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Few artists are as singular as Janet Jackson. Over a 34-year recording career, the pop star has sold over 26 million albums in the U.S., scored five Grammys, notched 10 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 (one of the most for a female artist ever), crafted some of the MTV Generation’s most memorable music videos—all while fashioning herself as a cultural icon who broke down barriers of race and sexuality in America and who continues to make killer records today. In honor of Miss Janet’s 50th birthday, EW’s celebrating her towering catalogue of music with a look at our Top 50 favorite songs from her solo career.

50. “Can’t B Good” (2008)
Jackson’s work with Ne-Yo on Discipline was one of her better moves away from her comfort zone with longtime producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. After all, Ne-Yo has worn his MJ influence like a sequined glove. In the lush atmosphere of this song that he cowrote and coproduced, you can hear echoes of Off the Wall’s “Can’t Help It” and Thriller’s “Human Nature.” –Chuck Arnold

49. “Someone to Call My Lover” (2001)
Jackson had already showed some love for ’70s folk-rock with the Joni Mitchell-biting “Got ’Til It’s Gone.” And here she lifted the guitar riff from America’s 1972 hit “Ventura Highway.” Although she has yet to find someone to call her lover, the mood is irrepressibly upbeat and optimistic about pre-Tinder match-meeting. Surprisingly, after a great run, the song would become her last Top 10 hit. –C.A

48. “I Want You” (2004)
Just as his own career was taking off as an artist, Kanye West collaborated with Jackson on three Damita Jo cuts, the best of which is this old-school slow dance. Also cowritten by John Legend, the song samples B.T. Express’ version of “Close to You.” But with its swirling, sumptuous ’60s nostalgia and a vocal that recalls a young Michael, it’s a love letter to her family’s Motown roots. –C.A

47. “Say You Do,” (1982)
With bright disco strings, horn tuttis, and a Fender Rhodes keyboard groove, the third single from her debut album is a carbon copy of her brother’s “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough,” released four years earlier. But with a hook as indelible as that, who cares? –Kevin O’Donnell

46. “All Nite (Don’t Stop)” (2004)
“It’s time to dance,” Jackson declares at the outset of this electro-funk cardio session, but it’s pretty clear by the bridge—what with her orgasmic moans, don’t-wake-the-neighbors whispers and instructions to “get hardcore”—that she’s not really talking about tearing up the dance floor. Blurring the line between the club and the bedroom has long been one of Jackson’s specialties; too bad the fallout over Nipplegate kept this raunchy track from making much of an impact on the charts. –Nolan Feeney

45. “Enjoy” (2006)
Her brothers had a hit with “Enjoy Yourself” during their post-Motown incarnation as the Jacksons, and their sister captured the same kind of feel-good vibes on this buried gem. A midtempo slice of sunshine, it was a welcome escape from the trying-too-hard sexuality on some of the post-Nipplegate 20 Y.O. Bursting into “la, la, la, la la’s,” a children’s singalong and signature Janet giggles, it showed that even in her 40s, Miss Jackson’s girlish charm was still intact. –C.A.

44. “Son of a Gun (I Bet You Think This Song Is About You)” (2001)
In one of the most creative samples of Janet’s career, she anchored this track on the serpentine bass line from Carly Simon’s 1972 smash “Your So Vain.” She also got Simon to re-sing her hit’s key refrain and to rap (!) on the track. Meanwhile, the lyrics switch the original subject matter — male narcissism — to focus on a man who shakes down a woman for money. Was Janet singing about ex-husband Rene Elizondo? Like Simon before her, Jackson never confirmed or denied—but the world remains curious. –Jim Farber

43. “Don’t Stand Another Chance” (1984)
On the first single from her second album, Dream Street, Jackson got a little help from her bros: Marlon produced and cowrote the song, while Michael, hot off of Thriller, slays some background vocals. But the synth-heavy dance track is more Prince than Michael, foretelling that Janet would break free of her family and embrace the Minneapolis sound with Jam & Lewis on Control. –C.A.

42. “You Want This” (1993)
While it sampled both Diana Ross & the Supremes’ “Love Child” and Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” the seventh—and final—single off janet. continued the new jack swing movement of Rhythm Nation. It’s both a come-on and a challenge (“Girls may have been easy/But you have to please me”), with Janet making a man work hard for it. –C.A.

41. “Young Love” (1982)
When Jackson released her first single at 16, she was better known as a TV sitcom actress from Good Times and Different Strokes. Her self-titled debut album did little to suggest that she would fare much better than sister La Toya in her music career. But this disco twirl produced and written by René & Angela bubbles over with girlish innocence laced with a hint of Control defiance: “I may be young, but I’m not foolish.” Well, all right, Miss Janet. –C.A.

40. “Get It Out Me” (2006)
Jackson goes looking for the perfect beat with an Afrika Bambaataa homage that mixes the old (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’ retro toolbox) and the new (then-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri’s incessant love of hand claps) with some South Asian tabla thrown in for good measure. Jackson’s 20 Y.O. album wasn’t exactly deserving of the comparison to Control—its title was meant to celebrate two decades of her 1986 classic—but no track on the album better captured her glory days than this jittery planet-rocker. –N.F.

