Control is the third studio album by American recording artist
Janet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, released on February 6, 1986 by
A&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. Her collaborations with songwriters and record producers
Jimmy Jam and Terry LewisJames Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
resulted in an unconventional sound: a fusion of
rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
,
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
,
discoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
,
rapRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
vocals, and
synthesizedA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
percussion that established Jackson, Jam and Lewis as the leading innovators of
contemporary R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
. It enabled Jackson to transition into the
popular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
market, becoming one of the defining albums of the
1980sFor music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
and
contemporary musicContemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
.
Containing autobiographical themes, a majority of the album's lyrics came as the result of a series of changes in her life: a recent annulment from R&B singer
James DeBargeJames Curtis DeBarge is an American R&B and soul singer. He was one of the members of the singing family group DeBarge, who became stars with their 1980s songs "All This Love", "In a Special Way", "Rhythm of the Night", and "Who's Holding Donna Now?".DeBarge is also known for his 1984 marriage to...
, severing her business affairs from her father and manager Joseph and the rest of the Jackson family, hiring A&M executive John McClain as her new management, and her subsequent introduction to Jam and Lewis. The album has been praised by critics as both an artistic feat and as a personal testament of self-actualization.
Control is widely regarded as the
breakthrough albumA breakthrough album is an LP or CD by a band or musician previously only known in the underground or indie scene of its given genre, which propels the group to mainstream attention and widespread fame and popularity...
of Jackson's career. It became her first album to top the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and five of its commercial singles—"
What Have You Done for Me Lately"What Have You Done for Me Lately?" is the lead single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control .-Song information:The song was written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and produced by Jam and Lewis. Jackson helped with the lyrics of the song and was credited as a "co-producer",...
", "
Nasty"Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared...
", "
Control"Control" is the fourth single from Janet Jackson's third album Control. The song was written by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Its arrangement, built upon complex rhythmic tracks, showcased state-of-the-art production. The song is about...
", "
When I Think of You"When I Think of You" is the third single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and produced by Jam and Lewis, the song is about a person who finds relief and fun in a lover...
", and "
Let's Wait Awhile"Let's Wait Awhile" is the fifth single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . It was written by Jackson, and the Flyte Tyme duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was produced by Jackson, Jam and Lewis...
"—peaked within the top five of the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Music videos created to promote the singles showcased her dancing ability and became a catalyst for
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's evolving demographics. The album went on to receive several accolades, including a nomination for the
Grammy Award for Album of the YearThe Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
and winning
Producer of the Year, Non-ClassicalThe Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
for Jam and Lewis in 1987. It is listed by the
National Association of Recording MerchandisersThe National Association of Recording Merchandisers is a United States not-for-profit trade association based in Marlton, New Jersey that serves music retailing businesses in lobbying and trade promotion...
and the
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time. It has been
certifiedIn the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
fivefold platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) and has sold over fourteen million copies worldwide.
Background
Joseph Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson family of musicians, was known for managing the careers of all nine of his children; most notably, the successful career of
The Jackson 5The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
. After arranging a recording contact with A&M in 1982 for a then-sixteen year old Janet, he oversaw the entire production of her debut album,
Janet JacksonJanet Jackson is the self-titled debut album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on September 21, 1982 by A&M Records. Jackson's career as a recording artist was established by her father and manager Joseph Jackson, who arranged her recording contract with A&M Records.The album's...
, and its follow-up,
Dream Street (1984); the latter of which was written and produced by her brothers
MarlonMarlon David Jackson is an American entertainer singer, dancer, former member of The Jackson 5, and elder brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Personal life:...
and
MichaelMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, and
Jesse JohnsonJesse Woods Johnson is a musician best known as the guitarist in the original lineup of The Time....
. Best known as a television actress, she was initially reluctant to begin a recording career. She expressed, "I was coming off of a TV show that I absolutely hated doing,
FameFame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
. I didn't want to do [the first record,
Janet Jackson]. I wanted to go to college. But I did it for my father ..." and elaborated she was often in conflict with her producers. Amidst her professional struggles, she rebelled against her family's wishes by marrying James DeBarge of the family recording group
DeBargeDeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
in 1984. The Jacksons disapproved of the relationship, citing DeBarge's immaturity and substance abuse. Jackson left her husband in January 1985 and was granted annulment later that year.
