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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_jj.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Get the point? Good. '''Let's dance!"''''']]
[floatboxright:Influences:
+ Music/TinaTurner, Creator/DorothyDandridge, Music/DianaRoss, The Ronettes, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/TheJacksonFive, Music/TheSupremes, Music/JoniMitchell, Music/TracyChapman, Music/{{U2}}, Music/{{Bob Dylan}}, Chaka Khan, Music/StevieWonder, Music/{{Prince}}, Lena Horne]
[floatboxright:Influenced:
+ Music/DestinysChild, Music/{{Beyonce}}, Music/{{Rihanna}}, Creator/JenniferLopez, Music/{{Ciara}}, Music/{{Tinashe}}, Music/BrunoMars, Music/KendrickLamar, Music/{{Robyn}}, Music/JustinTimberlake, Music/JanelleMonae, Music/MariahCarey, Music/MissyElliott, Music/SpiceGirls, Music/{{Pink}}, Music/BritneySpears, Music/LadyGaga, Music/ChrisBrown, Music/PanicAtTheDisco, Music/{{Solange}}, and so on]

->''"No, my first name ain't Baby, it's '''Janet''',''
->'''''Ms. Jackson if you're nasty!"'''''
-->-- '''"Nasty"'''

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana) is an American recording artist and actress. Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised in the UsefulNotes/LosAngeles suburb of Encino, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, she is the youngest child of the [[Music/TheJacksonFive Jackson family]] of musicians and the younger sister of Music/{{Michael|Jackson}}. She first performed on stage with her family beginning at the age of seven, and later started her career as an actress with the variety television series ''The Jacksons'' in 1976. She went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including ''Series/GoodTimes'', ''Series/DiffrentStrokes'', and ''Fame''.

At age sixteen in 1982, she signed a recording contract with [[Creator/AAndMRecords A&M]], releasing her self-titled debut album the same year. She faced criticism for her limited vocal range, and for being yet another member of the Jackson family trying to ride Michael's coattails to easy fame.[[note]]She wasn't even the first girl, as Music/LaToyaJackson's self-titled debut predated Janet's by two years[[/note]] After her second album ''Dream Street'' (1984) flopped, Janet began a long-term collaboration with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to produce her third album ''Control'' (1986), even temporarily moving to their hometown of [[UsefulNotes/TwinCities Minneapolis]] during production specifically to distance herself from her family. Her music with Jam and Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, disco, funk, rap with sample loop, triplet swing, and industrial beats. Its unique sound led to crossover appeal in popular music (rare for black artists at the time) and pioneered the NewJackSwing subgenre of R&B. In addition to receiving recognition for the innovation in her albums, choreography, music videos, and prominence on MTV, Jackson was also acknowledged as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics.

In 1991, she signed the first of two record-breaking, multi-million dollar recording contracts with Creator/VirginRecords, which established her as one of the highest paid artists in the music industry. Her debut album under the Virgin label, ''janet.'' (1993), saw Jackson develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work. That same year, she appeared in her first starring film role in ''Film/PoeticJustice'' opposite Music/TupacShakur; since then she has continued to act in feature films. By the end of the 1990s, she was named the second most successful recording artist of the decade. ''All for You'' (2001) became her fifth consecutive studio album to hit number one on the Billboard 200 album charts. In 2007, she changed labels, signing with the Island Def Jam Music Group and released her tenth studio album ''Discipline'' the following year.

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Jackson is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, with 26 million certified albums. Her longevity, records and achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music. She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers.

She was inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 2019 on her third nomination.

!!Discography:
* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Janet Jackson]]'' (1982)
* ''Dream Street'' (1984)
* ''Music/{{Control}}'' (1986)
* ''[[Music/RhythmNation1814 Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' (1989)
* ''Music/JanetPeriod'' (1993)
* ''Music/TheVelvetRope'' (1997)
* ''Music/AllForYou'' (2001)
* ''Damita Jo'' (2004)
* ''20 Y.O.'' (2006)
* ''Discipline'' (2008)
* ''Unbreakable'' (2015)
* ''Black Diamond'' (TBD)

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Remix albums: ]]

* ''Control: The Remixes'' (1987)
* ''janet. Remixed'' (1995)

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Compilations: ]]

* ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum Design of a Decade 1986/1996]]'' (1995)
* ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum Number Ones / The Best]]'' (2009)

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Notable songs: ]]

