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Janet Jackson

 
Who2 Biography: 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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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."

Artist: Janet Jackson
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Janet Jackson

Similar Artists:

Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, Usher, Aaliyah, Pebbles, George Michael, Gloria Estefan, Cherrelle, Faith Evans, Xscape, Mariah Carey, Bobby Brown, SWV, Nona Hendryx, Jody Watley, Soul II Soul, Alexander O'Neal, Johnny Gill, Angela Bofill, Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, Karyn White

Influenced By:

Chaka Khan, Minnie Riperton, Prince, Joni Mitchell, Teena Marie, Tina Turner, Syreeta, Deniece Williams

Followers:

Cherish, Cassie, Yummy Bingham, Christina Milian, Ashanti, Michelle Williams, Brandy, Jana, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Aaliyah, Raven-Symoné, RuPaul, Brenda K. Starr, Louie Louie, Calloway, Martika, Jasmine Guy, En Vogue, Ingrid Chavez, Paula Abdul, Che'Nelle, Shontelle, Ciara, Teedra Moses, Toya, Jyve V, Mya, Syleena Johnson, TLC, Livvi Franc, RichGirl, Bria Valente, Beni Arashiro, Prima J, Paula DeAnda, Keke Palmer, Brooke Valentine, 3LW, Kelis, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Jessica Simpson, SWV, Bardeux, Lisa Lisa, Natalie, Keyshia Cole, Nivea, Charles & Eddie, Amanda, Billie Piper, Natalie Brown, Debelah Morgan, Kimberley Locke

Performed Songs By:

James Harris, Terry Lewis, Rene Elizondo, Joni Mitchell

Worked With:

Bruce Swedien, Alexander Richbourg, Jellybean Johnson, Jimmy Jam, Steve Hodge, Dave Barry

Formal Connection With:

Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, Jermaine Dupri, A.I.

Relationship With:

Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson
See Janet Jackson Lyrics
  • Born: May 16, 1966, Gary, IN
  • Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Rhythm & Blues
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "Design of a Decade: 1986-1996," "Rhythm Nation 1814," "Control"
  • Representative Songs: "All for You," "That's the Way Love Goes," "When I Think of You"

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, All Music Guide
Discography: Janet Jackson
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20 Y.O.

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20 Y.O.

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20 Y.O. [FYE Exclusive]

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Call on Me, Pt. 2

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Damita Jo [Bonus Tracks #2]

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20 Y.O. [Japan Bonus Track]

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From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos [Amaray]

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From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos [Jewelcase]

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Doesn't Really Matter [UK CD]

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20 Y.O. [Bonus Tracks]

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Rhythm Nation 1814/Rhythm Nation Compilation

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Design of a Decade: 1986-1996

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Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 [Video/DVD]

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Velvet Rope

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Velvet Rope

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Runaway

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20 Y.O. [Bonus DVD]

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20 Y.O. [Japan Bonus Track/DVD]

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Son of a Gun [Remix Version]

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Together Again [#2]

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All for You [Bonus DVD]

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Got 'Til It's Gone [5 Tracks]

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Every Time

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Velvet Rope Tour/Live In Hawaii

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janet.

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So Excited, Pt. 2

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Just a Little While [2 Tracks]

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Damita Jo

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Damita Jo

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Damita Jo [Clean]

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Damita Jo [Bonus DVD]

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Damita Jo [Clean] [Bonus DVD]

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All for You [US Single]

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Just a Little While [Australia CD]

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Exposed

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Velvet Rope Tour

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Someone to Call My Lover, Pt. 2 [#1]

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All Nite (Don't Stop)/I Want You [UK CD #2]

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All Nite (Don't Stop)/I Want You [UK CD #1]

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All Nite (Don't Stop) [Canada CD]

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All for You [Japan Bonus Track]

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Go Deep [UK]

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All Nite (Don't Stop) [Japan CD 1]

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Discipline

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Discipline [CD/DVD]

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Discipline [Circuit City Exclusive]

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Discipline [CD/DVD] [Japan Deluxe Edition]

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Discipline [Bonus Track]

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I Get Lonely [3 Tracks]

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Feedback [3 Track CD Single]

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Feedback [2 Track CD Single]

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Velvet Rope [Japan Bonus Track]

