site, http://www.janet-jackson.com (June 15, 2008).
Recording Industry Association of America, http://www.riaa.com (March 28, 2002).
USAToday.com, http://www.usatoday.com/life/digest.htm (February 2, 2004).
USAToday.com, http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-10-26-rma-winners_x.htm (October 26, 2004).
Additional information for this profile was taken from Virgin Records publicity materials, 1994.
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Janet Jackson

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Biography

Few celebrity siblings can emerge from the shadows of their already famous relations to become superstars in their own right and with their own distinct personalities. That's exactly what Janet Jackson did in becoming one of the biggest female pop and R&B stars of the '80s and '90s. Since her breakthrough in 1986 with the album Control, Jackson's career as a hitmaker has been a model of consistency, rivaling Madonna and Whitney Houston in terms of pop chart success over the long haul. A big part of the reason was that Jackson kept her level of quality control very high; her singles were always expertly crafted, with indelible pop hooks and state-of-the-art production that kept up with contemporary trends in urban R&B. Once established, her broad-based appeal never really dipped all that much; she was able to avoid significant career missteps, musical and otherwise, and successfully shifted her image from a strong, independent young woman to a sexy, mature adult. With a string of multi-platinum albums under her belt, she showed no signs of slowing down in the new millennium.

Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born May 16, 1966, in Gary, IN. She was the youngest of nine children in the Jackson family, and her older brothers had already begun performing together as the Jackson 5 by the time she was born. Bitten by the performing bug at a young age, she first appeared on-stage with the Jackson 5 at age seven, and began a sitcom acting career at the age of ten in 1977, when producer Norman Lear selected her to join the cast of Good Times. She remained there until 1979, and subsequently appeared on Diff'rent Strokes (1981-1982) and A New Kind of Family. In 1982, pushed by her father into trying a singing career, Jackson released her self-titled first album on A&M; a couple of singles scraped the lower reaches of the charts, but on the whole, it made very little noise. She was cast in the musical series Fame in 1983; the following year, she issued her second album, Dream Street, which sold even more poorly than its predecessor. Upon turning 18, Jackson rebelled against her parents' close supervision, eloping with a member of another musical family, singer James DeBarge. However, the relationship quickly hit the rocks and Jackson wound up moving back into her parents' home and having the marriage annulled.

Jackson took some time to rethink her musical career, and her father hired her a new manager, John McClain, who isolated his young charge to train her as a dancer (and make her lose weight). McClain hooked Jackson up with producers/writers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whom she'd seen perform as members of the Minneapolis funk outfit the Time. Jackson collaborated with Jam and Lewis on most of the tracks for her next album, Control, which presented her as a confident, tough-minded young woman (with a soft side and a sense of humor) taking charge of her life for the first time. In support of Jackson's new persona, Jam and Lewis crafted a set of polished, computerized backing tracks with slamming beats that owed more to hard, hip-hop-tinged funk and urban R&B than Janet's older brother Michael's music. Control became an out-of-the-box hit, and eventually spun off six singles, the first five of which -- "What Have You Done for Me Lately," the catch phrase-inspiring "Nasty," the number one "When I Think of You," the title track, and the ballad "Let's Wait Awhile" -- hit the Top Five on the pop charts. Jackson was hailed as a role model for young women and Control eventually sold over five million copies, establishing Jackson as not just a star, but her own woman. It also made Jam and Lewis a monstrously in-demand production team.

For the hotly anticipated follow-up, McClain wanted to push Jackson toward more overtly sexual territory, to which she objected strenuously. Instead, she began collaborating with Jam and Lewis on more socially conscious material, which formed the backbone of 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814 (the "1814" purportedly stood for either the letters "R" and "N" or the year "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written). Actually, save for the title track, most of the record's singles were bright and romantically themed; four of them -- "Miss You Much," "Escapade," "Black Cat," and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" -- hit number one, and three more -- "Rhythm Nation," "Alright," and "Come Back to Me" -- reached the Top Five, making Jackson the first artist ever to produce seven Top Five hits off of one album (something not even her brother Michael had accomplished). Aside from a greater use of outside samples, Rhythm Nation's sound largely resembled that of Control, but was just as well crafted, and listeners embraced it enthusiastically, buying over six million copies. Jackson undertook her first real tour (she'd appeared at high schools around the country in 1982) in support of the album and it was predictably a smashing success. In 1991, Jackson capitalized on her success by jumping from A&M to Virgin for a reported $32 million, and also secretly married choreographer and longtime boyfriend René Elizondo.

Once on Virgin, Jackson set about revamping her sound and image. Her 1992 duet with Luther Vandross from the Mo' Money soundtrack, "The Best Things in Life Are Free," was a major R&B hit, also reaching the pop Top Ten. The following year, she also resumed her acting career, co-starring in acclaimed director (and former junior high classmate) John Singleton's Poetic Justice, along with rapper Tupac Shakur. But neither really hinted at the sexy, seductive, fully adult persona she unveiled with 1993's janet., her Virgin debut. Jackson trumpeted her new image with a notorious Rolling Stone cover photo, in which her topless form was covered by a pair of hands belonging to an unseen "friend." Musically, Jam and Lewis set aside the synthesized funk of their first two albums with Jackson in favor of warm, inviting, gently undulating grooves. The album's lead single, the slinky "That's the Way Love Goes," became Jackson's biggest hit ever, spending eight weeks at number one. It was followed by a predictably long parade of Top Ten hits -- "If," the number one ballad "Again," "Because of You," "Any Time, Any Place," "You Want This." janet.'s debut showing at number one made it her third straight chart-topping album, and it went on to sell nearly seven million copies.

In 1995, Janet and Michael teamed up for the single "Scream," which was supported by an elaborate, award-winning, space-age video that, upon completion, ranked as the most expensive music video ever made. The single debuted at number five on the pop charts, but gradually slid down from there. In 1996, A&M issued a retrospective of her years at the label, Design of a Decade 1986-1996; it featured the Virgin hit "That's the Way Love Goes" and a few new tracks, one of which, "Runaway," became a Top Five hit. Jackson also signed a new contract with Virgin for a reported $80 million. Yet while working on her next album, Jackson reportedly suffered an emotional breakdown, or at least a severe bout with depression; she later raised eyebrows when she talked in several interviews about the cleansing value of coffee enemas as part of her treatment. Her next album, The Velvet Rope, appeared in 1997 and was touted as her most personal and intimate work to date. The Velvet Rope sought to combine the sensuality of janet. with the more socially conscious parts of Rhythm Nation, mixing songs about issues like domestic abuse, AIDS, and homophobia with her most sexually explicit songs ever. Critical opinion on the album was divided; some applauded her ambition, while others found the record too bloated. The lead American single "Together Again," an elegy for AIDS victims, was a number one hit; also popular on the radio was "Got 'til It's Gone," which featured rapper Q-Tip and a sample of Joni Mitchell over a reggae beat. "I Get Lonely," featuring Blackstreet, was another big hit; but on the whole, The Velvet Rope didn't prove to be the blockbuster singles bonanza that its predecessors were, which was probably why its sales stalled at around three million copies.

Jackson toured the world again, and stayed on the charts in 1999 with the Top Five Busta Rhymes duet "What's It Gonna Be?!"; her appearance in the video remade her as a glitzy, artificially costumed, single-name diva. In 2000, she appeared in the Eddie Murphy comedy Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, and her soundtrack contribution, "Doesn't Really Matter," became a number one single. Unfortunately, Jackson's marriage to Elizondo had become strained and the couple divorced in 2000, sparking a court battle over her musical income. Jackson returned with a new album, All for You, in 2001, which largely continued the sensual tone of janet. and The Velvet Rope; it debuted at number one, selling over 600,000 copies in its first week alone. The title track was issued as the album's first single and quickly topped the charts, followed by another sizable hit in "Someone to Call My Lover."

While Jackson spent much of 2001 and 2002 on the road supporting All for You, she also found time for some guest appearances, most notably with Beenie Man on his Tropical Storm LP and Justin Timberlake on Justified. By 2003 she was back in the studio, working once again with Jam and Lewis on tracks for a new album; additional producers included Dallas Austin and Kanye West. Later that year, it was revealed Jackson would take part in an MTV-produced extravaganza during halftime at the Super Bowl. 2004 began with an Internet leak of the upbeat Austin production "Just a Little While." The singer's camp rolled with the punches, offering the track to radio as an authorized digital download, but the buzz this business caused was minuscule in comparison to the nightmare union of free exposure and bad publicity that Jackson's next adventure caused. Appearing at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII as scheduled, Jackson performed "All for You" and "Rhythm Nation" before bringing out surprise guest Timberlake for a duet on his hit "Rock Your Body." But the real surprise came at song's end, when a gesture from Timberlake caused Jackson's costume to tear, exposing her right, pierced breast on live television to hundreds of millions of viewers.

