The youngest sister of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family, the commercial force behind the success of new jack swing, the own-goal victim of the 2004 Superbowl nipple incident, and the influence behind many 21st century female music acts, Janet Jackson is an interesting figure in late 20th century music and performance, and has been very popular. I am aware of her, and know that her Rhythm Nation has some respect among music critics, and that she is regarded as having some influence on a number of popular 21st Century female performers. As Jackson works in the area of big production R&B, not a style of music that tends to attract me, I am not familiar with her work. So, I think it's time I made a study of her, album by album.....
Wikipedia:
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, enabling her to rise to prominence while breaking gender and racial barriers in the process. Lyrical content that focused on social issues and lived experiences set her reputation as a role model for youth.
The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, Jackson began her career as a child actress, with roles in the television series Good Times (1977–1979), Diff'rent Strokes (1980–1984), and Fame (1984–1985). She signed a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982 and became a pop icon following the releases of the albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated a variety of music genres, which led to crossover success in popular music and influenced the development of the new jack swing fusion genre. In the 1990s, Jackson became one of the highest-paid artists in the industry, signing two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records. She established her image as a sex symbol with a leading role in the film Poetic Justice (1993), and the albums Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997). Billboard named her the second most successful artist of the decade in the United States.
The release of her seventh studio album All for You in 2001 coincided with Jackson being the subject of the first MTV Icon special. By the end of the year, she joined her brother Michael as one of the few artists to score ten number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the backlash from the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy resulted in an industry blacklisting under the direction of Les Moonves, then-CEO of CBS. Jackson subsequently experienced reduced radio airplay, televised promotion and sales figures from that point forward. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth studio album Discipline (2008), her only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation. Jackson has continued to release music and perform, with the Together Again Tour (2023–2024) becoming the highest-grossing tour of her career.
Jackson has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 by a female artist (18) and remains the only artist in the history of the chart to have seven singles from one album (Rhythm Nation 1814) peak within the top five positions. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, eleven American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and eight Guinness World Records entries. In 2019, she was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Janet Jackson didn't merely emerge from the shadows of her famous brothers to become a superstar in her own right. Starting with her breakout 1986 album Control, she became one of the biggest pop stars of the '80s. Through the early 2000s, she was able to maintain her stature with impeccable quality control and stylistic evolution. Her singles, expertly crafted with indelible pop hooks and state-of-the-art production, consistently set or kept up with trends in contemporary R&B, demonstrated by an exceptional run of Top 20 R&B singles that spans over 30 years. From platinum album to platinum album, Jackson's image smoothly shifted as it projected power and independence. In turn, she inspired the likes of TLC, Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Rihanna, all of whom learned a few things from her recordings, videos, and performances.
Recordings
 |
| Janet Jackson (1982) |
Heavily produced. Quite poppy. Sounds like a Michael Jackson album. She even looked like him when performing the songs "Say You Do" and "Young Love" on TV. It's a sweet, acceptable album, but rather too much in the shadow of MJ. There's nothing objectionable here, but nothing special either. The more energetic first half of the album was written by René Moore and Angela Winbush, and produced by them along with Bobby Watson. The softer, more romantic, and slightly better second half was written by a mix of people, and produced, mostly, by Foster Sylvers and Jerry Weaver. The album and singles sold moderately.
It's an unconvincing album. And it presents as a commercial product with young Janet propped in place as a Michael Jackson tie-in. But it is slick and professional and inoffensive. Not an album to choose to play, but it's fine while it's on.
