Janet Jackson Turns 60

I'm possibly older than I think I am.

Janet Jackson was born on May 16, 1966. Her older brothers had already formed the Jackson 5, and by the time she was three, they had released their debut album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5. For all the talk about her brother Michael’s lost childhood, Janet never knew her family when they were still “normal” (or as close as they probably would ever come). Janet grew up in a family that was now a major business enterprise, and her father Joseph was the CEO. (Joseph Jackson even demanded that Janet address him by his first name only.)

If Janet had other ambitions beyond show business, they were not encouraged. When she was seven, she was performing with the Jackson 5 in Las Vegas. At 10, she co-starred with her brothers in The Jacksons variety show. Her stage persona was a precocious child seemingly older than her years, often wearing a feather boa and imitating Mae West. It’s an interesting contrast to Michael’s deliberately stunted adolescence.

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For a while, it looked as if Janet might establish herself more as an actor. She had a starring role on Good Times as the abused child Penny, who Winona (Ja'Net DuBois) adopts, and in the early 1980s, she had a recurring role as Willis’s girlfriend Charlene on Diff’rent Strokes. (She was clearly out of his league.)

Joseph Jackson secured a recording contract for Janet in 1982 with A&M Records, and she released two, mostly forgettable albums of unassuming pop music, 1982’s Janet Jackson and 1984’s Dream Street. Her music career would’ve likely ended there if she hadn’t taken sudden and drastic control over her personal and professional life. “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,” she said.

After cutting business ties with her family, Janet teamed up with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, formerly of The Time. Their collaboration on Janet’s third album, 1986’s Control, was a breakthrough smash that combined R&B, funk, rap, disco, and pop. Where you could see how Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Prince’s Purple Rain sought crossover appeal, Control was pitched to an urban audience.

“We wanted to do an album that would be in every Black home in America,” Jimmy Jam told Rolling Stone. “We were going for the Black album of all time.”

They succeeded. Recorded in six weeks, Control was released in February 1986, just a few months before Janet turned 20. Yet, the album was clearly about Janet asserting herself as an adult Black woman. The first words spoken on the album are, “This is a story about control. My control. Control of what I say. Control of what I do. And this time, I’m gonna do it my way.” This resonated with young women from every background. There’s the famous line from “Nasty” where Janet serves notice: “No, my first name ain’t ‘baby.’ It’s Janet. Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.” (Watch below.)

“Nasty” is one of Janet’s signature songs, but in 1986, it was a hard-edged departure from her public image, one she made wholly convincing. Michael would try an aggressive posture in “Bad” a year later, but “Your butt is mine!” just feels like unintentional camp rather than a declaration of purpose.

Janet had secretly married R&B singer James DeBarge when she was just 18. It didn’t last a year, but the failed relationship gave weight to Janet’s songs about heartbreak and disappointment. “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” isn’t Janet playing a role but speaking from experience. (Yes, that’s Paula Abdul in the video, goading on Janet about her no-account man. She choreographed all those funky moves in Janet’s Control single videos.)

The aptly named Control was so sure of itself that everyone came to the party. It topped both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Black Albums chart. Janet set a record as a female solo artist when Control sold 250,000 copies in a single week. Eventually, the album sold 14 million copies worldwide and produced five top five singles, including “When I Think Of You,” which became her first number one hit.

Prince had fired Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in 1983 after a blizzard in Atlanta of all places caused them to miss a tour date. (This is why they don’t appear in Purple Rain.) The two obviously had the last laugh, as Control dwarfed sales of Prince’s 1986 album, Parade.

Janet’s fourth album, Rhythm Nation 1814, was an even bigger success. Record executives might’ve preferred a direct Control sequel, but instead Janet delivered an ambitious concept album that addressed (still) current social issues, such as racism, poverty, and drug abuse. Janet had a clear vision for the album: “.. the costumes, the cover art, the overall feeling would be positive and uncompromisingly Black.” Rhythm Nation 1814 is a dizzying trip through an array of music genres, such as new jack swing, hard rock, pop, dance, and even industrial. It’s also the first CD I ever owned. Janet demanded the transition from cassette tapes.

Like her brother, Janet released artistically directed short films for her singles that were more like events than simple music videos. The Rhythm Nation 1814 film features the videos for “Miss You Much,” “The Knowledge,” and the title track. During filming, Janet collapsed from exhaustion after working for 25 hours straight. “That’s the one area where I must be careful. Sometimes I won’t sleep, won’t stop reviewing, won’t stop searching for ways to improve the projects. The projects absorb me.”

Janet set records again with Rhythm Nation 1814’s seven top-five singles. “Miss You Much,” “Escapade,” “Black Cat,” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” all hit number one. The latter’s video was one I recorded from MTV and viewed often. (Watch below.)

My favorite track from Rhythm Nation 1814 is “Alright,” which has a Golden Age movie musical-inspired video featuring the divine Cyd Charisse, the Nicholas Brothers, and Cab Calloway. I loved that zoot suit Janet wears. (Watch below.)

In 1993, Janet released janet., an even funkier and more openly sensual album. The first single, “That’s the Way Love Goes,” an overtly R&B song, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. It remains Janet’s best-selling album.

“I Get Lonely” from 1997’s The Velvet Rope was Janet’s 18th-consecutive top-10 hit. She was the first woman artist to achieve this. She maintained that level of commercial success through 2001’s All For You when emerging stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera would have grown up listening to Janet Jackson songs. Beyoncé would release her debut solo album, Dangerously In Love, just a couple years later. Janet’s influence is deeply felt in Queen Bey’s work.

It’s spring, so I can’t help thinking about “That’s the Way Love Goes,” and its sultry video. Think I’ll embrace the nostalgia and funky beat while raising a glass to Ms. Jackson.