The incident caused furious backpedaling and apologizing from Timberlake, Jackson, the NFL, CBS, and MTV, which swore no previous knowledge of the so-called "wardrobe malfunction," and led to speculation over how Damita Jo -- Jackson's upcoming album and her first in three years -- would be received. But while the controversy gave Jackson both grief and a bit of free advertising, it was also the impetus for a national debate on public indecency. A federal commission was set up to investigate prurience, the FCC enacted tougher crackdowns on TV and radio programs broadcasting questionable content, and suddenly everyone from pundits to politicians to the man in the street had an opinion on Janet Jackson's chest. Later that March, the singer quietly started making the talk show rounds. She was still apologizing for the incident, but she was also promoting Damita Jo, which Virgin issued at the end of the month. Largely considered a disappointment, the album nonetheless sold over two million copies worldwide and earned three Grammy nominations. 20 Y.O. followed two years later, and though it was reviewed more favorably than Damita Jo, it was off the Billboard 200 album chart after 15 weeks. Jermaine Dupri, Jackson's love interest and the executive producer of the album, was so upset over Virgin's lack of support that he left his post as president of Virgin's urban division. Dupri moved to Island, and so did Jackson; in 2008, Jackson released her tenth studio album, Discipline. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
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Janet Jackson

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For her self-titled album, see Janet Jackson (album).
Janet Jackson

Jackson Live in Concert on the Rock Witchu Tour at GM Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on September 10, 2008.
Background information
Birth name Janet Damita Jo Jackson
Born May 16, 1966 (1966-05-16) (age 45)
Gary, Indiana, United States
Genres R&B, pop, dance
Occupations Singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, actress, film producer, author, fashion designer
Instruments Vocals, keyboards
Years active 1973–present
Labels A&M, Virgin, Island
Website janetjackson.com

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years. She is ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the richest women in entertainment. The youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times and Fame.

After signing a recording contract with A&M in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third studio album Control (1986). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover appeal in popular music. In addition to receiving recognition for the innovation in her records, choreography, music videos, and prominence on radio airplay and MTV, she was acknowledged as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics.

In 1991, she signed the first of two record-breaking, multi-million dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest paid artists in the industry. Her debut album under the label, Janet (1993), saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work. That same year, she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice; since then she has continued to act in feature films. By the end of the 1990s, Billboard named her the second most successful recording artist of the decade, following Mariah Carey. She has amassed an extensive catalog of hits, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again", and "All for You" her most iconic.

Having sold over 100 million records, she is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music.[1] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, with 26 million certified albums.[2] In 2008, Billboard magazine released its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, ranking her at number seven. In 2010, the magazine announced the "Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years", ranking her at number five. One of the world's most awarded artists, her longevity, records and achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music. She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers.

Contents

Life and career

1966–82: Childhood and television work

Jackson (bottom row) in a 1976 CBS photo on the set of The Jacksons

Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of ten children, to Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson.[3] The Jacksons were lower-middle class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses; Jackson stated that although she was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, she eventually stopped practicing organized religion and views her relationship with God as "one-on-one".[4] By the time Jackson was a toddler, her older brothers—Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael—were performing music at nightclubs and theaters as The Jackson 5. In March 1969, the group signed a record deal with Motown, and by the end of the year they had recorded the first of four consecutive number one singles. The Jackson 5's success allowed the family to move to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1971, where they settled in a gated mansion called Hayvenhurst.[3] Although born into a family of professional musicians, Jackson, whose love of horses resulted in a desire to become a race-horse jockey, had no aspiration to become an entertainer. Despite this, her father planned for her to pursue a career in entertainment. She once commented, "No one ever asked me if I wanted to go into show business ... it was expected."[3]

In 1973, at the age of seven, Jackson appeared on stage in Las Vegas Strip with her siblings in a routine show at the MGM Casino.[3] Jane Cornwell documented in her biography of the singer, Janet Jackson (2002), that at age eight, her father Joseph told her not to call him "Dad" anymore since he was her manager; he told her she would henceforth address him as "Joseph".[3] She began her career as an actress with the debut of the CBS variety show The Jacksons (1976), in which she appeared with her siblings Tito, Rebbie, Randy, Michael, Marlon, La Toya and Jackie.[3] In 1977, she was selected by producer Norman Lear to play a recurring role as Penny Gordon Woods in the sitcom Good Times.[3] From 1979 to 1980, she starred in A New Kind of Family as Jojo Ashton, and then joined the cast of Diff'rent Strokes, portraying Charlene Duprey from 1981 to 1982.[3] She played a recurring role during the fourth season of the television series Fame as Cleo Hewitt, though she later commented that the series was not a project she enjoyed working on.[5][6]

1982–85: Early recordings

Although Jackson was initially apprehensive about starting a music career, she agreed to participate in recording sessions with her family. The first of these, a duet with her brother Randy titled "Love Song for Kids", took place in 1978. When she was sixteen, her father arranged a contract for her with A&M Records.[3] Her debut album, Janet Jackson, produced by soul singers Angela Winbush, René Moore and Leon F. Sylvers III, was released in 1982, the entire production of which was overseen by her father Joseph.[3] It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot R&B albums chart.[7]

Jackson's second album, Dream Street, was released two years later. Her father recruited her brothers to help produce the album: Marlon co-wrote two of the album's tracks, while Tito, Jackie and Michael provided background vocals.[3] Dream Street reached number nineteen on the R&B albums chart; its sales were less than that of her debut album.[7] The album's only hit, "Don't Stand Another Chance", peaked at number nine on Billboard's R&B singles chart.[8] In late 1984, Jackson eloped with childhood friend and fellow R&B singer James DeBarge. They divorced shortly afterwards, and the marriage was annulled in mid-1985.[9] In 1985 Jackson joined her sister, La Toya, as a chorist under La Toya's number "Baby Sister" at the Yamaha Music Festival where they ended up with a silver medallion and an "Outstanding Song Award".

1986–88: Control
"Nasty" (1986)
"Nasty" was written as a response to an incident of sexual harassment Jackson faced during the recording of Control. The song features a triplet swing beat.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Following the release of Dream Street, Jackson decided to separate her business affairs from her family. She later commented, "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do, telling him that I didn't want to work with him again."[6] A&M Records executive John McClain hired producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to work with her. Within six weeks, Jackson, Jam and Lewis crafted her third studio album, Control.[10] Jackson recalled that during the recording of the album, she was threatened by a group of men outside of her hotel in Minneapolis. She stated that "[t]he danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street ... Instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense."[11]

Though Jam and Lewis were concerned with achieving cross-over appeal, their primary goal was to create a strong following for the singer within the African American community first.[12] Jam commented, "[w]e wanted to do an album that would be in every black home in America ... we were going for the black album of all time."[12] Released in February 1986, the album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, with over 200,000 copies sold in one week.[7][13] Los Angeles Times critic Connie Johnson wrote: "Though still a teen-ager, this singer's stance is remarkably nervy and mature. She has a snotty sort of assurance that permeates several cuts, plus the musical muscle to back it up."[14] The Newsweek review of Control noted that the album was "an alternative to the sentimental balladry and opulent arrangements of Patti LaBelle and Whitney Houston."[15] Rob Hoerburger of Rolling Stone asserted, "Control is a better album than Diana Ross has made in five years and puts Janet in a position similar to the young Donna Summer's—unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it."[16] Five of the album's singles—"What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think of You", "Control", and "Let's Wait Awhile"—peaked within the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.[17] "When I Think of You" became Jackson's first single to peak at number one. "The Pleasure Principle" became a top 20 hit, peaking at number fourteen.[17] Most of the Control music videos were choreographed by a then-unknown Paula Abdul. Jonathan Cohen of Billboard magazine commented "[Jackson's] accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to MTV, and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader, beat-driven musical mix."[10]

Control was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold over fourteen million copies worldwide.[1][18] It won four American Music Awards, from twelve nominations—a record that has yet to be broken—and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1987 Grammy Awards.[19][20][21] Musicologist Richard J. Ripani Ph.D., author of The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 (2006), observed that the album was one of the first successful records to influence the rise of new jack swing by creating a fusion of R&B, rap, funk, disco and synthesized percussion.[22] The success of Control, according to Ripani, bridged the gap between R&B and rap music.[22]

1989–92: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
"Rhythm Nation" (1989)
"Rhythm Nation" encompasses the full range of new jack swing genre. The use of sample loop and triplet swing are present, while vocals for the song are alternatively sung in octaves or rapped in spoken verse.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

In September 1989, Jackson released her fourth album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814. Though executives at A&M wanted an album similar to Control, she was determined to imbue her music with a socially conscious message that complimented her songs about love and relationships.[23] She stated, "I'm not naive—I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics and what we're saying."[24] Producer Jimmy Jam told The Boston Globe, "We would always have a TV turned on, usually to CNN ... And I think the social slant of songs like Rhythm Nation, State of the World and The Knowledge came from that."[25] Rolling Stone magazine's Vince Aletti observed Jackson shifted from "personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat."[26]

Peaking at number one on the Billboard 200, the album was later certified six times platinum and eventually sold over fourteen million copies worldwide.[1][7][18] The release became the only album in history to produce number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in three separate calendar years—"Miss You Much" in 1989, "Escapade" and "Black Cat" in 1990, and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" in 1991—and the only album in the history of the Hot 100 to have seven top 5 hit singles.[27][28] The corresponding music video for "Rhythm Nation" won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.[29] Billboard named Rhythm Nation 1814 the number-one selling album of the year in 1990, winning multiple music awards.[30][31] The Rhythm Nation World Tour, Jackson's first world tour in support of a studio album, became the most successful debut tour by any recording artist.[32] As Jackson began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country", and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund, told the Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects."[33][34] She established the "Rhythm Nation Scholarship" as a joint venture with the United Negro College Fund, as well as donating funds from her concert tour to other educational programs, raising over $1/2 million dollars to fund educational projects.[35][36] Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) documented that Jackson's success during this time period placed her on par with several other recording artists, including her older brother Michael Jackson, Madonna and Tina Turner.[37]

With the release of Rhythm Nation 1814, Jackson fulfilled her contract with A&M Records. In 1991, after being approached personally by Virgin Records owner Richard Branson, she signed a highly publicized multi-million dollar contract with the label.[38][39][40] The contract value, estimated between $32–50 million, made her the highest paid recording artist in contemporary music, until her brother Michael signed a $65 million dollar contract with Sony only a few days later.[41] Ebony reported: "No individual or group has impacted the world of entertainment as have Michael and Janet Jackson, who both signed multimillion dollar contracts in recent months ... There are many imitators, but few can match Michael and Janet's stunning style and dexterity."[41] Her reputation as a fashion icon also garnered recognition, in that "[a]s Janet was entertaining 2 million fans during her triumphant Rhythm Nation tour, hoards of teen girls were imitating her distinctive look—black quasi-military long jackets, black tight-tight pants, and big white shirts."[41] That same year, she secretly entered into her second marriage with long-term friend—dancer, songwriter and director René Elizondo, Jr.[42] In early 1992, Jackson recorded a song entitled "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Luther Vandross, featuring Bell Biv DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant, for the Mo' Money film soundtrack.[43]

1993–96: Janet, Poetic Justice and Design of a Decade 1986/1996

Janet Jackson featured on a 1993 cover of Rolling Stone with the hands of her then-unknown husband René Elizondo, Jr. cupping her breasts.