39. “Doesn’t Really Matter” (2000)
Her previous film, Poetic Justice, had boasted a No. 1 hit with “Again,” and Jackson scored another chart-topper with this track from her 2000 movie Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. With its shimmering melody and stuttering beat, this crazy-catchy tune was the perfect carefree pop confection after the darker, more experimental Velvet Rope. –C.A.


38. “Night” (2015)
Most of the tracks on Unbreakable, Janet Jackson’s 2015 comeback album, paired the superstar’s smooth-as-silk vocals with production ranging from contemporary electro-hop (“Dammn Baby”) to Velvet Rope-esque R&B beats (“No Sleeep”). Recalling Madonna’s 1994 hit “Bedtime Story,” however, the standout cut “Night” pulses with a subdued, house-y vibe, gently calling all of its listeners to the darkest corners of the dance floor. “I woke up in Heaven in the morning,” Jackson croons. This one will take you there, too. –Joey Nolfi

37. “Just a Little While” (2004)
Released just after Jackson’s infamous Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction, the first single from Damita Jo was blacklisted by some radio stations. Had it not been for all that drama, this guitar-riffing pop-rocker—a naughty nod to Dirty Mind-era Prince—would surely have continued the hit parade she had been on since Control. With Dallas Austin producing, it’s one of her best songs not involving longtime producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. –C.A.

36. “So Much Betta” (2008)
Janet went deep into electro-shock pop by sampling Daft Punk on this track. Reworking bits of their “Daftendirekt,” she recast her voice as a series of robotic bleeps, along the way expanding her rhythm nation into a new land. –J.F.

35. “This Time” (1993)
While the song wasn’t released as a single, “This Time” highlighted one of Janet’s strongest albums (janet.) through its clever guest vocal from opera star Kathleen Battle. Her high-flying voice references the drama queen vocals used by Ennio Morricone in his classic Spaghetti Western scores. Battle’s haunted sense of romance offered an ideally vulnerable foil for Janet’s voice of pure determination. –J.F.

34. “Go Deep” (1998)
The stomping funk of “Go Deep” owes plenty to George Clinton, and maybe more to Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust.” But the combination of the throbbing bass line and Janet’s vocal coo made this song the perfect soundtrack for its video. Here, an average kid daydreams about Miss Jackson dominating him in bed for the ultimate fan fantasy. –J.F.

33. “What About” (1997)
Tackling domestic abuse, Jackson goes from vulnerable to vengeful on this deep cut from The Velvet Rope. And while she had already let her inner headbanger loose on “Black Cat,” “If” and “This Time,” the way she rocks out here—employing the soft-loud dynamic fashioned by Nirvana—is something more disturbing and dangerous. You feel her getting pushed over the edge. –C.A.

32. “Rock With U” (2008)
Jackson dedicated this song to “gay kids,” and while it’s hard to determine what’s specifically gay about it, the song does have a striking club beat, and a bass line that pushes the hook from Madonna’s “Into The Groove” in a fresh direction. Better, the vocal captures Janet’s most diaphanous coo. –J.F.

31. “Rope Burn” (1997)
Decades before Fifty Shades of Grey, Janet had her own foray into S&M. The most erotic track on the Velvet Rope finds her begging a lover to tie her up, in between pleading for hot candle wax to sting her flesh. The music borrows from trip-hop, jazz and funk to create one long, slow-jam moan. –J.F.

30. “Make Me” (2009)
Before her brother Michael’s death, Janet rarely made such obvious references to his music. But just a few months after his passing, she channeled his spirit on the only new song from her Number Ones hits compilation. Taking both lyrical and musical inspiration from “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” this soul-disco groove makes you move. –C.A.


29. “State of the World” (1989)
The second song on Rhythm Nation, coming after the album’s epic title track, keeps kicking the social consciousness to a new jack swing flow. Jackson addresses the problems of poverty, homelessness and runaway teen moms. “There’s got to be a better way,” she urges with pistons firing around her. This is Janet getting down for the struggle. –C.A.

28. “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” (1986)
There were so many hits on Control that the album’s final track often gets overlooked. But in its own way, it was just as defining for Jackson’s career as “Nasty,” “Control” or “What Have You Done for Me Lately.” Beginning with Janet whispering a bit of French, this quiet-stormer set the template for every sexy slow jam that she ever made. There is no waiting a while with this one. –C.A.

27. “Let’s Wait Awhile” (1986)
One of Control’s rarer tender moments, this rippling synth ballad made a sweet case for abstinence, or at least delayed gratification—to “save some for later/So our love can be greater”—a message with extra resonance in the dawning era of AIDS. –L.G.

26. “Black Eagle” (2015)
Like her earlier classics “State of the World” and “Rhythm Nation,” Janet goes into socio-political mode on this meditative stunner from her 2015 comeback Unbreakable. And heartfelt lyrics like “I’m singing this love song to show my support / To the beautiful people who have been ignored” had extra resonance in the wake of shootings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. –K.O.

25. “Alright” (1989)
It would be wrong to dismiss “Alright” simply as a rewrite of “Rhythm Nation.” Although the two songs share a new jack swing beat, “Alright” is all about popping and locking your troubles away, instead of taking on the world’s. This paean to friendship also reminds us that boos may come and go, but BFFs are forever. Bonus points for the remix featuring the Overweight Lover himself, Heavy D. –C.A.

