View source for Janet Jackson

{{Short description|American singer and songwriter (born 1966)}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Janet Jackson
| image              = JanetJacksonUnbreakableTourSanFran2015 (cropped).jpg
| alt                = Janet Jackson, on stage, with big curly hair looking to her left
| caption            = Jackson in 2015
| birth_name         = Janet Damita Jo Jackson
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1966|05|16}}
| birth_place        = [[Gary, Indiana]], US
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|[[James DeBarge]]|1984|1985|end=annulled}}|{{marriage|[[René Elizondo Jr.]]|1991|2003|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|Wissam Al Mana|2012|2017|end=separated}}}}
| partner            = [[Jermaine Dupri]] (2002–2009)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/cmplxtara-mahadevan/jermaine-dupri-jokingly-responds-to-notion-he-fumbled-janet |title=Jermaine Dupri Jokingly Responds to Notion He 'Fumbled' Janet Jackson |website=Complex |date=June 24, 2024 |access-date=August 11, 2024 |archive-date=August 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811221517/https://www.complex.com/music/a/cmplxtara-mahadevan/jermaine-dupri-jokingly-responds-to-notion-he-fumbled-janet |url-status=live }}</ref>
| children           = 1
| parents            = {{ubl|[[Katherine Jackson]]|[[Joe Jackson (manager)|Joe Jackson]]}}
| family             = [[Jackson family]]
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Singer
* songwriter
* actress
* dancer
}}
| years_active       = 1974–present
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Janet Jackson|Full list]]
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| background         = solo_singer
| genre              = {{flatlist|
* [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]
* [[Pop music|pop]]
* [[Dance music|dance]]
* [[new jack swing]]
}}
|instrument          = {{flatlist|
* Vocals
* keyboards
}}
|label               = {{flatlist|
* [[A&M Records|A&M]]
* [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
* [[Island Records|Island]]
* Rhythm Nation
* [[BMG Rights Management|BMG]]
* [[Cinq Music Group|Cinq]]}}
| publishers         = [[Believe Music]]
| website            = {{URL|janetjackson.com}}
}}
| signature          = Janet Jackson sig.svg
}}

'''Janet Damita Jo Jackson''' (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. An influential figure in [[popular culture]], she is known for her innovative works that incorporate socially conscious and sexually provocative themes, as well as her elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of [[MTV]], breaking American [[Gender inequality in the United States|gender]] and [[Racism against Black Americans|racial]] barriers and enabling her rise to prominence. Lyrical content that concerned social issues and deeply felt experiences contributed to the appeal of Jackson's work to the youth audience.

The tenth and youngest child of the [[Jackson family]], Jackson starred in multiple television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including ''[[Good Times]]'', ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' and ''[[Fame (1982 TV series)|Fame]]''. After signing with [[A&M Records]] in 1982, Jackson achieved global stardom with the albums ''[[Control (Janet Jackson album)|Control]]'' (1986) and ''[[Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814|Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' (1989). These projects led to crossover success in [[popular music]] and influenced the development of the [[new jack swing]] fusion genre. In the 1990s, Jackson became one of the highest-paid musicians, signing two of the [[List of largest music deals|largest music deals of all time]] with [[Virgin Records]]. She cemented her [[sex symbol]] status with a leading role in the film ''[[Poetic Justice (film)|Poetic Justice]]'' (1993) and the albums ''[[Janet (album)|Janet]]'' (1993) and ''[[The Velvet Rope]]'' (1997).

Jackson achieved her [[Artists with the most number-ones on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart|tenth US number-one single]] with the [[All for You (Janet Jackson song)|title track]] from her seventh studio album, ''[[All for You (Janet Jackson album)|All for You]]'' (2001). Following [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|the controversy]] surrounding her [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show|2004 Super Bowl halftime show]], Jackson experienced a career decline. She faced an industry [[blacklisting]] under the direction of [[Les Moonves]], then-CEO of [[CBS]], resulting in reduced radio airplay, televised promotion, and sales figures of her music catalog. The aftermath impacted the commercial performance of her eighth studio album, ''[[Damita Jo (album)|Damita Jo]]'' (2004). Over the next decades, Jackson continued to perform and release new music, including the studio albums ''[[20 Y.O.]]'' (2006), ''[[Discipline (Janet Jackson album)|Discipline]]'' (2008), and ''[[Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)|Unbreakable]]'' (2015). Her tenth concert tour, [[Janet Jackson: Together Again|Together Again Tour]] (2023–2024), became the highest-grossing tour of her career.

Jackson is one of the [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling music artists of all time]], with estimated sales of over 100 million records.<!-- Do NOT change the figure without consensus --> She holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] by a female artist (18) and remains the only artist in the history of the chart to have seven singles from one album—''Rhythm Nation 1814''—peak within the top five positions. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' ranked her among the highest-charting musicians in history and the Her accolades]] include five [[Grammy Awards]], 11 [[Billboard Music Awards|''Billboard'' Music Awards]], 11 [[American Music Awards]], 10 [[MTV Video Music Awards]] and eight ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' entries. In 2019, she was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].

== Life and career ==

=== 1966–1985: Early life and career beginnings ===
[[File:Jacksonstvshow.jpg|180px|thumb|left|upright|Jackson (''bottom row'') in a 1977 CBS photo on the set of ''[[The Jacksons (TV series)|The Jacksons]]'']]
Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966, in [[Gary, Indiana]].<ref name="JJ by Cornwell">{{harvnb|Cornwell|2002|pages=2, 10, 24}}</ref> She was the youngest of ten children in the [[Jackson family]], a working-class [[African Americans|African-American]] family living in a two-bedroom house on Jackson Street.{{sfn|Jackson|2009|p=26}} Her mother, [[Katherine Jackson|Katherine Esther Jackson]] (''née'' Scruse), played clarinet, cello, and piano, had aspired to be a [[Country music|country-and-western]] performer, and worked part-time at [[Sears]].{{sfn|Young|2009|pp=17, 19}} Her father, [[Joe Jackson (manager)|Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson]], a former boxer, was a crane operator at [[U.S. Steel]] and played guitar with a local [[rhythm and blues]] band, the Falcons, to supplement the family's income.<ref name="Obit Guardian">{{cite news |last=Sweeting |first=Adam |date=June 27, 2018 |title=Joe Jackson obituary |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/27/joe-jackson-obituary |access-date=April 14, 2019 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208194246/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/27/joe-jackson-obituary |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Young|2009|pp=18–19}} Janet's great-great-grandfather, July "Jack" Gale, was a US Army [[Cavalry scout|scout]]. Family lore held that he was also a Native American [[medicine man]].{{sfn|Knopper|2016|p=6. Note: No tribal affiliation named in source}} Janet grew up with two sisters ([[Rebbie Jackson|Rebbie]] and [[La Toya Jackson|La Toya]]) and six brothers ([[Jackie Jackson|Jackie]], [[Tito Jackson|Tito]], [[Jermaine Jackson|Jermaine]], [[Marlon Jackson|Marlon]], [[Michael Jackson|Michael]] and [[Randy Jackson (The Jacksons)|Randy]]).<ref name="Obit Guardian" /> Another brother, Marlon's twin Brandon, died shortly after birth.<ref>{{cite web |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=June 27, 2018 |title=Joe Jackson, Jackson Family Patriarch, Dies at 89 |url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/joe-jackson-dead-dies-89-1202859242/ |access-date=April 27, 2019 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108051352/https://variety.com/2018/music/news/joe-jackson-dead-dies-89-1202859242/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Jacksons were devout [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], although Janet would later refrain from organized religion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Norment|first=Lynn|title=Janet: On her sexuality, spirituality, failed marriages, and lessons learned|newspaper=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|volume=57|issue=1|page=104|date=November 2001|issn=0012-9011}}</ref>

At a young age, Jackson's brothers began performing as [[the Jackson 5]] in the Chicago-Gary area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejacksons.com/history/the-jacksons-5-60-68/|title=History 60-68 {{!}} The Jacksons {{!}} The Official Website|access-date=October 7, 2022|archive-date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920143141/https://www.thejacksons.com/history/the-jacksons-5-60-68/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In March 1969, they signed a record deal with [[Motown]], and soon had their [[I Want You Back|first number-one hit]]. The family then moved to the [[Encino, Los Angeles|Encino]] neighborhood of Los Angeles.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> Jackson had initially desired to become a horse racing jockey or entertainment lawyer, with plans to support herself through acting. Despite this, she was anticipated to pursue a career in entertainment and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" />

At age seven, Jackson and her sisters [[The Jackson 5 World Tour|performed]] with the Jackson 5 for their revue at the MGM Casino on the [[Las Vegas Strip]].<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> A biography revealed her father, Joseph, was emotionally withdrawn and told her to address him solely by his first name as a child.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> She began acting in the variety show ''[[The Jacksons (TV series)|The Jacksons]]'' in 1976.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" />

In 1977, she was selected to have a starring role as [[Good Times|Penny Gordon Woods]] in the sitcom ''Good Times''.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> She later starred in ''[[A New Kind of Family]]'' and later got a recurring role on ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'', portraying Charlene Duprey from seasons three to six.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> Jackson also played the role of Cleo Hewitt during the fourth season of ''[[Fame (1982 TV series)|Fame]]'', but expressed indifference towards the series, largely due to the emotional stress of her secret marriage to R&B singer [[James DeBarge]]. Jackson later elaborated on her time on the show in an interview with [[Anderson Cooper]], revealing that the cast would occasionally play pranks on her, but she spoke fondly of them.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Fox | first = Norman | title = Indian Summer | work = [[TV.com]] | publisher = [[CBS Interactive]] | url = http://www.tv.com/fame/indian-summer/episode/77620/summary.html | access-date = September 3, 2010 | archive-date = November 8, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121108042131/http://www.tv.com/fame/indian-summer/episode/77620/summary.html | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="Saunders">{{Cite news|last= Saunders |first= Michael | title=The 3 Divas Janet Jackson turns her focus inward | newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] | page=D13 | date=October 3, 1996}}</ref>

When Jackson was fifteen, her father and manager Joseph Jackson arranged a contract for her with [[A&M Records]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Pro Equipment & Services|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=94|issue=19|page=47|date=May 15, 1982}}</ref> Her debut album, ''[[Janet Jackson (album)|Janet Jackson]]'', was released in 1982. It was produced by [[Angela Winbush]], [[René Moore]], Bobby Watson of [[Rufus (band)|Rufus]] and [[Leon Sylvers III]], and overseen by her father Joseph.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> It peaked at number 63 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], and number six on the publication's R&B albums chart, receiving little promotion.<ref name="allmusicprofile">{{Cite web | title = Janet Jackson | work = [[AllMusic]] | url = https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4572 | access-date = July 21, 2010 | archive-date = February 17, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110217221037/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4572 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Billboard Album peaks">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/janet-jackson/chart-history/billboard-200 | title=Janet Jackson – Chart History: ''Billboard'' 200 | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=October 29, 2012 | archive-date=November 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121090821/https://www.billboard.com/artist/janet-jackson/chart-history/billboard-200/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="US-R&B-albums">{{cite magazine | url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Janet Jackson|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Albums B}} | title=Janet Jackson – Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=October 29, 2012}}</ref> The album appeared on the ''Billboard'' Top Black Albums of 1983, while Jackson herself was the highest-ranking female vocalist on the ''Billboard'' Year-End Black Album Artists.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1983/BB-1983-12-24.pdf|title=A ''Billboard'' Spotlight: ''Billboard'' Talent Almanac — 1984 Year-End Charts|magazine=Billboard|pages=TA–14, TA–15, TA–20, TA–23|issue=Special Double|date=December 24, 1983|publisher=Billboard Publication|access-date=October 29, 2012}}</ref>

At the [[American Music Awards of 1983|1983 American Music Awards]], Jackson was seen wearing a hoop earring with a key attached to it. She explained that one of her chores at the [[Hayvenhurst]] family home was to clean the cages of the wild animals that Michael adopted. As she never used a keychain, she kept the cage key on a hoop earring. Since then, Jackson has worn variants of the hoop earring with key on her music videos and live performances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/janet-jackson-grew-giraffes-other-145624634.html |title=Janet Jackson Revealed The True Meaning Behind Her Wildly Talked About Earrings At The 1983 American Music Awards, And I Truly Never Would've Guessed |author=[[BuzzFeed]] |publisher=[[Yahoo!]] |date=September 13, 2024 |access-date=May 17, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/the-story-behind-janet-jacksons-infamous-key-earring.html/ |title=The Story Behind Janet Jackson's Infamous Key Earring |first=Bre |last=Williams |website=Showbiz CheatSheet |date=January 4, 2021 |access-date=May 18, 2026}}</ref> The hoop and key earring she used from 1987 to 1990 is currently on display at the [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2021.28.2 |title=Hoop and key earring worn by Janet Jackson |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |access-date=May 17, 2026}}</ref>

Jackson's second album, ''[[Dream Street (Janet Jackson album)|Dream Street]]'', was released two years later.<ref name="JJ by Cornwell" /> ''Dream Street'' reached number 147 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and number 19 on the R&B albums chart.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref name="US-R&B-albums" /> The lead single "[[Don't Stand Another Chance]]" peaked at number nine on ''Billboard''{{'}}s R&B singles chart.<ref name="US-R&B-singles">{{cite magazine | url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Janet Jackson|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}} | title=Janet Jackson – Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> Both albums consisted primarily of [[bubblegum pop]] music.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r10041|title=Dream Street – Janet Jackson|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 21, 2010|archive-date=March 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301093425/https://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-street-mw0000190415|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1986–1988: ''Control'' ===
[[File:Janet Jackson 1986 (A&M Publicity photo).jpg|thumb|upright|Janet Jackson in 1986]]
After her second album, Jackson terminated business affairs with her family, commenting "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."<ref name="Saunders" /> Attempting a third album, Jackson teamed with producers [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis]]. They set out to achieve crossover pop appeal, while also creating a strong foundation within the [[urban contemporary|urban]] market.<ref name="She's a rebel">{{harvnb|Gaar|2002|pp=323–325}}</ref> Within six weeks, Jackson and the duo crafted her third studio album, ''[[Control (Janet Jackson album)|Control]]'', released in February 1986.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Janet Jackson Thanks Fans After 1986 Album Control Tops Charts Again: 'Really Appreciate You'|url=https://people.com/music/janet-jackson-thanks-fans-after-1986-album-control-tops-charts-again/|access-date=May 4, 2021|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|archive-date=April 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418161022/https://people.com/music/janet-jackson-thanks-fans-after-1986-album-control-tops-charts-again/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="cohen">{{Cite magazine|last=Cohen |first=Jonathan |title=Billboard Feature: Janet Jackson: Still In Control |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4614593-1.html |magazine=Billboard |date=December 15, 1999 |access-date=September 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110093834/http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4614593-1.html |archive-date=January 10, 2011 }}</ref> The album shot to number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, and was certified fivefold Platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), selling over ten million copies worldwide.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref name="cert">{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Janet Jackson|type=album|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Company2008">{{cite news|last=Norment|first=Lynn|title=Don't Call It A Come Back – 'I'm Not Ready to Retire!'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PNMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA74|date=April 2008|work=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]|pages=74–|issn=0012-9011|volume=63|access-date=December 2, 2018|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125514/https://books.google.com/books?id=PNMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA74#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Control'' was declared "remarkably nervy and mature" for a teenage act, also considered "an alternative to the sentimental balladry" which permeated radio, likening Jackson to [[Donna Summer]]'s position of "unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it."<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Connie|title=Jackson Jive|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=78|date=February 23, 1986|issn=0458-3035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| title = Singer Janet Jackson | volume= 108 | issue = 3 | page = 61 | newspaper=[[Newsweek]]| date = July 21, 1986| issn = 0028-9604}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/321531/review/5944692/control | title = Janet Jackson: Control: Music Reviews: Rolling Stone | last=Hoerburger | first=Rob |magazine=Rolling Stone | date = April 24, 1986 | access-date = September 6, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080430054634/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/321531/review/5944692/control | archive-date = April 30, 2008}}</ref> The album spawned five top five singles, "[[What Have You Done for Me Lately]]", "[[Nasty (Janet Jackson song)|Nasty]]", "[[When I Think of You]]", "[[Control (Janet Jackson song)|Control]]", and "[[Let's Wait Awhile]]", and a top 15 hit with "[[The Pleasure Principle (song)|The Pleasure Principle]]". "When I Think of You" became her first number one hit on the Hot 100. ''Control'' received six [[Billboard Awards|''Billboard'' Awards]], including "Top Pop Singles Artist", and three [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] nominations, such as [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]].<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tiQEAAAAMBAJ|title=In Praise of Small Numbers|magazine=Billboard|volume=98|number=52|date=December 27, 1986|access-date=April 18, 2014|pages=10, Y–17, Y–19, Y–20, Y–21, Y–22, Y–23, Y–24, Y–26|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125457/https://books.google.com/books?id=tiQEAAAAMBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Veterans top Grammy nominations|date=January 8, 1987|work=[[The Herald (Rock Hill)|The Herald]]}}</ref> It also won three [[American Music Award]]s from twelve nominations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Kathleen|title=American Music Awards tonight to honor Presley posthumously|newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|page=7.D|date=January 26, 1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Travis tops music award winners|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=January 26, 1988|page=1|issn=1074-7109}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| last1 = Hamlin | first1 = Jesse | title = Graced with a Grammy/Paul Simon Wins Award for Top Album | page = 48 | newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date = February 25, 1987 }}</ref>

