Janet Jackson Essays - Concept Albums, Janet Jackson,

Janet Jackson Janet Jackson You know she's a Jackson. And you know she's a singer. Of course, you know the girl can dance. You know she's a leading lady in Hollywood. And maybe you still think of her as a cute little girl with a famous last name and big , bright eyes. Do you think she's what she was yesterday? Better think again. As many of her other fans and followers already know, the only label that fits her is Janet. Time flies when your having fun and that's the way she wants its. Since the grown Miss Jackson burst upon the music scene in 1986 with Control Selling eight million records and establishing her as a bold, sensual, independent woman, she's been breaking the molds and banishing the stereotypes the world would set for her. She's not just the cute, little girl- actress we loved on Good Times and Different Strokes or the earnest teen we followed of Fame. She's not the Jackson family's baby-not any more. Clearly, the only thing you can safely say about her is that she's Janet. And that's saying a lot. Consider that she's already appeared in five television series, made seven albums, and starred in a major motion picture. She's sold over 24 million albums worldwide, achieved five Top Five hits from her 1986 record, Control and a record seven Top Five Hits from the 1989 Rhythm Nation 1814 album, four went to no.#1. She followed that up with a record breaking world tour, a movie and her self-titled album Janet. You might think that a woman with a pedigree and resume as impressive as this would have had a smooth ride all along. Not so. Says Janet, I went through a great deal of pain from about sixteen to nineteen and a half Pain that I really wouldn't wish upon anyone. During those years, challenging years for anyone, Janet released two albums, Janet Jackson (1982) and Dream Street (1984). She spent a difficult and lonely year away from her family in New York while appearing in Fame, and by the time she was nineteen, had been through a divorce after a short-lived marriage to James DeBarge of another somewhat less famous singing family, the DeBarge Family. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Janet fired her father as her manager, for the first time taking total control of her own career. It should come as no surprise that the tittle of her next album was control. Clearly, it was Janet's announcement to the world that she was no longer just the littlest Jackson , but a strong woman with a mind, body and career of her own. Control won two American Music awards in 1987 . Newsweek magazine described it as irresistible danceable alternative to the sentimental balladry and opulent arrangements of some of the then more famous female singer. Many pop stars, having found a formula that worked, would be content to make more of the same. But when Rhythm Nation 1814 hit charts in 1989, a different , more mature, more confident Janet Jackson announced herself. Having established her own artistic identity, Janet looked outside herself. Of course, there are still some very personal songs on this record, and very sexy ones such as Black Cat, but more that that, the songs of Rhythm Nation 1814 reflect her long held concern for the state of society and the place of the individual in that society. Rhythm Nation 1814 won praise, not just because its a great record to listen to with hard-hitting dance tunes, heart felt lyrics and visually stunning videos, but because it is an uplifting collection of songs. unlike so many issue oriented albums, Rhythm Nation 1814 didn't just point out the problems, it struck a note of hope. Making such a difference album is a risk for any artist but this one paid off. Like Control, Rhythm Nation 1814 sold eight million copies, but more remarkably, the album set a new record by placing seven singles in the Billboard Top Five. Her Rhythm Nation tour a nine month marathon, played to nearly two million delighted fans and raised, through a percentage of ticket sales, nearly $400,000 for the cities in schools program. With unprecedented success like