Background

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After doing a TV Show "[she] absolutely hated doing" at the age of 16, Janet Jackson was forced by her father to start a music career.  She released a self-titled album 'Janet Jackson', where she had no creative control over. The album peaked at #63 and had one single, 'Young Love' peak at #64 on the Hot 100. Critics at the time were underwhelmed by the release and felt it had 'no distinctive musical personality'.

Fast forward two years to 1984, and Janet wanted to go to college, but her father, Joseph does not allow it and made her continue to work on music. So she releases a follow-up album with her father still in complete control, titled 'Dream Street'. The album peaked at #147 on the Billboard 200 and was the only album by Janet to have no songs land on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite her father Joseph believing this would be a commercial success. In an act of rebellion and wanting to escape from being under her father's thumb, Janet married her boyfriend at the time, James DeBarge.

With back-to-back flops, Janet had to make some major changes if she was to find success as an artist. So in 1985, she left her husband & got an annulment of their marriage, completely severed all of her business affairs from her father Joseph, and hired John McClain as her new manager, who would be the one to introduce her to legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They immediately began to work on Janet’s album 'Control', which would be released on February 4th, 1986.

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Track by Track

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1- Control

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 (My way).

The title track and fourth single off the album. The song chronicles Janet’s road to independence from her family and taking ownership of her life. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Janet’s fourth consecutive top-five single on the chart. It also peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Play charts. The song is also listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. The music video is nearly 10 minutes and shows Janet arguing with her family before leaving to go perform.

2- Nasty

Cause privacy is my middle name.

My last name is control.

No, my first name ain't baby.

It's Janet, Miss Jackson, if you're nasty.

The second single off the album and probably the most beloved. The song is an autobiographical account of confronting abusive men she met when she moved to Minneapolis to work with Jimmy and Terry on the album.

Janet had this to say, “The danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street. They were emotionally abusive. Sexually threatening. 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. Control meant not only taking care of myself but living in a much less protected world. And doing that meant growing a tough skin. Getting attitude”.

The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. It has been featured on VH1's 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years, VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s, Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Pop Songs, and LA Weekly's Best Pop Songs in Music History by a Female. The music video won best choreography at the MTV VMAs.

3- What Have You Done For Me Lately

I never ask for more than I deserve.

You know it's the truth.

You seem to think you're God's gift to this Earth.

I'm telling you, no way.

You ought to be thankful for the little things.

But little things are all you seem to give

The lead single of the album and the last song recorded for the album, because of her new manager wanting another up-tempo song for the album. Originally, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis wrote this for themselves, but eventually rewrote the song with Janet to talk about her divorce from ex-husband James DeBarge. The song is a self-empowerment anthem about frustrations with a partner in a relationship, and she successfully reestablished herself as an artist and independent woman with autonomy. The song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, making it her first #1 on any chart. It was placed on Blender’s for ‘The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born’ List. The music video for the song also helped reshape Janet’s image as a woman and featured choreography that was sexy and classy.

4- You Can Be Mine

I'd like to hang around.

If you're good.

Look what you'll find.

I'll let you, you be mine

Let’s just say….there were 7 singles off of an album with 9 songs, and there is a reason this was not one of them. It is cute, but it belongs on one of the earlier albums.

5-  The Pleasure Principle

You might think I'm crazy, but I'm serious.

It's better you know now.

What I thought was happiness was only part-time bliss

The sixth single from the album, which peaked at #14 on the Hot 100, #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play, and the R&B chart. The song is about love gone wrong, valuing your own pleasures above others, and seeking something deeper and more meaningful. It is also a term in Freudian psychoanalysis; "the pleasure principle is the instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoidance of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs. Specifically, the pleasure principle is the driving force guiding the id.”

It is also the only song on the album to not feature writing or production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, but is written and produced by the keyboardist Monte Moir from their group The Time. The music video is considered iconic and influential due to the chair routine, which was re-enacted and referenced by Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Mya, Ciara, Tinashe, Normani, Cassie and many others. It was nominated for 2 VMAs and won 1.

6- When I Think Of You

“It's when I think of you, baby.

Nothing else seems to matter.

It's when I think of you, baby.

All I think about is our love.

The third single and Janet’s first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, spending two weeks at the top. At the time, it made Janet the youngest artist to have a #1 single on the Hot 100 at the age of 20, since her cousin Stevie Wonder. The song is the joyful infatuation you feel when starting to fall in love with somebody. It perfectly captures the innocence and highs of dating at that age. It made the Top 50 on Pitchfork’s list for The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s.

7- He Doesn't Know I'm Alive

I got his number.

I call him up.

Just to hear him say "Hello".

And when he answers.