At this point, Jackson was successfully "shaking off the experience of being a shadow Jackson child", becoming "an artist in her own right".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|title=British Critics Turn All Ears to America|page=65|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 11, 1987|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> The album's lyrical content included several themes of empowerment, inspired by an incident of sexual harassment, with Jackson recalling "the danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street and 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."<ref name="Sexual Healing">{{Cite news | last1 = Ritz | first1 = David | title = Sexual healing | issue = 665 | page = 38 | newspaper=Rolling Stone | date = September 16, 1993 | issn = 0035-791X}}</ref>

Its innovative fusion of [[dance-pop]] and [[industrial music]] with [[hip-hop]] and [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] undertones influenced the development of the [[new jack swing]] genre by bridging the gap between the latter two styles.<ref name="The New Blue Music">{{harvnb|Ripani|2006|pp=130–153}}</ref> The accompanying music videos shot for the album's singles became popular on [[MTV]], and obtained a then-unknown [[Paula Abdul]] a recording contract for her choreography work with Jackson. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' stated "[Jackson's] accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to MTV, and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader, beat-driven musical mix."<ref name="cohen" />

In retrospect of her influence on the channel, Kyle Anderson of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' commented: "The videos from Control were all over MTV, and Janet established herself as an instantly dominant pop figure talked about in the same sentences as [[Madonna]] and her older brother Michael."<ref name="Kyle">{{cite magazine|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/09/19/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-1814-25th-anniversary/|title=Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Nation 1814': Still dancing and dreaming 25 years later|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=Anderson, Kyle|date=September 19, 2014|access-date=September 19, 2014|archive-date=September 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921015643/http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/09/19/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-1814-25th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref> MTV's Meaghan Garvey asserted "it's hard to overstate the significance of ''Control'', whether in terms of the pop landscape, the evolution of the music video as a vessel for promotion and expression, or Top 40 feminist anthems." She also argued "it's important to note that ''Control'''s self-actualization anthems were expressions of black female pride. ''Control'' spawned a whopping six videos—great ones, at that—which played an immeasurable role in the shift toward visible black pop."<ref>{{cite news|author=Meaghan Garvey|title=On 30 Years of Janet Jackson's Control|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2735889/on-30-years-of-janet-jackson-control/|publisher=MTV|date=February 4, 2016|access-date=November 5, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013056/http://www.mtv.com/news/2735889/on-30-years-of-janet-jackson-control/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 1989–1992: ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' ===
Jackson released her fourth album, ''[[Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814|Rhythm Nation 1814]]'', in September 1989. Although her record label desired a direct sequel to ''Control'', Jackson chose to include a socially conscious theme among various musical styles.<ref>{{Cite news | last1 = Cocks | first1 = Jay | title = Dancing on the charts | volume = 135 | issue = 22 | page = 87 | newspaper=Time | date = May 28, 1990 | issn = 0040-781X}}</ref> She stated, "I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics."<ref>{{Cite news |last1 =Graham | first1 = Jefferson | title = Janet in command; Jackson rules her own 'Nation'; Highlights of a rhythmic life | page = 01.D | newspaper=[[USA Today]] | date = December 15, 1989 }}</ref> The album's central theme of unity was developed in response to various crimes and tragedies reported in the media.<ref>{{Cite news| last1 = Morse | first1 = Steve | title = Changing Her Tune Janet Jackson's New Conscience | page = 30 | newspaper=The Boston Globe | date = November 20, 1989 }}</ref>

Peaking at number one on the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200, the album was certified sixfold Platinum by the RIAA and sold over 12 million copies worldwide.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref name="cert" /><ref name="Company2008" /> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' observed Jackson's artistic growth shifted from "personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat."<ref>{{Cite magazine| last = Aletti | first = Vince | title = Rhythm Nation 1814: Janet Jackson: Review: Rolling Stone |magazine=Rolling Stone | date = October 19, 1998 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/182747/review/5943659/rhythm_nation_1814 | access-date = September 6, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080430054629/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/182747/review/5943659/rhythm_nation_1814 | archive-date = April 30, 2008}}</ref> The album was also considered "the exclamation point on her career", consisting of a "diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses", which effectively "expanded Janet's range in every conceivable direction", being "more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike."<ref name="Henderson">{{cite web|last=Henderson |first=Eric | title=Janet Jackson: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814: Music Review |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1839 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913052948/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1839 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2009 |work=[[Slant Magazine]] |date=September 7, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009}}</ref> With singles "[[Miss You Much]]", "[[Rhythm Nation]]", "[[Escapade (song)|Escapade]]", "[[Alright (Janet Jackson song)|Alright]]", "[[Come Back to Me (Janet Jackson song)|Come Back to Me]]", "[[Black Cat (song)|Black Cat]]" and "[[Love Will Never Do (Without You)]]", it became the only album to achieve seven top five singles on the Hot 100. Additionally, "Miss You Much", "Escapade", "Black Cat", and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" made it the first album in history to produce number one hits in three separate calendar years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cover Story: 'Design of a Decade' Features Ten Years of Hits|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fzkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA57|work=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|access-date=June 9, 2011|date=November 6, 1995|pages=54–58|publisher=Johnson Publication|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125446/https://books.google.com/books?id=fzkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA57#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |title=The Weeknd & Ariana Grande's 'Save Your Tears' Soars to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9566597/the-weeknd-ariana-grande-save-your-tears-number-one-hot-100 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=May 4, 2021 |archive-date=May 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509073403/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9566597/the-weeknd-ariana-grande-save-your-tears-number-one-hot-100 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Famous for its choreography and warehouse setting, the "[[Rhythm Nation (music video)|Rhythm Nation]]" music video is considered one of the most iconic in history, with Jackson's military ensemble also making her a fashion icon.<ref>{{citation|title=The Biggest Brother-Sister Stars in Show Business History|newspaper=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]|volume=46|issue=10|page=40|issn=0012-9011}}</ref> The video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is notable for being the first instance of Jackson's transition into sexual imagery and midriff-baring style, becoming her trademark. ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' became the highest selling album of 1990, winning a record fifteen ''Billboard'' Awards.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Billboard-Music-Awards-Winners-1047815.aspx |title=Adele, LMFAO Top Billboard Music Awards – Today's News: Our Take |work=TV Guide |date=May 21, 2012 |access-date=December 13, 2012 |first=Joyce |last=Eng |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127034339/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Billboard-Music-Awards-Winners-1047815.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Macdonald |first=Patrick |title = Ringing In 1991: Northwest Top 10 Video Count-Down | page = 8 | newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] | date = December 28, 1990 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last1 = Anderson | first1 = Susan | title = Chronicle | page = 7 | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date = November 28, 1990 | isbn = 0-8118-6207-0 | issn = 0362-4331}}</ref> The full ''[[Rhythm Nation 1814 (film)|Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' short film won a [[Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video|Grammy Award]].<ref name="Grammy Awards">{{Cite web | title = Artist: Janet Jackson | publisher = [[The Recording Academy]] | url = https://www.grammy.com/artists/janet-jackson/13590 | access-date = March 18, 2015 | archive-date = May 26, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200526205338/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/janet-jackson | url-status = live }}</ref>

Jackson's [[Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990]] became the most successful debut tour in history and set a record for the fastest sell-out of Japan's [[Tokyo Dome]].<ref>{{harvnb|Jaynes|2005|p=565}}</ref> She established the "Rhythm Nation Scholarship", donating funds from the tour to various educational programs.<ref>{{Cite news |title = Janet Jackson Ends 'Rhythm Nation' Tour, Donates over $1/2 Million to Fund Education Projects | page = 56 | newspaper=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] |volume=79|issue=13| date = January 14, 1991|issn=0021-5996}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title = Janet Combines Talent and Appeal for UNCF | page = B–3 | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Sentinel]] | date = March 3, 1994|issn=0890-4340}}</ref> As Jackson began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country", and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the [[UNCO|United Negro College Fund]], told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Selvin |first=Joel |title = Just Wholesome Glitz From Janet | page = F1 | newspaper = [[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date = April 30, 1990 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title = Names In The News Janet Jackson Benefit Concert | page = 9 | newspaper = [[Los Angeles Times]] | date = February 5, 1990 |issn=0458-3035}}</ref>

She also received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in recognition of her impact on the recording industry and philanthropic endeavors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Janet Jackson Gets Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame|newspaper=Jet|date=May 7, 1990|volume=78|issue=4|pages=60–61|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> The massive success experienced by Jackson placed her in league with her brother Michael, Madonna, and [[Tina Turner]] for her achievements and influence.<ref name="Routledge">{{harvnb|Kramarae|Spender|2000|p=1408}}</ref> ''[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]'' magazine remarked: "No individual or group has impacted the world of entertainment as have Michael and Janet Jackson," arguing that despite many imitators, few could surpass Jackson's "stunning style and dexterity".<ref name="multimillion" />

With her recording contract under A&M Records fulfilled in 1991, she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with [[Virgin Records]]—estimated between thirty-two to fifty million dollars—making her the highest paid recording artist at the time.<ref name="multimillion">{{cite news|title=The Biggest Brother-Sister Stars in Show Business History|newspaper=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]|volume=46|issue=10|year=1991|page=40|issn=0012-9011}}</ref><ref name="virgin contract">{{Cite news | last1 = Goldberg | first1 = M. | title = The Jacksons score big | page = 32 | newspaper=Rolling Stone | date = May 2, 1991 | issn = 0035-791X}}</ref> The recording contract also established her reputation as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Queen of Pop]]".<ref name="Queen" /> In 1992, Jackson provided guest vocals on [[Luther Vandross]]'s "[[The Best Things in Life Are Free (Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson song)|The Best Things in Life Are Free]]", becoming a top ten ''Billboard'' hit and reaching the top ten internationally.<ref name="Janet Jackson: Biography: Rolling Stone">{{Cite magazine | title = Janet Jackson: Biography: Rolling Stone | magazine = Rolling Stone | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/janet-jackson | access-date = April 9, 2008 | archive-date = June 20, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100620092732/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/janet-jackson | url-status = live }}</ref>

=== 1993–1996: ''Janet'', ''Poetic Justice'', and ''Design of a Decade'' ===
Jackson's fifth studio album, ''[[Janet (album)|Janet]]'', was released in May 1993. The record opened at number one on the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200, making Jackson the first female artist in the [[Nielsen SoundScan]] era to do so.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xwsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA3|title=Between The Bullets|first=Geoff|last=Mayfield|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 28, 2010|issue=31|date=August 5, 1995|page=106|volume=107|issn=0006-2510|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125508/https://books.google.com/books?id=xwsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA3#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Certified sixfold Platinum by the RIAA, it sold over 14 million copies worldwide.<ref name="cert" /><ref name="AtlanticCity">{{cite news|url=http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/attheshore/headliners/boardwalk-hall-looks-to-get-nasty-with-janet-jackson/article_913deab6-c2f7-11e7-b2d1-97e19954370d.html|title=Boardwalk hall looks to get 'nasty' with janet jackson|work=[[The Press of Atlantic City]]|first=Sean|last=Loughlin|date=November 6, 2017|access-date=November 10, 2017|archive-date=October 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030031213/https://pressofatlanticcity.com/attheshore/headliners/boardwalk-hall-looks-to-get-nasty-with-janet-jackson/article_913deab6-c2f7-11e7-b2d1-97e19954370d.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Janet'' spawned five singles and four promotional singles, receiving various certifications worldwide. The lead single "[[That's the Way Love Goes (Janet Jackson song)|That's the Way Love Goes]]" won the [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Song]] and topped the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] for eight consecutive weeks.<ref name="Jacksons Number Ones">{{harvnb|Halstead|Cadman|2003}}</ref>{{rp|118}} "[[Again (Janet Jackson song)|Again]]" reached number one for two weeks, while "[[If (Janet Jackson song)|If]]" and "[[Any Time, Any Place]]" peaked in the top four. "[[Because of Love]]" and "[[You Want This]]" charted within the top ten.<ref name="US-singles">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/janet-jackson/chart-history/hot-100 | title=Janet Jackson – Chart History: Hot 100 | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=October 29, 2012 | archive-date=November 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121090830/https://www.billboard.com/artist/janet-jackson/chart-history/hot-100/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

The album experimented with a diverse number of genres, including [[contemporary R&B]], [[deep house]], [[Swing music|swing jazz]], [[hip-hop]], [[Rock music|rock]], and [[Pop music|pop]], with ''Billboard'' describing each as being "delivered with consummate skill and passion".<ref>{{cite news|first1=Paul|last1=Verna |first2=Edward |last2=Morris |title=Pop/Spotlight|newspaper=Billboard|date=May 23, 1993|page=91}}</ref> Jackson took a larger role in songwriting and production than she did on her previous albums, explaining she found it necessary "to write all the lyrics and half of the melodies" while also speaking candidly about incorporating her sexuality into the album's content.<ref name="Sexual Healing" /> ''Rolling Stone'' wrote "[a]s princess of America's black royal family, everything Janet Jackson does is important. Whether proclaiming herself in charge of her life, as she did on ''Control'' (1986), or commander in chief of a rhythm army dancing to fight society's problems (''Rhythm Nation 1814'', from 1989), she's influential. And when she announces her sexual maturity, as she does on her new album, ''Janet.'', it's a cultural moment."<ref>{{cite magazine|volume=659|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/182126/review/6067467/janet |title=Janet Jackson: Janet: Music Reviews |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502093343/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/182126/review/6067467/janet |archive-date=May 2, 2008|date=June 24, 1993}}</ref>

In July 1993, Jackson made her film debut in ''[[Poetic Justice (film)|Poetic Justice]]''. While the film received mixed reviews, her performance was described as "beguiling" and "believably eccentric".<ref>{{cite magazine | volume=663|title = Poetic Justice |magazine=Rolling Stone | date = December 8, 2000 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409203949/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947325/review/5947326/poetic_justice|archive-date=April 9, 2010|url = https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947325/review/5947326/poetic_justice | access-date = June 13, 2008|publication-date=August 19, 1993}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Howe | first = Desson | title = Poetic Justice | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = July 23, 1993 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/poeticjusticerhowe_a0afdf.htm | access-date = June 13, 2008 | archive-date = June 29, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629020612/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/poeticjusticerhowe_a0afdf.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> Jackson's ballad "Again", which was written for the film, received [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Golden Globe]] and [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Academy Award]] nominations for "Best Original Song".<ref>{{Cite news | last= Biddle | first= Frederic M. | title= Fashion and fame team on Oscar night | newspaper=The Boston Globe | page=61 | date= March 22, 1994}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=HFPA – Awards Search: Janet Jackson |url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/30554 |publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |access-date=September 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713152201/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/30554 |archive-date=July 13, 2010}}</ref><ref name="jeljones1">{{harvnb|Halstead|Cadman|2003|p=85}}</ref>