Jackson subsequently fired her father as her manager and employed John McClain, A&M Records then-senior vice president of artists and repertoire and general manager. Commenting on the decision, she stated, "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do, telling him that I didn't want to work with him again." Joseph Jackson resented John McClain for what he saw as an underhanded attempt to steal his daughter's career out from under him, stating: "I've worked hard for my family. The problem comes, though, when others come in behind you and try to steal them away. The wheels have already been set for Janet Jackson. Anyone who jumps on now will be getting a free ride." McClain responded by saying "I'm not trying to pimp Janet Jackson or steal her away from her father." He subsequently introduced her to the songwriting/production duo, James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Lewis, former
Prince associates and ex-members of
The TimeThe Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...
.
Composition and production
When Jam and Lewis agreed to produce Jackson's third studio album, they wanted to primarily appeal to the
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community, in addition to achieving
crossoverCrossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
success on the pop music charts. Jam commented in an interview with
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, "[w]e wanted to do an album that would be in every black home in America ... we were going for
the black album of all time." Prior to their association with Jackson, Jam and Lewis had originally planned to record an album with tracks they wrote for
Sharon BryantSharon Bryant is an American R&B singer. She began her career as the lead singer of the R&B group Atlantic Starr in 1976.Bryant sang lead on songs such as "When Love Calls" and "Circles"...
, but she found their lyrics and sound to be too "rambunctious". The duo presented the same set of recordings to Jackson, who gave her input and took co-writing and co-production credits for the album's content. Jam and Lewis recalled that in order to fully collaborate with Jackson on the material, they spent the first week simply getting to know their new client. Lewis explained that "[w]e got into her head. We saw what she was capable of, what she wanted to say, where she wanted to be, what she wanted to be. We put together some songs to fit her as we saw her, as she revealed herself to us. It was as simple as that."
For the song "What Have You Done for Me Lately", which was originally penned for one of Jam and Lewis's own records, the lyrics were rewritten to convey Jackson's feelings about her recent annulment from James DeBarge. The song was chosen as the
lead singleA lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
for
Control, as Jam and Lewis felt it best represented Jackson's outlook on life. "Nasty", which in Jackson's opinion was the most innovative song on the album, was inspired by one of her experiences in Minneapolis when a group of men made crude advances towards her outside of the hotel she resided at during the recording of
Control. She recalled: "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." Jimmy Jam wrote and played the keyboard arrangement, with Jackson playing the accompaniment. Background vocals were sung by Jackson, Jam and Lewis. The distinctive triplet swing beat of the song was developed by Jam via
Ensoniq MirageThe Ensoniq Corporation's Mirage was an 8-bit sampler introduced in 1984. Priced below $2000 with features previously only found on more expensive samplers like the Fairlight CMI, it became a best seller....
keyboard. "Let's Wait Awhile" was centered around safe-sex and abstinence, a subject of significant social commentary at the time. Jam commented that it is common practice for songwriters to use current events as a means of inspiration for lyrics and that the
AIDS pandemicThe acquired immune deficiency syndrome pandemic is a widespread disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus .Since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, it has led to the deaths of more than 25 million people, making it one of the most destructive diseases in recorded history.Despite recent...
had raised awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. He commented "[t]he theme of the song (`Let's Wait Awhile') 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."
Though Joseph Jackson initially demanded his daughter's new album be recorded in Los Angeles in order to keep an eye out for her, Jam and Lewis refused. They required the entire production of the album to be done at their own studio in Minneapolis, "far from the glitter and distractions of Hollywood and the interference of manager-fathers." Jam stated "[w]e required that they put her in our hands. We had to do it on our turf, with no bodyguards, no star trips and none of Joe Jackson's people hanging around making suggestions."
Control was recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios, the site for
Flyte Tyme RecordsFlyte Time Records is the record label started by producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It is now part of Universal Records....