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Audio Biography CD

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Velvet Rope [Australian Tour Edition]

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Velvet Rope [Australian Tour Edition]

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Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 [Bonus iPod Skin]

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Call on Me

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Someone to Call My Lover, Pt. 2 [#2]

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Damita Jo [Bonus Tracks]

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All for You [Original Version]

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All for You

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All for You [Bonus Track Clean]

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Live in Hawaii

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All for You [UK CD Single]

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Just a Little While [5 Tracks]

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Just a Little While, Pt. 2 [Enhanced]

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Maximum Janet Jackson: The Unauthorised Biography of Janet Jackson

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Ask For More [Pepsi Single]

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Together Again [UK]

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Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 [Bonus Tracks]

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Janet Remixed

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That's the Way Love Goes

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Rhythm Nation 1814

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Control: The Remixes

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Control

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Dream Street

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Janet Jackson

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Actor: Janet Jackson
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana
  • Occupation: Actor, Director
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Music, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Poetic Justice, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
  • First Major Screen Credit: Poetic Justice (1993)

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, All Movie Guide
Wikipedia: Janet Jackson
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For her self-titled album, see Janet Jackson (album).
Janet Jackson

Jackson during a 2006 press conference
Background information
Birth name Janet Damita Jo Jackson
Born May 16, 1966 (1966-05-16) (age 43)
Gary, Indiana, United States
Genres R&B, pop, rock, dance
Occupations Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress
Instruments Vocals, keyboards
Years active 1976–present
Labels A&M, Virgin, Island
Website JanetJackson.com

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American recording artist and actress. Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised in Encino, Los Angeles, California, she is the youngest child of the Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her family beginning at the age of seven, and later started her career as an actress with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976. She went on to star in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times and Diff'rent Strokes.

At age sixteen in 1982, she signed a recording contract with A&M, releasing her self-titled debut album the same year. She faced criticism for her limited vocal range, and for being yet another member of the Jackson family to become a recording artist. Beginning with her third studio album Control (1986), she began a long-term collaboration with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Her music with Jam and Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, disco, funk, and rap with sample loop, triplet swing and industrial beats, which led to crossover appeal in popular music. In addition to receiving recognition for the innovation in her albums, choreography, music videos, and prominence on MTV, Jackson was acknowledged as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics.

In 1991, she signed the first of two record-breaking, multi-million dollar recording contracts with Virgin Records, which established her as one of the highest paid artists in the music industry. Her debut album under the Virgin label, janet. (1993), saw Jackson 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, she was named the second most successful recording artist of the decade. All for You (2001), became her fifth consecutive studio album to hit number one on the Billboard 200 album charts. In 2007, she changed labels, signing with the Island Def Jam Music Group and released her tenth studio album Discipline the following year.

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Jackson 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] 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

Biography

1966–1982: Early life and career

Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of nine 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, California 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 1974, at the age of seven, Jackson appeared on stage in Las Vegas, Nevada 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]

1982–1985: 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]

1986–1988: 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.
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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.[7] 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."[13] 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."[14] 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.[15] "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.[15] 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.[16][1] 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.[17][18][19] 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.[20] The success of Control, according to Ripani, bridged the gap between R&B and rap music.[20]

1989–1992: 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.
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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.[21] 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."[22] 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."[23] Rolling Stone magazine's Vince Aletti observed Jackson shifted from "personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat."[24]

Peaking at number one on the Billboard 200, the album was later certified six times platinum and eventually sold over fourteen million copies worldwide.[7][1][16] 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.[25][26] The corresponding music video for "Rhythm Nation" won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.[27] Billboard named Rhythm Nation 1814 the number-one selling album of the year in 1990, winning multiple music awards.[28][29] Jackson was dubbed a reigning "Princess of Pop" by the Chicago Tribune.[30] Although some attributed Jackson's accomplishments to her producers, Jimmy Jam stated "when someone says, 'Well, she brought in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,' you've got to remember that we weren't exactly ... Quincy Jones ... 'Control' was our first smash. The same with Paula. It wasn't like Janet [hired] Fred Astaire ... She took a chance on all of us."[31]