In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of ''Rolling Stone'', with her breasts covered anonymously by her then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. The photograph is the original version of the cropped image used on the ''Janet'' album cover, shot by [[Patrick Demarchelier]].<ref>{{cite magazine| title = Janet Jackson |magazine=Rolling Stone | date = September 30, 2004 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6478137/janet_jackson | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223223513/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6478137/janet_jackson|archive-date=December 23, 2007|access-date = July 23, 2008}}</ref> ''[[The Vancouver Sun]]'' reported, "Jackson, 27, remains clearly established as both role model and sex symbol; the ''Rolling Stone'' photo of Jackson&nbsp;... became one of the most recognizable, and most lampooned, magazine covers."<ref>{{Cite news| last1 = Murray | first1 = Sonia | title = Janet: The Queen of Pop: Michael could lose his crown to his hot little sister | page = C1 | newspaper=[[The Vancouver Sun]]| date = February 3, 1994| issn = 0832-1299}}</ref>

The [[Janet World Tour]] launched in support of the studio album garnered criticism for Jackson's lack of vocal proficiency and spontaneity,<ref>{{cite news| last= Graham | first=Renee | title=Janet Jackson: looks good, sounds bad | newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] | pages=34 | date=June 20, 1994}}</ref> but earned critical acclaim for her showmanship. It was described as erasing the line between "stadium-size pop music concerts and full-scale theatrical extravaganzas".<ref name="Michael Snyder">{{Cite news | last=Snyder | first=Michael | title=Janet Jackson Makes All The Right Moves / Singer brings extravaganza to San Jose | newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | page=C1 | date=February 18, 1994}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Jon Pareles|title=Wrapped in Song and Spectacle, Janet Jackson Plays the Garden|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 20, 1993|page=C.11|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
[[File:Janet Tour 01.jpg|thumb|left|Jackson performing on one of the dates of her 1993–95 [[Janet World Tour]]]]

During this time, Janet was set to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with [[Coca-Cola]] when her brother Michael was immersed in a [[1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson|child sex abuse scandal]], of which he denied any wrongdoing.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Corliss |first1=Richard |last2=Sachs |first2=Andrea |title=Society: Who's Bad? An age of innocence may be at an end as Michael Jackson, the Peter Pan of pop, confronts accusations that he sexually abused one of his young friends | newspaper=Time| page=54 | date=September 6, 1993}}</ref> She provided moral support, defending her brother, and denied abuse allegations regarding her parents made by her sister La Toya.<ref name="Robert Hilburn">{{Cite news | last= Hilburn | first= Robert | title= I Think I've Finally Grown Up | newspaper=[[Newsday]] | page=10 | date=June 27, 1994}}</ref>

She collaborated with Michael on "[[Scream (Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson song)|Scream]]", the lead single from his album ''[[HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I|HIStory]]'', released in 1995. The song was written by both siblings as a response to media scrutiny.<ref name="TCI">{{Cite news |last=Boepple |first= Leanne |title = Scream: space odyssey Jackson-style.(video production; Michael and Janet Jackson video) | page = 52 |volume=29 | newspaper=Theatre Crafts International | date = November 1, 1995 |issn=1063-9497}}</ref> It debuted at number five on the Hot&nbsp;100 singles chart, becoming the first song ever to debut within the top five.<ref>{{cite book|last=George|first=Nelson|year=2004|title=Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection|publisher=[[Sony BMG]]|type=booklet|title-link=Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection}}</ref> Its music video, directed by [[Mark Romanek]], was listed in ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the "Most Expensive Music Video Ever Made", costing $7 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/search/applicationrecordsearch|title=Record Application Search|publisher=[[Guinness World Records]]|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-access=registration|quote=Directed by Mark Romanek (USA), the video for Michael and Janet Jackson's hit single Scream (1995) cost $7 million (£4.4 million) to make.|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125447/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fsearch%2fapplicationrecordsearch|url-status=live}} ''Enter ''Expensive Music Video'' in the search field and then press Enter''</ref><ref name="mostexpensive">{{cite web|url=http://www.goliath.com/music/15-of-the-most-expensive-music-videos-ever-made/|title=15 Of The Most Expensive Music Videos Ever Made|work=Goliath|first=Wes|last=Walcott|date=April 5, 2016|access-date=April 5, 2016|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216060159/https://www.goliath.com/music/15-of-the-most-expensive-music-videos-ever-made/|url-status=live}}</ref> The clip won the [[38th Annual Grammy Awards|1996 Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]].<ref name="Grammy Awards" />

Jackson's first compilation album, ''[[Design of a Decade: 1986–1996]]'', was released in 1995. It peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/30/arts/the-pop-life-073440.html | work=The New York Times | title=The Pop Life | first=Neil | last=Strauss | date=November 20, 1995 | access-date=May 22, 2014 | archive-date=September 22, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922195503/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/30/arts/the-pop-life-073440.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The lead single, "[[Runaway (Janet Jackson song)|Runaway]]", became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot&nbsp;100, reaching number three.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Bronson |last=Fred |title=Janet Jackson Has Done It Again |url={{Google books|6Q0EAAAAMBAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |magazine=Billboard |page=96 |date=September 16, 1995|issue=37 |access-date=April 17, 2010|volume=107|issn= 0006-2510}}</ref><ref name="US-singles" /> ''Design of a Decade 1986–1996'' was certified double Platinum by the RIAA.<ref name="cert" />

Jackson's influence in pop music continued to garner acclaim, as ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' remarked "If you're talking about the female power elite in pop, you can't get much higher than Janet Jackson, [[Bonnie Raitt]], Madonna and [[Yoko Ono]]. Their collective influence&nbsp;... is beyond measure. And who could dispute that Janet Jackson now has more credibility than brother Michael?"<ref>{{cite news|last=Morse|first=Steve|title=Pure pop for power women Janet Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, Yoko Ono and Madonna flex their musical muscle|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=51|date=November 3, 1995|issn=0743-1791}}</ref>

Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million the following year.<ref name="80 million">{{Cite news| title=Janet Jackson Hits Big; $80 Million Record Deal | newspaper=Newsday | page=A02 | date=January 13, 1996}}</ref> The contract established her as the then highest-paid recording artist in history, surpassing the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million contracts earned by Michael Jackson and Madonna.<ref>{{cite news|quote=They don't call it jackpot for nothing. After much speculation, Janet Jackson, 29, clinched a reported four-album, $80 million deal with Virgin Records, making her the music industry's highest-paid performer (over brother Michael and Madonna, who each got $60 million deals in the early '90s)|last1=Davidson |first1=Casey | title=News & Notes | newspaper=Entertainment Weekly | page=15 | date=January 26, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1= Farley |first1=Christopher John |last2= Thigpen |first2=David E. |last3= Ressner |first3=Jeffrey | title=Business: Are they worth all that cash? Janet Jackson's record-breaking $80 million contract could set off a new wave of pop-music megadeals | newspaper=Time| page=54 | date=January 29, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|quote=Rock band [[R.E.M.]] later signed an $80 million recording contract with [[Warner Bros. Records]] in August 1996; sources compared the group's record deal with Jackson's contract, but quoted her earning $70 million| title=R.E.M. Signs $80M Deal | newspaper=Newsday | date=August 26, 1996}}</ref>

=== 1997–1999: ''The Velvet Rope'' ===
[[File:Janet Jackson, 1998.jpg|thumb|Jackson in 1998|252x252px]]
Jackson began suffering from severe [[Major depressive disorder|depression]] and [[Anxiety disorder|anxiety]], leading her to chronicle the experience in her sixth album, ''[[The Velvet Rope]],'' released in October 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1430426/janet-discusses-depression-with-newsweek/|title=Janet Discusses Depression With 'Newsweek'|publisher=[[MTV]]|date=November 11, 1997|access-date=April 20, 2014|archive-date=July 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725195139/http://www.mtv.com/news/1430426/janet-discusses-depression-with-newsweek/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jackson returned with a dramatic change in image, boasting vibrant red hair, nasal piercings, and tattoos.<ref name="newlook">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WzsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA61|title=Cover Story: Janet Jackson Returns With Hit Album, New Look|work=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|access-date=April 20, 2014|pages=60–63|volume=92|number=26|issn=0021-5996|date=November 1997|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125458/https://books.google.com/books?id=WzsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA61#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> The album is primarily centered on the idea that everyone has an intrinsic need to belong. Aside from encompassing lyrics relating to social issues such as [[same-sex relationships]], [[homophobia]] and [[domestic violence]], it also contains themes of [[sadomasochism]] and is considered far more sexually explicit in nature than her previous release, ''Janet''.<ref name="Saunders" /><ref name="newlook" />

The record was hailed as "her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album" by ''[[The New York Times]]'', while ''Billboard'' called it "the best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five."<ref>{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|title=Critic's Choice/Pop CD's; Love Can Get Complicated (Ouch!)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/07/arts/critic-s-choice-pop-cd-s-love-can-get-complicated-ouch.html|access-date=January 16, 2014|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 7, 1997|archive-date=December 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219190554/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/07/arts/critic-s-choice-pop-cd-s-love-can-get-complicated-ouch.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Flick|first=Larry|title=The Year in Music|newspaper=Billboard|volume=109|issue=52|page=16|date=December 3, 1998|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200 and was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.<ref name="cert" /> It has sold over eight million copies worldwide.<ref name="wwsales">{{cite web|url=https://www.bet.com/article/3qkq82/janet-jackson-the-velvet-rope-25th-anniversary-tribute|title='The Velvet Rope' Turns 25: Janet Jackson's Most Personal Album Reshaped R&B Forever|first=Jaelani|last=Turner-Williams|date=October 3, 2022|publisher=[[BET]]|access-date=June 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004004722/https://www.bet.com/article/3qkq82/janet-jackson-the-velvet-rope-25th-anniversary-tribute|archive-date=October 4, 2022}}</ref>

The lead single "[[Got 'til It's Gone]]" was released in September 1997, featuring guest vocals from folk singer [[Joni Mitchell]] and rapper [[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]]. The song's music video, depicting a pre-[[Apartheid]] celebration, won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/gallery/mark-romanek-inside-stories-8-classic-videos/janet-jackson-got-til-its-gone-1997|title=Mark Romanek: Inside Stories on 8 Classic Videos — Janet Jackson, 'Got 'Til It's Gone' (1997)|last=Anderson|first=Kyle|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=August 7, 2013|access-date=May 13, 2016|archive-date=September 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927111844/http://ew.com/gallery/mark-romanek-inside-stories-8-classic-videos/janet-jackson-got-til-its-gone-1997/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Grammy Awards" /> "[[Together Again (Janet Jackson song)|Together Again]]" became Jackson's eighth number-one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot&nbsp;100, placing her on par with [[Elton John]], Diana Ross, and [[the Rolling Stones]].<ref name="US-singles" /><ref name="Jacksons Number Ones" />{{rp|28, 120}} It spent a record forty-six weeks on the Hot&nbsp;100 and nineteen weeks on the United Kingdom's singles chart.<ref name="Jacksons Number Ones" /> It sold six million copies worldwide, becoming one of the [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling singles]] of all time.<ref>{{cite book |chapter= FYI > Together Again |title= UNAIDS Outlook Report |publisher= Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS |date= July 2010 |page= 30 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=E1jwF1bK1tQC&pg=PA30 |isbn= 9789291738595 |access-date= August 19, 2019 |archive-date= March 1, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230301095645/https://books.google.com/books?id=E1jwF1bK1tQC&pg=PA30 |url-status= live }}</ref> "[[I Get Lonely]]" peaked at number three on the Hot&nbsp;100,<ref name="US-singles" /> and received a Grammy nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance|Best Female R&B Vocal Performance]].<ref name="Grammy Awards" /> It was Jackson's eighteenth consecutive top ten hit, making her the only female artist to garner that achievement; and surpassed only by [[Elvis Presley]] and [[the Beatles]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Causing a Commotion|url=http://rockhall.com/education/resources/commotion/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613020642/http://rockhall.com/education/resources/commotion/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 13, 2011|publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]|access-date=January 13, 2012}}</ref>

Several other singles were released, including "[[Go Deep]]" and the ballad "[[Every Time (Janet Jackson song)|Every Time]]", which was controversial for the nudity displayed in its music video.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/article/naked-music-videos-pg-2|title=Naked Music Videos (Pg. 2)|work=Vibe|date=March 25, 2010|access-date=February 19, 2014|archive-date=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305010239/http://www.vibe.com/article/naked-music-videos-pg-2|url-status=live}}</ref> The album fully established Jackson as a [[Janet Jackson as a gay icon|gay icon]] for its themes regarding homosexuality and protesting homophobia. "Together Again", a "post-Aids pop song", and "Free Xone", considered "a paean to homosexuality" and an "anti-homophobia track", were praised for their lyrical context, in addition to Jackson's lesbian reinterpretation of [[Rod Stewart]]'s "[[Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)|Tonight's the Night]]".<ref name="McCormick">{{Cite news|last=McCormick |first=Neil | title=The Arts: Give her enough rope&nbsp;... Reviews Rock CDs | newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | page=11| date=October 18, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/116269/review/5942564/the_velvet_rope |title=Janet Jackson: The Velvet Rope: Music Reviews : Rolling Stone |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503081338/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/116269/review/5942564/the_velvet_rope |archive-date=May 3, 2008|date=December 18, 1997|issue=776/777}}</ref>

''The Velvet Rope'' received an award for "Outstanding Music Album" at the 9th Annual [[GLAAD Media Awards]] and was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum.<ref name=gladd>{{Cite web|url=http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=4308 |title=Janet Jackson to be Honored at 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles |access-date=June 10, 2008 |last=McCarthy |first=Marc |publisher=[[GLAAD]] |date=April 1, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080608152724/http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=4308 |archive-date = June 8, 2008|url-status=dead|type=Press release}}</ref> A portion of the proceeds from "Together Again" were donated to the [[AmfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research|American Foundation for AIDS Research]].<ref name="Jacksons Number Ones" />

Jackson embarked on [[The Velvet Rope Tour]], traveling to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The tour received praise for its theatrics, choreography, and Jackson's vocal performance.<ref name="broadway" /> It was likened to "the ambition and glamour of a Broadway musical", and exclaimed as "only fitting that the concert program credits her as the show's 'creator and director{{' "}}.<ref name="broadway">{{Cite news |last=Hilburn |first=Robert | title=Janet Jackson Learns The Ropes\ Singer Learns To Like Herself On The Way To Creating The Lavishly Staged Velvet Rope Tour | newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| page=G3| date=September 20, 1998|issn=1068-624X}}</ref>

The tour's [[HBO]] special, ''The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden'', garnered more than fifteen million viewers. It surpassed the ratings of all four major networks among viewers subscribed to the channel.<ref>{{Cite news|title=HBO's Exclusive Live Concert Event Janet: The Velvet Rope |date=October 14, 1998 |url=http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,666900,00.html |access-date=March 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011205/http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,666900,00.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |type=Press release}}</ref> The concert won an [[Emmy Award]] from four nominations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fz0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA57|title=Don Cheadle, Janet Jackson, Chris Rock, Cicely Tyson Among Primetime Emmy Nominees |work=Jet|access-date=June 29, 2010|volume=96|number=11|date=August 16, 1999|pages=57–58|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305125449/https://books.google.com/books?id=Fz0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PAPA57#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson donated a portion of the tour's sales to [[America's Promise]], an organization founded by [[Colin Powell]] to assist disenfranchised youth.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kim McAvoy|title=HBO makes the most of music|newspaper=Broadcasting & Cable|volume=128|issue=36|page=30}}</ref>