24. “Come Back to Me” (1989)
Janet’s airily pretty plea to return to a lover she’s never quite gotten over became Rhythm Nation’s fifth single, and narrowly missed the top spot on the Hot 100—though it did reach No. 1 of the adult-contemporary chart. –L.G.

23. “Feedback” (2007)
Hailed as her comeback single following a few underperforming albums, “Feedback” saw Jackson go full-on cyborg with the help of Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins—and plenty of Auto-Tune. Over his futuristic dance beat, she spits out memorable, if sometimes head-scratching, metaphors like a Twitter bot gone haywire: at different points she compares her body to an electric guitar, a museum, an expensive Mercedes and—no joke—a pelican before delivering the love-it-or-hate-it mic drop, “My swag is serious, something heavy like a first-day period.” –N.F.


22. “Any Time, Any Place” (1993)
Of all of Jackson’s baby-making ballads, this one is surely responsible for the biggest spike in the population. Exalting the joys of getting busy in public, it bumps and grinds with a slow-burning sensuality, taking its time (over seven minutes on the janet. album version) to hit all the right spots. –C.A.


21. “Throb” (1993)
With this vogue-ready house track, Jackson showed that Madonna wasn’t the only one who could tap into the gay underground club scene of the ’90s. Going bigger, harder, thicker and deeper with the sexual exploration of janet., this fan favorite was the precursor to “All Nite (Don’t Stop),” “Rock with U” and “Night.” Pumping that “boom boom boom until noon noon noon” refrain, it sets out to rock the after-hours party. –C.A.

20. “I Get Lonely” (1997)
Although, like most Jackson singles of the time, it had success on the pop charts, this one is pure R&B. Taking its cues from ’90s R&B groups like Jodeci and Blackstreet (who appeared on a remix), this aching ballad from The Velvet Rope finds Janet digging deep into her soul as she longs for “the one that lives in me.” –C.A.

19. “Unbreakable” (2015)
Over her remarkable career, her fans have remain insanely devoted to their idol and this highlight from her 2015 album Unbreakable is a beautiful love letter in return—with all the hallmarks of great Janet: a funky bass groove, hip-swiveling R&B beat, and lush harmonies. –K.O.


18. “Runaway” (1995)
Jimmy Jam revealed this track was intended to be a duet with her brother Michael, but he opted for 1995’s harder “Scream” instead. Either way, never has a pop song made a geography lesson sound so fun—”I’ve had such fun around the world it’s true / African skies with a Nairobi mood”—and Jackson breaking the fourth wall towards the end (“Didn’t quite hit the note there!” she chirps) reveals a rare moment of vulnerability for the famously private star. –K.O.

17. “Again” (1993)
After appearing over the closing credits of Poetic Justice, which featured her first major film role, the delicate ballad “Again”—a lyrical callback to the lost-love sentiments of Rhythm Nation’s “Come Back to Me”—garnered both Oscar and Golden Globe nods. Though the late Tupac Shakur played her romantic muse on the big screen, that part went to future CSI: Crime Scene Investigation star Gary Dourdan in the song’s video. –L.G.

16. “What Have You Done for Me Lately” (1986)
Control’s lead single was Jackson’s first official leap into adulthood, signaling the end of her days as a teen ingenue controlled by her famously hard-driving father and the introduction of a fresh grown-lady fierceness. And she’d earned it; though still not even 20 years old at the time of the song’s release, she was already secretly a divorcee (from James DeBarge; eventually the marriage was annulled) and had left Papa Jackson behind for a new manager. Bonus points too for this sick lyrical burn: “You ought to be thankful for the little things/But little things are all you seem to give.” –L.G.


15. “All for You” (2001)
Co-written and produced by Jam and Lewis, this made history as the first single to land on pop, rhythmic, and urban radio the first week it debuted. The light and disco-inspired groove brings you to the dance floor with a quick, flirty chorus, buoyed by Jackson singing about the power of the female gaze. “Got a nice package alright,” she coos, “ ‘Guess I’m gonna have to ride it tonight.” –Jessica Goodman

14. “Black Cat” (1989)
Her experimental dip into a heavier, harder-edged guitar sound was rewarded with a No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 and a Grammy nod for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance alongside the likes of Tina Turner, Melissa Etheridge and Stevie Nicks. (Alannah Myle’s “Black Velvet” ultimately took the prize). Reportedly, Jackson was especially proud of the composition because it was the first she’d written entirely on her own—and no less a metal god than Motorhead’s late Lemmy Kilmister approved:  He called it “a great f—in’ song” and wanted to record his own version with her, though the record label ultimately wouldn’t allow it. –L.G.


13. “Together Again” (1997)
While another track from The Velvet Rope, “My Need,” sampled Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover,” this No. 1 hit showed just how much Jackson had been influenced by the woman who “presented” her brothers on their debut album. Mixing a Supremes sheen with a Studio 54 rush, it’s an unforgettable remembrance of those lost to AIDS, dreaming of a reunion under the big disco ball in the hereafter. –C.A.