The Rhythm Nation 1814 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. The contract value was estimated between $32–50 million, and she became the highest paid female recording artist in contemporary music.[38][39][40] That same year, she secretly entered into her second marriage with long-term friend—dancer, songwriter and director René Elizondo, Jr.[41] 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.[42]

1993–1996: janet., Poetic Justice and Design of a Decade 1986/1996

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

In May 1993, Jackson's fifth studio album janet. (pronounced "Janet, period."), was released by Virgin Records 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."[43] 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."[44] 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."[45] 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".[27][46] Robert Johnson of San Antonio Express-News wrote that the album ranges from "dreamy and sensual" to "downright erotic", and although "[janet.] isn't perfect ... it should be enough to make her the Queen of Pop."[47] Conversely, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly gave it a moderate rating, asserting "her wispy voice is often smothered by her two male producers", and regarded janet. as a "blatant rip-off of the club-beat style of Madonna's Erotica."[48] janet. was certified six times platinum by the RIAA, with worldwide sales exceeding twenty million copies.[16][49]

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".[50][51] 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."[52] Jackson's ballad "Again" was featured on the film's soundtrack, and garnered a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.[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] Jackson expressed, "... sex has been an important part of me for several years. But it just hasn't blossomed publicly until now."[11] 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. 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, Jackson's 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 Jackson 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] Norment reported during the recording of janet., "LaToya suddenly showed up and created a scene at the Minneapolis recording studio", despite the fact that "[Jackson's] sister had ignored her calls for four years prior to that."[58] In addition, Jackson 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.[27]

In October 1995, Jackson's first compilation album, Design of a Decade 1986/1996, was released via A&M Records and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.[7] The lead single "Runaway" peaked at number three on the Hot 100.[60] Design of a Decade 1986/1996 was certified two times platinum by the RIAA and sold over four million copies worldwide.[16][61] In January 1996, Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million dollars.[62] 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.[63][64][65]

1997–1999: 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] According to Jackson, "[w]e've all driven by premieres or nightclubs and have seen the rope separating those who can enter and those who can't. Well, there's also a velvet rope we have inside us, keeping others from knowing our feelings. In The Velvet Rope, I'm trying to expose and explore those feelings ... During my life, I've been on both sides of the rope. At times, especially during my childhood, I felt left out and alone. At times I felt misunderstood."[66] The Velvet Rope also introduced sadomasochism into Jackson's music. Eric Henderson of Slant wrote, "The Velvet Rope is a richly dark masterwork that illustrates that, amid the whips and chains, there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness."[67] Larry Flick of Billboard called The Velvet Rope "[t]he best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five."[68]

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 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.[69] 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.[27] 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.[70] The single spent a record 46 weeks on the Hot 100, as well as spending 19 weeks on the UK singles chart.[70] "I Get Lonely" peaked at number three on the Hot 100.[15] The Velvet Rope sold over ten million albums worldwide and was certified three times platinum by the RIAA.[1][16]

Jackson donated a portion of the proceeds earned from "Together Again" to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.[70] 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'."[71] 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'."[72] 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.[73]

In 1998, Jackson began the The Velvet Rope Tour, an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Robert Hilburn of the 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'."[74] 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.[75] The following month, Jackson separated from Elizondo Jr.[76] 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 "lifelong contribution to the music industry and outstanding contribution to the pop industry."[77] As 1999 ended, Billboard magazine ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind Mariah Carey.[78]

2000–2003: 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.[79][80] 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."[41] Elizondo filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against her, estimated between $10–25 million; they did not reach a settlement until 2003.[41][81]

Jackson was awarded a top honor from the American Music Awards—the Award of Merit—in March 2001 for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums."[82] 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."[83] 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.[84] 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."[85][86]
"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
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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.[87] 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.[87] The single peaked at number one, where it topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks.[88] She received the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for "All for You".[27] 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.[89] All for You sold more than seven million copies worldwide, and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[90][16]

Reviews for Jackson's All for You Tour drew comparison to that of her contemporary rivals. Los Angeles Times' David Massey reported that compared to Madonna's Drowned World Tour, "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!"[91] Similarly, reporter Rudy Scalese complimented Jackson's performance, stating, "Janet Jackson hasn't skipped a beat. She is still the Queen of Pop."[91] In contrast, Charles Passy of The Palm Beach Post commented, "[s]eeing Jackson's show after Madonna's 'Drowned World' tour is to realize the limits of the pop-concert format. Madonna pushed those limits and came up with a daring hybrid of circus, theater and music. Jackson, on the other hand, lived within the constraints."[92] 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."[93]