As the tour concluded, Jackson lent guest vocals to several collaborations, including [[Shaggy (musician)|Shaggy's]] "[[Luv Me, Luv Me]]",<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/shaggy/chart-history/hot-100 | title=Shaggy – Chart History: Hot 100 | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=October 29, 2012 | archive-date=November 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121090949/https://www.billboard.com/artist/shaggy/chart-history/hot-100/ | url-status=live }}</ref> used for the film ''[[How Stella Got Her Groove Back (soundtrack)|How Stella Got Her Groove Back]]'', as well as "[[Girlfriend/Boyfriend]]" with [[Teddy Riley]]'s group [[Blackstreet]],<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/blackstreet/chart-history/hot-100 | title=Blackstreet – Chart History: Hot 100 | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=October 29, 2012 | archive-date=November 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121091748/https://www.billboard.com/artist/blackstreet/chart-history/hot-100/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and "[[What's It Gonna Be?!]]" with [[Busta Rhymes]].<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/busta-rhymes/chart-history/hot-100 | title=Busta Rhymes – Chart History: Hot 100 | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=October 29, 2012 | archive-date=November 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121091049/https://www.billboard.com/artist/busta-rhymes/chart-history/hot-100/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The latter two music videos are both among the [[List of most expensive music videos|most expensive music videos]] ever produced, with "What's It Gonna Be?!" becoming a number-one hit on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Hip-Hop Singles]] and [[Hot Rap Songs|Hot Rap Tracks]] charts, reaching the top three of the Hot 100.<ref name="Billboard" />

Jackson also contributed the ballad "God's Stepchild" to the ''[[Down in the Delta]]'' soundtrack. Jackson recorded a duet with Elton John titled "I Know the Truth", included on the soundtrack to ''[[Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida]]''. At the 1999 [[World Music Awards]], Jackson received the Legend Award for "outstanding contribution to the pop industry".<ref name="World Music Awards">{{Cite magazine |title=Global Pulse: Smith, Hill Top World Awards |magazine=Billboard |date=May 6, 1999 |url=https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=947178 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129195419/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=947178 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 29, 2010 |access-date=September 16, 2008}}</ref> ''Billboard'' ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind [[Mariah Carey]].<ref>{{Cite news| last1 = Mayfield | first1 = Geoff | title = Totally '90s: Diary of a decade | volume = 111 | issue = 112 | newspaper=Billboard | date = December 25, 1999 | issn = 0006-2510}}</ref>

=== 2000–2003: ''Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' and ''All for You'' ===
In July 2000, Jackson appeared in her second film, ''[[Nutty Professor II: The Klumps]]'', in the role of Professor Denise Gaines, opposite [[Eddie Murphy]]. Director [[Peter Segal]] stated "Janet Jackson was a natural fit, and an obvious choice."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.thedailycougar.com/vol65/163/shobiz/shobiz3.html|title=The Klumps has its moments but collapses under own weight|work=The Daily Cougar|author=Singleton, Keenan|year=2000|access-date=February 19, 2014|archive-date=February 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227012249/http://archive.thedailycougar.com/vol65/163/shobiz/shobiz3.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The film became her second to open at number one, grossing an estimated $170 million worldwide.<ref>{{Citation | last= LaSalle | first=Mick | title='Professor' Moves Out Smartly / Hollywood's summer better than expected| newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | page=D1 | date= July 31, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=Box Office; Home Edition| newspaper=Los Angeles Times | page=F–28 | date= August 3, 2000}}</ref> Jackson's single "[[Doesn't Really Matter]]", used for the film's soundtrack, became her ninth number-one single on the Hot 100.

Preceding the release of her seventh album, MTV honored Jackson with the network's inaugural "[[MTV Icon]]" ceremony, honoring her "significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the [[MTV Generation]]." The event paid tribute to Jackson's career and influence, including commentary from [[Britney Spears]], [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Aaliyah]], and [[Jessica Simpson]], and performances by [[NSYNC|'N Sync]], [[Pink (singer)|Pink]], [[Destiny's Child]], [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]], [[Buckcherry]], [[Mýa]], [[Macy Gray]], and [[Outkast]].<ref name="mtvICON">{{Citation | last = Jeckell | first = Barry | title = MTV To Honor Janet Jackson | magazine = Billboard | date = January 10, 2001 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80773/mtv-to-honor-janet-jackson | access-date = March 16, 2008 | archive-date = June 3, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130603002533/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80773/mtv-to-honor-janet-jackson | url-status = live }}</ref> The American Music Awards also honored Jackson with the [[American Music Award of Merit|Award of Merit]] for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums".<ref>{{Citation | title = Billboard Bits: AMAs, They Might Be Giants, Ricky Scaggs | magazine = Billboard | date = January 4, 2001 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80796/billboard-bits-amas-they-might-be-giants-ricky-scaggs | access-date = May 3, 2008 | archive-date = June 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130606172756/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80796/billboard-bits-amas-they-might-be-giants-ricky-scaggs | url-status = live }}</ref>

Jackson's seventh album, ''[[All for You (Janet Jackson album)|All for You]]'', was released in April 2001. It opened at number one on the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200 with 605,000 copies sold, the highest first-week sales of her career, and among the highest first-week sales by a female artist in history.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref>{{Citation | last = Martens | first = Todd | title = Janet Reigns Supreme On Billboard Charts | magazine = Billboard | date = May 3, 2001 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79869/janet-reigns-supreme-on-billboard-charts | access-date = April 17, 2008 | archive-date = June 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130606023654/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79869/janet-reigns-supreme-on-billboard-charts | url-status = live }}</ref> The album was a return to an upbeat dance style, receiving generally positive reception. Jackson received praise for indulging in "textures as dizzying as a new infatuation", in contrast to other artists attempting to "match the angularity of hip-hop" and following trends.<ref>{{Citation | last = Pareles | first = Jon | title = Album of the Week | newspaper = The New York Times | date = May 4, 2001 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/04/movies/album-of-the-week.html | access-date = July 20, 2008 | archive-date = July 27, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115121/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/04/movies/album-of-the-week.html | url-status = live }}</ref> ''All for You'' was certified double Platinum by the RIAA.<ref name="cert" />

The album's lead single, "[[All for You (Janet Jackson song)|All for You]]", debuted on the Hot 100 at number fourteen, setting a record for the highest debut by a single that was not commercially available.<ref name="Radio Record">{{Citation | last = vanHorn | first = Teri | title = Janet Jackson Single Breaks Radio, Chart Records | publisher = MTV | date = March 9, 2001 | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441454/20010309/jackson_janet.jhtml | access-date = May 23, 2008 | archive-date = July 24, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090724155428/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441454/20010309/jackson_janet.jhtml | url-status = dead }}</ref> Jackson was titled "Queen&nbsp;of&nbsp;Radio" by MTV as the single made airplay history, being "added to every pop, rhythmic and urban radio station" within its first week.<ref name="Radio Record" /> The song broke the overall airplay debut record with a first week audience of seventy million, debuting at number nine on the [[Radio Songs (chart)|Radio Songs]] chart.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |title=Lady Gaga Claims 1,000th Hot 100 No. 1 with 'Born This Way' |magazine=Billboard |date=February 16, 2011 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473025/lady-gaga-claims-1000th-hot-100-no-1-with-born-this-way |access-date=February 16, 2011 |archive-date=March 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325075536/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473025/lady-gaga-claims-1000th-hot-100-no-1-with-born-this-way |url-status=live }}</ref> It topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks, also reaching the top ten in eleven countries.<ref>{{Citation | last = Martens | first = Todd | title = Seven And Counting For Janet At No. 1 | magazine = Billboard | date = May 17, 2001 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79721/seven-and-counting-for-janet-at-no-1 | access-date = April 17, 2008 | archive-date = June 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130606013610/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79721/seven-and-counting-for-janet-at-no-1 | url-status = live }}</ref> The song received a Grammy Award for [[Best Dance Recording]].<ref name="Grammy Awards" /> "[[Someone to Call My Lover]]" peaked at number three on the Hot&nbsp;100.<ref>{{Citation | last = Caulfield | first = Keith | title = Ask Billboard | magazine = Billboard | date = December 24, 2006 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/56367/ask-billboard | access-date = April 17, 2008 | archive-date = June 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130606023735/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/56367/ask-billboard | url-status = live }}</ref>

In July 2001, Jackson embarked on the [[All for You Tour]], which was also broadcast on a concert special for HBO watched by twelve million viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogcritics.org/music-dvd-review-janet-jackson-live/comment-page-1/|title=Music DVD Review: Janet Jackson – Live in Hawaii (Re-Release)|work=Blog Critics|date=March 31, 2008|access-date=January 29, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231450/http://blogcritics.org/music-dvd-review-janet-jackson-live/comment-page-1/|archive-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> The tour traveled throughout the United States and Japan, although European and Asian dates were required to be canceled following the [[September 11 attacks|September 11 terrorist attacks]]. The ''Los Angeles Times'' complimented Jackson's showmanship.<ref name="All for You Tour">{{Citation| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-06-ca-53988-story.html| last1=Esparza| first1=Rafael| last2=Massey| first2=David| last3=Scalese| first3=Rudy| title=Let Jackson's Energetic Beat Go On| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| page=F–4| date=October 6, 2001| access-date=February 20, 2020| archive-date=September 16, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916050703/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/06/entertainment/ca-53988| url-status=live}}</ref> Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said Jackson's performance surpassed her contemporaries,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-471830.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114205524/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-471830.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |title=Janet Jackson, Diva Dynamo|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Harrington |first=Richard|date=August 18, 2001|access-date=September 28, 2010}}</ref> but Bob Massy of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' thought her dancers "threw crisper moves" and her supporting singers were mixed nearly as high, though declared "Janet cast herself as the real entertainment."<ref>{{cite magazine |url={{Google books|m-qexhnZaukC|page=PA54|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |page=54 |last=Massy |first=Bob |title=Janet Jackson, August 17, 2001, MCI Center, Washington, D.C. |magazine=Spin|date=November 2001 |volume=17 |number=11 |issn=0886-3032}}</ref> Jackson donated a portion of the tour's proceeds to the [[Boys & Girls Clubs of America]].<ref>{{Citation | title=Janet Jackson Announces 'All for You Tour 2001'; Alliance to Support Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Ticket Proceeds To Be Donated As Part Of Nationwide Campaign| publisher=Business Wire | date= May 30, 2001}}</ref>

The following year, Jackson began receiving media attention for her rumored relationships with [[Justin Timberlake]], actor [[Matthew McConaughey]], and record producer [[Jermaine Dupri]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://popdirt.com/miss-jackson-gettin-it-on-with-grammy-co-presenter/3242/|title=Miss Jackson Gettin' It On With Grammy Co-Presenter|work=Popdirt|date=March 21, 2002|access-date=January 4, 2014|archive-date=February 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220175301/http://popdirt.com/miss-jackson-gettin-it-on-with-grammy-co-presenter/3242/|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2002/07/13/justin-timberlake-lets-music-ease-toll-on-his-heart/|title=Justin Timberlake Lets Music Ease Toll On His Heart|work=Orlando Sentinel|publisher=Abott, Jim|date=July 13, 2002|access-date=January 4, 2014|archive-date=December 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224175108/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-07-13/news/0207120443_1_justin-timberlake-warren-sapp-scavenger-hunt|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | last= Norment | first=Lynn | title=Janet & Jermaine| newspaper=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]] |volume=63 |issue= 4| page=82 | date= February 2008 |issn=0012-9011}}</ref>

=== 2004–2005: Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy and ''Damita Jo'' ===
{{Main|Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy}}

Jackson was chosen by the [[National Football League]] and MTV to perform at the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show]] in February 2004. She performed a medley of "All for You", "Rhythm Nation", and an excerpt of "The Knowledge" before performing "[[Rock Your Body]]" alongside surprise guest Justin Timberlake. As Timberlake sang the lyric "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song", he tore open her costume, exposing her right breast to 140 million viewers. The incident was referred to as "nipple gate" by the media.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Sheffield|first1=Rob|date=February 11, 2020|title=How Nipplegate Created YouTube|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/youtube-origin-nipplegate-janet-jackson-justin-timberlake-949019/|access-date=April 3, 2021|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515081548/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/youtube-origin-nipplegate-janet-jackson-justin-timberlake-949019/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jackson issued an apology after the performance, saying that the incident was accidental and unintended, explaining that Timberlake was only meant to pull away a [[bustier]] and leave the red-lace bra intact.<ref name="apologeticjackson">{{Citation | title = Apologetic Jackson says 'costume reveal' went awry | publisher = [[CNN]] | date = February 3, 2004 | url = http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ | access-date = May 20, 2006 | archive-date = February 18, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100218110403/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ | url-status = live}}</ref> She commented, "I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention&nbsp;... MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end."<ref>{{Cite news | title = Jackson's apology can't stem mass anger | publisher = [[ESPN]] | url = https://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs03/news/story?id=1724968&partnersite=espn | access-date = March 9, 2008 | date = February 4, 2004 | archive-date = June 10, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080610061754/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs03/news/story?id=1724968&partnersite=espn | url-status = live}}</ref> Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "[[wardrobe malfunction]]".<ref name="apologeticjackson" /> CBS, the NFL, and MTV<ref>CBS's sister network, which produced the halftime show</ref> denied any knowledge of the incident and all responsibility for it. The [[Federal Communications Commission]] heavily fined all companies involved and continued an investigation for eight years, ultimately losing its appeal for a $550,000 fine against CBS.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davidson |first=Paul | title=FCC loses appeal of 'wardrobe malfunction' fine | newspaper=USA Today | page=2b| date=July 22, 2008|issn=0734-7456}}</ref>