| 1. | "Say You Do" |
| 6:49 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2. | "You'll Never Find (A Love Like Mine)" |
|
| 4:09 |
| 3. | "Young Love" |
|
| 4:56 |
| 4. | "Love and My Best Friend" |
|
| 4:47 |
| 5. | "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing" |
|
| 3:53 |
| 6. | "Forever Yours" |
| 4:57 | |
| 7. | "The Magic Is Working" |
|
| 4:09 |
| 8. | "Come Give Your Love to Me" |
|
| 5:03 |
| Total length: | 38:50 | |||
AllMusic: 4
Score: 4
Score: 4
 |
| Dream Street (1984) |
Janet steps away from Michael Jackson's shadow. This album is a little more individual and distinctive, and leans more on mainstream pop, particularly Europop, than the modern R&B that Quincy Jones developed for MJ. This is infused with bright disco synths curtesy of Giorgio Moroder's production. Janet's presentation style was still rather static and stilted, with no sense of style, as shown on TV appearance of "Don't Stand Another Chance", and the crude and boring video for title track "Dream Street". On the whole this is a more varied, interesting, and attractive album than the debut, with a sense of looking for Janet's individual style, though it didn't sell as well without that close MJ tie in, and without a telling alternative, and ultimately is another album that is OK to listen to while it's playing, but is not going to be one I would likely play again.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Stand Another Chance" | M. Jackson | 4:14 | |
| 2. | "Two to the Power of Love" (with Cliff Richard) | 3:06 | ||
| 3. | "Pretty Boy" | Jesse Johnson | Johnson | 6:32 |
| 4. | "Dream Street" |
| 3:52 | |
| 5. | "Communication" | Paul Bliss |
| 3:12 |
| 6. | "Fast Girls" | Johnson | Johnson | 3:18 |
| 7. | "Hold Back the Tears" | Chris Eaton |
| 3:14 |
| 8. | "All My Love to You" |
| M. Jackson | 5:44 |
| 9. | "If It Takes All Night" |
|
| 4:09 |
| Total length: | 37:21 | |||
Oh lawd - stuff has seriously taken place between the last album and this. Hard to believe this is the same person. Confident, assured, creative, original, and, yes, absolutely in control. Janet had separated from her husband, and, after going back home, left the family house, sacking her father as manager and control freak, appointing her own manager who introduced her to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who wrote and produced the album at their own studio. Janet, Jam and Lewis rejected demands from Janet's father, Joe Jackson, that the recording be done where he could keep an eye on his daughter. The style and approach of the recording of the album as well as the album itself were about independence and gaining control of her own life. It's not known how much Janet contributed to the lyrics and production. She is listed as co-producer and co-writer, and Jam & Lewis have said in interviews that they talked with her to discover more about her and what she wanted. Much of the song-writing had already been done, but they say that they altered the lyrics in line with their discussion with Janet. Some critics feel that the content and themes of the songs reflect feminine attitudes to men from the perspective of a woman like Janet who had been under control, so either she had a significant input into the lyrics or Jam & Lewis were sympathetic listeners. Jam & Lewis have said she also assisted in keyboard arrangements - again, it is unclear what this entailed. Would it be Janet saying stuff like, "I'd like this played a bit softer", or outlining more precisely and technically the arrangement? Whatever way the trio worked, it is clear that this was a genuine collaboration, and the resulting album is reflective of Janet's life and personality and new attitude to life. She sounds more happy, confident, and in control of this music than anything on the previous two albums.
The video for the title song, "Control", underlines the message of the song that she is escaping from the control of her father, and would resonate with many people caught under someone else's control, particularly young people, particularly females, and particularly young, back females. Through her life and her music Jackson was becoming a role model and an inspiration for future female black performers. While her dancing and performing was stronger and sharper, it was still a little basic, and following in the style of brother MJ, as shown in "What Have You Done..." (Jan 86). Though for each single released from the album, her dancing and performance improved and became more individual - "Nasty" (Apr 86), "When I Think" (Jul 86), "Control" (Oct 86). The shadow of MJ is never far away though, and the start of "The Pleasure Principle" could be a video of an MJ song. While it has been noted that "Funny How Time Flies" is similar to MJ's "The Lady In My Life".
Jam & Lewis, along with co-writer James Harris, constructed a monster album. Picking up on the contemporary R&B sound developed by Quincy Jones for MJ's Off The Wall album, and introducing some marching band drum beats, alongside elements of funk and rap, they created an identifiable and highly commercial sound, related to MJ's sound, but different enough to be individual. Janet's story, attitude, and singing brought the whole thing to life, and provided interest and focus that made the album and singles phenomenally successful, and propelled Jackson into a global star.