* "Nasty"
* "When I Think of You"
* "Control"
* "LetsWaitAWhile"
* "What Have You Done For Me Lately?"
* "The Pleasure Principle"
* "Diamonds" (with Music/HerbAlpert & Lisa Keith)
* "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)"
* "Miss You Much"
* "Rhythm Nation"
* "Escapade"
* "Alright"
* "Come Back to Me"
* "Black Cat"
* "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
* "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (With Luthor Vandross)
* "That's the Way Love Goes"
* "If"
* "Again"
* "Any Time, Any Place"
* "Scream" (With Music/MichaelJackson)
* "Throb"
* "You Want This"
* "Runaway"
* "Twenty Foreplay"
* "Got 'til It's Gone"
* "Together Again"
* "I Get Lonely" (featuring Blackstreet)
* "What's It Gonna Be?!" (with Music/BustaRhymes)
* "No Sleeep" (with Music/JCole)

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Filmography ]]

* ''Film/PoeticJustice'' (1993) as Justice
* ''Film/NuttyProfessorIITheKlumps'' (2000) as Professor Denise Gaines
* ''Film/WhyDidIGetMarried'' (2007) as Dr. Patricia Agnew
* ''Film/WhyDidIGetMarriedToo?'' (2010) as Dr. Patricia Agnew
* ''For Colored Girls'' (2010) as Joanna/Red

!!Janet Jackson is the {{Trope Namer|s}} for:
* LetsWaitAWhile
* WardrobeMalfunction