12. “Control,” (1986)
Starting with that ominous spoken intro, Jackson let her family—and the world—know that “this time I’m gonna do it my way.” Then she proceeds to deliver a fierce declaration of independence set to the kinetic robo-funk of this classic Jam and Lewis production. The forerunner to all of Beyoncé’s female-empowerment anthems, it was a coming-of-age moment that was all about her control. And ever since, she’s had lots of it. –C.A.


11. “Broken Hearts Heal” (2015)
Janet opens up about her heartbreak following her brother Michael’s death: “It was in summer that you left me/The fall and winter never felt so cold.” But sweetly reminiscing about their childhood, she turns this airy, jazz-kissed ode into a celebration of a love that “ain’t no material thing.” And the uncanny way she breathes MJ into her vocal is the best kind of tribute a little sister could make. –C.A.

10. “If” (1993)
Screaming rock guitars, Broadway-bound strings, and a pulverizing dance beat coalesced perfectly on this single. Add to that industrial sound effects for an abrasive hook and you have an ideally edgy setting for lyrics which vow to fulfill every sexual whim. The video, set in a geisha house, added a voyeuristic panache. And she gets props for showcasing touch-screen technology a decade before the iPhone. –J.F.

9. “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” (1997)
Guest MC Q-Tip—who had played Jackson’s murdered boyfriend in the beginning of Poetic Justice—gave the first single from The Velvet Rope major hip-hop cred. But the biggest coup was receiving permission to use that sample of Joni Mitchell’s 1970 song “Big Yellow Taxi,” which Jackson scored after personally asking Mitchell. Clearly the folk icon knew a dope chill-out groove when she heard one. –C.A.
8. “Nasty” (1986)
Vanity 6 had already excellently defined a Nasty Girl for us four years earlier, but Janet—or Ms. Jackson if you’re you-know-what—offered up a whole nasty universe, and told us exactly what she thought of every last thing in it: Nasty food (bad), a nasty groove (good!), and most importantly, nasty boys (don’t mean a thing). She later said the song was partly inspired by a real-life confrontation with a pack of men who followed her down a street in Minneapolis, harassing her; they’re all lost to history now, but this fantastic declaration of “my first name ain’t Baby” independence is forever. –Leah Greenblatt

7. “The Pleasure Principle” (1986)
The sixth (sixth!) Control single offered yet another killer treatise on choosing singledom and self-respect over the wrong kind of relationship. (“What I thought was happiness was only part-time bliss.”) And she was proudly alone in the video too: Just a girl in a warehouse, working it out and dancing in the opposite direction of a dude she clearly has no use for anymore. –L.G.


6. “Escapade” (1989)
Rhythm Nation’s third single was exactly what the title implied: a five-minute sonic vacation to a place with no stress or obligations. “Escapade” also showed Janet trying on a less-common role—an ordinary girl living paycheck to paycheck, just looking for a little fun with a cute boy and a good reason to shout out “Minneapolis!” somewhere in the middle (it is where the song was recorded, after all). –L.G.


5. “Miss You Much” (1989)
Tell your mama, tell your friends, tell anyone whose ears can comprehend: 27 years after it sailed to No. 1, Jam and Lewis’ amazingly dense, club-wrecking production and Jackson’s ecstatic vocals (“That’s the end?!”) still sound as excitable as ever. –K.O.


4. “That’s the Way Love Goes” (1993)
The lead single janet. wasn’t just the introduction of a newly sensual Jackson, with its thick, honeyed funk beat and unabashedly explicit lyrics (“Go deeper baby, deeper/You feel so good I’m gonna cry”)—it became her most successful U.S. single to date, spending a whopping eight weeks at the top. The video is also a fantastic place to spot then-Fly Girl Jennifer Lopez in a featured spot as a backup dancer, and generally celebrate the brief but potent reign of feathered chokers. –L.G.

3. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” (1990)
Janet sings in two voices on this song—one low, the other high. It’s a small wonder her co-writers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, considered turning this into a duet, possibly with Prince. But even without such starry help, the song shot to No. 1, aided by its concussive beat, candied melody and a black and white video by Herb Ritts that caresses the star’s every curve. –J.F.

2. “When I Think of You” (1986)
There’s a reason this was Janet’s first No. 1: “When I Think of You” is simply the most ebullient piece of pop she’s ever recorded. And thanks to Jam and Lewis’ brilliant, bright production, never has an ode to an absent lover sounded so life affirming. Thirty years after its release, it still slays; anyone who doesn’t tap a finger when that horn hook kicks in needs to check their pulse. –K.O.


1. “Rhythm Nation” (1989)
Long before we were drinking Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Janet was getting in formation with her army of dancers to start a revolution. Yes, it rode to the new jack swing of its era, but this industrial-edged anthem—enlisting a sample of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again)”—is one of the most radical hits ever by a pop diva. It broke all of the lines, color and otherwise, high-stepping all the way. –C.A.


Source: Entertainment Weekly

Unbreakable (2015)

Details
Album artist: Janet Jackson
Label: Rhythm Nation, BMG
Release date: October 2, 2015
Genre: Pop, R&B
Tracks: 17 (standard), 19 (Target, HMV and Australian standard edition)
Length: 64:37

I've been an avid listeners to Janet Jackson's music for a long time and it sure made me so excited the first time I heard Janet was making a new record. Even though the Unbreakable album was released on October last year, I guess it's not too late because the album surely has great statements not to miss.