I like the album, and I respect it a lot. I'm very happy to play it, and feel very comfortable with the big hits like "Nasty", "Control", and "What Have You Done". But it's a little too slick and constructed for my taste. If I'm looking for this sort of thing, I'd reach for Off The Wall or Thriller before reaching for this. Though I suspect I could come round to liking it more with time.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Control" |
| 5:53 | |
| 2. | "Nasty" |
|
| 4:03 |
| 3. | "What Have You Done for Me Lately" |
|
| 4:59 |
| 4. | "You Can Be Mine" |
|
| 5:16 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Pleasure Principle" | Monte Moir |
| 4:58 |
| 6. | "When I Think of You" |
|
| 3:56 |
| 7. | "He Doesn't Know I'm Alive" | Spencer Bernard |
| 3:30 |
| 8. | "Let's Wait Awhile" |
|
| 4:37 |
| 9. | "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" |
|
| 4:29 |
| Total length: | 41:48 | |||
This is a confident and arresting album. Great sound, and huge commercial appeal. It was the best selling album of 1990 in the US, and spawned no less than seven Top Five singles.
All tracks are written by and produced by Janet Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Interlude: Pledge" | 0:47 | ||
| 2. | "Rhythm Nation" | 5:31 | ||
| 3. | "Interlude: T.V." |
| 0:22 | |
| 4. | "State of the World" | 4:48 | ||
| 5. | "Interlude: Race" |
| 0:05 | |
| 6. | "The Knowledge" |
| 3:54 | |
| 7. | "Interlude: Let's Dance" |
| 0:03 | |
| 8. | "Miss You Much" |
| 4:12 | |
| 9. | "Interlude: Come Back" |
| 0:21 | |
| 10. | "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" |
| 5:50 | |
| 11. | "Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make)" |
| 4:41 | |
| 12. | "Alright" | 6:26 | ||
| 13. | "Interlude: Hey Baby" |
| 0:10 | |
| 14. | "Escapade" | 4:44 | ||
| 15. | "Interlude: No Acid" |
| 0:05 | |
| 16. | "Black Cat" |
|
| 4:50 |
| 17. | "Lonely" | 4:59 | ||
| 18. | "Come Back to Me" | 5:33 | ||
| 19. | "Someday Is Tonight" | 6:00 | ||
| 20. | "Interlude: Livin'...In Complete Darkness" |
| 1:07 | |
| Total length: | 64:34 | |||
Pleasant album of assorted fairly mainstream pop songs and some contemporary R&B, and some Janet style songs. Mixed bag. Certainly listenable, excellent production, professional songs, some excitement, energy, joy, and pleasure about the whole endeavour. Janet's voice is strong, sweet, and clear. Though nothing really stands out, this is a very easy listenable album. There's a curious Whitney Houston look to the album cover.
All tracks written and produced by Janet Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Morning" | 0:31 |
| 2. | "That's the Way Love Goes" | 4:24 |
| 3. | "You Know..." | 0:12 |
| 4. | "You Want This" | 5:05 |
| 5. | "Be a Good Boy..." | 0:07 |
| 6. | "If" | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Back" | 0:04 |
| 8. | "This Time" | 6:58 |
| 9. | "Go on Miss Janet" | 0:05 |
| 10. | "Throb" | 4:33 |
| 11. | "What'll I Do" (writers: Jackson, Steve Cropper, Joe Shamwell; producers: Jackson, Jellybean Johnson) | 4:05 |
| 12. | "The Lounge" | 0:15 |
| 13. | "Funky Big Band" | 5:22 |
| 14. | "Racism" | 0:08 |
| 15. | "New Agenda" (writers: Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, Chuck D) | 4:00 |
| 16. | "Love Pt. 2" | 0:11 |