In August 1992, after completing work on Poetic Justice, Jackson set out to plan on recording her first album for Virgin Records. Recording sessions for the album began in September 1992, commencing in the first quarter of 1993. In May 1993, Jackson's fifth studio album Janet, was released and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.[7] She commented, "[c]ertain people feel I'm just riding on my last name ... That's why I just put my first name on janet. and why I never asked my brothers to write or produce music for me."[44] Billboard magazine's Larry Flick noted she "also broadens her musical scope on 'janet.' by layering deep house, swing jazz, hip hop, rock, and Caribbean elements on top of a radio-minded jack/funk foundation."[45] Rolling Stone wrote: "As princess of America's black royal family, everything Janet Jackson does is important. Whether proclaiming herself in charge of her life, as she did on Control (1986), or commander in chief of a rhythm army dancing to fight society's problems (Rhythm Nation 1814, from 1989), she's influential. And when she announces her sexual maturity, as she does on her new album, Janet., it's a cultural moment."[46] The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) commented that the album's number one hit single "That's the Way Love Goes"—winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song—and the top 10 singles "If", "Because of Love", "You Want This", and "Any Time, Any Place", all contained "grown-up desires".[29][47] Janet was certified six times platinum by the RIAA, with worldwide sales exceeding twenty million copies.[18][48]

In July 1993, Jackson made her film debut in Poetic Justice. Rolling Stone described her performance as "a beguiling film debut" despite her inexperience, while The Washington Post considered her "believably eccentric".[49][50] Several reviews were also negative, as Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly noted she "isn't an inept actress, yet there are no more edges to her personality than there are to her plastic Kewpie-doll visage."[51] Jackson's ballad "Again" was featured in the film, and she received her first Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.[52][53] In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with the hands of her then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. covering her breasts. The photograph is the original full-length version of the cropped image used on the cover of the Janet album, shot by Patrick Demarchelier.[54] Sonia Murray of The Vancouver Sun later reported, "Jackson, 27, remains clearly established as both role model and sex symbol; the Rolling Stone photo of Jackson ... became one of the most recognizable, and most lampooned, magazine covers of the year."[55] David Ritz likened her transformation to Marvin Gaye, stating "[j]ust as Gaye moved from What's Going On to Let's Get It On, from the austere to the ecstatic, Janet, every bit as serious-minded as Marvin, moved from Rhythm Nation to janet., her statement of sexual liberation."[11] Her second world tour—the Janet World Tour—garnered critical acclaim as Michael Snyder of the San Francisco Chronicle described Jackson's stage performance as erasing the line between "stadium-size pop music concerts and full-scale theatrical extravaganzas."[56]

During this time period, her brother Michael was immersed in a child sex abuse scandal, of which he denied any wrongdoing.[57] She gave moral support to her brother, and denied allegations made by her sister La Toya in her book La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family (1991) that their parents had abused her and her siblings as children.[39] In an interview with Lynn Norment of Ebony, she commented on her sister's then-estrangement from the family, stating, "her [husband Jack Gordon] has ... brainwashed her so much she keeps herself away from us."[58] In addition, she criticized her brother Jermaine for attacking Michael in his 1991 single "Word to the Badd".[58] In December 1994, she collaborated with her brother Michael on "Scream", the lead single from his 1995 album HIStory, which was written by both siblings as a response to the media scrutiny he suffered from being accused of child sexual abuse.[59] The song debuted at number five on the Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first song ever to debut in the top 5. "Scream" is featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the "Most Expensive Music Video Ever Made" at a cost of $7 million, which was filmed in May 1995. Jackson and her brother won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video for "Scream".[29]

In October 1995, Jackson's first compilation album, Design of a Decade 1986/1996, was released via A&M Records. It debuted at number four and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.[7] The lead single "Runaway" became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot 100, which eventually peaked at number three.[60][61] Design of a Decade 1986/1996 was certified two times platinum by the RIAA and sold over four million copies worldwide.[18][62] Jackson's influence in popular music continued to garner recognition, as Steve Morse of The Boston Globe remarked: "If you're talking about the female power elite in pop, you can't get much higher than Janet Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna and Yoko Ono. Their collective influence ... is beyond measure. And who could dispute that Janet Jackson now has more credibility than brother Michael?"[63] In January 1996, Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million dollars.[64] The contract established her as the then-highest paid recording artist in contemporary music, surpassing the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million dollar contracts earned by her brother, Michael Jackson, and Madonna.[65][66][67]

1997–99: The Velvet Rope

During the two year period prior to the release of her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope, Jackson reportedly suffered from depression and anxiety.[6] Michael Saunders of The Boston Globe considered the album to be an introspective look into her bout with depression, describing it as a "critical self-examination and an audio journal of a woman's road to self-discovery."[6] The Velvet Rope also introduced sadomasochism into Jackson's music. Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine wrote, "The Velvet Rope is a richly dark masterwork that illustrates that, amid the whips and chains, there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness."[68] Larry Flick of Billboard called The Velvet Rope "[t]he best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five."[69] Released in October 1997, The Velvet Rope debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.[7] In August, 1997 the album's lead single, "Got 'til It's Gone", was released to radio, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay Chart.[70] The single sampled the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yellow Taxi", and featured a cameo appearance by rapper Q-Tip. "Got 'til It's Gone" won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.[29] The album's second single "Together Again", became her eighth number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and placing her on par with Elton John, Diana Ross, and The Rolling Stones.[71] The single spent a record 46 weeks on the Hot 100, as well as spending 19 weeks on the UK singles chart.[71] "I Get Lonely" peaked at number three on the Hot 100.[17] The Velvet Rope sold over ten million albums worldwide and was certified three times platinum by the RIAA.[1][18]

Jackson donated a portion of the proceeds earned from "Together Again" to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.[71] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph observed, "[Jackson] even makes a bid for gay icon status, delivering a diva-ish performance reminiscent of Diana Ross on 'Together Again' (a post-Aids pop song), singing a paean to homosexuality on the jazzy 'Free Xone' and climaxing (if that's the right word) with a bizarre lesbian reinterpretation of Rod Stewart's 'Tonight's the Night'."[72] Rolling Stone regarded "Free Xone" as the album's "best song", describing it as an "anti-homophobia track [which] shifts moods and tempos on a dime, segueing from a Prince-like jam to a masterful sample from Archie Bell and the Drells' 'Tighten Up'."[73] The Velvet Rope was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, and received the award for Outstanding Music Album at the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.[74]

In 1998, Jackson began The Velvet Rope World Tour, an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Robert Hilburn of The Los Angeles Times reported, "[t]here is so much of the ambition and glamour of a Broadway musical in Janet Jackson's new Velvet Rope tour that it's only fitting that the concert program credits her as the show's 'creator and director'."[75] Her HBO special, The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, was watched by more than fifteen million viewers. The two hour concert beat the ratings of all four major networks in homes that were subscribed to HBO.[76] The HBO concert special was awarded four Emmy nominations including one win.[77] Jackson donated a portion of her concert ticket sales to America's Promise, a non-profit organization designed by Colin Powell to assist disenfranchised youth.[78]

The following month, Jackson separated from Elizondo Jr.[79] As her world tour came to a close in 1999, Jackson lent guest vocals to a number of songs by other artists, including Shaggy's "Luv Me, Luv Me", for the soundtrack to How Stella Got Her Groove Back, "God's Stepchild" from the Down on the Delta soundtrack, "Girlfriend/Boyfriend" with BLACKstreet, and "What's It Gonna Be?!" with Busta Rhymes. She also performed a duet with Elton John for the song "I Know the Truth". At the 1999 World Music Awards, Jackson received the Legend Award alongside Cher for "outstanding contribution to the pop industry."[80] As 1999 ended, Billboard magazine ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind Mariah Carey.[81]

2000–03: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and All for You

In July 2000, Jackson appeared in her second film, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, as Professor Denise Gaines, opposite Eddie Murphy. The film became her second to open at number one at the box office, grossing an estimated $42.7 million dollars in its opening weekend.[82][83] Her contribution to the film's soundtrack, "Doesn't Really Matter", became her ninth number one Billboard Hot 100 single. In the same year, Jackson's husband filed for divorce. Jeff Gordinier of Entertainment Weekly reported that for eight of the thirteen years she and Elizondo had known one another, "[they] were married—a fact they managed to hide not only from the international press but from Jackson's own father."[42] Elizondo filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against her, estimated between $10–25 million; they did not reach a settlement until 2003.[42][84]

