Let's Have a Janet Summer

It's Janet. Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty!!!

April of 2001 — a major month for pop culture. The very month that Janet Jackson released her seventh studio album, All for You. I bring this album up, all these years later, for one specific reason. As it is the album that introduced us to the iconic song, Someone to Call My Lover.

Released as a single on June 12th that same year, this classic reached its peak of #3 on the Billboard charts in September of 2001. Now, almost 25 years after its initial release, this track has seen a resurgence of virality on TikTok. Allegedly, at least… I don’t use that app very often.

Janet Jackson is one of the most prolific artists of all time, it always seemed inevitable that her music would catch a second life in popularity. It always felt like a matter of which songs would re-gain traction first. You just can’t hide a catalog so extensive, try as Les Moonves might have. In my opinion, it is past due time for her vault to be re-opened completely to this new generation. I don’t mean that to say she’s irrelevant by any stretch now, as we’ll soon cover, I believe quite the opposite. However, it’s quite undeniable that post-2004, there’s been an effort to bury her pop cultural legacy, that we still need to correct. I’m always waiting for a reason to talk about Janet Jackson, and the universe hath given me a major one! Let’s have a Janet Jackson Summer.

I’m about to go into ranking her albums, so let me preface this entire issue by saying: until I decided it was time for me to write this, I had only followed her post-Control music career. I had enough (admittedly incomplete) knowledge that her prior 2 albums were more-so her father’s attempts to capitalize on the Jackson name brand. Control is when Janet took… control! of her own image and career. I have since educated myself on her entire catalog, though.

Being said, quantifying the cultural impact of Janet Jackson is impossible. There is a before and after Janet Jackson to music. Post-Control, her impact became immediate and set in stone. Each passing era broke some new ground in music. That isn’t an exaggeration. She got blacklisted by some of the most powerful industry executives yet overcame so many of the odds they set against her with grace and power. So much got stolen from her, yet she never let her light on pop culture dim. Her image transcends all avenues of the industry. She is a pioneer in every sense of the word. Instantly recognizable style. Iconography that is part of the modern music history books. Every musical artist working today is influenced by her in some capacity, as she helped usher in the modern pop culture landscape. If you haven’t already, listen to any of her music and you will start making connections to countless other artists. Watch any of her music videos, and you can point and see the connections. Watch any of her tour performances, you will see how her choreography has stood the test of time. Everything she does has a print on culture to this day. There’s no ceiling to the legacy she has created for herself.

Back in early 2020, she was prepared to release a new album by the end of that year, however… the rest of 2020 happened. That album, to this day, never got released. Her latest album rollout remains Unbreakable, which was dropped back in 2015. She has consistently been performing over this past decade, though, so rest assured the story of Janet Jackson’s music career is far from over.

I’m only ranking her albums as a framing device to discuss how brilliant her artistry is. I celebrate every era of Janet, as every era of Janet has made music what it is today. I’ll also be sharing a few highlights per album. Positive vibes only!

11. Janet Jackson (debut)

As I have previously mentioned, Janet’s first two albums were largely an attempt to capitalize on the Jackson name brand, which she’d start to try to individualize herself from in the future of her career, more on that later. Janet Jackson’s self-titled debut album was released in 1982; she began recording it at 16 and she didn’t have much control over her image or her sound yet. That means there’s not much of her music-identity to be found in these tracks. This project heavily relies on the teen pop sounds of that era. That’s not to say this is just some terrible album, I appreciate the exact style of music it’s emulating. I just struggle to engage with it as a body of work, as it lacks so much of what fundamentally makes Janet an innovator.

10. Dream Street

Dream Street is a weaker entry to her catalog for the same exact reason her aforementioned debut album is. Her second album, released in 1984, does not have the recipe or insight that makes Janet a pop culture juggernaut. I did find myself slightly more endeared to the sounds this album explored. I also enjoy her vocal delivery on both of these albums. She sounds very youthful, very radiant. She was literally zero years old, after all. Being said, this just isn’t an actual album. I can’t say she was still finding her voice because I just don’t think that’s a genuine read on these first two albums. She didn’t have room to discover anything or evolve, this was just what was put onto her. Until she gained a sense of control… that is.

Highlights: As I’ve mentioned a few times already, I just don’t know her first two albums as much as I know the rest of her discography. I will remain silent on issues that don’t pertain to me. I feel similarly about every track. Cute music, though.

9. 20 Y.O

20 Y.O is not a bad album. By any stretch of any imagination. Conceptually, this served as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Control, the album that changed Janet’s entire career trajectory, thus changing music as a whole — as if you needed any more evidence as to why I don’t really count her first two albums essential to the Janet Jackson canon.

This album starts with an intro of Janet saying, “I've covered a lot in my 20 years, and I've uncovered a lot in my 20 years. But I wanna keep it light, I don't wanna be serious.” and this project ends with an outro of her saying, “20 years. Time flashes by like lightning in the sky. 20 years of questions come down to 'Who am I?' Thank you, God for giving us all a sense of humor.”