| 17. | "Because of Love" | 4:20 |
| 18. | "Wind" | 0:11 |
| 19. | "Again" | 3:46 |
| 20. | "Another Lover" | 0:11 |
| 21. | "Where Are You Now" | 5:47 |
| 22. | "Hold on Baby" | 0:12 |
| 23. | "The Body That Loves You" | 5:32 |
| 24. | "Rain" | 0:18 |
| 25. | "Any Time, Any Place" | 7:08 |
| 26. | "Are You Still Up" | 1:36 |
| 27. | "Sweet Dreams" | 0:14 |
| 28. | "Whoops Now" (hidden track; writer: Jackson) | 4:59 |
| Total length: | 75:23 | |
AllMusic: 8
Score: 6.5
Score: 6.5
.png) |
| The Velvet Rope (1997) |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Interlude – Twisted Elegance" | 0:41 | |
| 2. | "Velvet Rope" (featuring Vanessa-Mae) | 4:55 | |
| 3. | "You" |
| 4:42 |
| 4. | "Got 'til It's Gone" (featuring Q-Tip, and samples from Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi") |
| 4:01 |
| 5. | "Interlude – Speaker Phone" | 0:54 | |
| 6. | "My Need" |
| 3:44 |
| 7. | "Interlude – Fasten Your Seatbelts" | 0:19 | |
| 8. | "Go Deep" |
| 4:42 |
| 9. | "Free Xone" |
| 4:57 |
| 10. | "Interlude – Memory" | 0:04 | |
| 11. | "Together Again" |
| 5:01 |
| 12. | "Interlude – Online" | 0:19 | |
| 13. | "Empty" |
| 4:32 |
| 14. | "Interlude – Full" | 0:12 | |
| 15. | "What About" |
| 4:24 |
| 16. | "Every Time" |
| 4:17 |
| 17. | "Tonight's the Night" | 5:07 | |
| 18. | "I Get Lonely" |
| 5:17 |
| 19. | "Rope Burn" |
| 4:15 |
| 20. | "Anything" |
| 4:54 |
| 21. | "Interlude – Sad" | 0:10 | |
| 22. | "Special" (includes hidden track[note 1]) |
| 7:55 |
| Total length: | 75:11 | ||
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Upbeat disco tunes, lush, soft production, very poppy and feminine. There's no grit here at all, this is all frilly froth. The music feels very manufactured. It was a huge hit. I'm not finding much here that holds my attention - much just washes over me because it's so insubstantial. At other times I either feel bored, or slightly queasy at the amount of sugar poured into the songs. This is not for me. Not even for background listening.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | 1:00 | ||
| 2. | "You Ain't Right" | 4:32 | ||
| 3. | "All for You" |
|
| 5:29 |
| 4. | "2wayforyou" (Interlude) | 0:19 | ||
| 5. | "Come On Get Up" |
|
| 4:47 |
| 6. | "When We Oooo" |
|
| 4:34 |
| 7. | "China Love" |
|
| 4:36 |
| 8. | "Love Scene (Ooh Baby)" |
|
| 4:16 |
| 9. | "Would You Mind[a]" |
|
| 5:31 |
| 10. | "Lame" (Interlude) | 0:11 | ||
| 11. | "Trust a Try" |
|
| 5:16 |
| 12. | "Clouds" (Interlude) | 0:19 | ||
| 13. | "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (with Carly Simon) |
|
| 5:56 |
| 14. | "Truth" |
|
| 6:45 |
| 15. | "Theory" (Interlude) | 0:26 | ||
| 16. | "Someone to Call My Lover" |
|
| 4:32 |
| 17. | "Feels So Right" |
|
| 4:42 |
| 18. | "Doesn't Really Matter (from Nutty Professor II: The Klumps)" |
|
| 4:24 |
| 19. | "Better Days" |
|
| 5:05 |
| 20. | "Outro" | 0:09 | ||
| Total length: | 73:01 | |||
AllMusic: 6
Score: 3
Score: 3
 |
| Damita Jo (2004) |
Recorded before, but released just after the Super bowl nipple incident. It appears there was a lot of interest in Jackson because of the incident, and she appeared on many TV shows across the world promoting the album. Many of the shows were broadcast with a five-second delay just in case Janet decided to expose her breast again!