Jackson was awarded the American Music Awards' Award of Merit in March 2001 for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums."[85] She became the inaugural honoree of the "mtvICON" award, "an annual recognition of artists who have made significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the MTV generation."[86] Jackson's seventh album, All for You, was released in April 2001, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200.[7] Selling 605,000 copies, All for You had the highest first-week sales total of her career.[87] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated "[Jackson's] created a record that's luxurious and sensual, spreading leisurely over its 70 minutes, luring you in even when you know better", and Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented, "[a]s other rhythm and blues strips down to match the angularity of hip-hop, Ms. Jackson luxuriates in textures as dizzying as a new infatuation."[88][89]
"All for You" (2001)
The disco inspired "All for You" features an uptempo dance beat and samples "The Glow of Love" originally performed by Change
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The album's title-track, "All for You", debuted on the Hot 100 at number fourteen, the highest debut ever for a single that was not commercially available.[90] Teri VanHorn of MTV dubbed Jackson "Queen of Radio" as the single made radio airplay history, "[being] added to every pop, rhythmic and urban radio station that reports to the national trade magazine Radio & Records" in its first week.[90] The single peaked at number one, where it topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks.[91] It received the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.[29] The second single, "Someone to Call My Lover", which contained a heavy guitar loop of America's "Ventura Highway", peaked at number three on the Hot 100.[92] All for You was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold more than nine million copies worldwide.[18][93]

Jackson's All for You Tour began in July, 2001. Los Angeles Times' pop music critic Robert Hilburn gave a negative review of the concert tour, comparing it unfavorably to Madonna's Drowned World Tour and Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour. Hilburn remarked: "At 35, Jackson is only eight years younger than Madonna, but her presentation feels more akin to Britney Spears'. Madonna knows how to dig beneath the surface; Jackson lives on it."[94] Hilburns' review sparked backlash from those who felt Jackson gave the superior performance. David Massey commented that "Janet outdid the Material Girl by a mile ... And the gall to bring Britney Spears' name into the picture by saying Janet's show is like Britney's? Hello, it's the other way around!"[95] Similarly, Rudy Scalese complimented Jackson's performance, stating: "Janet Jackson hasn't skipped a beat. She is still the Queen of Pop."[95] Jackson donated a portion of the proceeds from the tour's ticket sales to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with President Roxanne Spillett stating, "[t]he increased awareness she will bring to our cause, along with her generous financial contribution, will help us reach an even greater number of young people in search of hope and opportunity."[96]

In 2002, Jackson collaborated with reggae singer Beenie Man on the song "Feel It Boy". She later admitted regret over the collaboration after discovering Beenie Man's music often contained homophobic lyrics, and soon issued an apology to her gay fans in an article published in The Voice.[97] Jackson also began her relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri that same year.[98]

2004–05: Super Bowl XXXVIII and Damita Jo

Main article: Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004.

For the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004, Jackson performed a medley of her singles "All for You" and "Rhythm Nation"; she then performed alongside Justin Timberlake. As Timberlake sang the lyric "gonna have you naked by the end of this song" from his single "Rock Your Body", he tore open her top, exposing her right breast. After the performance, Jackson apologized, calling it an accident, and said that Timberlake was supposed to pull away the bustier and leave the red-lace bra intact.[99] She further commented, "I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention ... MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end."[100] Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "wardrobe malfunction".[99] TIME reported that the incident became the most replayed moment in TiVo history and Monte Burke of Forbes magazine reported "[t]he fleeting moment enticed an estimated 35,000 new [TiVo] subscribers to sign up."[101][102] Jackson was later listed in the 2007 edition of Guinness World Records as "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item".[103] CBS, the NFL, and MTV (CBS's sister network, which produced the halftime show), denied any knowledge of, and all responsibility for, the incident. Still, the Federal Communications Commission continued an investigation, ultimately losing its appeal for a $550,000 fine against CBS.[104]

As a result of the incident, CBS would only allow Jackson and Timberlake to appear during the 46th Grammy Awards ceremony if they each made a public apology to the network, without attributing the incident to a "wardrobe malfunction". Timberlake issued an apology, but Jackson refused.[105] Jermaine Dupri resigned from his position on the Grammy Awards committee as a result.[106] The controversy halted plans for Jackson to star in a made-for-TV biopic on the life on singer Lena Horne for ABC-TV. Though Horne was reportedly displeased by the Super Bowl incident and insisted that ABC pull Jackson from the project, according to Jackson's representatives, she withdrew from the project willingly.[107]

In March 2004, Jackson's eighth studio album, Damita Jo (Jackson's middle name), was released debuting at number two on the Billboard 200.[7][108] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine referred to the album as "the aural equivalent of hardcore pornography—it leaves nothing to the imagination and it's endlessly repetitive."[109] Alternatively, a review by Ann Powers of Blender magazine asserted: "Artfully structured, unapologetically explicit, Damita Jo is erotica at its friendliest and most well-balanced. This hour-plus of Tantric flow even erases the memory of Jackson’s clunky Super Bowl breast-baring."[110] By the end of the month it was certified platinum by the RIAA, and eventually sold over three million albums worldwide.[18][111] Although the album debuted at number two, its four singles all failed to become top 40 hits. Keith Caulfield of Billboard commented, "[f]or a singles artist like Jackson, who has racked up 27 top 10 Hot 100 singles in her career, including 10 No. 1s, this could probably be considered a disappointment."[108] Billboard's Clover Hope reported Damita Jo "was largely overshadowed by the Super Bowl fiasco" and that Jermaine Dupri, the then-president of the urban music department at Virgin Records, expressed "sentiments of nonsupport from the label."[112]

Jackson appeared as a host of Saturday Night Live on April 10, 2004 and also appeared as a guest star on the television sitcom Will & Grace portraying herself.[113] In November 2004, Jackson was honored as an African-American role model by 100 Black Men of America, Inc., who presented her with the "organization's Artistic Achievement Award saluting 'a career that has gone from success to greater success'."[114] Though the New York Amsterdam News reported "[t]here were a number of attendees who expressed dismay over presenting an award to the 38-year-old performer" because of the Super Bowl incident, the organization's President Paul Williams responded, "[a]n individual's worth can't be judged by a single moment in that person's life."[115][116] In June 2005, she was honored with a Humanitarian Award by the Human Rights Campaign and AIDS Project Los Angeles, in recognition of her work and involvement in raising money for AIDS charities.[117]

2006–07: 20 Y.O. and Why Did I Get Married?

Jackson with the winners of the "Design Me" contest held for her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O.

To promote her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., Jackson appeared on the cover of Us Weekly in June 2006, which became one of the magazine's best-selling issues.[118] Virgin Records released 20 Y.O. in September 2006, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.[7] Janine Coveney of Billboard reported the album title, 20 Years Old, represents "a celebration of the joyful liberation and history-making musical style of her 1986 breakthrough album, Control."[119] Rolling Stone magazine's Evan Serpick remarked "[t]he title of Janet Jackson's latest album refers to the two decades since she released her breakthrough, Control, with hits like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately.' If we were her, we wouldn't make the comparison."[120] However, Glenn Gamboa of Newsday gave the album a positive rating, stating that "[o]n '20 Y.O.' she skips all that drama of breaking free and asserting herself. She also keeps most of the tie-me-up, tie-me-down sexual raunch of her recent albums in the closet. This album is all about dancing and returning to her R&B roots."[121]

The album's lead single "Call on Me", a duet with rapper Nelly, peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100.[17] 20 Y.O. was certified platinum by the RIAA and sold 679,000 copies in the U.S. and 1.2 million worldwide.[18][122][123] Billboard magazine reported the release of 20 Y.O. satisfied Jackson's contract with Virgin Records; Jermaine Dupri, who co-produced 20 Y.O., left his position as head of urban music at Virgin following the "disappointing performance" of Jackson's album.[124]

In January 2007, Jackson was ranked the seventh richest woman in the entertainment business by Forbes magazine, having amassed a fortune of over $150 million.[125] Later that year, she starred opposite Tyler Perry as a psychotherapist named Patrica in the feature film Why Did I Get Married?. It became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, grossing $21.4 million in its first week.[126] Variety magazine's Ronnie Scheib described Jackson's performance as charming, yet bland, while Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe commented that Jackson portrayed her character with "soft authority".[127][128] In February 2008, Jackson won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role.[129]

2008–09: Discipline, death of Michael Jackson and Number Ones

Jackson performs during the Rock Witchu Tour 2008.

