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October 17, 2007 B. Scott Revisits: Janet Jackson’s janet.
I just wanted to take a minute to revisit Janet Jackson’s wonderful 1993 album, Janet. Prior to the release of Janet, the world had come to know Janet Jackson as Michael’s adorable little sister who could dance her ass off and churn out some major R&B/Pop hits. Despite her overwhelming success, Ms. Jackson’s image back then was completely different from her image now. She stayed away from sexual imagery and never showed much skin. It wasn’t until “Love Will Never Do Without You” (the last video from her Rhythm Nation album) that she hinted to the world there was more to her than a cute small and exquisitely executed dance moves. Little did we know, sweet little Janet was a big freak and after she unveiled her sexuality the girl hasn’t looked back since. Janet became the first album by a female artist to debut at #1 in the U.S. in the Nielsen SoundScan era and went on to become the best-selling album of her career, spawning a whopping SIX top 10 hits on Billboard and selling over 17 million worldwide. Come back with me and revisit… Janet.
“That’s The Way Love Goes” and “If”
America hadn’t seen a pop star display such overt sexuality since Madonna, however these two pop star’s exploration of the erotic were significantly different. Janet Jackson’s image underwent more of a sexual metamorphosis because America knew her as youthful and innocent before she decided to let it all hang out. Madonna, on the other hand, was sexually explicit from the start of her career. Janet’s image transformation from innocent to bad girl has been displayed in the careers of many who have come after her (ie. Britney, Christina, Mariah). Ooh yeah… that Rolling Stone cover sent shock waves throughout the industry. And unlike the Superbowl incident, this one had a strictly positive effect.
“Again” and “Anytime/Anyplace”
On Janet, the music and videos were downright incredible. She completely threw everyone off when she debuted “That’s The Way Love Goes” which was completely laid back and completely void of choreography. Her following singles proved she could still bust a move. I can’t tell you how many times I tried to the choreography to “If” or “You Want This” (I’m still working on it…I’ll keep you posted). And when she released “Throb”, it blew my mind because I hadn’t known any star of her magnitude to release a song that was straight up Club/House music. And who could forget “Again” (Ahh the memories).
“Because of Love” and “You Want This”
To be completely honest, I’m a little nervous about her upcoming album. While I fully support her and Jermaine Dupri’s personal relationship, I’m not much of a fan of their professional pairing. I think she’s making a big mistake by tossing her long and successful relationship with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis aside in favor of working with her boyfriend. Her with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis was pure magic and if it ain’t broke…We’ll just have to wait and see. But in the meantime, dust off the Janet album and take a listen, it will brighten your day and probably sex it up a little too.
Just For Kicks: here’s the ‘N Sync cover of “That’s The Way Love Goes” they did for MTV’s Icon Special. It’s actually really good!
‘N Sync – That’s The Way Love Goes