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 she issued an apology to her gay following in an article contained in The Voice.[94] Jackson also began her relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri that same year.[95]

2004–2005: 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.[96] 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."[97] Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "wardrobe malfunction".[96] Time magazine 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."[98][99] 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".[100] 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.[101]

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.[102] Jermaine Dupri resigned from his position on the Grammy Awards committee as a result.[103] 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.[104]

In March 2004, Jackson's eighth studio album, Damita Jo, was released debuting at number two on the Billboard 200.[7][105] Steve Jones of USA Today reported, "[t]he album, which takes its title from [Jackson's] middle name, shows several sides of her personality."[106] During the interview she commented, "[t]he album is about love ... Damita Jo is one of the characters that lives inside of me."[106] 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."[107] 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."[108] By the end of the month it was certified platinum by the RIAA, and eventually sold over two million albums worldwide.[16][109] Although the album debuted at number two, its three 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."[105] 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."[110]

Jackson appeared as a host of Saturday Night Live on April 10, 2004, where she performed a skit that parodied the Super Bowl incident. She also appeared in the television sitcom Will & Grace playing herself, interacting with sitcom characters Karen Walker and Jack McFarland as Jack was auditioning to be one of her back-up dancers.[111] 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'."[112] 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."[113][114] 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.[115]

2006–2007: 20 Y.O. and Why Did I Get Married?

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.[116] 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."[117] Jackson stated "[t]his album takes me to a place where I haven't been in a while: R&B and dance ... The album also features samples from music that inspired me 20, 25 years ago."[118]

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."[119] 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."[120] The album's lead single "Call on Me," a duet with rapper Nelly, peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100.[15] 20 Y.O. was certified platinum by the RIAA.[16] 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.[121]

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.[122] Later that year, she starred opposite Tyler Perry as a psychotherapist named Patrica in the feature film Why Did I Get Married? Her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, Why Did I Get Married? grossed $21.4 million in its first week.[123] 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".[124][125] In February 2008, Jackson won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role.[126]

2008–present: 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."[127] Andy Kellman of Allmusic expressed: "Janet probably won't hit that late-'80s peak again, but that is no excuse to write her off."[128] Her single, "Feedback", peaked at number nineteen on the Hot 100.[15] 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.[73] 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."[73] Jackson's fifth concert tour—the Rock Witchu Tour—began in September 2008.[129] 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."[130] In the fourteen months she was associated with Island, her record had sold 415,000 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."[131]

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."[132] 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."[133] During this time, she also ended her seven year relationship with Jermaine Dupri.[133] In September 2009, she performed "Scream" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards as part of a tribute to Michael.[134] MTV General Manager Stephen Friedman stated: "We felt there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message."[135] She worked with several world renowned choreographers, with her personal creative director, Gil Duldulao, coordinating the performance.[135] 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."[136]

Her single "Make Me", a tribute song to Michael's 1979 single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", was initially released as an audio stream on her official web site and was later made available for digital download.[137] The single precedes her second compilation album, Number Ones; a double-disk CD set, comprised of 33 global number-one hits with "Make Me" as the 34th track, set for release on November 17, 2009 by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and EMI Music.[138] It will be titled Janet Jackson: The Best outside of the US.[138] Jackson was selected as the chairperson to 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."[139] 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."[140] She will be one of the performing acts of the Capital FM December 2009 Jingle Bell Ball at the London O2 arena.[141]

Musical style and performance

Jackson has a mezzo-soprano vocal range.[142] Many critics have observed she has never been considered a strong vocalist, noting her voice is often enveloped by the production of her music. Rolling Stone magazine 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."[42] Jackson's voice has also been praised on occasion. Eric Henderson of Slant 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'."[143] Classical composer Louis Andriessen has also praised Jackson for her "rubato, sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice."[144] Jackson has credited her older brothers Michael and Jermaine as her primary musical influences.[145] She has also expressed 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."[146] David Ritz of Rolling Stone compared 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."[145] Her records from the 1980s have been described as being heavily influenced by Prince, as her producers were ex-members of The Time.[147] Other artists attributed as influences on Jackson's music according to Rolling Stone are The Ronettes, Dionne Warwick, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross.[148]
"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."[149] 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."[20] 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.[150] 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.[151]