In July 2007, Jackson changed labels and signed a record contract with Island Records. Her tenth studio album, Discipline, was released in February 2008, debuting on the Billboard 200 at number one.[7] Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly remarked, "her boy-crazy lyrics—which often sound like the cheesy text messages of a lovesick adolescent—certainly lack the flavor needed to put this once-celebrated pop star back on top of critics' lists."[130] Andy Kellman of Allmusic expressed: "Janet probably won't hit that late-'80s peak again, but that is no excuse to write her off."[131] Her single, "Feedback", peaked at number nineteen on the Hot 100.[17] In April 2008, Jackson received the Vanguard Award at the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring her contributions in promoting equal rights for LGBT people.[74] GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano commented, "Ms. Jackson has a tremendous following inside the LGBT community and out, and having her stand with us against the defamation that LGBT people still face in our country is extremely significant."[74] Jackson's fifth concert tour—the Rock Witchu Tour—began in September 2008.[132] That same month, she and her record label parted ways through mutual agreement. Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, who produced the album expressed, "I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly ... She just didn't get her just-do as an artist of that magnitude."[133] In the fourteen months she was associated with Island, her record had sold 449,000 copies and did not receive RIAA certification. Billboard reported that because of Jackson's dissatisfaction with her album's promotion, "the label agreed to dissolve their relationship with the artist at her request."[134][135]

In June 2009, Jackson's brother Michael died at age 50. At the 2009 BET Awards, she spoke publicly for the first time concerning his death, stating "I'd just like to say, to you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much."[136] In an exclusive interview with Harper's Bazaar, she revealed she had first learned of her brother's death while filming on location in Atlanta for Why Did I Get Married Too?. Amidst the public and private mourning with her family, she focused on work to deal with the grief, avoiding any news coverage of her sibling's death; she stated "[i]t's still important to face reality, and not that I'm running, but sometimes you just need to get away for a second."[137] During this time, she also ended her seven year relationship with Jermaine Dupri.[137] In September 2009, she performed "Scream" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards as part of a tribute to Michael.[138] MTV General Manager Stephen Friedman stated: "We felt there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message."[139] She worked with several world renowned choreographers, with her personal creative director, Gil Duldulao, coordinating the performance.[139] It was lauded by several critics and Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly commented, "[s]he worked that stage harder than an underpaid assistant doin’ overtime, and as tributes go, this was as energetic as it was heartfelt."[140]

Her single, "Make Me", was released following the VMA performance initially as an audio stream on her official web site, and was later made available for digital download.[141] Soon after its release, the single became Jackson's 19th number one Hot Dance Club Songs chart.[142] Later that month, Jackson chaired the inaugural benefit of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, held in Milan in conjunction with fashion week. CEO Kevin Robert Frost commented, "[w]e are profoundly grateful to Janet Jackson for joining amfAR as a chair of its first event in Milan ... She brings incomparable grace and a history of dedication to the fight against AIDS."[143] One of the signature pieces sold for the auction was a pair of crystal-studded boots her brother Michael had intended to wear for the This Is It concert tour, which sold for $14,650. The event raised a total of $1.1 million for the nonprofit organization. She stated, "I'd just like to thank everyone here in the global fashion community who've done so much to help amfAR and to support HIV/AIDS research."[144] Her second greatest hits compilation, Number Ones—titled The Best outside of the United States—was released in November, 2009 as a joint venture between Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and EMI Music.[145] It debuted at number twenty-two on the Billboard 200, selling 37,000 copies in its first week of release.[7][146] She performed as the opening act for the 37th annual American Music Awards and as one of the performing acts of the Capital FM December 2009 Jingle Bell Ball at the London O2 arena.[147][148]

2010–present: Film projects, product endorsements, True You and Number Ones: Up Close and Personal

In April, 2010, Jackson reprised her role in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? sequel, Why Did I Get Married Too? The film earned $30.1 million at the box office its opening weekend, debuting at number two.[149] Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe expressed the overall experience of the film to be "120 minutes of emotional Stairmaster" and added that "watching a hysterical—and hysterically coiffed—Janet Jackson redecorate a house with a golf club burns 500 calories.[150] Mike Hale of The New York Times referred to her performance as "invigorating and oddly funny" while Jackie K. Cooper of The Huffington Post comments "[s]he is very impressive at times and less so at others. She does show a willingness to be seen at her most disheveled."[151][152] Her performance earned a nomination for the 2011 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.[153] She recorded the lead single for the film's soundtrack entitled, "Nothing", which was released prior to the film's debut.[154] In May 2010, she appeared on the season finale of American Idol, where she performed "Again", "Nothing", and "Nasty".[155]

Jackson headlined the 2010 Essence Music Festival alongside Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige.[156] According to the Associated Press, "Janet Jackson enthralled the Essence Music Festival audience Friday, kept them on their feet for more than two hours and reminded fans why seeing her in concert was worth waiting two years."[157] In July 2010, Jackson became a spokeswoman for fur label American Legend Cooperative's Blackglama "What Becomes a Legend Most?" campaign, previously endorsed by celebrities such as Lena Horne, Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall and Diana Ross.[158] According to the company's press release, she was selected as the campaign's latest "Legend" because she "is an icon in the world of music and entertainment, a true legend. She represents everything that this storied campaign embodies. Janet is to entertainment what Blackglama is to luxury."[158] Her endorsement sparked outrage from animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as well as activist Pamela Anderson.[158] Anderson and PETA senior vice president, Dan Mathews, found Jackson's decision hypocritical, as she has declined to endorse the wearing of fur in the past.[159] In August, 2010, UMe released her third greatest hits collection, Icon: Number Ones, as part of the debut of the Icon album series; according to the press release, the series features "the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history."[160]

In November, 2010, she starred as Joanna in the drama For Colored Girls, Tyler Perry's film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1975). Christopher John Farley of The Wall Street Journal complimented her performance, stating that "[she] recites verses written by Ntozake Shange, the author of the play that inspired the film ... But instead of offering up a mannered coffeehouse reading of the lines, Jackson makes the words sound like ordinary—though very eloquent—speech."[161] Matt Zoller Seitz of Salon.com said she "outdoes herself here—especially in the scene where she confronts her husband over his secret life ... It's not just Jackson's short haircut and traumatized eyes that might remind viewers of Jane Wyman or Joan Crawford; Perry gets at the mix of masculine hyper-competitiveness and feminine vulnerability that has always defined Jackson, and links it to the wily, lonely coldness often captured in Wyman and Crawford performances, a directorial gambit of tremendous perceptiveness."[162] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times commented: "Ms. Jackson is, to put it gently, an actress of limited expression. But her quiet presence has force, partly because of her eerie resemblance to her brother Michael, though also because her character’s brittle hauteur, self-involved privilege and artificiality has—like the martyrs in ermine played by the likes of Lana Turner—its own weird truth."[163] A number of critics have compared her portrayal of Jo to Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.[163][164][165] Her performance earned her nominations for the 2011 Black Reel Awards in the categories for Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Ensemble.[166]

On November 18, in an exclusive interview with AOL Music's '"The Boombox", Jackson announced plans to go on her "largest ever world tour" in 2011, supporting her second greatest hits collection, Number Ones.[167] The tour, entitled Number Ones: Up Close and Personal, will hold concerts in 35 global cities.[167] The cities will be picked by fans who can submit suggestions on her official website.[167] During the tour, she will perform her 35 number one hits and dedicate a song to each city.[167] Jackson partnered with Mattel to release a limited-edition Barbie bearing her resemblance. Titled "Divinely Janet", the doll was auctioned for $15,000 with proceeds being donated to Project Angel Food.[168] A new self-help book penned by Jackson, True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself, was released on February 15, 2011, topping The New York Times Best Seller list the following month.[169] In March 2011, she signed a film production contract with Lionsgate "to select, develop and produce a feature film for the independent studio."[170] Lionsgate president of motion picture production and development Mike Paseornek stated: "She is a powerful on-screen presence, with a vast audience, and we believe she will be an equally powerful presence behind the scenes ... We are honored to be able to provide a home for her ideas, passion and immense talent.”[170] Jackson became the first female pop star to perform at the I. M. Pei glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum. To raise contributions for the restoration of iconic works of art, she performed "in conjunction with the museum's biannual fundraising event, 'Liaisons au Louvre,' on Tuesday, June 14."[171] Louvre President-Director Henri Loyrette stated: "Janet Jackson is one of the world’s greatest artistic treasures ... Accordingly, we are profoundly honored, and believe it most fitting, that her performance in the Louvre Museum will be yet another masterpiece captured under our glorious glass pyramid."[172] In August, 2011, she was announced as the first celebrity to be featured in the Blackglama "What Makes A Legend Most?" campaign for two consecutive years. Blackglama CEO Joe Morelli stated: "It became clear in our discussions of who the Legend should be this year, that continuing the momentum with Janet made complete sense ... She embodies glamour, luxury, and sophistication, everything that Blackglama stands for."[173] In November 2011, Jackson partnered with the label to release a 15-piece collection of luxury fur products, to be carried by Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales.[174] She also become spokesperson for Nutrisystem's "Success" weight-loss program.[175] Additionally, "Nutrisystem and Ms. Jackson are creating Nutribank to distribute meals to the hungry, beginning with $10 million in company food contributions for 2012."[175]