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!!"Tropes Will Never Do Without You":
* AlternateMusicVideo: "Together Again" has two music videos: The most famous one, directed by Seb Janiak, features Janet and several backup dancers in an [[{{Afrofuturism}} Afrofuturistic paradise]] set on the Serengeti. The lesser-known version made for the "Deeper Remix", directed by Jackson's then-husband Rene Elizondo Jr., depicts her in an apartment remembering a lost lover.
* {{Anvilicious}}: Invoked by Creator/{{VH1}} with a warning about why Janet was performing her ClusterFBomb DomesticAbuse TheReasonYouSuckSpeech "What About" at the 1998 ''[=VH1=] Fashion Awards'' as opposed to one of her lighter, catchier songs.
* AutoTune: Employs this to full effect in "All For You".
* BilingualBonus: The intro and outro of "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" is spoken in [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench French]].
* BrainsAndBondage: ''The Velvet Rope'', arguably her most intellectual album where she addresses topics such as social isolation, depression, and spousal abuse, also explores her BDSM kink.
* BrotherSisterTeam: "Scream" duet with Michael on his [=HIStory=] album.
* BSide: She even [[MediumAwareness says it]] at the beginning of "And On And On." Other b-sides include "You Need Me," "One More Chance," and "70's Love Groove."
* CallBack: "Shoulda Known Better" from ''Unbreakable'' is about the consequences that can arise from making choices that aren't fully thought out. The song ends with a WhamLine:
-->"I had this great epiphany
-->And ''Rhythm Nation'' was that dream
-->I guess next time I'll know better."
* CanonDiscontinuity: Pretty much no one cares about her self-titled debut and ''Dream Street''. They're acknowledged on her website, but she never performs songs from them and fans like to treat ''Control'' as her "true" debut (as well they should).
* ConceptAlbum: All her "official" albums have been like this, to an extent.
** ''Control'' was about becoming independent and discovering relationships.
** ''Rhythm Nation'' was about social justice and political agenda, as well as love and hope.
** ''janet.'' was about sexual relationships and expressing one's freedom through sex.
** ''Velvet Rope'' was about depression as well as continuing ''Rhythm Nation'' and ''janet.'' 's themes of social issues and sex.
** ''All For You'', ''Damita Jo'' and ''20 Y.O'' were about letting go, having fun and having a lighter attitude towards sex.
** ''Discipline'' was about the future and dancing. [[OverlyLongGag And sex.]]
** ''Unbreakable'' was a reflection on both losing her brother Michael and her breakup with R&B producer Jermaine Dupri. This time, there was very little sex ("No Sleeep" was the sole song on there that alluded to sex, but not in the explicit way typical of Janet songs past) -- her marriage to Qatari business magnate Wissam Al Mana and reported conversion to Islam have toned that all down.
* CoverVersion:
** She covered Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night" for ''The Velvet Rope''.
** She also covered "Rock with You."
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Rhythm Nation'', compared to ''Control''. ''The Velvet Rope'' compared to ''janet.'' and the rest of her output in general.
* HandOrObjectUnderwear: The poster included in ''Janet.'' that was famously reproduced on a September 1993 ''Rolling Stone'' cover of her topless with Rene Elizondo standing behind her and covering her breasts with his hands.
%%* HipHopSoul
* HotterAndSexier: Janet originally was clothed from neck to toe in nearly all her videos ("Pleasure Principle" being the most notable exception). But she introduced [[NewLookSameGreatTaste a new, more revealing look]] with the "Love Will Never Do Without You" video and never looked back. That is until the [[TamerAndChaster Unbreakable]] era.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: Seemed to become a habit (at ''least'' once per album) from "Throb" on 1993's ''janet.'' up to the title track off of 2008's ''Discipline,'' where this would occur at some point a song (or interlude). "Throb" and "My Need" off of ''The Velvet Rope'' even have her moaning and groaning looped throughout as part of the actual music. And even "Someday Is Tonight" off ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' and "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" off of ''Control'' both feature her either breathing in a sexual manner, or moaning suggestively, at some point.
* IntercourseWithYou: '''Good lord, woman.'''
** She even has various songs about specific acts! S&M, public sex, casual party sex, fellatio, cunnilingus, B&D, masturbation, pole dancing, probably plenty of others.
** One of her concert acts is seating a male audience member in a chair on stage and sensually feeling him up. It's safe to assume that said audience member is perfectly okay with this.
* LighterAndSofter: ''All For You'', especially compared to ''The Velvet Rope''.
* LyricalDissonance: Subverted with "Together Again"; being a peppy, upbeat pop song about the death of a loved one, you'd ''think'' it's this at first, but the lyrics indicate that it's supposed to be about ''accepting'' death rather than mourning it and remembering the one who has passed.
* MetaphorIsMyMiddleName: From "Nasty" on ''Control'': "Privacy is my middle name; my last name is control."
* TheMinneapolisSound: ''Control'' and ''Rhythm Nation'' were produced by former Music/{{Prince}} associates Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Janet herself was a big fan of Music/TheTime, so it makes sense she was heavy on the sound for those two albums; albeit with a new jack emphasis for ''Rhythm Nation''.
* MsFanservice:
** ''Especially'' during the ''All For You'' phase. And as mentioned above, she's been known to (ahem) "service" male fans on stage by feeling them up.
** Naughty By Nature's "It's On" opens with the line, "Put us on a planet damn it where all the slamsters look like Janet."
* NewJackSwing: ''Control'' was the album that kickstarted the genre and Janet is one of its most successful artists, behind only Bobby Brown and her brother [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]].
* NoEnding: "Special", the last track on ''The Velvet Rope'', ends abruptly after its second verse, with the music cutting out to Janet saying "work in progress", followed by several seconds of silence until the HiddenTrack "Can't Be Stopped".
* ObligatoryBondageSong: "Discipline" is a kinky song from a submissive's perspective.
* OneSteveLimit: With "I Get Lonely" from ''The Velvet Rope'' being the more popular song, most casual listeners probably don't know about "Lonely" from ''Rhythm Nation.''
* OneWomanWail: A very long example forms the centerpiece of the last two minutes of "This Time".
* {{Sampling}}: Janet has sampled various songs. Some examples include the following:
** "So Much Betta" samples "Daftendirekt" by Music/DaftPunk.
** "All Nite (Don't Stop)" samples the funky guitar riff from "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" by Herbie Hancock.
** "Someone To Call My Lover" samples the acoustic guitar riff from "Ventura Highway" by Music/{{America}}.
** "All For You" samples "The Glow of Love" by Change.
** "Velvet Rope" samples the opening of ''Music/TubularBells'' by Music/MikeOldfield, also known as the theme to ''Film/TheExorcist''.
** "Rhythm Nation" samples "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone. She seems to really like this, as it was also sampled for "Scream Louder."
* SelfDeprecation: "Didn't quite hit the note, that wasn't such a good time." from "Runaway."
* ShoutOut:
** On "70's Love Groove," she references lines from other songs on the ''janet.'' album. Namely: "You Want This," "If," "The Body That Loves You."
** The video to "You Want This" is one to Russ Meyers' 1966 ExploitationFilm masterpiece ''Film/FasterPussycatKillKill'', with hot women and car chases.
* SpellingSong: The background vocals in the chorus for "Miss You Much":
-->"M-I-S-S you much"
* StarsAreSouls: "Together Again" (a song about accepting the death of a loved one) has a chorus that goes like this:
-->''Everywhere I go\\
Every smile I see\\
I know you are there\\
Smilin' back at me\\
Dancin' in moonlight\\
I know you are free\\
'Cause I can see your star\\
Shinin' down on me''
* TamerAndChaster: Her 2015 album "Unbreakable" was almost free of sexual content, and is very tame, especially when compared to her previous albums. She is also now fully clothed in concerts, with no real fanservice.
* TropeCodifier: She codified many tropes for female pop/R&B singers in the decades since she became popular, such as her performance style, fashion and even her ability to crossover into the mainstream from R&B music (which historically has been somewhat difficult for non-white artists).
%%* WanderlustSong: “Runaway”.
* AWildRapperAppears:
** MC Lyte on "You Want This."
** Music/HeavyD appears on the 7" House Mix of her 1990 single, "Alright". Also, [[Music/PublicEnemy Chuck D]] on "New Agenda"
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-->''[[TheStinger That's the end?]]''
----