Janet has gone from an independent to an icon. Her breakthrough album Control (1986) talks about the singer willingness to be independent and growing into adult an adult. Rhythm Nation (1990) saw Janet's growing social awareness and international stardom. Janet (1993) saw the singer as a more woman than a girl and was a career-defining moment. While, The Velvet Rope (1997) marked herself to be as equally as an iconic musician.


Although her 2001 album All for You could be said as an medium to celebrate herself as an icon, the last three albums until her Discipline album seemed to have a quite different direction to what Janet had been doing with the past albums. Some songs in the albums of Damita Jo, 20 Y.O. and Discipline were good but lacked of power of her songs used to have. The All for You album was too much about celebration and getting laid and the next three albums was even more. She started to change from a trend-setter into a trend-chaser. I couldn't even blame the Super Bowl incident for the low sales because those albums ever since were not so relevant to a Janet as we knew.

Seven years after the Discipline album, Miss Jackson is back and she's nastier and powerful than ever (nasty is not quite relevant). Her latest Unbreakable album brings what her fans have been waiting for, a Janet music which always make a way for itself and isn't necessarily desperate to go for the commercial reception. Janet is back with her long-time collaborator Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and I can say that this trio makes a supreme-level music, iconic as ever.

The lyrical content mainly focuses on love, healing, family, social issues and celebration. The album could be her most decent record in ages. She doesn't need to be nasty, cursing and getting far too explicit because she's already on top of her game. Jackson alongside Jam and Lewis are clearly back to the point where they show their willingness to experiment but maintaining what today's music buffs are wishing for. The music doesn't sound like trying too hard. Every song has different emotions to what she said that she's been missing her fans. The whole record is definitely about going back again and so it declares a new sound and a new style (anyway Janet is super cool these days especially the hair).


The album reflects what is her innermost persona but not necessarily being highlighted. Opened with the warm welcoming "Unbreakable" to the hard-to-say-goodbye "Gon' B Alright", Janet manages to express her need to start a "conversation" with her fans and tell her fans to get "No Sleeep". She projects her still-burning Rhythm Nation vibe with "Shoulda Known Better" which basically urges people to stay humble. Also, the critic-slamming song which just very relevant to her state of life, "The Great Forever". Not to miss those club-banging songs such as "Burnitup!" and "Dammn Baby" which are both relevant to today's music markets but still maintain the essence of classic Janet. The album is stylish and down to earth at the same time, a stylish comeback.

While commercially the album is not selling as many as a million in a day, the album shows confident and becomes her strongest record since The Velvet Rope. In the other hand, her strongest as a woman she is now. I absolutely can't wait for what Janet could bring us on her next records. Go Janet!

Janet Jackson just released her first dance video for "Dammn Baby" since having been gone hiatus for 7 years. Since the release of her first music video for the song "No Sleeep", many fans had expressed their desire for Janet to release a dance video for songs like "Burnitup!" and "Dammn Baby".

The song, included in her recent release Unbreakable album, is one of few dance songs which is a signature for Janet. Before the release, speculations circulating about a new video being shot was already over the social media. And since last week, Janet had been teasing her fans about the video.

The video is presented in a simplistic empty soundstage shot in black and white. Through the entire video, Janet can be seen dancing through an elaborate and somewhat sultry routine with her dancers. Janet also goes solo at the bridge breakdown as the cuts and flashing lights keep going through the video. For a fan, the video is truly a jubilant welcoming for Janet to her signature dance video. Many fans also praised Jackson's sultriness as well her unprovocative dancing and appearance which is highlighting her talent.

"Dammn Baby" is written by Jackson, Dem Jointz, longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and produced by Jackson, Jam and Lewis. The video is directed by Dave Meyers and choreographed by Gil Duldulao.

"When she's comfortable, she smiles and she giggles and she laughs at things, and at the same time hit that serious sexy stuff that she does," Meyers on Jackson to Rolling Stone. "That's her essence, and when she's in a comfortable environment, it just naturally comes out."

Janet Jackson just dropped another major bomb for fans and friends with her new club-ready song "BURNITUP!" ahead the release of her much-anticipated Unbreakable album, due to be released on October 2.

After releasing few critical-acclaimed songs, "No Sleeep" and "Unbreakable", this time Miss Jackson sets her comeback with a dance floor jam, possibly could be a dance anthem, collaboration with Missy Elliott. The song made its radio debut on BBC Radio 1 on Thursday.

The song was debuted during the first show of her Unbreakable World Tour in Vancouver, CA and so far was included in the setlist for all of her shows. The song garnered positive feedback from most audience, commending Janet's comeback to her dance root and further building anticipation for her new album.

We sure can't wait to listen and see Miss Jackson in more action, at age of 49! Anyway, for fans of Janet, this song does remind me of those songs during her Discipline era, doesn't it? So listen to this considerably fierce song featuring Missy's rap-infused and Janet's delicate voice.