Musical style and performance

Jackson has a mezzo-soprano 3 octave vocal range.[176] Many critics have observed she has never been considered a strong vocalist, noting her voice is often enveloped by the production of her music. Biographer David Ritz commented, "[h]er wispy voice was a pale echo of Michael's, but on Janet's albums—and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique not unlike her brother's—singing wasn't the point", commenting that importance was instead placed on "[h]er slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values."[43] Music critic J.D. Considine noted that "[o]n albums, Jackson's sound isn't defined by her voice so much as by the way her voice is framed by the lush, propulsive production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis."[177] Her voice has also been praised on occasion. Eric Henderson of Slant magazine claimed critics who judged Jackson harshly for her thin voice "somehow missed the explosive 'gimme a beat' vocal pyrotechnics she unleashes all over 'Nasty' ... Or that they completely dismissed how perfect her tremulous hesitance fits into the abstinence anthem 'Let's Wait Awhile'."[178] Classical composer Louis Andriessen has also praised Jackson for her "rubato, sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice."[179]
"Black Cat" (1989)
Written by Jackson and produced by Jellybean Johnson, "Black Cat" was recorded using a mixture of Rockman and Marshall amplifier to give it a heavy metal sound. The song's lyrics convey a stance against substance abuse.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Jackson's music has encompassed a broad range of genres, including R&B, soul, disco, hip hop, rap, pop, rock, and dance music. Qadree EI-Amin, Jackson's former personal manager, commented, "[s]he's bigger than Barbra Streisand because Streisand can't appeal to the street crowd, as Janet does. But Streisand's rich, elite crowd loves Janet Jackson."[180] Her records from the 1980s have been described as being heavily influenced by Prince, as her producers are ex-members of The Time.[181] Sal Cinquemani wrote that in addition to defining Top 40 radio, she "gave Prince's Minneapolis sound a distinctly feminine—and, with songs like 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?,' 'Nasty,' 'Control,' and 'Let's Wait Awhile,' a distinctly feminist—spin."[182] Richard J. Ripani documented that when record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis collaborated with Jackson on her 1986 album Control, the trio "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility."[22] Rickey Vincent stated in his book Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One (1996) that she has often been credited for redefining the standard of popular music with the industrial-strength beats of the album.[183] Richard Rischar in "A Vision of Love: An Etiquette of Vocal Ornamentation in African-American Popular Ballads of the Early 1990s" notes that "[t]he black pop ballad of the mid-1980s had been dominated by the vocal and production style that was smooth and polished, led by singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and James Ingram."[184] She continued her musical development by blending contemporary urban sound with hip hop in the 1990s. This included a softer representation of R&B, articulated by lush soulful ballads and up-tempo dance beats.[185] She has been described as "an artist who has reshaped the sound and image of rhythm and blues" within the first decade of her career.[186] Critic Karla Peterson remarked that "[s]he is a sharp dancer, an appealing performer, and as 'That's the Way Love Goes' proves—an ace pop-song writer."[187] Her material from the 2000s decade has been viewed less favorably, as Sal Cinquemani comments that "[e]xcept for maybe R.E.M., no other former superstar act has been as prolific with such diminishing commercial and creative returns."[182]

Jackson has changed her lyrical focus over the years, becoming the subject of analysis in musicology, African American studies, and gender studies.[188][189] David Ritz compares Jackson's musical style to that of Marvin Gaye, stating, "[l]ike Marvin, autobiography seemed the sole source of her music. Her art, also like Marvin's, floated over a reservoir of secret pain."[190] Much of her success has been attributed to "a series of powerful, metallic grooves; her chirpy, multi-tracked vocals; and a lyrical philosophy built on pride and self-knowledge."[191] Ritz has also stated: "The mystery is the low flame that burns around the perimeters of Janet Jackson's soul. The flame feeds off the most highly combustible elements: survival and ambition, caution and creativity, supreme confidence and dark fear."[190] During the 1980s, her lyrics embodied self-actualization, feminist principles and politically driven ideology.[189][192] Gillian G. Gaar, author of She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll (2002), described Control as "an autobiographical tale about her life with her parents, her first marriage, and breaking free."[12] Referring to Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 as an embodiment of hope, Timothy E. Scheurer, author of Born in the USA: The Myth of America in Popular Music from Colonial Times to the Present (2007) wrote: "It may remind some of Sly Stone prior to There's a Riot Going On and other African-American artists of the 1970s in its tacit assumption that the world imagined by Dr. King is still possible, that the American Dream is a dream for all people."[193]

On Janet, Jackson began to deal primarily with sexual themes. Shayne Lee, author of Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture (2010), wrote that her music over the following decade "brand[ed] her as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s."[194] In You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture (1996), Lilly J. Goren observed that "Jackson's evolution from politically aware musician to sexy diva marked the direction that society and the music industry were encouraging the dance-rock divas to pursue."[192] Joshua Klein wrote in The Washington Post that Jackson's public image over the course of her career had shifted "from innocence to experience, inspiring such carnal albums as 1993's 'Janet' and 1997's 'The Velvet Rope', the latter of which explored the bonds—figuratively and literally—of love and lust."[195] The song "Free Xone" from The Velvet Rope, which portrays same-sex relationships in a positive light, is described by sociologist Shayne Lee as "a rare incident in which a popular black vocalist explores romantic or sensual energy outside the contours of heteronormativity, making it a significant song in black sexual politics."[194] Jackson explained the recurring themes on her later albums by saying, "I love love and I love sex."[196] She stated during promotion for Janet, "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process."[11] The sexual explicit content of her latter albums have drawn mixed reactions—ranging from acclaim to abhorrence—often in juxtaposition to Madonna, who is seen as her counterpart.[197] Stephen Thomas Erlewine comments "[w]hile sex indisputably fuels much great pop music, it isn't an inherently fascinating topic for pop music—as with anything, it all depends on the artist.[109]

Music videos, choreography and live performances

Jackson drew her inspiration for her music videos and performances from the musicals she watched in her youth, and was heavily influenced by the choreography of Fred Astaire and Michael Kidd, among others.[198] Throughout her career, she has worked with numerous professional choreographers such as Paula Abdul, Michael Kidd, and Tina Landon. Landon also took part in the choreography for Michael and Janet Jackson's 1995 music video Scream.[199] Janine Coveney of Billboard observed that "Jackson's musical declaration of independence [Control] launched a string of hits, an indelible production sound, and an enduring image cemented by groundbreaking video choreography and imagery that pop vocalists still emulate."[119] Qadree EI-Amin remarked that artists such as "Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera pattern their performances after Janet's proven dance-diva persona."[180]

Beretta E. Smith-Shomade, author of Shaded Lives: African-American Women and Television (2002) wrote that "Jackson's impact on the music video sphere came largely through music sales successes, which afforded her more visual liberties and control. This assuming of control directly impacted the look and content of her music videos, giving Jackson an agency not assumed by many other artists—male or female, Black or White."[200] Parallel Lines: Media Representations of Dance (1993) documents that her videos have been often been reminiscent of live concerts or elaborate musical theater.[201] Many of her video from Control, Including "Nasty" and "When I Think of You", were choreographed using influences from Broadway theatre.[201] Multiculturalism has also been a cornerstone of the imagery represented in Jackson's music videos.[202] The militant iconography of her 1989 video for "Rhythm Nation" signifies a need for both racial and gender equality; she and her dancers perform in identical uniforms while Jackson herself "is performing asexually and almost anonymously in front of, but as one of the members of the group."[203] In the 1990s, her videos such as 1993's "If"—which "[exudes a] 'Last Emperor' lust and mystery"—and 1995's "Runaway" drew cultural influences from the orient.[204][205] Others, such as 1997's "Got 'til It's Gone" and "Together Again" explore African roots and the serengeti.[206][207] Jackson's music videos have also found rapport within the gay community, as the dramatic imagery in "Rhythm Nation" led to reenactments of the video in gay clubs and her 1990 video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is said to explore the aesthetic of the male body from both the heterosexual female and gay male perspective.[208][209] She received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1990 for her contributions to the art form, and in 2001 became the first recipient of the mtvICON award, celebrating her impact on the music industry as a whole.

Her music videos have contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among young women, as Jean M. Twenge, author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than Ever Before (2007) wrote: "In Alfred Kinsey's studies in the 1950s, only 3% of the young women had received oral sex from a man. By the mid-1990s, however, 75% of women aged 18-24 had experienced cunnilingus. Music videos by female artists have contributed to the trend, with both Mary J. Blige and Janet Jackson heavily implying male-on-female oral sex in music videos by pushing down on a man's head until he's in exactly the right position."[210] Similarly, Paula Kamen in Her Way: Young Women Remake the Sexual Revolution (2000) states that "[i]n the early to mid-1990s, oral sex even reached mainstream music as politically charged demand of truly liberated women," citing TLC, Mary J. Blige and Janet Jackson as examples of females artist simulating cunnilingus in their videos.[211] However, accusations of cosmetic surgery, skin lightening and increasingly hypersexual imagery have led to her being viewed as conforming to a white, male-dominated view of sexuality, rather than liberating herself or others.[200]

Jet magazine reported "Janet's innovative stage performances during her world tours have won her a reputation as a world-class performer."[212] Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times stated the "enthralling" choreography of Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour "represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements."[213] The Independent writer Nicholas Barber commented in his review for The Velvet Rope Tour that "Janet's concerts are the pop equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, with all the explosions, special effects, ersatz sentimentality, gratuitous cleavage and emphasis on spectacle over coherence that the term implies."[214] When Los Angeles Times reporter Robert Hilburn asked Jackson "[d]o you understand it when people talk about [The Velvet Rope Tour] in terms of Broadway?", she responded, "I'm crazy about Broadway ... That's what I grew up on."[75] Her Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour deviated from the full-scale theatricality found in her previous concert arena settings in favor of smaller venues. Critics noted being scaled down did not affect the impact of her showmanship, and in some cases, enhanced it. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "In past tours, Jackson's thin voice was often swallowed up by the sheer size of her production ... In the more scaled-down setting, Jackson brought a warmth and a passion that wasn't always evident in stadiums ... the best Janet Jackson performance I've covered in 20-plus years."[215]

Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News reported that Jackson lip syncs in concert; he wrote, "Janet Jackson—one of pop's most notorious onstage lip-syncers—conceded ... she uses 'some' taped vocals to augment her live vocals. But she refused to say what percentage of her concert 'voice' is taped and how much is live."[216] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post observed, "[s]ince the advent of MTV and the proliferation of dance-oriented singers like Milli Vanilli, Madonna, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, George Michael, MC Hammer, Michael Jackson and the New Kids on the Block, audience expectations have been drastically redefined" noting that few entertainers are capable of recreating the spectacle of elaborately choreographed music videos while delivering studio precision vocals.[217] Michael MacCambridge of the Austin American-Statesman, who reviewed Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour, described lip-syncing as a "moot point", stating, "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles."[218] MacCambridge also observed "[i]t seemed unlikely that anyone—even a prized member of the First Family of Soul Music—could dance like she did for 90 minutes and still provide the sort of powerful vocals that the '90s super concerts are expected to achieve."[218] Similarly, Chris Willman commented, "[e]ven a classically trained vocalist would be hard-pressed to maintain any sort of level of volume—or, more appropriately, 'Control'—while bounding up and down stairs and whipping limbs in unnatural directions at impeccable, breakneck speed."[213] Critics observed that in the smaller scale of her Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour, she forewent lip-syncing.[219] Chris Richards of The Washington Post stated "even at its breathiest, that delicate voice hasn’t lost the laserlike precision that seems to be a part of the Jackson family DNA."[220] He complemented her physically strenuous performance, stating "[g]o on, Janet. Let ’em see you sweat. Because in a 21st-century popscape where concerts are driven by spectacle, we need to know that beneath all of the sci-fi costumes, strobe lights and Auto-Tune, we’re still witnessing a performance by the living, breathing, profusely sweating human being whose name is stamped on the tickets we just emptied our wallets for."[220]

Influences

Jackson has credited her older brothers Michael and Jermaine as her primary musical influences.[190] She describes actress/singer Lena Horne as a profound inspiration, not only in her own career, but for black entertainers across multiple generations. Upon Horne's death in 2010, she stated "[Horne] brought much joy into everyone's lives—even the younger generations, younger than myself. She was such a great talent. She opened up such doors for artists like myself."[221] Similarly, she considers Dorothy Dandridge to be one of her idols.[222] Describing herself as "a very big Joni Mitchell fan", she explained: "As a kid I was drawn to Joni Mitchell records ... Along with Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Joni's songs spoke to me in an intimate, personal way."[223][224] She holds reverence for Tina Turner, stating: "Tina has become a heroic figure for many people, especially women, because of her tremendous strength. Personally, Tina doesn't seem to have a beginning or an end in my life. I felt her music was always there, and I feel like it always will be."[225] She has also named other socially conscious acts, such as Tracy Chapman, Sly and the Family Stone and U2 as sources of inspiration.[12][226] Other artists attributed as influences on Jackson's music according to Rolling Stone are The Ronettes, Dionne Warwick, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross.[227]

Legacy

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Janet Jackson and Janet Jackson as gay icon

The baby sister of the "precious Jackson clan",[228] Janet Jackson has striven to distance her professional career from that of her older brother Michael and the rest of the Jackson family. Steve Dollar of Newsday wrote that "[s]he projects that home girl-next-door quality that belies her place as the youngest sibling in a family whose inner and outer lives have been as poked at, gossiped about, docudramatized and hard-copied as the Kennedys."[229] Phillip McCarthy of The Sydney Morning Herald noted that throughout her recording career, one of her common conditions for interviewers has been that there would be no mention of Michael.[230] Joshua Klein wrote, "[f]or the first half of her recording career, Janet Jackson sounded like an artist with something to prove. Emerging in 1982 just as big brother Michael was casting his longest shadow, Jackson filled her albums not so much with songs as with declarations, from 'The Pleasure Principle' to the radical-sounding 'Rhythm Nation' to the telling statement of purpose, 'Control'."[195] Steve Huey of Allmusic asserted that despite being born into a family of entertainers, Janet Jackson has managed to emerge a "superstar" in her own right, rivaling not only several female recording artists including Madonna and Whitney Houston, but also her brother, while "successfully [shifting] her image from a strong, independent young woman to a sexy, mature adult."[231] By forging her own unique identity through her artistry and her business ventures, she has been esteemed as the "Queen of Pop".[232][233] Klein argued that "stardom was not too hard to predict, but few could have foreseen that Janet—Miss Jackson, if you're nasty—would one day replace Michael as true heir to the Jackson family legacy."[195]

Jackson performing during her Rock Witchu Tour in 2008.

She has also been recognized for playing a pivotal role in crossing racial boundaries in the recording industry, where black artists were once considered to be substandard.[234] In Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race (2004), author Maureen Mahon states: "In the 1980s, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Prince were among the African American artists who crossed over ... When black artists cross over into pop success they cease to be black in the industry sense of the word. They get promoted from racialized black music to universal pop music in an economically driven process of racial transcendence."[235] Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) documented that Jackson, along with other prominent African-American women, had achieved financial breakthroughs in mainstream popular music, receiving "superstar status" in the process.[37] She, alongside her contemporaries "offered viable creative, intellectual, and business paths for establishing and maintaining agency, lyrical potency, marketing and ownership."[236] Her business savvy has been compared to that of Madonna, gaining a level of autonomy which enables "creative latitude and access to financial resources and mass-market distribution."[237][238]

Musicologist Richard J. Ripani identified Jackson as a leader in the development of contemporary R&B, as her 1986 album Control and its successor Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 created a unique blend of genre and sound effects, that ushered in the use of rap vocals into mainstream R&B.[22] Ripani also argues that the popularity of Jackson's signature song "Nasty" influenced the new jack swing genre developed by Teddy Riley.[22] Leon McDermott of the Sunday Herald wrote: "Her million-selling albums in the 1980s helped invent contemporary R&B through Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's muscular, lean production; the sinuous grooves threaded through 1986's Control and 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814 are the foundation upon which today's hot shot producers and singers rely."[239] Jim Cullen observed in Popular Culture in American History (2001) that although it was Michael Jackson's Thriller that originally synchronized music video with album sales, Janet Jackson was also among the first generation of artists that saw the visualization of their music elevate them to the status of a pop culture icon.[240] In July, 1999, she placed at number 77 on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll".[241] She also placed at number 134 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time" and at number two on "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", behind Madonna.[242][243] In March 2008, Business Wire reported "Janet Jackson is one of the top ten selling artists in the history of contemporary music; ranked by Billboard magazine as the ninth most successful act in rock and roll history, and the second most successful female artist in pop music history."[244] She is the only female artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have 18 consecutive top ten hit singles, from "Miss You Much" (1989) to "I Get Lonely" (1998).[245] The magazine ranked her at number seven on their Hot 100 50th Anniversary "Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists", making her the third most successful female artist in the history of the chart, following Madonna and Mariah Carey.[246] In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked her at number five.[247] She ranks as the top artist on the chart with 15 number ones in the past twenty-five years, garnering 27 top ten hits between 1985 and 2001, and 33 consecutive top 40 hits from 1985 through 2004.[247] The most awarded artist in the history of the Billboard Music Awards with 33 wins, she is one an elite group of musical acts, such as Madonna, Aerosmith, Garth Brooks and Eric Clapton, whom Billboard credits for "redefining the landscape of popular music."[245][248]

Den Berry, Virgin Records CEO and Chairman stated: "Janet is the very embodiment of a global superstar. Her artistic brilliance and personal appeal transcend geographic, cultural and generational boundaries."[249] Similarly, Virgin Records executive Lee Trink expressed: "Janet is an icon and historic figure in our culture. She's one of those gifted artists that people look up to, that people emulate, that people want to believe in ... there's not that many superstars that stand the test of time."[119] Her musical style and choreography have influenced and inspired a younger generation of recording artists. Sarah Rodman of the Boston Herald remarked: "For every hand-fluttering, overwrought, melisma addict out there aping Mariah's dog calls, there's an equal number trying to match Jackson's bubbling grooves and fancy footwork, including Britney, Aaliyah and Destiny's Child."[250] Pop music critic Gene Stout commented she "has so broadly influenced a younger generation of performers, from Jennifer Lopez ... to Britney Spears, who has copied so many of Jackson's dance moves."[251] Elysa Gardner of USA Today wrote: "Jackson claims not to be bothered by the brigade of barely post-adolescent baby divas who have been inspired by—and, in some cases, have flagrantly aped—the sharp, animated choreography and girlish but decidedly post-feminist feistiness that have long been hallmarks of her performance style."[252] Artists who are considered to have followed in her footsteps have been referred to as "Janet-come-lately's."[253][254]

Sociologist Shayne Lee commented that, "[a]s Janet enters the twilight of her reign as erotic Queen of Pop, Beyoncé Knowles emerges as her likely successor."[194] Knowles has expressed her fondness of Jackson, stating: "I love Janet Jackson! ... I have nothing but positive things to say about her."[255] Toni Braxton stated that she was inspired by Janet Jackson "because when she released her Control album, she made it easy for P.K.'s [Preachers' kids] who were supposed to be sweet and docile to get comfortable with feeling sexy."[256] Aaliyah commented, "I admire her a great deal. She's a total performer ... I'd love to do a duet with Janet Jackson."[257] Jennifer Lopez lauded Jackson's videography, stating her music videos "had such an impact on me as a fan but also as an artist."[250] 'N Sync and Usher, who performed as two of the opening acts for The Velvet Rope World Tour, credit her for teaching them how to develop stage show into theatrical performance. Usher stated: "I learned a lot about how to make an artist look like a star. On the personal side, I got a chance to hug her."[258][259] Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of TLC recalled that when the group was first forming, she declared "I'm ready to be the next Janet Jackson!"[260] Britney Spears commented, "I've always been majorly inspired by Janet in everything she does."[261] Christina Aguilera recalled: "I remember watching MTV as a little girl. To me, Janet had it all; amazing videos, hot songs and the sexiest voice."[262] Cassie has referred to herself as a "die-hard Janet Jackson fan" and elaborated, "I'd love to emulate Janet's career—totally ... She's incredible, from her moves to her voice."[263] Jay Bobbin of the Chicago Tribune remarked, "Cassie isn't the first artist to be measured against Janet Jackson, and odds are she won't be the last."[263] Ciara has acknowledged Jackson as one of her primary influences, stating: "It seems like just yesterday I was watching Janet Jackson on TV; now, some people compare me to her."[264] Kelly Rowland named her the biggest inspiration of her career because "she works extremely hard."[265] Rihanna has commented that "[s]he was one of the first female pop icons that I could relate to ... She was so vibrant, she had so much energy. She still has power. I’ve seen her on stage, and she can stand there for 20 minutes and have the whole arena scream at her. You have to love Janet."[266] Nicki Minaj claimed Jackson as one of her idols, stating "[i]n 'Rhythm Nation' she was sexy, strong and mysterious. I always loved the jet black hair, especially the ponytail with the hat. That's how I tried to dress when I was little."[267] Keri Hilson stated that she admired Jackson for "just being herself. A great performer."[268] Japanese singer Crystal Kay commented: "I've always listened to American music and the artists I admire most are American, like Janet Jackson."[269] Australian DJ and singer Havana Brown claimed Jackson as her biggest influence, stating "she's my idol" and "I want to be Janet Jackson! But the DJ-slash-Janet Jackson—I want to be able to put on big shows, I want dancers, I want fireworks, I want it all."[270] Other artists who have drawn comparison to Jackson include Brandy,[271] Tatyana Ali,[272] Christina Milian,[273] Mýa,[274] Lady Gaga,[275] Namie Amuro,[276] and BoA.[277] Joan Morgan of Essence magazine remarked: "Jackson's Control, Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet. established the singer-dancer imprimatur standard in pop culture we now take for granted. So when you're thinking of asking Miss Jackson, 'What have you done for me lately?' remember that Britney, Ciara and Beyoncé live in the house that Janet built."[278]