If you are uncultured in Janet history, she’s very famous for having many interludes in her projects - often spoken - which I always find delightful. Especially because, in this case, the spoken intro and outro essentially detail the thesis statement of the album. She had been through a lot, especially in the public eye within that 20-year timespan. She wanted an album of celebration for how far she’s come in that time. Just pure fun, an album to dance to! The reason it falls short from being my favorite, is that I think it’s more of a product of its time rather than timeless.

Highlights: So Excited, Get It Out Me, Show Me, Take Care.

8. Unbreakable

Released in 2015, Unbreakable is Ms. Jackson’s most recent album. This was also seven years after she released her previous album, Discipline. A lot changed in that time period; she was at a completely different point in her life by the time this released. There was a lot to catch up on, as such, there’s a level of transparency within the lyricism of this album that makes me compelled to say it may very well be the most personal album in her discography, perhaps next to The Velvet Rope. I mean, of course I can’t speak for Janet. I don’t know her personally. However, from a consumer perspective, it may be less sonically ambitious than her other projects, but the honesty in its lyricism is what sets it apart for me.

Highlights: Unbreakable, The Great Forever, Well Traveled, Gon’ B Alright.

7. Discipline

Discipline featured Janet making music that doesn’t necessarily sound like much else in her catalog. There was an ambition at play that I appreciate. Futuristic in concept, largely framed through her having conversations with a DJ robot in the interludes. I’d almost say the lyrical content works better as a Control tribute than 20 Y.O, but I already told you I do like 20 Y.O, so… don’t read into that. I was turning 8 when this album came out, so I actually remember its rollout, as well. I have a lot of love for this album. However, it all hits a ceiling. The music is very great, and there’s nothing I can take away from it… Discipline just can’t fully hold up to the all-timer run we’re about to tap into. I would love to make a case for it, I would love to have the conversation, but… she has to land here for now.

Highlights: Feedback, Rock With U, Greatest X, The 1.

6. Control

Not only was Control a career re-defining album, it also very much shifted the pop cultural landscape as a whole. This is an era defining album. A generational album, in a real sense. This album came at a turning point in Janet’s life. She broke away from her father’s management, around the same point in her life that her marriage ended. She recorded this project at age 19, it reads as a coming-of-age project of sorts. She went from being a teenage ingenue shifting into adulthood with a statement of true independence.

With 9 tracks, 5 of the songs off this album would become top 5 hit singles, one of which went #1. The majority of the tracks on this album are instantly recognizable to anybody who knows anything about music. It was Album of the Year nominated. This album, in every sense of the word, is iconic. A pop culture bible. A modern blueprint on executing a pop era. As I’ve previously said, Janet Jackson has an immense influence on every artist working today, it all stems back from her creation of this album. Control, on its own, made pop culture history. Which is precisely why it is also very monumentally impressive that Janet managed to outdo herself artistically, as well as commercially.

Highlights: This album is essentially a highlight reel. Every song is known.

5. Damita Jo

Ranking this proved to be very difficult for me, because I want to give her the world. There is absolutely nothing I want more than #JusticeForDamitaJo. I say this all of the time. When Someone to Call My Lover first went viral, I said, “that’s amazing… but she already had her time in the sun. When can we get the redemption arc I Want You so deeply deserves?” This is the album that faced the brunt of her post-Halftime Show backlash, if you were unaware. So much of her promotion and funding was taken away from her, which prevented her singles from becoming the hits they were destined to become, and it became her first album to not chart at #1 in almost two decades. Looking back, solely with pure fan support, her numbers remained decently strong; all of her albums following this remained peaking within the top 2 on the Billboard 200. However, in a just world, this era was going to be monumental.

You must understand by now, #5 is simply a GOOD placement in such an extensive and brilliant discography. Some old heads might actually take issue with me ranking it above Control, but I find Damita Jo to arguably be the quintessential Janet album. If you want to have a deep understanding of who Janet is as a musician, look no further. She showcases so much of her music personality here. It is an album that reflects the music of its time, but it also remains sounding so fresh and simply FUN. Taking a walk outside in the Summertime with this album playing could heal me.

Highlights: Strawberry Bounce, I Want You, Truly, Just a Little While.

4. Rhythm Nation 1814

What ultimately made me decide to rank this above Damita Jo, though I may revisit Damita Jo slightly more often, is how conceptual this album is. Not only that, Janet executes the concepts so masterfully. The impact this era has is undeniable. Remaining the only album to achieve seven singles charting within the top 5 on Billboard, The Rhythm Nation World Tour also remains credited as the most successful debut tour of all time. The short film visual is visionary and has a print that still transcends into today’s culture. You could write essays about all this album managed to accomplish and still fall short on really capturing the magnitude on how monumental this era really became.

A concept album with the central theme being social consciousness. Many industry executives were not looking for her to do something like that after the success of Control. Many wanted her to just follow-up with a “Control II” instead. She would not fold into going in another direction, she was committed to the Rhythm Nation project. This album was so ambitious as a body of work. Sonically, sampling different sounds and genres throughout the 20 tracks, fully fleshing out the concept with interludes as well as songs that are committed to the themes, then you factor in visuals that creates a story of its own. This era became monumental for a reason. It proved, after Control became her breakout, that she was ALWAYS going to be a force in this industry.

