Janet Jackson, The #35 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)

 

About this time, Janet began to feel the effects of stardom; in her case, depression and anxiety, and it is with those feelings that she recorded her album The Velvet Rope, released in 1997.  The single "Together Again", written about all the friends Jackson had lost to AIDS, hit the Top 5 in every major country and topped charts in the United States and the Netherlands.

When "Together Again" gave Janet eight #1's, she tied heavyweights like Elton John, the Rolling Stones and Diana Ross.  The single has sold over six million copies throughout the world and earned Janet a Most-Played Song honor at the BMI Pop Awards.  The video was nominated for Best Dance Video at the MTV VMA's.

A #1 album, The Velvet Rope has also sold 10 million copies.  This song details Janet's struggle with depression.  "I never looked deeply at the pain from my past, never tried to understand that pain and work it through," Janet said in an interview with MTV.  "It was a journey I had avoided.  But one I now had to face."

Jackson released the single "I Get Lonely", a #3 smash that earned Jackson a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and a nomination for Top Hot R&B Airplay Single at the Billboard Music Awards.  It was also cited as a Most-Played Song at the BMI Pop Awards.

More historic was the fact that it was Janet's 18th straight Top 10 song, a record for a female artist that is topped only by Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

 

"Got 'Til It's Gone" samples "Big Yellow Taxi" from the legendary Joni Mitchell.  Getting permission was a long shot, but Jackson tried.  "Everyone said it couldn't be done, but if {Mitchell} was going to say no to me, I had to hear it for myself," Janet said to USA Today.  "I called her and told her I wanted her to hear it before she made a decision," she continued.  "Everybody was surprised when a couple of days later, she said 'yes'".

When one listens to the song, it is crystal clear that they wouldn't have a song without Mitchell, even though her one line is repeated a hundred times.  Jackson won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for "Got 'Til It's Gone".  She won another Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Female Album of the Year. 

Jackson promoted the album with a tour of North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa.  An HBO special,  The Velvet Rope:  Live in Madison Square Garden, attracted 15 million viewers.   "Empty" is a brilliant song about the emotional emptiness felt by the Internet "connection".

Jackson won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and she was named Favorite Female Artist of the Year at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.  She also captured a Billboard Music Award for Top R&B Female Artist of the Year and was nominated for Top Hot 100 Singles Artist, Female and Top Dance/Club Artist of the Year.  

 

This collaboration happened after an interview Jackson did on Hot 97 radio in New York City.  When asked what hip-hop artist she would like to work with, Janet said, "Busta Rhymes".  Busta happened to be listening to the interview at the time, and, as he told Billboard:  "I was actually in my vehicle driving from Long Island to New York City and I had to pull over because I almost crashed."

Jackson teamed with Rhymes for his song "What's It Gonna' Be?", a #3 hit that went Gold and was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards and Best Rap/Hip-Hop Clip of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards.  The video was also nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

 

In 2000, Janet starred in the movie Nutty Professor II:  The Klumps with Eddie Murphy, which grossed an estimated $170 million worldwide.  The single "Doesn't Really Matter" jumped to #3 and went Gold.  Jackson and Jimmy Jam had a conflict of which chorus to use for the song.  "I wrote 'Nutty, nutty, nutty, my love for you'," Jam said, "and she wrote 'Doesn't really matter'."

Jackson was nominated for Favorite Actress - Comedy and the song was nominated for Favorite Song from a Movie at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.  But later that year, Jackson's husband, Rene Elizondo, Jr., filed for divorce, which in itself was news as the two had kept their marriage private from the press for eight years.

Janet received the Award of Merit from the American Music Awards and the MTV Icon Award, citing her "significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the MTV generation".  

 Jackson released the album All for You in 2001, which debuted at #1.  The title song led the way on the Popular chart for seven weeks (the longest-lasting #1 of the year) and landed in the Top 10 in 11 countries.  It won Song of the Year and Most-Played Song at the BMI Pop Awards and was nominated for Top Hot 100 Single of the Year and Top-Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single at the Billboard Music Awards.  

Jackson received a Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording and an ASCAP Award for Best Dance Song of the Year while the album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.  She also scored MTV Video Music Award nominations for Video of the Year, Best Female Video of the Year and Best Dance Video of the Year.  

 

The single "Someone To Call My Lover", which uses the guitar riff from America's hit "Ventura Highway", hit #3.  The loop played in the chorus was borrowed from a classical song Janet heard in a television commercial when she was young.  That featured song was "Gymnopédie No. 1" by French composer Erik Satie.  

Although it was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards, it would be the last Top 10 song Janet would ever have.

Janet was named Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist at the American Music Awards and she was nominated for Favorite R&B/Soul Album and Internet Artist of the Year.  She won a Most Performed Song trophy from ASCAP for the song, while the album has topped nine million in worldwide sales.  