, founded by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in Minneapolis, Minnesota; John McClain served as the executive producer. Jam and Lewis were the primary instrumentalists for the recording, including percussion, piano, drums, and also provided background vocals. Jackson accompanied Jam and Lewis on keyboard and took part in composing the arrangements. Stephen Holden of
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
observed the album was prominent example of the developing relationship with musicians and modern technology, stating "... technology has altered the form, shape, scale and even the meaning of popular music ... The album wasn't created by a studio band, as were most pop-rock albums in the 1960s and '70s, but by the producers and the singer programming mechanized drum and keyboard textures." Jackson's father disapproved of the new material and image of
Control, claiming it would never sell. In a cover story for
SpinSpin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine titled "Damn It, Janet: The Battle for Control of Janet Jackson," Joseph was reported saying "[i]f Janet listens to me, she'll be as big as Michael." She and McClain disregarded his objections. Commenting on the final product, Jackson stated: "It's aggressive, cocky, very forward. It expresses exactly who I am and how I feel. I've taken control of my own life. This time I'm gonna do it my way."
Release and promotion
Although A&M did not consider a full concert tour to promote Jackson's album, the label funded a three-week promotional tour across the United States in 13 cities following its release.
Control topped the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and the
Top R&B/Black AlbumsTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. The
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) first certified
Control gold in April, 1986, denoting 500,000 units shipped within the United States. Two months later, in June, 1986, the album was RIAA certified platinum, denoting 1,000,000 units shipped. Three years later,
Control was RIAA certified fivefold platinum in October, 1989. Since its debut,
Control has sold over fourteen million copies worldwide. In addition to the studio release, a remix album,
Control: The Remixes- Personnel :* Melanie Andrews – Vocal Arrangement* Tuta Aquino – Editing* Mark Collen – Compilation* Steve Hodge – Mixing, Mixing Engineer* Janet Jackson – Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Rhythm Arrangements...
, was released in select countries in November, 1987.
Jackson's lyrical expression has been noted as one of the key elements of the album's success. Author Dave Marsh in
The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made (1999) comments: "Certainly, Janet must have written her own lyrics, which went after men—in particular, not very well disguised stand-ins for her father and former husband—more venomously than another guy would have dared.
Control, the resulting album, was one of the best-sellers of 1986-1987, producing five hit singles." The album's
lead singleA lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "What Have You Done for Me Lately", peaked at number four on the
Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and at number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. The single was certified gold by the RIAA in November, 1990. The song was compared favorably to similar recordings of female empowerment released by black women, such as "
New Attitude"New Attitude" is a song performed by Patti LaBelle and written by Sharon Teresa Robinson, Jon Gilutin, and Bunny Hull. It was released in January 1985 and helped launch LaBelle's solo career as a pop music singer after the singer had spent seven years without a hit following the break-up of...
" by
Patti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, "
Better Be Good to Me"Better Be Good to Me" is a hit single from Tina Turner's solo album, Private Dancer. The song had originally been released in 1981 by Spider, a band from New York City with co-writer Holly Knight as a member. The Turner version was successful in the United States on the Hot 100 and the US...
" by
Tina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
and "
Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a hit duet recorded between British pop duo Eurythmics and American soul/R&B musician Aretha Franklin, released as a single by RCA Records in October 1985...
" by
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
.
Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
commented: "What you're seeing in all the areas of arts and entertainment is black women internalizing the idea of black power and pride ... Black women started listening to their inner cues, rather than society or even the black community's idea of what they are supposed to be and can be." "Nasty", the album's second single, beat "What Have You Done for Me Lately" by one position, peaking at number three on the Hot 100 and at number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. It was certified gold in November, 1990. Critic Jon Bream noted "the songwriters have slyly juxtaposed a nasty-sounding groove and the repetition of the word 'nasty' with a subtle antinasty message."
"When I Think of You" reached number one on the Hot 100, becoming Jackson's first single to top the chart, and was certified gold in November, 1990. The album's fourth single and title track, "Control", reached its peak position at number five on the Hot 100 and at number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, later certified gold by the RIAA in November, 1990. "Let's Wait Awhile" reached the number two position on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. Clarence Page of the
Chicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
commented in a similar vein to "Nasty", the ballad "throw[s] cold water on the passions of young love 'before we go too far'." Unlike its predecessors, "The Pleasure Principle" did not reach within the top five of the Hot 100, instead peaking at number fourteen. It did, however, become Jackson's fifth number one single on the Hot Black Singles chart. Each of the album's singles excluding "Let's Wait Awhile" peaked within the top five of the
Billboard Club Play Singles. "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" was not released as a commercial single in the United States. Abroad, it peaked at number 59 on the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Jesus Garber, then-director of A&M's black music marketing and promotion, noted that in addition to crossover promotion from black to pop music charts, music video was utilized to launch Jackson into super stardom. Eric Henderson of
Slant MagazineSlant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
credits the release of
Control as "the birth of Janet the music video star, as six of the nine tracks were turned into popular videos that all but announced her as queen of the production dance number." Henderson commented that Jackson's dancing ability, trained by a then-unknown
Paula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, only served to propel her into further stardom. Charlie Minor, then-senior vice president of promotion for A&M stated: "The images completed the image of Janet Jackson with the buyer ... They gave her a face, dance, action identity with the songs, and a visual image of her as a rock 'n' roll star." Jonathan Cohen of
Billboard magazine commented "[Jackson's] accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader, beat-driven musical mix." The video for "Nasty" received three nominations for the fifth annual
1987 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 1987 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 11, 1987, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1986, to May 1, 1987. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Carolyne Heldman, Kevin Seal, Michael Tomioka, and Dweezil Zappa, and it took place at the Universal Amphitheatre...