Following the incident, CBS permitted Timberlake to appear at the [[2004 Grammy Awards|46th Grammy Awards]] ceremony but did not allow Jackson to attend, forcing her to withdraw after being scheduled as a presenter.<ref>{{cite news| title = Jackson banned from Grammys for Super Bowl stunt| newspaper = [[The Daily Telegraph]]| date = May 4, 2004| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1453527/Jackson-banned-from-Grammys-for-Super-Bowl-stunt.html| access-date = June 18, 2013| archive-date = March 23, 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130323035518/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1453527/Jackson-banned-from-Grammys-for-Super-Bowl-stunt.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The controversy halted plans for Jackson to star in the biographical film of singer and activist [[Lena Horne]], which was to be produced by [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. Horne was reportedly displeased by the incident, but Jackson's representatives stated that she withdrew from the project willingly.<ref>{{cite news | title = Horne: Janet Jackson, don't play me |agency=Associated Press | publisher=CNN | date = February 4, 2004 | url = http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/24/tv.janetjackson.ap/ | access-date = April 3, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050220135401/http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/24/tv.janetjackson.ap/ |archive-date = February 20, 2005}}</ref> A [[Mickey Mouse]] statue wearing Jackson's iconic "Rhythm Nation" outfit was mantled at [[Walt Disney World]] theme park the previous year to honor her legacy, but it was removed following her controversial performance.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2004/03/03/disney-world-removes-janet-jackson-inspired-statue/|title=Bust Stop|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Susman, Gary|date=March 3, 2004|access-date=January 4, 2014|archive-date=September 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916050610/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,597274,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jackson's eighth studio album ''[[Damita Jo (album)|Damita Jo]]'' was released in March 2004, titled after her middle name. It debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /><ref>{{Citation | title = No. 1 Usher Holds Janet To No. 2 Debut | magazine = Billboard | url = https://www.billboard.com/#/news/no-1-usher-holds-janet-to-no-2-debut-1000481059.story | access-date = October 21, 2009 | archive-date = September 13, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100913150859/http://www.billboard.com/#/news/no-1-usher-holds-janet-to-no-2-debut-1000481059.story | url-status = live }}</ref> The album received mixed to positive reviews, praising the sonic innovation of selected songs and Jackson's vocal harmonies, while others criticized its frequent themes of carnality.<ref name="citypaper">{{cite web|url=https://citypaperarchives.com/story.php?id=7545|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260504220907/https://citypaperarchives.com/story.php?id=7545|url-status=live|archive-date=May 4, 2026|title=Burned: Usher's Confessions of Sexual Prowess Hovers Near The Charts' Tops, but the Naughty Janet Jackson Offers More Sexual Intimacy on Damita Jo|work=Baltimore City Paper|date=June 9, 2004|access-date=May 4, 2026|last=Wood|first=Mikael}}</ref> However, several critics' reviews focused on the Super Bowl incident, rather than critiquing the album itself.<ref name=laweekly>{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/2004-05-06/music/fear-of-a-black-titty/|title=Fear of a Black Titty – Page 1 – Music – Los Angeles|work=LA Weekly|publisher=Hardy, Ernest|date=May 6, 2004|access-date=April 11, 2014|archive-date=May 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504022131/http://www.laweekly.com/music/fear-of-a-black-titty-2138203|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was certified Platinum by the RIAA within a month, and sold over three million copies worldwide.<ref name="cert" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/janet_jackson/biography/0,,20004356_10,00.html |title=Janet Jackson Biography |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=August 16, 2010 |archive-date=March 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307093553/http://www.people.com/people/janet_jackson/biography/0%2C%2C20004356_10%2C00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The album's performance was affected by [[blacklist]]ing from radio and music channels, in part at the behest of CBS CEO [[Les Moonves]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/les-moonves-janet-jackson-career_us_5b919b8ce4b0511db3e0a269|title=Les Moonves Was Obsessed With Ruining Janet Jackson's Career, Sources Say|date=September 7, 2018|website=HuffPost UK|access-date=December 15, 2018|archive-date=December 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215045117/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/les-moonves-janet-jackson-career_us_5b919b8ce4b0511db3e0a269|url-status=live}}</ref> Conglomerates involved in the boycott included [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] and CBS, subsidiaries MTV, [[Clear Channel Communications]], and [[Infinity Broadcasting]], the latter two among the largest radio broadcasters.<ref name=kreps>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/nipple-ripples-10-years-of-fallout-from-janet-jacksons-halftime-show-20140130|title=Nipple Ripples: 10 Years of Fallout From Janet Jackson's Halftime Show|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Kreps, Daniel|access-date=January 30, 2014|date=January 30, 2014|archive-date=January 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131071220/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/nipple-ripples-10-years-of-fallout-from-janet-jacksons-halftime-show-20140130|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title = Blackballed – Panache Report | publisher = Panach Report | year = 2004 | url = http://panachereport.com/channels/old_school_update/Blackballed.htm | access-date = June 18, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130916215013/http://panachereport.com/channels/old_school_update/Blackballed.htm | archive-date = September 16, 2013 | url-status=dead}}</ref> The blacklist was placed into effect preceding the release of ''Damita Jo'' and continued throughout the course of Jackson's following two albums. Entertainment conglomerate Viacom owns MTV, VH1, and many radio formats, and a senior executive commented that they were "absolutely bailing on the record. The pressure is so great, they can't align with anything related to Janet. The high-ups are still pissed at her, and this is a punitive measure."<ref name="blender">{{cite book |last=Tannenbaum |first=Robert |year=2004 |title=America's Most Wanted | publisher = [[Blender Magazine]]| page=128}}</ref>

Prior to the incident, ''Damita Jo'' was expected to outsell prior release ''All for You''.<ref name="southcoasttoday.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040329/LIFE/303299955 |title=Awaiting 'Damita Jo': SouthCoastToday.com |work=South Coast Today |access-date=October 15, 2013 |date=March 29, 2004 |archive-date=October 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016083551/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040329/LIFE/303299955 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its three singles received positive reviews but failed to achieve high chart positions, although each was predicted to perform extremely well under different circumstances.<ref name="Newsday">{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music |title=A "Sexploration": Janet Jackson's "Damita Jo" album gets lost in the lust |date=March 29, 2004 |access-date=February 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122060228/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music |archive-date=January 22, 2014 }}</ref> ''Billboard'' reported that ''Damita Jo'' "was largely overshadowed by the Super Bowl fiasco.... The three singles it spawned were blacklisted by pop radio—they were also the album's biggest highlights".<ref name="Together Again">{{Citation | last = Hope | first = Clover | title = Together Again: Janet Jackson | magazine = Billboard | date = February 4, 2008 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046632/together-again-janet-jackson | access-date = March 23, 2008 | archive-date = June 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130606013557/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046632/together-again-janet-jackson | url-status = live }}</ref>

For the album's promotion, Jackson appeared as a host on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' performing two songs, and she was also a guest star on the sitcom ''[[Will & Grace]]'' portraying herself.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Hay |first1=Carla | title=The Billboard Backbeat | newspaper=Billboard |volume=116 |issue=35 | pages=60–61 | date=August 28, 2004}}</ref> Jackson received several career accolades upon the album's release, including the "Legend Award" at the [[Radio Music Awards]], "Inspiration Award" from the [[MTV Video Music Awards Japan|Japan Video Music Awards]], "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the [[Soul Train Music Awards]], and a [[Teen Choice Awards]] nomination for "Favorite Female".

In November 2004, she was honored as a role model by [[100 Black Men of America]], Inc. and presented with the organization's Artistic Achievement Award saluting "a career that has gone from success to greater success".<ref>{{Citation | title=New York Chapter Of 100 Black Men Honors Janet Jackson, Hank Aaron, Johnnetta Cole, Willie Gary | newspaper=Jet |volume=106 |issue=23 | page=28 | date=December 6, 2004|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> The organization responded to criticism for honoring Jackson in light of the Super Bowl incident by saying that "an individual's worth can't be judged by a single moment in that person's life."<ref>{{Citation |last1=Browne |first1= J. Zamgba | title=Janet Jackson stirs up controversy at annual gala of 100 Black Men | newspaper=[[New York Amsterdam News]] |volume=95 |issue=47 | page=8 | date=November 18, 2004|issn=0028-7121}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1= Berry |first1= Steve | title=Janet Jackson stirs up controversy at annual gala of 100 Black Men | newspaper=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |volume=95 |issue=47 | page=12.D| date=November 11, 2004|issn=1074-097X}}</ref> In June 2005, she was honored with a Humanitarian Award by the [[Human Rights Campaign]] and [[AIDS Project Los Angeles]] as recognition for her involvement in raising money for AIDS charities.<ref>{{Citation | title = Janet Jackson Receives HRC Award – Towleroad | publisher = Towleroad.com | date = June 20, 2005 | url = http://www.towleroad.com/2005/06/janet_jackson_r.html | access-date = September 9, 2010 | archive-date = April 5, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150405140133/http://www.towleroad.com/2005/06/janet_jackson_r.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

==== Impact on the Internet ====
The [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show]] is considered to be one of the most [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|controversial]] televised events in history, and Jackson was later listed in ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item".<ref>{{Citation|title=Star-studded 2007 edition of Guinness World Records released|date=September 29, 2006|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/star-studded-2007-edition-of-guinness-world-records-released-1.572138|publisher=[[CBC News]]|access-date=March 19, 2012|archive-date=November 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108122510/http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/arts/story/2006/09/29/guinness-record-book.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The incident became the most recorded and replayed moment in [[TiVo]] history, enticing an estimated 35,000 new subscribers.<ref>{{Citation|title=Numbers|date=February 16, 2004|newspaper=Time|volume=163|issue=7|page=19|issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Burke|first=Monte|title=The Ripple Effect|date=March 1, 2004|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/0301/046a.html|newspaper=Time|volume=173|issue=4|page=46|issn=0015-6914|access-date=September 1, 2017|archive-date=September 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909011539/https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/0301/046a.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jawed Karim]] has stated that the incident inspired the creation of [[YouTube]], as he noted that it was difficult for him to find videos of the incident online.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hopkins|first=Jim|date=October 11, 2006|title=Surprise! There's a third YouTube co-founder|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-10-11-youtube-karim_x.htm|access-date=March 26, 2017|website=[[USA Today]]|archive-date=August 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805161152/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-10-11-youtube-karim_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2006–2007: ''20 Y.O.'' and ''Why Did I Get Married?'' ===
[[File:Janet Jackson.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Jackson promoting her 2006 studio album, ''[[20 Y.O.]]'']]
Jackson began recording her ninth studio album, ''[[20 Y.O.]]'', in 2005. She recorded with producers Dupri, Jam and Lewis for several months during the following year. The album's title was a reference to the two decades since the release of her breakthrough album ''Control'', representing the album's "celebration of the joyful liberation and history-making musical style".<ref name="Janet's Juggernaut">{{Citation |url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57333/janets-juggernaut |title = Janet's Juggernaut |last = Coveney |first = Janine |newspaper = Billboard |date = September 5, 2006 |access-date = September 13, 2010 |archive-date = September 29, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140929190849/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57333/janets-juggernaut |url-status = live }}</ref>

To promote the album, Jackson appeared in various magazines, and performed on the ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today Show]]'' and at the Billboard Awards. Jackson's ''[[Us Weekly]]'' cover, revealing her slim figure after heavy media focus was placed on her fluctuations in weight, became the magazine's best-selling issue in history.<ref>The best-selling issue in ''Us Weekly'' history was the Janet Jackson mag, which sold a record 1.4 million the week of May 26. {{Citation|last=Kelly |first=Keith| title = MLad Mag's Coverup – Fhm Wraps Racy Glossy After Hudson News Complaint| newspaper=New York Post | date=June 23, 2006 | page = 36}}</ref> ''20 Y.O.'' was released in September 2006 and debuted at number two on the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /> The album received mixed reviews, with multiple critics chastising the production and involvement of Jermaine Dupri.<ref name="Serpick" /> ''Rolling Stone'' disagreed with the album's reference to ''Control'', saying "If we were her, we wouldn't make the comparison."<ref name="Serpick">{{Citation |last=Serpick |first=Evan |title=Janet Jackson: 20 Y.O. : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone |date=October 3, 2006 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/11571388/review/11942285/20_yo |access-date=July 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503060722/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/janetjackson/albums/album/11571388/review/11942285/20_yo |archive-date=May 3, 2008}}</ref>

Jackson's airplay and music channel blacklist remained persistent, massively affecting her chart performance and exposure.<ref name="kreps" /><ref>{{Citation | title = Janet Blacklist? | publisher = TMZ | date = July 28, 2006 | url = https://www.tmz.com/2006/07/28/janet-blacklist/ | access-date = June 18, 2013 | archive-date = November 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141114085516/http://www.tmz.com/2006/07/28/janet-blacklist/ | url-status = live }}</ref> However, lead single "[[Call on Me (Janet Jackson song)|Call on Me]]", which featured rapper [[Nelly]], peaked at number 25 on the Hot 100, number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number six in the United Kingdom.<ref name="US-singles" /> The video for the album's second single, "[[So Excited (Janet Jackson song)|So Excited]]", was directed by [[Joseph Kahn (director)|Joseph Kahn]] and portrayed Jackson's clothes disappearing through a complex dance routine.

''20 Y.O.'' was certified Platinum by the RIAA and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, also receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.<ref name="cert" /><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046834/ask-billboard |title=Ask Billboard |magazine=Billboard |date=January 6, 2007 |access-date=July 14, 2010 |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606023719/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046834/ask-billboard |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/janet-jacksons-life-in-photos/ss-AAAj0QE#image=26 |title=Janet Jackson's life in photos |last=Turner |first=Mariel |date=July 19, 2018 |publisher=[[MSN]] |access-date=January 17, 2019 |quote=The 2006 project was certified Platinum, with 1.5 million copies sold, but never really found its footing. |archive-date=January 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117174417/https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/janet-jacksons-life-in-photos/ss-AAAj0QE#image=26 |url-status=live }}</ref>
After the album's release, Dupri was condemned for his production and misguidance of the album, and subsequently was removed from his position at Virgin Records.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Mitchell |first1=Gail |last2=Garrity |first2=Brian| title=Dupri Exit Fuels Rumors | newspaper=Billboard |volume=118 |issue=44 | page=10 | date=November 4, 2006|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' stated, "After promising a return to Janet's dance-pop origins, [Dupri] opted to aim for urban audiences, a colossal mistake that cost Dupri his job and, probably, Janet her deal with Virgin."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2006/11/postkatrina-musicand-an-american-idol-dropout|title=Post-Katrina Music...and an American Idol Dropout|work=Slant Magazine|publisher=Cinquemani, Sal|access-date=December 4, 2014|date=September 11, 2006|archive-date=November 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114102329/http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2006/11/postkatrina-musicand-an-american-idol-dropout|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jackson was ranked the seventh richest woman in the entertainment industry by ''Forbes'', having amassed a fortune of over $150 million.<ref>{{Citation | last = Goldman | first = Lea | author2 = Kiri Blakeley | title = The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment | work = Forbes | date = January 18, 2007 | url = https://www.forbes.com/2007/01/17/richest-women-entertainment-tech-media-cz_lg_richwomen07_0118womenstars_lander.html | access-date = September 3, 2008 | archive-date = November 24, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171124092119/https://www.forbes.com/2007/01/17/richest-women-entertainment-tech-media-cz_lg_richwomen07_0118womenstars_lander.html | url-status = live }}</ref> In 2007, she starred opposite [[Tyler Perry]] as a psychotherapist in the film ''[[Why Did I Get Married?]]''. It became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, grossing $60 million.<ref>{{Citation| last = Ryan | first = Joal | title = Just Call It Tyler Perry's Box Office |work=[[E! News]] | date = October 15, 2007| url = http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b56440_Just_Call_It_Tyler_Perrys_Box_Office.html | access-date = September 17, 2010 }}</ref> Jackson's performance was praised for its "soft authority", though also described as "charming, yet bland".<ref>{{Citation| last = Scheib| first = Ronnie | title = Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? | newspaper=Variety | date = October 2007| page=32|volume=408|issue=10|issn=0042-2738}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Morris | first = Wesley | title = 'Married' is involving, if not blissful | work = [[The Boston Globe]] | date = October 13, 2007 | url = https://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=10489 | access-date = July 29, 2008 | archive-date = December 23, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081223014618/http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=10489 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

=== 2008–2009: ''Discipline'' and ''Number Ones'' ===
[[File:Janet Jackson 19.jpg|left|thumb|180px|Jackson performing during the 2008 [[Rock Witchu Tour]]]]

Jackson signed with [[Island Records]] after her contract with Virgin was fulfilled. She interrupted plans for touring and began recording with various producers, including [[Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]], [[Tricky Stewart]], and [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]].<ref>{{Citation | title = Janet Jackson Sets Sights On Fall Tour, Book | magazine = Billboard | date = July 3, 2008 | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046327/janet-jackson-sets-sights-on-fall-tour-book | access-date = February 7, 2014 | archive-date = September 13, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140913101446/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046327/janet-jackson-sets-sights-on-fall-tour-book | url-status = live }}</ref> Her tenth studio album, ''[[Discipline (Janet Jackson album)|Discipline]]'', was released in February 2008, opening at number one.<ref name="Billboard Album peaks" /> Despite radio blacklisting, the album's first single "[[Feedback (Janet Jackson song)|Feedback]]" peaked at number 19 on the Hot&nbsp;100 and nine on [[Pop Songs]], her highest-charting single since "Someone to Call My Lover".<ref name="US-singles" /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/1496802/janet/chart?sort=position&f=362|title=Janet – Chart history|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 24, 2013|archive-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630070923/http://www.billboard.com/artist/1496802/janet/chart?sort=position&f=362|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also in February 2008, Jackson won an [[Image Award]] for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for the role.<ref>{{Citation |last1= Christian |first1=Margena A | title=NAACP Honors Showbiz Veterans, Newcomers At Image Awards | newspaper=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] |volume=113 |issue=8 | page=52 | date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> Jackson was also approached to record the lead single for the film ''[[Rush Hour 3]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1559084/jermaine-dupri-janet-will-switch-labels.jhtml|title=Jermaine Dupri Says Janet Will Switch Labels, Be On 'Rush Hour 3' LP|publisher=MTV News|date=May 9, 2007|access-date=February 14, 2014|archive-date=March 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302051803/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1559084/jermaine-dupri-janet-will-switch-labels.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jackson was awarded the Vanguard Award at the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring her contributions in promoting equal rights among the gay community.<ref name=gladd /> The organization's president commented, "Ms. Jackson has a tremendous following inside the LGBT community and out, and having her stand with us against the defamation that LGBT people still face in our country is extremely significant."<ref name=gladd />