 Janet's subsequent tour was captured in an HBO concert special that was watched by over 12 million people.  "Better Days" is a fully orchestrated piece mixing soft rock and electronic music.  

Jackson earned an Artistic Achievement Award at the Billboard Music Awards and she was nominated for Top Female Artist of the Year.  "Doesn't Really Matter" and "Someone To Call My Lover" both were tabbed among the Most-Played Songs at the BMI Pop Awards.

Jackson collaborated with Justin Timberlake on a song on his album Justified before performing at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004.  Janet performed a medley of songs before Timberlake joined her onstage.  In the middle of the song "Rock Your Body", Timberlake tore open Jackson's costume, revealing her right breast before 140 million people watching.

Jackson and Timberlake apologized afterwards, but significant damage had been done.  For some explicable reason, Timberlake's career was relatively unaffected, but Janet's would never be the same.  An appearance at the Grammy Awards was canceled, a role in a television movie was taken away and a Mickey Mouse statue wearing Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" outfit was removed from Walt Disney World.

 

While Jackson's album Damito Jo debuted at #2 in 2004 and sold over three million copies worldwide, it paled in comparison to past releases.  It still set a female record with her sixth consecutive album to debut at either #1 or #2.   Radio stations purposely blacklisted Janet's music, and the album, initially expected to perform extremely well before the Super Bowl incident, received little airplay.  Still, there are quality tracks on the album such as "Island Life".

 

The album, titled after Jackson's middle name, took 18 months to record.  "R&B Junkie" was recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios West in Los Angeles, California.  

 

"All Nite Don't Stop" is an interesting blend of Samba, Latin, Dancehall and ambient techno.

Many radio stations refused to play Jackson's songs, but Damito Jo still was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album and "I Want You" was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards and Jackson was once again nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the American Music Awards.  

 

 

The boycott continued with the album 20 Y.O. in 2005, with Janet again tabbed as a nominee at the Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album.  The title celebrated the history-making album Control that gave Jackson her start as a successful artist.  The song "Call On Me" was nominated for Top-Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single at the Billboard Music Awards. 

"Enjoy" is also a fan favorite.  Forbes magazine ranked Jackson as the seventh-richest woman in entertainment with a fortune of over $150 million.  In 2007, Janet starred in the movie Why Did I Get Married?, which grossed over $60 million.

Jackson signed with Island Records and released the album Discipline, which debuted at #1.  Stations continued to boycott her music and "Feedback" was the best she could do at #19.

 Although Janet didn't write any of the songs on the album for the first time since Control, she chose "Rock With U (sic)" as a song for the gay community, which adored her.  After the song was released, Janet received the Vanguard Award, honoring her contributions in promoting equal rights among the gay community.  

After the death of brother Michael on June 25, Janet performed a tribute to him at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.  Janet released the compilation album Number Ones (named The Best for releases in other countries).  

With her musical career stalled, Jackson starred in the movie sequel Why Did I Get Married Too?, which also grossed $60 million, and the movie For Colored Girls.  Janet released the book True You:  A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself, which was #1 on The New York Times' Best-Seller List.

Janet endorsed the weight-loss program Nutrisystem and donated 10 million dollars in meals to the hungry.  In 2013, Jackson announced she was married to businessman Wissam Al Mana.

In 2015, Jackson founded her own record label, Rhythm Nation, and attempted to make a comeback.  She released the album Unbreakable, which became her seventh #1 and Janet was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the American Music Awards and a People's Choice Award for Favorite R&B Artist.  "2 (sic) B (sic) Loved" is one of the best tracks on the album, which gave Jackson the distinction of being only the third artist in history to achieve a #1 album in four different decades.

Janet reunited with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for the album, which featured themes of Janet's childhood and her reaction to brother Michaels death.  "The Great Forever" is another solid track.

Jimmy Jam said (to the BBC) "Shoulda' Known Better" is "just a wiser, more mature look at the reality of trying to make a positive change, a social change."

In October of 2016, Jackson announced she was expecting a child, which was born January 3, 2017.

In her career, Janet has chalked up 40 hits with an impressive 29 of those reaching the Top 10 and 10 going to #1.  She holds the Rock Era record for most consecutive Top 10 hits by a female with 18.  According to ABC News, Jackson has sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Jackson has won 12 American Music Awards from 35 nominations, five Grammy Awards out of 26 nominations, 33 Billboard Music Awards from 68 nominations, four MTV Video Music Awards from 20 nominations, four Blockbuster Entertainment Awards out of six nominations, 21 BMI Pop Awards and two ASCAP Awards and has been nominated for three People's Choice Awards, a World Music Award, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award.