Singles and videos: "Just A Little While" - cheeky upbeat pop-rock song with lyrics about sex and masturbating ("touching on my favourite fruit"); "I Want You" - a slow swing soul-pop song with girl to boy lyrics; "All Nite" - is a techno dance track, fairly straightforward, with lyrics about dancing. The videos show that Janet is still leaning on Michael for dance and video ideas. She is also continuing the sexuality that appears to be her major appeal. Breathy notes in the songs, lyrics about sex, pushed up bras. Ho hum. Doesn't feel erotic to me, it feels a bit crude, obvious, and commercial, but each to their own - it seems a lot of successful female singers have followed Madonna's lead in pushing obvious sexuality, and calling it girl power.
The music is professionally done, but there's nothing new going on here, and there's a lack of focus across the album. And there's a lot of it. Not my thing, and my attention drifts, and I get bored. I struggle to get through the whole album in one sitting.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Looking for Love" |
| 1:29 | |
| 2. | "Damita Jo" |
| 2:46 | |
| 3. | "Sexhibition" |
| Austin | 2:29 |
| 4. | "Strawberry Bounce" |
|
| 3:11 |
| 5. | "My Baby" (featuring Kanye West) |
|
| 4:17 |
| 6. | "The Islands" |
|
| 0:39 |
| 7. | "Spending Time with You" |
| 4:14 | |
| 8. | "Magic Hour" |
|
| 0:23 |
| 9. | "Island Life" |
|
| 3:53 |
| 10. | "All Nite (Don't Stop)" |
|
| 3:26 |
| 11. | "R&B Junkie" |
|
| 3:11 |
| 12. | "I Want You" |
|
| 3:57 |
| 13. | "Like You Don't Love Me" |
| 3:31 | |
| 14. | "Thinkin' Bout My Ex" |
| Babyface | 4:36 |
| 15. | "Warmth[b]" |
|
| 3:44 |
| 16. | "Moist[b]" |
| 4:54 | |
| 17. | "It All Comes Down to Love" |
|
| 0:39 |
| 18. | "Truly" |
|
| 3:59 |
| 19. | "The One" |
|
| 1:02 |
| 20. | "SloLove" |
|
| 3:44 |
| 21. | "Country" |
|
| 0:31 |
| 22. | "Just a Little While" |
| Austin | 4:11 |
| Total length: | 65:02 | |||
AllMusic: 4
Score: 2.5
Score: 2.5
 |
| 20 Y.O. (2006) |
Singles with videos: "Call On Me" - a pleasant R&B girl and boy romantic duet; "So Excited" - a techno dance piece pushing sexual lyrics.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "(Intro) 20" |
| 0:53 | |
| 2. | "So Excited" (featuring Khia) |
| 3:14 | |
| 3. | "Show Me" |
|
| 3:38 |
| 4. | "Get It Out Me" |
|
| 3:05 |
| 5. | "Do It 2 Me" |
|
| 4:06 |
| 6. | "This Body" |
|
| 4:10 |
| 7. | "20 Part 2" (Interlude) | 0:27 | ||
| 8. | "With U" |
|
| 5:09 |
| 9. | "Call on Me" (with Nelly) |
|
| 3:24 |
| 10. | "20 Part 3" (Interlude) | 0:28 | ||
| 11. | "Daybreak" |
|
| 4:21 |
| 12. | "Enjoy" |
| 4:31 | |
| 13. | "20 Part 4" (Interlude) |
|
| 0:43 |
| 14. | "Take Care" |
|
| 5:43 |
| 15. | "Love 2 Love" |
|
| 5:04 |
| 16. | "(Outro) 20 Part 5" |
|
| 1:03 |
| Total length: | 49:54 | |||
AllMusic: 7
Score: 4
Score: 4
 |
| Discipline (2008) |
There is little of interest here, but the songs are pleasant. More in the style of her earlier albums. It kind of washes over me - it's mostly gentle modern R&B, slick production, empty lyrics, empty music. Jackson is not listed as co-writer on any track, other than the short spoken "interlude" "4 Words". The story is that after signing to Island after her contract to Virgin was completed, the label asked her to immediately create a new album, so she abandoned advance plans for a tour in support of 20 YO, and had no time to contribute to writing songs. This kinda reflects