Jackson's fifth concert tour, the [[Rock Witchu Tour]], began in September 2008.<ref>{{Citation | last = Harrington | first = Jim | title = Review: The hits kept coming at Janet Jackson's Oakland show | newspaper=[[Oakland Tribune]] | date = September 14, 2008| issn = 1068-5936}}</ref> Jackson parted with Island Records through mutual agreement. ''Billboard'' disclosed Jackson was dissatisfied with [[L.A. Reid]]'s handling of the album and its promotion, saying "the label agreed to dissolve their relationship with the artist at her request."<ref name="Concepcion">{{Citation |first=Mariel |last=Concepcion |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1044010/janet-jackson-parts-ways-with-island-def-jam |title=Janet Jackson Parts Ways With Island Def Jam |magazine=Billboard |date=September 22, 2008 |access-date=September 22, 2008 |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606015129/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1044010/janet-jackson-parts-ways-with-island-def-jam |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/51507/week-ending-april-11-2010-bieber-bounces-back/ |title=Week Ending April 11, 2010: Bieber Bounces Back |publisher=Yahoo! |date=April 14, 2010 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417002609/http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/51507/week-ending-april-11-2010-bieber-bounces-back/ |archive-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref> Producer [[Rodney Jerkins]] expressed "I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly.... She just didn't get her just due as an artist of that magnitude."<ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson splits with record label|url=https://www.nme.com/news/janet-jackson/39889|newspaper=[[NME]]|date=September 20, 2008|access-date=October 8, 2009|archive-date=September 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901190252/http://www.nme.com/news/janet-jackson/39889|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2009, Jackson's [[Death of Michael Jackson|brother Michael died]] at age fifty. She spoke publicly concerning his death at the 2009 [[BET Awards]], stating "I'd just like to say, to you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much."<ref>{{citation|last=Carter|first=Kelley|title=An emotional Janet Jackson thanks fans at BET Awards|newspaper=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-06-29-bet-awards-jackson_N.htm|date=June 28, 2009|access-date=June 28, 2009|archive-date=July 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701063711/http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-06-29-bet-awards-jackson_N.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview, she revealed she had first learned of his death while filming ''[[Why Did I Get Married Too?]]''.

Amidst mourning with her family, she focused on work to deal with the grief, avoiding any news coverage of her sibling's death. She commented, "it's still important to face reality, and not that I'm running, but sometimes you just need to get away for a second."<ref name="HB">{{citation|last=Brown|first=Laura|title=Janet Jackson Takes Control|newspaper=[[Harper's Bazaar]]|page=244|date=October 2009|issn=0017-7873}}</ref> During this time, she ended her seven-year relationship with Jermaine Dupri.<ref name="HB" />

Several months later, Jackson performed a tribute to Michael at the [[2009 MTV Video Music Awards]], performing their duet "Scream".<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621392/20090913/madonna.jhtml|title=VMAs Kick Off with Madonna and Janet's Tribute to Michael Jackson|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=September 13, 2009|publisher=MTV News|access-date=September 14, 2009|archive-date=September 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922190441/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621392/20090913/madonna.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> MTV stated "there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message."<ref name="SF">{{citation|last=Kinon|first=Cristina|title=Janet Jackson to do dance tribute for Michael to kick off VMAs|newspaper=Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/09/11/2009-09-11_janet_jackson_to_do_dance_tribute_for_michael_to_kick_off_vmas.html|date=September 11, 2009|access-date=September 19, 2009|location=New York|archive-date=September 15, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915003205/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/09/11/2009-09-11_janet_jackson_to_do_dance_tribute_for_michael_to_kick_off_vmas.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The performance was lauded by critics, with ''Entertainment Weekly'' affirming the rendition "as energetic as it was heartfelt".<ref>{{citation|last=Slezak|first=Michael|title=Janet Jackson single-handedly saves MTV VMA tribute to Michael Jackson|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/09/14/janet-jackson-michael-jackson-vmas-2009|date=September 13, 2009|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=September 16, 2009|archive-date=September 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925023531/http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/09/14/janet-jackson-michael-jackson-vmas-2009/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Jackson's second hits compilation, ''[[Number Ones (Janet Jackson album)|Number Ones]]'' (retitled ''The Best'' for international releases), was released in November 2009. For promotion, she performed a medley of hits at the [[American Music Awards of 2009|American Music Awards]], [[95.8 Capital FM|Capital FM]]'s [[Jingle Bell Ball]] at London's [[The O2 Arena|O2 arena]], and ''[[The X-Factor]]''.<ref>{{citation|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Janet Jackson Kicks Off American Music Awards With Energetic Medley/Singer performed her new single, 'Make Me.'|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1626828/20091122/jackson_janet.jhtml|publisher=MTV|date=November 22, 2009|access-date=November 22, 2009|archive-date=November 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126125636/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1626828/20091122/jackson_janet.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson – Capital FM|url=http://www.capitalfm.com/jingle-bell-ball/2009/sunday/janet-jackson/|publisher=[[95.8 Capital FM]]|date=October 20, 2009|access-date=October 20, 2009|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402174828/http://www.capitalfm.com/jingle-bell-ball/2009/sunday/janet-jackson/|url-status=live}}</ref> The album's promotional single "[[Make Me (Janet Jackson song)|Make Me]]", produced with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, debuted in September.<ref>{{citation|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Janet Jackson Releases New Single Following VMA Performance|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621430/20090914/jackson_janet.jhtml|publisher=MTV|date=September 14, 2009|access-date=September 14, 2009|archive-date=September 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922205956/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621430/20090914/jackson_janet.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> It became Jackson's nineteenth number one on the [[Hot Dance Club Songs]] chart, making her the first artist to have number-one singles in four separate decades.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/#/column/chartbeat/chart-highlights-country-dance-club-play-1004054789.story|title=Chart Highlights: Adult Contemporary, Pop, Jazz & More|date=December 21, 2009|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 21, 2009|archive-date=September 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913150859/http://www.billboard.com/#/column/chartbeat/chart-highlights-country-dance-club-play-1004054789.story|url-status=live}}</ref>

Later that month, Jackson chaired the inaugural benefit of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, held in [[Milan]] in conjunction with [[fashion week]]. The foundation's CEO stated: "We are profoundly grateful to Janet Jackson for joining amfAR as a chair of its first event in Milan... She brings incomparable grace and a history of dedication to the fight against AIDS."<ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson to Chair amfAR's Inaugural Milan Fashion Week Event|publisher=amfAR|url=http://www.amfar.org/spotlight/article.aspx?id=7847&terms=janet+jackson|date=August 24, 2009|access-date=September 28, 2009|archive-date=March 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306215317/http://www.amfar.org/spotlight/article.aspx?id=7847&terms=janet+jackson|url-status=live}}</ref> The event raised $1.1 million for the nonprofit organization.

=== 2010–2014: Film projects and ''True You'' ===
In April 2010, Jackson reprised her role in the sequel to ''Why Did I Get Married?'', titled ''Why Did I Get Married Too?''. The film opened at number two, grossing $60 million.<ref>{{citation|last=Flint|first=Joe|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-box-officeside5-2010apr05,0,7889804.story|title=Tyler Perry's impressive weekend|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 5, 2010|access-date=April 6, 2010|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305130027/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-05-la-et-box-officeside5-2010apr05-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson's performance was hailed as "invigorating and oddly funny", and praised for her "willingness to be seen at her most disheveled".<ref>{{citation|last=Hale|first=Mike|title=Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010): At Couples' Reunion, Laughs, Then Grief|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/movies/03tyler.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 7, 2010|access-date=April 7, 2010|archive-date=April 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406001041/http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/movies/03tyler.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Cooper|first=Jackie|title=''"Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?": Why Did He Make a Two?''|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jackie-k-cooper/tyler-perrys-why-did-i-ge_b_525126.html|date=April 5, 2010|access-date=April 6, 2010|work=The Huffington Post|archive-date=April 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409152302/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jackie-k-cooper/tyler-perrys-why-did-i-ge_b_525126.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Her performance earned her an Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture".<ref>[http://www.naacpimageawards.net/42/nominees-and-honorees/motion-picture/ "The 42nd NAACP Image Awards – Motion Picture"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112080712/http://www.naacpimageawards.net/42/nominees-and-honorees/motion-picture/ |date=January 12, 2011 }}, [[NAACP Image Awards]], January 12, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2011.</ref> Jackson recorded the film's theme, "[[Nothing (Janet Jackson song)|Nothing]]", released as a promotional single.<ref>Rodriguez, Jayson (February 18, 2010),[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632205/20100218/dupri_jermaine.jhtml "Jermaine Dupri Says New Janet Jackson Song Is 'A Good Record'"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222220143/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632205/20100218/dupri_jermaine.jhtml |date=February 22, 2010 }}, MTV. Retrieved April 7, 2010.</ref> The song was performed on the [[American Idol (season 9)|ninth season]] finale of ''[[American Idol]]'' along with "Again" and "Nasty".<ref>{{cite web|last=Downey|first=Ryan J.|date=May 27, 2010|title='American Idol' Finale Ratings the Lowest Since Season One|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640212/20100527/story.jhtml|publisher=MTV News|access-date=May 27, 2010|archive-date=May 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531174121/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640212/20100527/story.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In July, Jackson modeled for the [[Blackglama]] clothing line featuring [[mink]] fur,<ref name="fur">{{citation|author=Ella Ngo|title=Poll: Are You Fur or Against Janet Jackson's New Ad|url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b192769_poll_are_you_fur_against_janet_jacksons.html|publisher=[[E! Online|E!]]|date=July 29, 2010|access-date=July 29, 2010|archive-date=August 1, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801150229/http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b192769_poll_are_you_fur_against_janet_jacksons.html|url-status=live}}</ref> then helped design a signature line of clothing and accessories for Blackglama, to be sold at [[Saks Fifth Avenue]] and [[Bloomingdales]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fashionetc.com/news/celebrity/3848-janet-jackson-blackglama-collection |title=Janet Jackson's Blackglama Collection |last=Donnelly |first=Erin |date=November 21, 2011 |work=Fashion Etc |access-date=May 7, 2014 |archive-date=May 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025140/http://fashionetc.com/news/celebrity/3848-janet-jackson-blackglama-collection |url-status=live }}</ref> Universal Music released Jackson's third hits compilation, ''[[Icon: Number Ones]]'', as the debut of the ''[[Icon (album series)|Icon]]'' compilation series.

In November 2010, Jackson starred as Joanna in the drama ''[[For Colored Girls]]'', the film adaptation of [[Ntozake Shange]]'s 1975 play ''[[For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf|For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf]]''. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' stated Jackson "recites verses written by Ntozake Shange, the author of the play that inspired the film&nbsp;... But instead of offering up a mannered coffeehouse reading of the lines, Jackson makes the words sound like ordinary—though very eloquent—speech."<ref>{{citation|author=Christopher John Farley|title=Janet Jackson Tackles Poetry in 'For Colored Girls'|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/11/02/janet-jackson-tackles-poetry-in-for-colored-girls|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=November 2, 2010|access-date=November 2, 2010|archive-date=November 5, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105024858/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/11/02/janet-jackson-tackles-poetry-in-for-colored-girls/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson's portrayal in the film was likened to [[Meryl Streep]] as [[Miranda Priestly]] in ''[[The Devil Wears Prada (film)|The Devil Wears Prada]]''.<ref name="Dargis">{{citation|author=Manohla Dargis|title=A Powerful Chorus Harmonizing 'Dark Phrases of Womanhood'|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/movies/05for.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 4, 2010|access-date=November 4, 2010|archive-date=November 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106081613/http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/movies/05for.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation|author=Randy Myers|title=Review: Cast elevates 'For Colored Girls' from soap opera territory|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/movies-dvd/ci_16493615|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|date=November 4, 2010|access-date=November 4, 2010|archive-date=February 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206165245/http://www.mercurynews.com/movies-dvd/ci_16493615|url-status=live}}</ref> Her performance earned [[Black Reel Awards]] nominations in the categories of [[Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress|Outstanding Supporting Actress]] and [[Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble|Outstanding Ensemble]].<ref>{{citation|title=2011 Black Reel Awards Nominations |url=http://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/2011-black-reel-awards-nominations/ |publisher=[[Black Reel Awards]] |date=December 15, 2010 |access-date=December 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221000645/http://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/2011-black-reel-awards-nominations/ |archive-date=December 21, 2010 }}</ref>