Pre-order Janet's new album Unbreakable now!
[ iTunes ... Amazon ... Official Store ]

Outspoken actor talks artistic awakening, Hollywood burnout, battling "the dickheads"

Rose McGowan plays a series of surreally stylized characters in her "RM486" video.

A look at the inimitable actor’s first musical performance

Rose McGowan is done with being told what to do. Having called out the film industry for sexism and left her acting career behind, The Doom Generation star returned to Hollywood earlier this year with guns blazing – this time from the other side of the camera. After shooting her arresting directorial debut, the Sundance Award-nominated short Dawn, the actor-turned-director has teamed up with Spun director Jonas Åkerlund, enlisting his signature gothic vision for her unanticipated pop promo in the form of “RM486”.

“Not only did I not fit in, I didn’t want to fit in” 

Styled by Swedish fashion maverick B. Åkerlund, each of McGowan’s theatrical guises represents a different facet of the star’s morphing persona: from alien outsider (“Not only did I not fit in, I didn’t want to fit in,” she says of her formative years) to Hollywood starlet and beyond. Each persona carries a message, with the goth confronting people’s perception of beauty: “I actually think she’s the most beautiful,” McGowan says. Here the actor-turned director talks rocking the boat and kicking up an art fuss.

This release marks your musical debut, why now?
Rose McGowan: In the last few years I’ve actually released some songs under different names, just me pranking the public. I woke up one day and realised I hated acting and that I’d always hated it. Imagine, its predominantly men whose scripts get done so it was mostly a male voice coming out of my mouth for fifteen years.  

Your film work touches on ideas of female empowerment and sexual liberation – do you feel a responsibility to create a feminist dialogue?
RM: Yes I feel like it’s my duty and other people who have a voice, it’s their duty as well. We’re told from when were very young: ‘don’t upset anybody, don’t rock the boat.’ Why not? I believe in civil disruption. I also think it’s important for bodies to be represented in a non-sexual manner, especially women’s bodies.”

You’ve been vocal before about the importance of nudity, why do you think it’s important to reclaim the representation of women’s bodies this way?
RM: The body shaming that goes on in America is absurd. Recently at a museum there was this woman behind me looking at a nude sketch of a man and she said she’d never let her child around that, and I turned to her and said, “Oh really? Would you like your child to first see a penis when it’s erect and coming at her?” I don’t want to do this kind of thing but I feel like I have to, to stimulate change. You realise when you’re well known that you have won the public election: you are in office of a sort, and what you say does matter.”

Source: Nowness

From Rose McGowan at WhoYouAre:

I am a version of all five characters in the video. All are pieces that make up my whole — as an artist, a public figure and most importantly, as a person. I am pushing back at the idea of who I am suppose to be, to embrace who I want to be. Changing the idea of what beauty is and exposing people to art in a real way is what I want to do. There is true power in art and true power in we who believe in it. I hope you will join me on this journey of promoting art, pushing boundaries and never being afraid to be who you.

Hi there,
Rose McGowan here. I wanted to share these lyrics I wrote for my new song, RM486.
The song is in collaboration with the band Punishment Paris and the video is in collaboration with WHOYOUARE. The video is directed by the renowned Jonas Akerlund, styled by the incomparable Bea Akerlund with prosthetics/makeup by the acclaimed artist, Sammy Mourabit.
Video guide:
All five characters in the video are versions of me. All are pieces that make up my whole- an artist, a public figure, and most importantly, as a person. I’m pushing back at the idea of what I am supposed to be, I want to expose people to art in a real way, and I want to change the idea of what beauty is. There is true power in art and true power in we who believe in it.
The characters are all me and I am all of the characters. Here is a breakdown in order of appearance.

THE ALIEN:
Where I’m from and how I have always felt. I want to communicate in the purest form and she is pure.
DARK BEAUTY:
Challenging the preconceived notion of what beauty is. Representative of the media perceived “goth” period of my life. She’s challenging you to not look away.
GREEN HAIR HOLLYWOOD:
The most agitated. The most over the top. Note the mouth taped over my own mouth. This is my “Hollywood” chapter. The agitated glamour of it all. I find her to be the most harrowing.
NEEDLES:
The needles I wear represent my armor and shield.
RED GLITTER BOMB:
My knives are out. I have a mission and it is fierce.
ART:
The most powerful is also the rawest. I want people to feel, the way to start that is by transmitting emotion. Feel, just feel.
So this is me. Speaking to the world in my own words, for the very first time.
Like the song’s chorus says, “we’re only here to paint colors on the sun, only here to see the fires run.”
I hope you’ll join me on my journey of promoting art and pushing boundaries.
x,
Rose McGowan

Rose's debut single “RM486” is available now!
[ iTunes … Amazon … Spotify ]

Janet Jackson have finally revealed all (actually, most) of her much-anticipated new album in 7 years, “Unbreakable.” The singer, who recently opened her Unbreakable World Tour in Vancouver, have set October 2, 2015 as the date for the wide release of the album with her Rhythm Nation record label and BMG as its distribution partner. Pre-orders on iTunes starts on September 3.

Janet Jackson's “Unbreakable” album cover as seen on Janet's official website.