badly both on Jackson and Island (if the story is true - but who knows with Janet "Wardrobe Malfunction" Jackson) because it's kind of the opposite of the female in charge of her life image that was projected with Control. I find it difficult to accept that story, but then I found it difficult to totally accept the Control story as it was such a marked contrast with the previous images of Jackson as a compliant person. I suspect the reality is somewhere in between, and that Janet worked with her manager and producers to create the story.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I.D." | 0:48 | ||
| 2. | "Feedback" |
|
| 3:38 |
| 3. | "Luv" |
|
| 3:10 |
| 4. | "Spinnin" | Jerkins | Darkchild | 0:08 |
| 5. | "Rollercoaster" |
| Darkchild | 3:51 |
| 6. | "Bathroom Break" | Jerkins | Darkchild | 0:40 |
| 7. | "Rock with U" |
|
| 3:51 |
| 8. | "2nite" |
| Stargate | 4:09 |
| 9. | "Can't B Good" |
| 4:13 | |
| 10. | "4 Words" |
|
| 0:11 |
| 11. | "Never Letchu Go" |
| 4:07 | |
| 12. | "Truth or Dare" |
|
| 0:24 |
| 13. | "Greatest X" |
| 4:23 | |
| 14. | "Good Morning Janet" | Jerkins | Darkchild | 0:44 |
| 15. | "So Much Betta" |
| 2:53 | |
| 16. | "Play Selection" | Jerkins | Darkchild | 0:17 |
| 17. | "The 1" (featuring Missy Elliott) |
|
| 3:41 |
| 18. | "What's Ur Name" |
|
| 2:34 |
| 19. | "The Meaning" |
|
| 1:16 |
| 20. | "Discipline" |
|
| 5:00 |
| 21. | "Back" | Jerkins | Darkchild | 0:18 |
| 22. | "Curtains" |
| Darkchild | 3:50 |
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| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Unbreakable" |
|
| 3:38 |
| 2. | "Burnitup!" (featuring Missy Elliott) |
| 4:09 | |
| 3. | "Dammn Baby" |
|
| 3:55 |
| 4. | "The Great Forever" | 4:18 | ||
| 5. | "Shoulda Known Better" |
| 4:45 | |
| 6. | "After You Fall" | 4:48 | ||
| 7. | "Broken Hearts Heal" | 3:42 | ||
| 8. | "Night" |
|
| 4:14 |
| 9. | "No Sleeep" (featuring J. Cole) |
| 4:20 | |
| 10. | "Dream Maker / Euphoria" |
|
| 2:46 |
| 11. | "2 B Loved" |
|
| 2:55 |
| 12. | "Take Me Away" | 4:18 | ||
| 13. | "Promise" | 0:57 | ||
| 14. | "Lessons Learned" | 4:23 | ||
| 15. | "Black Eagle" | 3:17 | ||
| 16. | "Well Traveled" | 4:18 | ||
| 17. | "Gon' B Alright" |
|
| 3:54 |
| Total length: | 64:37 | |||
AllMusic: 7
Score:
Score:
Discography
- Janet Jackson (1982)
- Dream Street (1984)
- Control (1986)
- Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
- Janet (1993)
- The Velvet Rope (1997)
- All for You (2001)
- Damita Jo (2004)
- 20 Y.O. (2006)
- Discipline (2008)
- Unbreakable (2015)
Best songs
Summary
My main curiosity about Janet, after exploring her for a bit, is regarding just how much "Control" she did have over her music and image. I think the image created around Control, that Janet sacked her domineering father and took control over her life and music is a very compelling one, and clearly struck home with a lot of people, especially people wanting to have more control of their lives. However, she often presents as someone who is fairly compliant. The story regarding the Discipline album doesn't sit well with the image of a woman being in control. She switches record labels, and though she is well involved in rehearsals for a world tour, she cancels the tour and goes into the studio, even though she has no songs ready, to record an album simply because they ask her to. Seriously, how many artists with her commercial weight would allow that to happen?