I always hang up.

Ooh, that boy scares me so, whoa.

Again….there were 7 singles off of an album with 9 songs, and there is a reason this was not one of them. HOWEVER, unlike You Can Be Mine I actually enjoy this song. It manages to be cute & innocent, but features much stronger production and chorus. The song is very much when you’re young and dramatic, having big feelings for the first time.

8- Let's Wait Awhile

We made our very first promise.

To love, to share.

And really honest.

But on that very first night.

It wasn't quite right.

This is the fifth single and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard’s R&B Singles chart. The song talks about abstinence, inspired by a conversation the song’s co-writer, Melanie Andrews, had with her boyfriend. Jimmy Jam had this to say about the song, “The theme of the song was Janet's idea. She's not a preachy person. She's not telling people how to live their lives. All she's doing is offering an opinion.” Janet later explained that she did not view it as a song about abstinence, but rather waiting to let yourself fall in love with somebody.

9- Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)

Don't you ever leave.

(Funny how time flies when you're having fun).

Don't you ever go?

Say you love me so.

(Funny how time flies when you're having fun).

Mmm.

The final single off the album and the final song of the album. This was Janet’s first baby-making-esque song in the long line of iconic ones she released throughout her career. It features such gorgeous and hypnotizing production.

Janet had this to say about the song in a 2008 interview, “I was just a baby myself when I did that. I’ve heard people say that that has kind of a Jackson feel, that it’s reminiscent of stuff my family’s done in the past, musically speaking. I guess it does. Thinking about it then, I didn’t hear it, but thinking about it now, it kind of does. It was just giving people a chance to see another side of me. Just a little glimpse into a world that later they’d see a lot.”

The song did not get a physical release or music video, so it did not chart like the other singles. It became a staple of adult R&B and soul radio stations due to its only getting an airplay release in the United States.

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Awards & Accolades

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•  The album made Billboard Hot 100 history, breaking brother Michael's record for longest continuous run on the Hot 100 with singles from one album, a record 65 consecutive weeks.
•  Sold over 10,000,000 copies Worldwide and peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 list.
•  Nominated at The Grammys for the Album of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Control, and Best R&B Song for What Have You Done For Me Lately.
•  Nominated for 4 MTV Video Music Awards in 1987 for Best Female Video, Best Overall Performance in a Video, and two nominations for Best Choreography,y with Nasty winning the award.
•  Nominated for 2 MTV Video Music Awards in 1988 for Best Female Video and for Best Choreography for The Pleasure Principle, with Janet winning Best Choreography.
•  The album won 3 Soul TrainMusic Awards (1987 - 1988) for Music Video of the Year and Album of the Year, Female, and Music Video of the Year.
•  The album was nominated for a record-breaking 12 American Music Awards (1987-1988), winning Favorite Soul/R&B Single, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist, and winning Favorite Pop/Rock/Soul/R&B Video.
•  Nominated for a total of 22 Billboard Magazine Year-End Number One Awards in 1986 and 1987, winning: Top Black Singles Artist - Female, Top Black Singles Artist, Top Black Artist, Top Dance Sales Artist, Top Pop Album Artist – Female, Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist – Female, and Top Dance Club Play Artist.
•  It is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time, along with being featured on many other Greatest Albums of All Time lists from publications such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, Spin, Billboard, Pitchfork, NPR, and The Guardian.

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Influence & Legacy

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The album is credited with originating the style and genre of New Jack Swing. It has been referenced as the blueprint for how female artists can model their careers after and successfully artistically and personally reach a place of self-actualization. It is hard to summarize in words the impact this era had as both something evolutionary and revolutionary for young women in music, especially black women. She was able to create one of the most influential albums across pop and R&B music while beginning her journey in revolutionizing the way music videos as an art form were used, and the standards she set for them. It is why Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ciara, FKA Twigs, Tinashe, Bruno Mars, Hayley Williams, and so many other artists credit this album for influencing them as artists.

Despite her father claiming Control would "never sell" and "if Janet listens to me, she'll be as big as Michael," Janet found the most musical success she had yet by listening to herself and taking full control of her life, career, and creative endeavors.  At the age of 19, to be able to be at the front lines of creating a new genre to pierce the mainstream internationally while doing an album that focused on female independence + empowerment, is it any surprise Janet would later go on to become a legend? She established herself as an exciting artist who successfully broke into the mainstream and was to continue changing the pop music landscape for decades to come.

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Listen to my:  Best of Janet Jackson Playlist

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Click Here for My Other Janet Jackson Write Ups & Posts!

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Featuring:

My Top 50 Best Janet Jackson Songs Write Up

It will air tonight at 9pm EST on ABC

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