Discography

Main article: Janet Jackson discography

Other works

Television
Film
Tours
Books

See also

Book icon Book: Janet Jackson
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.
Portal icon Janet Jackson portal
Portal icon The Jackson Family portal


Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d Janet Jackson's Greatest Hits Celebrated on Number Ones, Universal Music Enterprises: PR Newswire, 2009-10-14, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/janet-jacksons-greatest-hits-celebrated-on-number-ones-64079852.html, retrieved 2009-10-14 
  2. ^ Top Selling Artists, Recording Industry Association of America, http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt, retrieved 2008-09-03 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cornwell, Jane (2002), Janet Jackson, Carlton Books, pp. 2, 10, 24, ISBN 1-84222-464-6 
  4. ^ Norment, Lynn (November 2001), "Janet: On her sexuality, spirituality, failed marriages, and lessons learned", Jet 57 (1): 104, ISSN 0012-9011 
  5. ^ Fox, Norman, Indian Summer, tv.com, http://www.tv.com/fame/indian-summer/episode/77620/summary.html, retrieved 2008-09-03 
  6. ^ a b c d Saunders, Michael (1996-10-03), "The 3 Divas Janet Jackson turns her focus inward", The Boston Globe: D13 
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Janet Jackson, Allmusic, 2006, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4572, retrieved 2008-04-13 
  8. ^ "Top Hip-Hop and R&B Songs & Singles Charts". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/r-b-hip-hop-songs?chartDate=1984-10-20. Retrieved 2010-06-12. 
  9. ^ Smith, Jessie Carney (1996), Notable Black American women, Volume 2, Gale, p. 324, ISBN 978-0-8103-9177-2 
  10. ^ a b Cohen, Jonathan (1999-12-15), "Billboard Feature: Janet Jackson: Still In Control", Billboard, http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4614593-1.html, retrieved 2010 - 09 - 06 
  11. ^ a b c Ritz, David (1993-09-16), "Sexual healing", Rolling Stone (665): 38, ISSN 0035-791X 
  12. ^ a b c d Gaar, Gillian G. (2002), She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll, Seal Press, pp. 323–325, ISBN 1-58005-078-6 
  13. ^ Janet Jackson's Control, Spin, 1987-01, http://books.google.com/?id=B_38rmDqlLQC&pg=PA50&dq=janet+jackson+200,000#v=onepage&q=janet%20jackson%20200%2C000&f=false, retrieved 2010-09-30 
  14. ^ Johnson, Connie (1986-02-23), "Jackson Jive", Los Angeles Times: 78, ISSN 0458-3035 
  15. ^ "Singer Janet Jackson", Newsweek 108 (3): 61, 1986-07-21, ISSN 0028-9604 
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  17. ^ a b c d e "Artist Chart History – Janet Jackson", Billboard, http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/janet-jackson/chart-history/4899, retrieved 2010-09-06 
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Gold & Platinum, Recording Industry Association of America, 1958–2009, http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Janet%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25, retrieved 2009-10-07 
  19. ^ Smith, Kathleen (1987-01-26), "American Music Awards tonight to honor Presley posthumously", St. Petersburg Times: 7.D 
  20. ^ "Travis tops music award winners", Houston Chronicle: 1, 1988-01-26, ISSN 1074-7109 
  21. ^ Hamlin, Jesse (1987-02-25), "Graced With a Grammy / Paul Simon wins award for top album", San Francisco Chronicle: 48 
  22. ^ a b c d e Ripani, Richard J. (2006), The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999, University Press of Mississippi, pp. 130–153, ISBN 1-57806-862-2 
  23. ^ Cocks, Jay (1990-05-28), "Dancing on the charts", TIME 135 (22): 87, ISSN 0040-781X 
  24. ^ Graham, Jefferson (1989-12-15), "Janet in command; Jackson rules her own `Nation'; Highlights of a rhythmic life", USA Today: 01.D 
  25. ^ Morse, Steve (1989-11-20), "Changing Her Tune Janet Jackson's New Conscience", The Boston Globe: 30 
  26. ^ Aletti, Vince (1998-10-19), "Rhythm Nation 1814: Janet Jackson: Review: Rolling Stone", Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 2008-04-30, http://web.archive.org/web/20080430054629/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/182747/review/5943659/rhythm_nation_1814, retrieved 2010-09-06 
  27. ^ VINTAGE VYBZ DOWNUNDER: Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814, djtoma.blogspot.com, 2009-01-12, http://djtoma.blogspot.com/2009/01/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-1814.html, retrieved 2010-09-06 
  28. ^ Dowell, Dowell; Kim Jones (2006), Heritage Signature Entertainment Memorabilia Auction #622, Heritage Capital Corporation, p. 139, ISBN 1-59967-036-4 
  29. ^ a b c d e Grammy Winners Search, The Recording Academy, 2008, http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=janet%20jackson&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1, retrieved 2008-07-27 
  30. ^ Macdonald, Patrick (1990-12-28), "Ringing In 1991: Northwest Top 10 Video Count-Down", The Seattle Times: 8 
  31. ^ Anderson, Susan (1990-11-28), "Chronicle", The New York Times: 7, ISBN 0-8118-6207-0, ISSN 0362-4331 
  32. ^ Jaynes, Gerald David (2005), Encyclopedia of African American Society, SAGE Publications, p. 565, ISBN 0-7619-2764-6 
  33. ^ Selvin, Joel (1990-04-30), "Just Wholesome Glitz From Janet", San Francisco Chronicle: F1 
  34. ^ "Names In The News Janet Jackson Benefit Concert", Los Angeles Times: 9, 1990-02-05, ISSN 0458-3035 
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References

  • Brackett, Nathan. Hoard, Christian David. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster, 2004. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8
  • Cornwell, Jane. Janet Jackson. Carlton Books, 2002. ISBN 1-84222-464-6
  • Cullen, Jim. Popular Culture in American History. Blackwell Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-631-21958-7
  • Cutcher, Jenai. Feel the Beat: Dancing in Music Videos. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. ISBN 0-8239-4558-8
  • Dean, Maury. Rock-N-Roll Gold Rush. Algora Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-87586-207-1
  • DeCurtis, Anthony. Present tense: rock & roll and culture. Duke University Press, 1992. ISBN 978-0-8223-1265-9
  • Gaar, Gillian G. She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll. Seal Press, 2002. ISBN 1-58005-078-6
  • Gates, Henry Louis. Appiah, Anthony. Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American. Basic Civitas Books, 1999. ISBN 0-465-00071-1
  • Goren, Lilly. You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture. University Press of Kentucky, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8131-2544-2
  • Halstead, Craig. Cadman, Chris. Jacksons Number Ones. Authors On Line, 2003. ISBN 0-7552-0098-5
  • Jaynes, Gerald David. Encyclopedia of African American Society. Sage Publications, 2005. ISBN 0-7619-2764-6
  • Jordan, Emma. Harris, Angela. When Markets Fail: Race And Economics : Cases And Materials. Foundation Press, 2006. ISBN 978-1-58778-955-7
  • Kramarae, Cheris. Spender, Dale. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge. Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0-415-92091-4
  • Mitoma, Judy. Mitoma, Judith. Zimmer, Elizabeth. Stieber, Dale Ann. Heinonen, Nelli. Shaw, Norah Zuňiga. Envisioning dance on film and video. Routledge, 2002. ISBN 0-415-94171-7
  • Reynolds, Simon. Press, Joy. The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll. Harvard University Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0-674-80273-5
  • Ripani, Richard J. The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 University Press of Mississippi, 2006. ISBN 1-57806-862-2
  • Smith, Jessie Carney. Notable Black American Women, Volume 2. Gale, 1996. ISBN 978-0-8103-9177-2
  • Starr, Larry. Waterman, Christopher Alan. American Popular Music : The Rock Years. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-19-530052-9
  • Strong, Martin Charles. The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded by More Than 1200 Artists. Canongate U.S., 2004. ISBN 1-84195-615-5
  • Vincent, Rickey. Clinton, George. Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One. Macmillan, 1996. ISBN 0-312-13499-1

Further reading

External links

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