Highlights: Rhythm Nation, State of the World, Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do (Without You).

3. All for You

Even Taylor Swift was gagging at this one!

All for You became Janet’s final era before Les Moonves kickstarted a blacklisting campaign against her. Though, what a triumphant note to end an era on, let me just say. This is my feel-good album at any given moment. Yes, it’s technically her divorce album, but it’s also such a boost of energy. I always loved this album, but what really made me appreciate this album in a whole new light is when I started perceiving it as a companion piece to The Velvet Rope. They are in close conversation with one another from beginning to end, just with such radically different approaches to every theme. The Velvet Rope being the darker more introspective approach; with All for You being a dance record for the girls. Something for the Summertime. Both brilliant, yet in entirely different ways.

The top 3 albums here were in a constant shuffle. This could change quite literally tomorrow. I’ll have you know, if I were to pick an album with my favorite usage of interludes and track transitions, this would be my #1. Without a doubt, really. There are so many moments of true artistic brilliance. Every time I listen to this project, it is as though I’m hearing it for the first time.

Highlights: Come On Get Up, Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You), Truth, Better Days.

2. Janet.

This did a similar thing that Control did for Janet’s career trajectory. Control was her taking agency of her own career, whereas Janet. was a statement of independence. After she broke all of these records during her first two albums, the general public still tried to attach her success to her brother. Any interview she did, any review that came in, it’d mention her as an extension of Michael. This album made it clear… she is Janet, period. An artist of her own. And she got exactly what she wanted. Janet. became her highest selling album to date, completely shifted the public perception of her image, she became respected as a fully grown adult, no longer Michael’s little sister. She very well proved her pop culture icon status was unwavering. This project also deviated from the sounds of her prior two records, proving Janet to be an artist you can’t put into a box. She made the transition into the 90s very gracefully. An artist whose eras shift as she grows. She grasped the concept of eras very early in the game. She knew the importance of committing to the evolution at full force. Her style, musically and fashionably, shifts with each passing rollout. When you witness Janet’s artistry, you can trace that evolution.

This is also the album that proves, to me, her taste is just unimpeachable. If this album wasn’t made in 1993, I believe a pop girl could have released this exact project today, 32 years later, and it would become a hit era all over again. It’s just timeless musicality. There’s not a single off beat during this project. From beginning to end, this is a journey told through music. Every influence, every sample, every moment of instrumental, every interlude… essays could be written on how this is a monument of music. This is the peak of the Pop Girl Mount Everest.

Highlights: What’ll I Do, Funky Big Band, Where Are You Now, Whoops Now.

1. The Velvet Rope

A true love at first listen album. Any time there’s any type of prompt that asks something along the lines of, “what is an album that you think everybody should listen to before they die?” There is not a single hesitation in my mind, it is The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson.

If we took a group of Janet fans and asked all of them to pick their favorite album, this would definitely get a decent number of answers. This is perhaps the closest we’d get to a consensus, even. However, it’s very important to note that with Janet’s catalog, there are a solid 6 contenders for the best album of all time, so… there’s no official consensus to be found. Janet’s discography has meant a lot to a lot of different people, and that shouldn’t be slept on… being said, I’m here to praise The Velvet Rope today.

I am quite convinced that The Velvet Rope is the greatest album of all time. It’s also one of the most important eras to usher in modern pop culture, if you let me tell it. Both in sound and visual. The instantly recognizable red hair style, the fashion, the music, the performances. The print is still found in music being made today. The lyricism is also so vast in what it explores. There’s so much introspection seeping through every lyric. Themes of sexuality, mental health, identity, grief, being wronged, and the throughline is the desire to feel seen and special, and how that may come from finding love within yourself first. It’s seen as a darker album aesthetically and is credited as a major innovator of the Alternative-R&B genre, though this also has her share of optimism and upbeat hits shining through to become staples in her catalog. This is such an example of how well Janet can experiment while also committing to a concept. Every second is radiating brilliance in her musicality.

Highlights: The entire album. But: Together Again, Got ‘Til It’s Gone, Empty, What About, Special… I think. Truly, though, just the entire album. I think every living person should be required to listen to The Velvet Rope from start to finish at least once in their lifetime.

Janet Jackson is a living legend. You could never take anything away from her. Not only is she influential, but she’s a genius in terms of artistry. Not only is her songwriting incredible, but her taste is consistently impeccable. She has a grasp on music that any pop star should aspire to in attempting to ascend to pop legend. I couldn’t go through too much of the context within each era, which is undeniably important as well, but to do that I would’ve had to write a separate expansive issue on each and every album… I didn’t have the time to do that right now, as I am employed and also a student. Let’s just focus on how brilliant Janet’s music is! I think it’s time for us to open the vault and make Janet Jackson the main pop girl again for the Summer of 2025. TikTok, do your thing!

Thank you for your time.