, winning Best Choreography for Paula Abdul.
Critical reception
Rolling Stone's Rob Hoerburger commented that the "sharp-tongued" Janet Jackson is "more concerned with identity than with playlists", as
Control declares she is no longer the Jacksons' baby sister. Hoerburger expressed that tracks such as "Nasty" and "What Have You Done for Me Lately" erased the former "pop-ingénue image" of Jackson's first two albums, and that "
Control is a better album than
Diana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
has made in five years and puts Janet in a position similar to the young
Donna SummerLaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
's—unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it." Steven Ivory of
Billboard expressed "[v]ocally, Jackson is more aggressive than ever. Indeed, her exhibition of sass and funkiness is certainly more provocative" in comparison to her previous work.
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
wrote: "Jackson has gone a long way in shaking off the experience of being a shadow Jackson child. She is an artist in her own right."
NewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
stated "[i]n an era of big-voiced pop-soul divas ... her current hit album, is taut, funky, hard as nails, an alternative to the sentimental balladry and opulent arrangements of
Patti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
and
Whitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
." Robert Christgau "scoffed at Janet's claims of autonomy", but gave the album a B rating based on "its entertainment value".
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
critic Connie Johnson wrote: "Though still a teen-ager, this singer's stance is remarkably nervy and mature. She has a snotty sort of assurance that permeates several cuts, plus the musical muscle to back it up."
Jon ParelesJon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
notes
Control takes obvious influence from Prince, describing "[t]he album's pacing, its clipped vocal lines—even the spoken introduction that starts things off" as pure
Minneapolis soundThe Minneapolis sound is a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, R&B and New Wave that was pioneered by Prince in the late 1970s. Its popularity was given a boost throughout the 1980s, thanks to his musical adherents, including The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Morris Day, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Ta...
; he adds "[b]ut where the Prince style is usually connected with heavy-breathing come-ons, Miss Jackson is cheerfully standoffish."
For the
29th Annual Grammy AwardsThe 29th Grammy Awards were held in 1987. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Russ Titelman , Steve Winwood for "Higher Love"*Album of the Year...
,
Control received four nominations:
Album of the YearThe Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
,
Best R&B SongThe Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
for "What Have You Done For Me Lately",
Best Female R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
and
Non-Classical Producer of the YearThe Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
for Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Jam and Lewis won Producer of the Year. The album earned a record breaking twelve nomination from the
American Music Awards-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, winning four. Jackson also won three
Soul Train Music AwardsThe Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
and six
Billboard Music Awards.
Later reviews continue to find the album favorable.
Eric HendersonEric Charles Henderson is an American football defensive end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
of Slant Magazine expressed that the misconception that
Control is Jackson's debut album only confirmed the "quintessential statement on personal and artistic self-actualization" that it set out to accomplish. Henderson claimed critics who judged Jackson harshly for her thin voice "somehow missed the explosive 'gimme a beat' vocal pyrotechnics she unleashes all over "Nasty" ... Or that they completely dismissed how perfect her tremulous hesitance fits into the abstinence anthem "Let's Wait Awhile." However, Henderson also commented that the "Jam-Lewis formula wasn't completely infallible" as "You Can Be Mine" and "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)," were two of the album's least impressive misfires. While William Ruhlmann of Allmusic commented Jackson "came across as an aggressive, independent woman", he asserts the album's true value is the production talents of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Legacy
Control is widely considered to be the breakthrough of Jackson's career, establishing both her independence and dominance in the realm of popular music.