Jackson has changed her lyrical focus over the years, becoming the subject of analysis in African American studies, gender studies and the roles of women in rock and popular music.[152][153] 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."[154] During the 1980s, her lyrics embodied self actualization, feminist principles and politically driven ideology.[153][155] 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] Rickey Vincent comments Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 "was the boldest and most successful pop attempt to combine social commentary, celebration, and state-of-the-art dance funk since her brother Michael's efforts to be Bad."[150] On janet., Jackson began to deal primarily with sexual themes. 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."[155] 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."[156] Jackson explained the recurring themes on her later albums by saying, "I love love and I love sex."[157] 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.[158] 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.[107]

Choreography

Jackson drew her inspiration from the musicals she watched in her youth for her music videos and performances, and was heavily influenced by the choreography of Fred Astaire and Michael Kidd, among others.[159] Throughout her career, Jackson 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.[160] 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."[117] Qadree EI-Amin remarked that artists such as "Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera pattern their performances after Janet's proven dance-diva persona."[149]

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."[161] 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."[162] 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."[74]

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."[163] 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, M.C. 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.[164] 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."[165] 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."[165] 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."[161]

Legacy

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

The baby sister of the "precious Jackson clan",[166] Janet Jackson has strived to distance her professional career from that of her older brother Michael and the rest of the Jackson family. Phillip McCarthy of 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.[167] 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'."[156] 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."[168] 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."[156]

Jackson performing during her Rock Witchu Tour in 2008.

According to Larry Starr and Christopher Alan Waterman, authors of American Popular Music : The Rock Years (2006), when the American music industry began its economic recovery in the mid-1980s from the fall of the disco era, Janet Jackson, among other multi-platinum selling music artists, was acknowledged for stimulating the overall increase in consumer purchasing of LPs, cassette tapes and CDs.[169] 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 various genres and sound effects while ushering the use of rap vocals into mainstream R&B.[20] Ripani also argues that the popularity of Jackson's signature song "Nasty" influenced the new jack swing genre developed by Teddy Riley.[20] 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."[170] 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] 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 saw the visualization of her music elevate her to the status of a pop culture icon.[171] 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."[172][173] 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."[174] 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."[175]

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."[117] Jackson's musical style and choreography have influenced a number 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."[176] 'N Sync, who performed as the opening act for The Velvet Rope Tour, credits her for teaching them how to develop stage show into theatrical performance.[177] Pam Sitt of The Seattle Times reported similar admiration from Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, who have been impacted by her work.[178] R&B singer 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."[179] 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."[179] Aaliyah commented, "I admire her a great deal. She's a total performer ... I'd love to do a duet with Janet Jackson."[180] 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."[181] Beyoncé Knowles holds deep reverence for her and she expressed, "I love Janet Jackson! ... I have nothing but positive things to say about her."[182] Former backup dancer turned superstar Jennifer Lopez lauded Jackson's videography, stating her music videos "had such an impact on me as a fan but also as an artist."[176] Other artists who have drawn comparison to Jackson include Brandy, Tatyana Ali and Rihanna.[183][184][185]

Discography

Main article: Janet Jackson discography

Other works

Main article: Janet Jackson videography

Television series

Films

See also

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 
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  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cornwell, Jane (2002), Janet Jackson, Carlton Books, pp. 2, 10, 24, ISBN 1842224646 
  4. ^ Norment, Lynn (Nov. 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 Janet Jackson, Allmusic, 2006, http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifuxqe5ldae~T5, retrieved 2008-04-13 
  8. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs "Don t Stand Another Chance"", Top Music Charts-Hot 100-Billboard 200-Music Genre Sales (Billboard), 2007, http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=367&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+R%26amp%3BB%2FHip-Hop+Songs&ci=3003911&cdi=6165082&cid=11%2F24%2F1984, retrieved 2008-09-13 
  9. ^ Smith, Jessie Carney (1996). Notable Black American women, Volume 2. Gale. p. 324. ISBN 9780810391772. 
  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 
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