[[File:Janet Number Ones.jpg|thumb|right|Jackson performing during the 2011 [[Number Ones, Up Close and Personal]] tour]]
In support of her second hits collection, ''Number Ones'', Jackson embarked on her largest world tour,<ref name="2011 tour">{{citation |url=http://www.theboombox.com/2010/11/19/janet-jackson-announces-2011-plans/ |title=Janet Jackson Announces 2011 Plans, Asks Fans for Questions |work=The Boombox |publisher=[[AOL]] |date=November 19, 2010 |access-date=November 19, 2010 |archive-date=November 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121034752/http://www.theboombox.com/2010/11/19/janet-jackson-announces-2011-plans/ |url-status=live }}</ref> entitled [[Number Ones, Up Close and Personal]]; she held concerts in thirty-five global cities, selected by fans who submitted suggestions on her official website.<ref name="2011 tour" /> During the tour, Jackson performed thirty-five number one hits and dedicated a song to each city.<ref name="2011 tour" /> [[Mattel]] released a limited-edition [[Barbie]] of Jackson titled "Divinely Janet", auctioned for over $15,000, with proceeds donated to [[Project Angel Food]].<ref>{{citation|author=Amber Katz|title=This Janet Jackson Barbie Doll Is All We Want For Christmas!|url=http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2010/12/10/janet-jackson-barbie-doll/|publisher=MTV|date=December 10, 2010|access-date=April 8, 2011|archive-date=December 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217011008/http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2010/12/10/janet-jackson-barbie-doll|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Jackson released the [[self-help]] book ''[[True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself]]'' in February 2011, co-written with David Ritz. It chronicled her struggle with weight and confidence, also publishing letters from fans. It topped [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times{{'}}'' Best Seller list]] the following month.<ref>{{citation|title=Best Sellers – The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-03-06/hardcover-advice/list.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 28, 2011|access-date=February 28, 2011|first=Jennifer|last=Schuessler|archive-date=February 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228085646/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-03-06/hardcover-advice/list.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, she signed a film production contract with [[Lions Gate Entertainment]] to "select, develop and produce a feature film for the independent studio."<ref name="PM">{{citation|author=Pamela McClintock|title=Janet Jackson Signs Film Production Deal with Lionsgate (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/janet-jackson-signs-film-production-167872|newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=March 15, 2011|access-date=March 17, 2011|archive-date=March 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318085223/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/janet-jackson-signs-film-production-167872|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jackson became the first female pop singer to perform at the [[I. M. Pei]] glass pyramid at the [[Musée du Louvre|Louvre Museum]], raising contributions for the restoration of iconic artwork.<ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson to Perform at Paris' Louvre Museum|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/janet-jackson-perform-at-paris-175694|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 6, 2011|access-date=April 8, 2011|archive-date=April 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110413062912/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/janet-jackson-perform-at-paris-175694|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation|author=Sonya E|title=Janet Jackson To Make History In Paris|url=http://www.s2smagazine.com/stories/2011/04/janet-jackson-make-history-paris|newspaper=[[Sister 2 Sister]]|date=April 8, 2011|access-date=April 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411082009/http://www.s2smagazine.com/stories/2011/04/janet-jackson-make-history-paris|archive-date=April 11, 2011}}</ref> Jackson was selected to endorse fashion line ''Blackglama'' for a second year, being the first celebrity in the line's history chosen to do so.<ref>[http://www.rttnews.com/Content/EntertainmentNews.aspx?Section=2&Id=1700517&SM=1 "Janet Jackson Featured In New Blackglama Ad Campaign"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212163112/http://www.rttnews.com/Content/EntertainmentNews.aspx?Section=2&Id=1700517&SM=1 |date=December 12, 2011 }}, RTTNews, August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2011.</ref> She partnered with the label to release a fifteen-piece collection of luxury products.<ref>{{citation|author=Coleen Nika|title=News Roundup: Lady Gaga's Barney's Workshop, Rihanna's Collection, Janet Jackson's New Line And More|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/thread-count/news-roundup-lady-gagas-barneys-workshop-rihannas-collection-janet-jacksons-new-line-and-more-20111123|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=November 23, 2011|access-date=November 29, 2011|archive-date=November 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126045215/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/thread-count/news-roundup-lady-gagas-barneys-workshop-rihannas-collection-janet-jacksons-new-line-and-more-20111123|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2012, Jackson endorsed [[Nutrisystem]], sponsoring their weight-loss program after struggling with weight fluctuations in the past.<ref name="nutri">{{citation|author=Elizabeth Olson|title=Weight Loss, With Divas and Public Service|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/business/media/weight-loss-with-divas-and-public-service-angles.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 14, 2011|access-date=January 3, 2012|archive-date=January 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105151029/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/business/media/weight-loss-with-divas-and-public-service-angles.html|url-status=live}}</ref> With the program, she donated ten million dollars in meals to the hungry.<ref name="nutri" /> She was honored by amfAR for her contributions to AIDS research when chairing the Cinema Against AIDS gala during the [[Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{citation|author=Michelle Salemi|title=Janet Jackson's AmfAR Advocacy Goes Beyond Galas|url=https://variety.com/2013/music/features/amfar-1200484249/#!1/janet-jackson/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 23, 2013|access-date=November 12, 2013|archive-date=August 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821020344/https://variety.com/2013/music/features/amfar-1200484249/#!1/janet-jackson/|url-status=live}}</ref> She also participated in a public service announcement for [[UNICEF]] to help starving children.<ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson Teams Up with UNICEF to Fight Hunger|url=http://www.etonline.com/music/134692_Janet_Jackson_Teams_Up_with_UNICEF_to_Fight_Hunger/|publisher=[[ETonline]]|date=February 25, 2013|access-date=December 11, 2013|archive-date=December 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211213517/http://www.etonline.com/music/134692_Janet_Jackson_Teams_Up_with_UNICEF_to_Fight_Hunger/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2015–2019: ''Unbreakable'', touring and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ===
In the wake of releasing a new album, scheduled for the fall of 2015, Jackson founded her own record label, Rhythm Nation, distributed by [[BMG Rights Management]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Andrew Hampp|title=Janet Jackson to Release New Album This Fall Via Rhythm Nation/BMG|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-new-album-fall-rhythm-nation-bmg-6583268/|access-date=June 3, 2015|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|agency=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|date=June 3, 2015|archive-date=June 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604144404/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6583268/janet-jackson-new-album-fall-rhythm-nation-bmg|url-status=live}}</ref> The launch of label established Jackson as one of the few African-American female musicians to own a record label.<ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson back with new album – and record-breaking new deal with BMG|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/03/janet-jackson-new-album-record-breaking-deal-bmg-rhythm-nation|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=June 3, 2015|access-date=June 5, 2015|last1=Music|first1=Guardian|archive-date=June 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605095725/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/03/janet-jackson-new-album-record-breaking-deal-bmg-rhythm-nation|url-status=live}}</ref> The label's first release was the lead single from the upcoming album,  "[[No Sleeep]]", on June 22.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Erika Ramirez |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6605590/janet-jackson-releases-new-song-no-sleep-listen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624015903/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6605590/janet-jackson-releases-new-song-no-sleeep-listen |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2015 |title=Janet Jackson Releases New Song, 'No Sleep': Listen|magazine=Billboard |date=June 22, 2015 |access-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref> Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Gary Trust|title=Wiz Khalifa No. 1 on Hot 100 'Again,' Selena Gomez Debuts at No. 9|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/wiz-khalifa-no-1-hot-100-selena-gomez-debuts/|magazine=Billboard|date=July 1, 2015|access-date=July 1, 2015|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107223910/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6613247/wiz-khalifa-no-1-hot-100-selena-gomez-debuts|url-status=live}}</ref> The song went to number one on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 immediately following the release.<ref>{{cite magazine|title = Janet Jackson Leads Trending 140, Pentatonix's Michael Jackson Medley Hits Top Five|magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/chart-beat/real-time-charts/6605670/janet-michael-jackson-pentatonix-trending-140|access-date = September 24, 2015|date = June 22, 2015|archive-date = September 24, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924044444/http://www.billboard.com/articles/chart-beat/real-time-charts/6605670/janet-michael-jackson-pentatonix-trending-140|url-status = live}}</ref> The album version featuring [[J. Cole]] enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the [[Adult R&B Songs]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Gary Trust|title=Hot 100 Chart Moves: Charlie Puth & Meghan Trainor's 'Marvin Gaye' Hits Top 40|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/charlie-puth-meghan-trainor-marvin-gaye-hot-100-top-40/|magazine=Billboard|date=August 6, 2015|access-date=August 10, 2015|archive-date=August 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809215023/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6656636/charlie-puth-meghan-trainor-marvin-gaye-hot-100-top-40|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|author=Amaya Mendizabal|title=Janet Jackson's 'No Sleeep' Becomes Her Longest-Running No. 1 on Adult R&B Songs|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/janet-jackson-no-sleeep-longest-running-number-1-hot-rb-songs/|magazine=Billboard|date=September 29, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2015|archive-date=October 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003014259/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6714515/janet-jackson-no-sleeep-longest-running-number-1-hot-rb-songs|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:JanetJacksonUnbreak 1792 (22850172070).jpg|thumb|Jackson performing during the 2015–16 [[Unbreakable World Tour (Janet Jackson tour)|Unbreakable Tour]]]]
[[BET]] presented Jackson with their inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual award at the [[BET Awards 2015]], which also featured a dance tribute to her performed by [[Ciara]], [[Jason Derulo]] and [[Tinashe]].<ref>{{citation|author=Gerrick D. Kennedy|title=BET to honor Janet Jackson with new 'Icon' award|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-bet-to-honor-janet-jackson-with-icon-award-20150623-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 23, 2015|access-date=June 26, 2015|archive-date=June 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625054107/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-bet-to-honor-janet-jackson-with-icon-award-20150623-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She launched a luxury jewelry line called the "Janet Jackson Unbreakable Diamonds collection", a joint venture between herself and Paul Raps New York.<ref>{{cite web |author=Antoinette Bueno |url=http://www.etonline.com/news/167091_janet_jackson_announces_unbreakable_diamond_collection/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: Janet Jackson Announces a Surprising New Venture |publisher=[[Entertainment Tonight]] |date=June 30, 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-date=July 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702011017/http://www.etonline.com/news/167091_janet_jackson_announces_unbreakable_diamond_collection/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On August 20, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever"<ref>{{cite web|author=Jeremy Gordon|title=Janet Jackson Titles New Album, Previews "The Great Forever"|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/60867-janet-jackson-titles-new-album-previews-the-great-forever/|date=August 20, 2015|access-date=August 20, 2015|archive-date=August 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822181329/http://pitchfork.com/news/60867-janet-jackson-titles-new-album-previews-the-great-forever/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|author=Joe Lynch|title=Janet Jackson Teases Upbeat New Song 'The Great Forever,' Confirms Album Title|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6670966/janet-jackson-great-forever-unbreakable-new-album|magazine=Billboard|date=August 20, 2015|access-date=August 20, 2015|archive-date=August 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822180038/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6670966/janet-jackson-great-forever-unbreakable-new-album|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by the launch of her [[Unbreakable World Tour (Janet Jackson tour)|Unbreakable World Tour]] on August 31.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Hampp|first1=Andrew|title=Janet Jackson Announces Unbreakable World Tour |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/janet-jackson-announces-unbreakable-world-tour-6598120/|access-date=June 15, 2015|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|agency=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617003819/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6598120/janet-jackson-announces-unbreakable-world-tour|archive-date=June 17, 2015|url-status=live|location=United States}}</ref>