JetJet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...
magazine commented that although the Jackson family's musical legacy had given her an opportunity to tap into an international audience,
Control was the turning point at which "her career took off and she became a bona fide superstar.
Control showcased Janet as a person who was firmly and finally in control of her own life." Dennis Hunt of the
Los Angeles Times wrote: "Previously, she had recorded two unsophisticated, kiddie soul albums. If you listened carefully to that kid stuff, there was a grown-up singer there somewhere struggling to get out. [Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis] liberated the real Janet Jackson."
According to Ricky Vincent, author of
Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One (1996), Jam and Lewis's collaboration with her is said to have been one of the high points of the 1980s, as they had redefined dance music by mixing a youthful sound with industrial-strength beats. As documented by musicologist Richard J. Ripani, author of
The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950-1999 (2006),
Control is regarded as one of the most influential albums in the history of rhythm and blues and the first album to bridge the gap between R&B and rap music. Its success in both the mainstream R&B and pop music charts "led to the incorporation of many of the stylistic traits of rap over the next few years, and Janet Jackson was to continue to be one of the leaders in that development." Furthermore, the album's second single "Nasty" has been credited with influencing the
new jack swingNew jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
genre, pioneered by
Teddy RileyTeddy Riley is the name of:* Teddy Riley , jazz trumpeter* Teddy Riley , singer-songwriter, musician, record producer...
.
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) wrote the album impacted popular music with a "blockbuster momentum all its own", while Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine noted
Control "was every bit the hit machine that her brother's
ThrillerThriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
was." Steve Morse of the
The Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
commented: "All things considered, 1986 was a stellar year for the black female vocalist—the best, in fact, since the disco era of a decade back ... Black music crossed over to the pop charts in dramatic fashion, with Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle and Janet Jackson each having No. 1 albums."
In addition to stepping out of the Jackson family shadow,
Control established Jackson as one of the preeminent female artists of popular music, rivaling fellow pop star
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, as critics began to acknowledge their influence on the record industry and younger artists. With regard to marketing singles, Paul Grein of
Billboard reported: "10 or 20 years ago you would have had two singles from an album at the most. Now we're in an era where Madonna is on her fifth single from the album True Blue and Janet Jackson is on her sixth from the LP Control." Jackson subsequently became the first female artist to produce six top 40 hits on the
Billboard Hot 100 from a single album.
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Paul Grein wrote a segment titled "The influence of Madonna and Janet Jackson", reporting Debbie Gibson's manager Doug Breitbart claimed "Madonna has brought back a really strong, melodic component to pop music", while
Teen BeatTeen Beat was an American magazine geared towards teenaged readers.First published in August 1976, the magazine was preceded by sister publications 16 Magazine, published in 1956, and Tiger Beat, which was first published in 1965...
editor Maggie Murphy remarked "Janet Jackson may have started this more than anyone else." Anthony DeCurtis, author of
Present Tense: Rock & Roll and Culture (1992) wrote that "Madonna and Janet Jackson have produced videos that explore the female
gazeGaze is a psychoanalytical term brought into popular usage by Jacques Lacan to describe the anxious state that comes with the awareness that one can be viewed. The psychological effect, Lacan argues, is that the subject loses some sense of autonomy upon realizing that he or she is a visible object...
," and described Jackson's music video for "Nasty" as
feminist theoryFeminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical discourse, it aims to understand the nature of gender inequality...
on film that deconstructs the objectification of women.
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) documented that within two years of the release of
Control, "a new crop of female singers (such as Paula Abdul and
Karyn WhiteKaryn White was a new jack swing singer who became popular during the late 1980s.-Biography:White was born in Los Angeles,to the parentage of Vivian and Clarence White. She is the youngest of five children...
) were charged with imitating Janet."
Control has been honored by several music publication in recognition of its impact on the recording industry, including "
Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the Eighties",
QQ is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine's "100 Women Who Rock The World", Slant Magazine's "Vital Pop: 50 Essential Pop Albums",
Vibe magazine's "100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century" and "The Unfadeable 51", and the
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
's "The Definitive 200: Top 200 Albums of All-Time".
The GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described the album's release as one of the 50 key events in the history of R&B and hip hop.