Janet also revealed the album cover as previously posted a video of the photoshoot with photographer Yu Tsai. Few comments have also sparked a debate over her new choice of style which, by some, is considered as 'not a Janet as we know.'

Also, the album's lead single, “No Sleeep,” have recently returned to the peak position on both Billboard's Urban AC and Adult R&B charts. The album release comes on the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking collaboration on her “Control” album.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on the album's development, commented, “It’s wonderful to be creating again with Janet. From songwriting, producing, arranging, singing, dancing, acting, she deftly does it all and truly personifies the word artist. Unbreakable is a gift to all of her fans who have steadfastly stood by her. It is a subject for conversation, a plea for compassion, and a call for action from someone who’s come a long way, but’s got a long way to go, and has much to say about it. In other words, if you want to know what’s on her mind you only have to listen.”

The album is described by the singer herself as a 'very personal' record. Her Unbreakable World Tour is currently touring in Canada and will stop in Japan before returning for the North American leg. To date, 68 dates have been announced for the tour.

Pre-orders on iTunes starts on September 3 [ iTunes ]

“Unbreakable” track listing (in sequence):

1. Unbreakable
2. Burnitup! (feat. Missy Elliot)
3. Dammn Baby
4. The Great Forever
5. Shoulda Known Better
6. After You Fall
7. Broken Hearts Heal
8. Night
9. No Sleeep (feat. J Cole)
10. Dream Maker/Euphoria
11. 2 B Loved
12. Take Me Away
13. Promise
14. Lesson Learned
15. Black Eagle
16. Well Traveled
17. Gon B Alright

Alright, Janet Jackson's comeback is really due. The singer just dropped a bomb on June 22 with the release of her first single in five years (ICYMI, Janet released a single, "Nothing", in 2010), her lead single for her upcoming comeback album, called "No Sleeep."

As it was revealed few months ago, Janet's comeback is in the process. Since then, Janet has dropped so many bombs with the announcement of her Unbreakable World Tour, a sneak peek of the backup dancers audition and few cryptic videos indicating her new music. And recently this new single surfaced online and has got her fans screaming in front of their electronic gadgets with and without voice.

So they say, Janet would never let her fans down. "No Sleeep" is a proof. Co-written and produced by Jackson herself and her longtime collaborators, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, her new song takes to a specific throwback to her songs like "That's the Way Love Goes" and those during the Velvet Rope era, but here in an updated version. The sultry and smooth groove depicts a kind of clean and neat production which seemingly avoids what today's songs sound like. The song particularly matches the dedication to her fans and her lover. Also, her signature breathy vocals seem to match in any music genres. It's true, Janet is still a living pop icon who experiments on music in a slight different way. That goes out with her songs considerably to be classic and iconic tunes.

In conclusion, "No Sleeep" slays. So, be sure to follow Janet's new music updates because she's a pop icon who makes good music, I guarantee.

Janet's new album is due to be released this fall and her Unbreakable World Tour tickets is on sale. For more information, go to Janet Jackson's official website.


Janet's new single "No Sleep" is available now! [ iTunes ... Amazon ... Spotify ... Google Play]

I've always been an admirer of the Jackson siblings, especially Janet Jackson or simply Janet or Damita Jo or Ms. Jackson if you're nasty. Well, if I could say who doesn't? No need to write too much about who Janet is and what has she done to our generation. Her music has been very inspiring, her dance has been super energetic and her voice has been very unique and sensual. 

After her super long hiatus in the music industry, she surprised the world and the Janfam when she announced on May 15 that she will be releasing new album and embarking on a world tour in 2015! She indicates her comeback as a "new movement" in a video posted on her YouTube account.

“I promised you’d hear it from my lips and now you will,” Jackson posted in an announcement video a day before her 49th birthday.

That was super exciting! Get me so excited. So, the "divas" who have been so keen to be Janet, take a lesson and watch out! Because here are five reasons, according to New York Post, why today's pop divas should be afraid:

1. Her music is still requested on the radio 30 years later.

   Jackson’s first album was released in 1982 (when she was only 16!) and her third album, “Control,” sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Hits like “Nasty” and “Let’s Wait Awhile” continue to play on the radio decades later. How many of today’s pop singers do you think will have the same longevity? And please, let's not forget the iconic solo dance routine in the “The Pleasure Principle” video, which included a downfall in a wooden chair. You know you’ve tried it!

2. She was crowned "Queen of Pop" in 1993.

   In 1993, Jackson signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records estimated at $32 to $50 million dollars, making her the world’s highest paid artist at the time, as well as crowning her with the title “Queen of Pop.” She was even the first female artist to have her album reached number one on Billboard 200 with her hit album, “Janet.” Now you bow down.

3. Her face was not the only thing that had you mesmerized

   
   
    I think every girl is kind of jealous of Janet's appearance. She can keep her appearance athletic, yet also sexy. And her smile is heaven. Also, Jackson’s iconic 1993 Rolling Stone cover sold out at newsstands and is still one of the most memorable issues to date. Jackson’s then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. had the privilege of covering up Jackson’s two biggest coveted assets.

4. Vocal range? She’s got vocal range

   Jackson has a mezzo-soprano vocal range that exudes authenticity and sensuality. She’s seductive as hell, but manages to keep it classy at the same time — no small feat.