There is the sense with her that she follows the image and music that her managers and producers create for her, and does what they say. She appears to be simply the face of the product rather than a genuine creative force. And, because of the huge commercial weight of her brother, much of what is decided for her rests on exploiting her relationship to Michael. She is exploited as the younger, sexier, cuter, female Michael Jackson.
And there are certainly things you can compare between Janet and Michael, such as that they are related, that she looks like him, that she sings like him, that she dances like him, that her videos are structured like his, and that Michael took new jack swing from her and made it his own. A casual glance does suggest that much of her (considerable) success and popularity came from that Michael Jackson association - after all, he was the world's biggest star for many years. His fame and success has been phenomenal, especially considering that for the bulk of his career there was no internet, so success came from people going into town and buying physical records from shops, and fame came from news editors and tv producers deciding to cover his activities, rather than through management and fans spreading news easily on the internet.
I am unsure how much she contributed to the creativity on her records, or the image that media and fans have bought into. She sings, that's for sure, and she does have some of the sweetness of a young Michael, but her voice is not as special as his, and she does not use it as creatively or uniquely as he did. It's an OK voice. But, other than sounding like Michael Jackson, there's nothing special about the voice or how she sings. She's no Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Tom Jones, Tom Waits, etc. She simply has a nice voice. It lacks character and emotion. The closest she comes to emotion is sleazy breathing and whispering dirty phrases. And for me (and, reading the critics, plenty of others) that manufactured sexiness doesn't work. It isn't sexy or sensual, it's just blatant and crude and somewhat unpleasant. There's the sense that it's not really her. She's just doing it because her producers and manager told her it would sell records and make her famous.
But put all that aside, there is the reality of the albums Control and Rhythm Nation. Hefty and exciting albums. I put the creative success of those albums (both the sound and the image) down to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. That's not to say that the commercial success of the albums, nor the creative success of the image of a young black woman taking control of her life and speaking out, could have been achieved without Janet. But I do feel that she was more used as an instrument, than as a creative partner. Fans, of course, would deny this. Fans would buy into the image that those are Janet Jackson albums, and that she is the creative force, and that Jam and Lewis simply followed her direction, and gave her the sound and lyrics she wanted.
I think it's helpful to look at footage of live concerts to get a feel for an artist. I looked at footage of Janet in 1990 presenting Rhythm Nation, and was struck both by how similar her clothes and presentation are to Michael's appearance in London two years earlier in 1988, but also by how crude, simplistic, and awkward her dancing is. Michael's body is alive and flows, and you can feel the love of dance and music as he moves. He is an audacious dancer - holding poses for an electrifying amount of time, building up the tension. She always remains stiff and upright, walks into the next posture rather than flows; you can almost see her counting down to the next movement, which will be rigid and ungainly.
But put all that aside, there is the reality of the albums Control and Rhythm Nation. Hefty and exciting albums. I put the creative success of those albums (both the sound and the image) down to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. That's not to say that the commercial success of the albums, nor the creative success of the image of a young black woman taking control of her life and speaking out, could have been achieved without Janet. But I do feel that she was more used as an instrument, than as a creative partner. Fans, of course, would deny this. Fans would buy into the image that those are Janet Jackson albums, and that she is the creative force, and that Jam and Lewis simply followed her direction, and gave her the sound and lyrics she wanted.
I think it's helpful to look at footage of live concerts to get a feel for an artist. I looked at footage of Janet in 1990 presenting Rhythm Nation, and was struck both by how similar her clothes and presentation are to Michael's appearance in London two years earlier in 1988, but also by how crude, simplistic, and awkward her dancing is. Michael's body is alive and flows, and you can feel the love of dance and music as he moves. He is an audacious dancer - holding poses for an electrifying amount of time, building up the tension. She always remains stiff and upright, walks into the next posture rather than flows; you can almost see her counting down to the next movement, which will be rigid and ungainly.
Scores
[Note: Aspects which go toward final score are given a rough percentage figure of how much that aspect may have influenced the overall score. However, some bands may well exceed that percentage, particularly if their main focus is in that area.]
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