Accolades
| Organization |
Country |
Accolade |
Year |
Source |
| Billboard Music Awards The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
|
United States |
Top Black Artist, Top Black Singles Artist, Top Dance Club Play Artist, Top Dance Sales Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist, Female |
1986 |
|
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s |
United States |
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
|
1987 |
|
| American Music Awards |
United States |
Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Nasty"), Favorite Female Video Artist, Soul/R&B |
1987 |
|
| Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
|
United States |
Best Music Video ("What Have You Done For Me Lately"), Album of the Year, Female (Control) |
1987 |
|
| MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
|
United States |
Best Choreography ("Nasty") |
1987 |
|
| American Music Awards |
United States |
Favorite Soul/R&B video ("When I Think of You"), Favorite Pop/Rock Video ("When I Think of You") |
1988 |
|
| Soul Train Music Awards |
United States |
Best Music Video ("Control") |
1988 |
|
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
|
United States |
"Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the Eighties" (ranked 28) |
1989 |
|
| Vibe |
United States |
"100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century" (no rank) |
1999 |
|
| Q Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
|
United Kingdom |
"100 Women Who Rock The World" (ranked 72) |
2002 |
|
| Slant Magazine Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
|
United States |
"Vital Pop: 50 Essential Pop Albums" (no rank) |
2003 |
|
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
|
United States |
"The Definitive 200: Top 200 Albums of All-Time" (ranked 86) |
2007 |
|
| Vibe |
United States |
"The Unfadeable 51" (no rank) |
2008 |
|
Track listing
All songs co-produced by Janet Jackson except for "Let's Wait Awhile".
(*) denotes co-producer
Personnel
- Janet Jackson – vocals, background vocals, keyboards, bells
- Melanie Andrews – background vocals
- Troy Anthony – saxophone
- Jerome Benton
Jerome Benton is an American musical performer, backup dancer and comedic actor. He can be seen in music videos by Janet Jackson and Prince, but he is best known for his association with The Time....
– vocals
- Spencer Bernard – synthesizer, guitar
- Geoff Bouchieiz – guitar
- Mark Cardenas – synthesizer
- Roger Dumas – drums, programming
- Jimmy Jam – synthesizer, percussion, piano, drums, vocals, background vocals
- Jellybean Johnson
Jellybean Johnson is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota...
– guitar, vocals
- Lisa Keith
Lisa Keith is an American Christian contemporary/pop singer, probably best known for her work as a backing vocalist for other artists and lead vocalist on Herb Alpert's hit single from 1987, "Making Love in the Rain"...
– background vocals
- Terry Lewis – percussion, vocals, background vocals
- John McClain – producer
- Monte Moir
Monte Moir is the original and current keyboardist for The Time, as well as songwriter and producer for Janet Jackson, Alexander O'Neal, Gladys Knight, the Deja duo and Lolly Pop. He is also credited for working with Prince, Vanity 6, Deniece Williams, Thelma Houston and various other artists...
– synthesizer, guitar, drums
- Nicholas Raths – acoustic and 12-string guitar
- Gwendolyn Traylor – background vocals
- Hami Wave – background vocals
Charts
| Chart (1986–89) |
Peak
position |
| Australian Albums Chart The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
|
25 |
| Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
|
11 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...
|
7 |
| German Albums Chart The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
|
36 |
| Japanese Albums Chart , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
|
82 |
New Zealand Albums ChartThe Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
|
5 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
|
47 |
| Swiss Albums Chart The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
|
28 |
| UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
|
8 |
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
1 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
|
1 |
Certifications
| Country |
Certification |
| Canada Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
|
Platinum |
| Netherlands The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry...
|
Platinum |
| United Kingdom The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
|
Platinum |
United StatesThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
|
5× Platinum |
Singles
| Year of release | Single | Billboard Hot 100 | Billboard Hot Black Singles | Billboard Club Play Singles |
| 1986 |
"What Have You Done for Me Lately" |
4 |
1 |
2 |
| 1986 |
"Nasty" |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| 1986 |
"When I Think of You" |
1 |
3 |
1 |
| 1986 |
"Control" |
5 |
1 |
1 |
| 1987 |
"Let's Wait Awhile" |
2 |
1 |
– |
| 1987 |
"The Pleasure Principle" |
14 |
1 |
1 |
External links
Further reading
- Cornwell, Jane. Janet Jackson. Carlton Books, 2002. ISBN 1-84222-464-6