5. She’s got lap-dance skills and isn’t afraid to use them

   Janet is known for picking a lucky fan from the audience, tying him up and giving him a memorable moment to last a lifetime, but amazingly, her timing was never off. Unlike some others you may have heard of, she never fell down a flight of stairs or kicked a fan in the face. So, maybe she'll be doing it again on her new world tour?

So, to conclude, Janet Jackson is definitely a living legend. Not only the five reasons above should be feared by today's pop divas, but also her style, her showmanship, her personality and many aspects which made her a true icon. Get the point? Good.

Source: New York Post

First, there's the rough release timeline. Hackers leaked it. Then they leaked some more of it. Then she released parts of it herself in December, then again in February, before officially dropping the full record Tuesday. And do we even have to mention #CapeGate?

But the pop icon's 13th (!) album in 32 years is worth the wait. Rebel Heart accomplishes what her last two efforts, MDNA (2012) and Hard Candy (2008), couldn't: She brings the innovation while also paying just enough homage to her best moments. Add in sex, sacrilege, genuinely personal lyrics and some killer hooks, and it's the best album she's put out in 10 years.

With that, we offer 13 reasons to give the veteran provocateur's latest a spin:

1. ''Living for Love'' is her best single since 2005's ABBA-sampling ''Hung Up''
Her Hard Candy hit "4 Minutes" and 2012's electro-confection "Girl Gone Wild" were ubiquitous, but in today's EDM-saturated charts, they skewed toward the reductive, whereas "Living for Love" takes us to church with "Like a Prayer"-esque gospel disco.

2. She references a dozen of her own songs in a single verse
Awkward rapping aside, "Veni Vidi Vici" (featuring Nas) is a victory and the most self-referential work she's done. Look no further than verse No. 2:

"I expressed myself / came like a virgin down the aisle
Exposed my naked ass, and I did it with a smile
And when it came to sex I know I walked the borderline
And when I struck a pose all the gay boys lost their mind
I justified my love / I made you say a little prayer
They had me crucified / you know I had to take it there
I opened my heart / I learned the power of goodbye
I saw a ray of light / music saved my life."

3. You still shouldn't listen to her songs with your mom
The "queen of obscene" reigns on with the wonderfully filthy Kanye West-produced oral sex ode "Holy Water." (Serious question: Has Kim heard this one yet?)

4. She's got a song called ''Bitch I'm Madonna'' – in case you forgot

5. Mike Tyson makes a memorable cameo
"Iconic" opens with a monologue from none other than the tiger-owning boxing champ. Forget the fact that Tyson drew inspiration from fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and focus on Madge's beat-your-way-to-the-top chorus, and it's 4.5 minutes of pop perfection.



6. Come for Madonna – stay for the A-list producers
Per usual, the queen of pop tapped the industry's top producing talent. In addition to West, Madonna teamed up with of-the-moment hitmakers including Diplo, Avicii and Ryan Tedder for undeniable stereo success.

7. It's a great breakup album
It's no secret Madonna has had her share of breakups, and hell hath no fury like a pop star scorned. From the raw "HeartBreakCity" to the I'm-better-off-and-you-can-kiss-off "Living for Love," she clearly came out on top.

8. She has a song called ''Illuminati'' – because obviously
She swears she's not a part of the fabled conspiracy theory, so this track probably just adds fuel to the fire. But whatever. Madge name-checks Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, the pope and more in the dark, Yeezy-produced dance jam.

9. Her double-entendre game is alive and well
The songwriter who invited a man to release her lock with his key in "Open Your Heart" returns on "Body Shop." This time around – you guessed it! – her body's a car, and he can keep her overnight to work overtime if need be. Except the awkward lyrics are canceled out by her gorgeous, unrendered voice, making it a saccharine-sweet love song.

10. She channels ''The House of the Rising Sun'' – and it's awesome
Reminiscent of her strumming-infused Music era, the acoustic-meets-dance vibe of "Devil Pray" makes it an instant classic.




11. Nicki Minaj
Joining Madge for the third time, Minaj's "Bitch I'm Madonna" is by far her best guest verse in recent memory. (Not quite "Bang Bang" but way better than "Beauty and a Beat.") Between the frenzied production and Madonna's "na na na na na" hook, the song's all over the place, but the rapper's lyrics of label-dropping and bottle-popping make it a satisfying hot mess.

12. Multiple ''Vogue'' nods
Whether it's the soundtrack to a movie makeover montage (lookin' at you, The Devil Wears Prada) or Madonna's quoting it in "Holy Water" and "Veni Vidi Vici," "Vogue" will never go out of style.

13. She reminds us she's still a person
Yes, she's the best-selling female artist of all time. But, as she reminds us on the über-personal "Joan of Arc": "I can't be a superhero right now … I'm only human." Sexy dance confections are fun, but it's tracks like the aforementioned, "Wash All Over Me" and the must-listen "Rebel Heart" (only available on the deluxe edition) that showcase the megastar's vulnerable, relatable side

So, have you already decided to grab a copy?


Standard Edition
BUY: iTunes | Amazon

Deluxe Edition
BUY: iTunes | Amazon

Super Deluxe Edition
BUY: Amazon














Source: People