The upcoming album's title track "[[Unbreakable (Janet Jackson song)|Unbreakable]]" was released on September 11, 2015.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Will Robinson|title=Janet Jackson shares powerful new single, 'Unbreakable'|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/03/janet-jackson-new-song|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=September 3, 2015|access-date=September 4, 2015|archive-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904114817/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/03/janet-jackson-new-song|url-status=live}}</ref> "[[Burnitup!]]" featuring Missy Elliott debuted on [[BBC Radio 1]] on September 24, 2015.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Matthew|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/janet-jackson-missy-elliott-burnitup_56053f7ce4b0af3706dbd1f7|title=Janet Jackson And Missy Elliott 'BURNITUP!' With Their New Song|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=September 25, 2015|access-date=September 26, 2015|archive-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927043950/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/janet-jackson-missy-elliott-burnitup_56053f7ce4b0af3706dbd1f7|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''[[Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)|Unbreakable]]'' album was released on October 2, 2015. It received largely positive reviews, including those by ''The Wall Street Journal'',<ref>{{cite news|author=Jim Fusilli|title='Unbreakable' by Janet Jackson Review|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/unbreakable-by-janet-jackson-review-1443563988|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=September 29, 2015|access-date=September 29, 2015|archive-date=September 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930214922/http://www.wsj.com/articles/unbreakable-by-janet-jackson-review-1443563988|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The New York Times'',<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Jon Pareles]]|title=Review: Janet Jackson's 'Unbreakable' Focuses on Love Outside the Bedroom|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/arts/music/review-janet-jacksons-unbreakable-focuses-on-love-outside-the-bedroom.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 30, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2015|archive-date=October 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004040431/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/arts/music/review-janet-jacksons-unbreakable-focuses-on-love-outside-the-bedroom.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'',<ref>{{cite news|author=Elysa Gardner|title=Album of the week: Janet Jackson turns reflective on 'Unbreakable'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/10/01/album-of-the-week-janet-jackson-unbreakable/73025824/|work=[[USA Today]]|date=October 1, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2015|archive-date=October 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004014700/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/10/01/album-of-the-week-janet-jackson-unbreakable/73025824/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Los Angeles Times'',<ref name="LAT">{{cite news|author=Mikael Wood|title=Review Janet Jackson's new 'Unbreakable' includes a tender tribute to Michael|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-janet-jackson-unbreakable-album-review-20150930-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 1, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2015|archive-date=October 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003021534/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-janet-jackson-unbreakable-album-review-20150930-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Alex Macpherson|title=Janet Jackson: Unbreakable review – sunny serenity on reflective 11th album|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/01/janet-jackson-unbreakable-review-sunny-serenity-on-reflective-11th-album|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 1, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2015|archive-date=October 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003125052/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/01/janet-jackson-unbreakable-review-sunny-serenity-on-reflective-11th-album|url-status=live}}</ref> The following week, Jackson received her first nomination to be inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref name=RRHF>{{cite news|author=Lisa Respers France|title=Janet Jackson, N.W.A., Los Lobos among Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees-feat/|publisher=CNN|date=October 8, 2015|access-date=October 8, 2015|archive-date=October 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011012624/http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees-feat|url-status=live}}</ref> Her album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming her seventh album to top the chart in the United States.<ref name=seventh>{{cite magazine|author=Keith Caulfield|title=Janet Jackson Earns Historic Seventh No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/janet-jackson-earns-historic-seventh-no-1-album-on-billboard-200-chart-unbreakable/|magazine=Billboard|date=October 11, 2015|access-date=October 11, 2015|archive-date=February 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220194201/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6722962/janet-jackson-earns-historic-seventh-no-1-album-on-billboard-200-chart-unbreakable|url-status=live}}</ref> Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis stated that Jackson's concept for the album was developed simultaneously with the accompanying tour's production and that its composition differed from the majority of her catalog. They also stated that the album's theme reflects "being able to be vulnerable and to be able to withstand what comes to you," drawing on Jackson's experiences over the past several years.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Kyle Anderson|title=6 things we now know about Janet Jackson's new album, thanks to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/28/janet-jackson-unbreakable-jimmy-jam-terry-lewis|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=August 28, 2015|access-date=August 28, 2015|archive-date=August 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150830235720/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/28/janet-jackson-unbreakable-jimmy-jam-terry-lewis|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 6, 2016, Jackson postponed her tour in favour of "planning her family" with husband Wissam Al Mana.<ref>{{cite news|title=Janet Jackson Delays Tour; Planning Family, Ordered to Rest|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/janet-jackson-delays-tour-planning-family-ordered-rest-38187068|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=April 6, 2016|access-date=April 6, 2016|archive-date=April 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407131630/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/janet-jackson-delays-tour-planning-family-ordered-rest-38187068|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 7, 2017, Jackson resumed her Unbreakable World Tour, now known as the [[State of the World Tour]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=Vulpo|first1=Mike|title=Watch Janet Jackson Confirm Separation From Wissam Al Mana|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/847407/janet-jackson-confirms-separation-from-wissam-al-mana-while-announcing-new-tour-dates|access-date=May 1, 2017|work=[[E! Online]]|publisher=[[NBCUniversal]]|date=May 1, 2017|location=United States|archive-date=May 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502060926/http://www.eonline.com/news/847407/janet-jackson-confirms-separation-from-wissam-al-mana-while-announcing-new-tour-dates|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web|last1=Yoo|first1=Noah|last2=Sodomsky|first2=Sam|title=Janet Jackson Sets Date for Rescheduled Tour|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/73209-janet-jackson-sets-date-for-rescheduled-tour/|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|publisher=[[Condé Nast]]|access-date=May 1, 2017|date=May 1, 2017|archive-date=May 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502041235/http://pitchfork.com/news/73209-janet-jackson-sets-date-for-rescheduled-tour/|url-status=live}}</ref> Refocusing the tour's theme to reflect socially conscious messages from Jackson's entire music catalog, many songs selected for the concert set list along with corresponding imagery depicted on stage address [[racism]], [[white supremacy]], [[fascism]], [[xenophobia]] and [[police brutality]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Danielle|last=Kwateng-Clark|title=Janet Jackson 'Snatched Wigs' At First State Of The World Tour|url=http://www.essence.com/entertainment/janet-jackson-snatched-wigs-first-state-world-tour|magazine=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]|date=September 8, 2017|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=September 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911204707/http://www.essence.com/entertainment/janet-jackson-snatched-wigs-first-state-world-tour|url-status=live}}</ref> The tour opened to positive critical reception, with several commentators praising Jackson's post-pregnancy physical fitness, showmanship and socially conscious messages.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Desire|last=Thompson|title=Janet Jackson Returns With Political Message On "State Of The World" Tour|url=https://www.vibe.com/2017/09/janet-jackson-returns-with-political-message-state-of-the-world-tour/|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=September 8, 2017|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=September 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911205153/https://www.vibe.com/2017/09/janet-jackson-returns-with-political-message-state-of-the-world-tour/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Her emotional rendition of "What About", a song about domestic violence originally recorded for ''The Velvet Rope'', drew media attention highlighting her recent separation from her husband; Jackson's brother Randy alleges she suffered verbal abuse by Al Mana which contributed to the breakdown of their marriage.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wilson|first1=Jeff|title=Randy Jackson, Michael's Brother, Gets Jail for Wife Beating|url=https://apnews.com/717b6ab83eabf219dd3dcf9623466f42|website=apnewsarchive.com|access-date=November 27, 2017|archive-date=June 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615190733/https://apnews.com/717b6ab83eabf219dd3dcf9623466f42|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Gil|last=Kaufman|title=Janet Jackson Gets Emotional While Performing Song About Abuse For the First Time in 18 Years|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/janet-jackson-emotional-singing-what-about-houston-7957928/|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=September 11, 2017|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=September 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911163843/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7957928/janet-jackson-emotional-singing-what-about-houston|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Janine|last=Rubenstien|title=Janet Jackson Was 'Verbally Abused' by Ex, Randy Claims|url=http://people.com/music/janet-jackson-verbally-abused-during-by-wissam-al-mana-randy-claims/amp/|newspaper=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=September 12, 2017|access-date=September 12, 2017|archive-date=September 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913044558/http://people.com/music/janet-jackson-verbally-abused-during-by-wissam-al-mana-randy-claims/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> Proceeds from the concert of September 9, 2017, at the [[Toyota Center]] in [[Houston, Texas]] were donated to relief efforts supporting evacuees of [[Hurricane Harvey]]. Jackson met with Houston mayor [[Sylvester Turner]] and evacuees at the [[George R. Brown Convention Center]] prior to the performance.<ref name="ABC Houston">{{cite web|first=Joi-Marie|last=McKenzie|title=Janet Jackson breaks down in tears at Houston tour stop|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/janet-jackson-breaks-tears-houston-tour-stop-performing/story?id=49740536|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=September 10, 2017|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=September 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924163927/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/janet-jackson-breaks-tears-houston-tour-stop-performing/story?id=49740536|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson received the [[Billboard Icon Award]] at the [[2018 Billboard Music Awards|2018 ''Billboard'' Music Awards]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Abby|last=Jones|title=Janet Jackson to Receive Icon Award at 2018 Billboard Music Awards|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/janet-jackson-receiving-icon-award-bbmas-2018-8454737/|magazine=Billboard|date=May 7, 2018|access-date=May 17, 2018|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922190204/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8454737/janet-jackson-receiving-icon-award-bbmas-2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview for ''Billboard'' magazine, Jackson revealed that she was then working on new music.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=David Ritz|title=Janet Jackson Goes Deep on Her Early Challenges, Upcoming Music & the Joy of Motherhood|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/8456316/janet-jackson-interview-billboard-cover-story-bbmas-icon-award-2018|magazine=Billboard|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=May 17, 2018|archive-date=May 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517183842/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/8456316/janet-jackson-interview-billboard-cover-story-bbmas-icon-award-2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 16, 2018, Jackson and Rhythm Nation entered into a partnership with [[Cinq Music Group]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cobo |first=Leila |title=Janet Jackson & Her Rhythm Nation Records Partner With Cinq Music For New Indie Release: Exclusive |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8470483/janet-jackson-cinq-music-recording-label-deal-daddy-yankee |access-date=August 16, 2018 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]  |date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816144202/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8470483/janet-jackson-cinq-music-recording-label-deal-daddy-yankee |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |location=United States |url-status=live}}</ref> The next day, Jackson released the single "[[Made for Now]]", a collaboration with [[Daddy Yankee]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/janet-jackson-daddy-yankee-song-made-for-now-video-8467554/|title=Janet Jackson and Daddy Yankee Will Release a Single and Video Together|magazine=Billboard|last=Cobo|first=Leila|date=July 29, 2018|access-date=July 31, 2018|archive-date=August 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815231534/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/8467554/janet-jackson-daddy-yankee-song-made-for-now-video|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2018, she received her third nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Andrew|last=Unterberger|title=The 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees: Who Will Actually Get In?|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-2019-nominations-odds-8478882/|access-date=October 9, 2018|magazine=Billboard|date=October 9, 2018|archive-date=October 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009221439/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8478882/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-2019-nominations-odds|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Ben|last=Sisario|title=Janet Jackson and Radiohead Lead Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/arts/music/rock-roll-hall-fame-inductees-janet-jackson.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 13, 2018|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-date=December 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213173235/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/arts/music/rock-roll-hall-fame-inductees-janet-jackson.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On May 17, 2019, Jackson launched a four-month Las Vegas residency entitled ''[[Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis|Metamorphosis]]''. The initial schedule comprised fourteen shows at the Park Theater at [[Park MGM]] resort; three additional shows were added in May.<ref>{{cite web|title=Janet Jackson Launching Las Vegas Residency in May|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/janet-jackson-launching-las-vegas-residency-1203149714|work=Variety|date=February 26, 2019|access-date=February 26, 2019|archive-date=February 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227003227/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/janet-jackson-launching-las-vegas-residency-1203149714/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/janet-jackson-adds-dates-las-vegas-residency-8511094/|title=Janet Jackson Adds Three Dates to 'Metamorphosis' Las Vegas Residency|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 14, 2019|archive-date=May 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513195953/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8511094/janet-jackson-adds-dates-las-vegas-residency|url-status=live}}</ref> In September and November 2019 Jackson performed a series of concerts in support of the 30th anniversary of the ''Rhythm Nation'' album in Welch [[Treasure Island Resort & Casino]], San Francisco and Hawaii.<ref>{{cite web|title=Janet Jackson Upcoming Shows|url=https://www.livenation.com/artists/81357/janet-jackson|publisher=[[Live Nation (events promoter)|Live Nation]]|access-date=August 21, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527204724/https://www.livenation.com/artists/81357/janet-jackson|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2019, Jackson played a variety of festivals in the US and abroad, including [[The Glastonbury Festival]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Emily|last=Zemler|title=The Cure, The Killers, Janet Jackson Added to Glastonbury Lineup|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-cure-the-killers-janet-jackson-glastonbury-808567|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=March 15, 2019|access-date=March 16, 2019|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330125821/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-cure-the-killers-janet-jackson-glastonbury-808567/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Janet Jackson Sunday 30 June|url=https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/artist/janet-jackson|work=Montreux Jazz Festival Switzerland|access-date=June 6, 2019|archive-date=April 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423060408/https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/artist/janet-jackson|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=RNB Fridays Reveals Massive Line-up For 2019 festival|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/music-festivals/rnb-fridays-reveals-massive-lineup-for-2019-festival/news-story/096ea2a8068a62fd2adb830e8b43abdc|agency=[[News.com.au]]|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-date=August 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809012309/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/music-festivals/rnb-fridays-reveals-massive-lineup-for-2019-festival/news-story/096ea2a8068a62fd2adb830e8b43abdc|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas Announced As Headline Acts for Friday Jams Live 2019|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/114845228/janet-jackson-50-cent-black-eyed-peas-announced-as-headline-acts-for-friday-jams-live-2019|publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230404221017/https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/114845228/janet-jackson-50-cent-black-eyed-peas-announced-as-headline-acts-for-friday-jams-live-2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2020–present: Documentaries and continued touring ===
[[File:JanetJacksonHighlandDec292025(cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Jackson performing at the [[Yaamava' Resort & Casino]] in December 2025]]
Jackson was set to embark on the Black Diamond World Tour in 2020<ref name="black diamond">{{cite magazine|title=Janet Jackson Announces New Black Diamond Album and World Tour|url=https://ew.com/music/2020/02/10/janet-jackson-black-diamond-album-tour/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=February 10, 2020|archive-date=February 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210183603/https://ew.com/music/2020/02/10/janet-jackson-black-diamond-album-tour/|url-status=live}}</ref> in support of her twelfth studio album ''Black Diamond'', which was scheduled for a release that year.<ref name="black diamond" /> However, the tour was postponed indefinitely due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2020/05/21/Janet-Jackson-show-at-PPG-Paints-Arena-is-postponed-tickets/stories/202005210141|title=Janet Jackson show at PPG Paints Arena is postponed|first=Scott|last=Mervis|date=May 21, 2020|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=January 22, 2022|archive-date=January 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122120404/https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2020/05/21/Janet-Jackson-show-at-PPG-Paints-Arena-is-postponed-tickets/stories/202005210141|url-status=live}}</ref>

A two-part documentary titled ''[[Janet Jackson (TV series)|Janet Jackson]]'' for [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]] and [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]] premiered on January 28 and 29, 2022, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Janet Jackson Two-part Documentary Set to Air on A&E and Lifetime |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/04/entertainment/janet-jackson-documentary-premiere-trnd/index.html |work=CNN |date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=March 25, 2021 |archive-date=March 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325181613/https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/04/entertainment/janet-jackson-documentary-premiere-trnd/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Iasimone|first=Ashley|title=Janet Jackson Documentary Sets Release Date, Drops New Trailer: Watch|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-doc-release-date-trailer-1235015140/|date=January 2, 2022|access-date=January 2, 2022|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=January 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103003039/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-doc-release-date-trailer-1235015140/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson previewed a clip of a new song, "Luv I Luv", during the end credits of the last episode of her documentary.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Iasimone|first=Ashley|title=Janet Jackson Debuts New Song 'Luv I Luv' on 'Janet' Documentary|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-luv-i-luv-1235025007/|date=January 29, 2022|access-date=January 30, 2022|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=January 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130031831/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-luv-i-luv-1235025007/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson was a headliner of the 2022 [[Essence Music Festival]] in New Orleans.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Mitchell|first=Gail|title=Essence Festival of Culture Makes In-Person Return With Janet Jackson, Nick Minaj, Summer Walker & More|url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/events/essence-fest-2022-lineup-1235039425/|date=March 3, 2022|access-date=March 3, 2022|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=March 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304025127/https://www.billboard.com/culture/events/essence-fest-2022-lineup-1235039425/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 14, 2023, Jackson launched her [[Janet Jackson: Together Again|Together Again Tour]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Janet Jackson Announces 'Together Again' 2023 Tour Dates|url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/janet-jackson-together-again-2023-tour-dates-1235457748/|work=Variety|date=December 12, 2022|access-date=December 12, 2022|archive-date=September 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905075149/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/janet-jackson-together-again-2023-tour-dates-1235457748/|url-status=live}}</ref> which later became the highest-grossing tour of her career.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Abraham|first=Mya|title=Janet Jackson's Together Again Tour Named Her Most Lucrative After Amassing Over $50M|url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/janet-jackson-together-again-tour-most-lucrative-1234770408/|magazine=Vibe|date=July 6, 2023|access-date=July 6, 2025}}</ref> On March 8, 2023, Lifetime and A&E greenlit a follow-up documentary series, ''Janet Jackson: Family First''. The series will follow Jackson as she prepares for her Together Again Tour as well as her and brother Randy's attempts to reunite the family band.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Bell|first=BreAnna|title=Lifetime, A+E Networks Greenlights 'Janet Jackson: Family First,' Announces Simulcast Premiere Date for 'TLC Forever' Documentary|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/lifetime-ae-networks-janet-jackson-family-first-tlc-forever-documentary-1235546514/|website=Variety|date=March 8, 2023|access-date=March 9, 2023|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308173152/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/lifetime-ae-networks-janet-jackson-family-first-tlc-forever-documentary-1235546514/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 30, 2024, Jackson began another Las Vegas concert residency, [[Janet Jackson: Las Vegas]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Mamo|first=Heran|title=Janet Jackson Announces Las Vegas Residency: 'This Is Going to Be a Lot of Fun'|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-las-vegas-residency-show-dates-1235757816/|magazine=Billboard|date=August 22, 2024|access-date=August 21, 2024|archive-date=August 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823032939/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-las-vegas-residency-show-dates-1235757816/|url-status=live}}</ref> On January 14, 2025, six shows were added for May of the same year.<ref name="Billboard 2">{{cite magazine |last1=Mitchell |first1=Gail |title=Janet Jackson Extends Resorts World Las Vegas Residency |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/janet-jackson-extends-las-vegas-residency-dates-1235875516/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]  |access-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251111215547/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/janet-jackson-extends-las-vegas-residency-dates-1235875516/ |archive-date=November 11, 2025 |location=United States |issn=0006-2510 |oclc=732913734 |date=January 14, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Rolling Stone 1">{{cite magazine |last1=Conteh |first1=Mankaprr |title=Janet Jackson Adds New Spring Dates to Her Las Vegas Residency |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-new-dates-las-vegas-residency-1235235855/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]  |access-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251111215852/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-new-dates-las-vegas-residency-1235235855/ |archive-date=November 11, 2025 |location=United States |issn=0035-791X |oclc=969027590 |date=January 14, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> In September, she was featured on "Principal", a track from [[Cardi B]]'s album ''[[Am I the Drama]]'', which samples Jackson's "[[The Pleasure Principle (song)|The Pleasure Principle]]". The song debuted at number 92 on the Hot 100, making Jackson the first black female artist to chart new songs in five distinct decades.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Beck|first=Robyn|title=Cardi B Helps Janet Jackson Join Cher & Madonna in 5-Decade Club on Hot 100|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cardi-b-principal-janet-jackson-hot-100-five-decades-1236080220/|magazine=Billboard|date=October 1, 2025|access-date=October 2, 2025|archive-date=October 1, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251001222334/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cardi-b-principal-janet-jackson-hot-100-five-decades-1236080220/|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2026, a [[Janet Jackson Japan 2026|concert tour in Japan]] was announced to take place in June of the same year.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=February 18, 2026 |title=ジャネット・ジャクソン 日本限定スペシャル公演開催決定！！— 'Janet Jackson Japan 2026' 6月に4公演を実施 |url=https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000119.000058351.html |trans-title=Janet Jackson Japan exclusive special concerts announced!! — 'Janet Jackson Japan 2026' — four concerts in June |language=ja-JP |agency=[[PR Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/n1Df3 |archive-date=February 18, 2026 |access-date=February 18, 2026}}</ref> One month later, it was revealed Jackson had signed a global publishing deal with [[Believe Music]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=King |first1=Ariel |title=Janet Jackson signs global deal with Believe Music Publishing |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/janet-jackson-signs-believe-music-publishing-deal/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=March 19, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260319182019/https://www.billboard.com/pro/janet-jackson-signs-believe-music-publishing-deal/ |archive-date=March 19, 2026 |date=March 19, 2026 |issn=0006-2510 |oclc=732913734 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stassen |first1=Murray |title=Janet Jackson signs global deal with Believe Music Publishing |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/janet-jackson-signs-global-publishing-deal-with-believe/# |access-date=March 19, 2026 |publisher=[[Music Business Worldwide]] |date=March 19, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260319193834/https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/janet-jackson-signs-global-publishing-deal-with-believe/ |archive-date=March 19, 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Jackson made an appearance at [[BET Awards 2026|2026 BET Awards.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/janet-jackson-lauryn-hill-deliver-surprises-2026-bet/story?id=134307112|title=Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill deliver surprises at 2026 BET Awards|date=29 June 2026|last=Saint-Vil|first=Sweetie}}</ref>

== Artistry ==

=== Influences ===
Jackson has described [[Lena Horne]] as one of her primary inspirations. Upon Horne's death, she stated "[Horne] brought much joy into everyone's lives—even the younger generations, younger than myself. She was such a great talent. She opened up such doors for artists like myself."<ref>{{citation|title=Sultry songstress Lena Horne dies|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/10/legendary-singer-lena-horne-dies/|newspaper=The Washington Times|date=May 10, 2010|access-date=July 12, 2010}}</ref> Similarly, she considers [[Dorothy Dandridge]] to be one of her idols.<ref>{{citation|author=Liz Smith|title=Janet Jackson as Dandridge?|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 4, 1993|page=2|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>

Jackson has declared herself "a very big Joni Mitchell fan", explaining: "As a kid I was drawn to Joni Mitchell records [...] Joni's songs spoke to me in an intimate, personal way."<ref>{{citation|last=Penn|first=Roberta|title=Janet Jackson digs deep and gets personal in latest album|newspaper=[[The Fresno Bee]]|date=September 5, 1997|page=E.4|issn=0889-6070}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson Returns with Hit Album and New Look|newspaper=Jet|volume=92|issue=26|page=60|date=November 17, 1997}}</ref> She holds reverence for Tina Turner, stating "Tina has become a heroic figure for many people, especially women, because of her tremendous strength. Personally, Tina doesn't seem to have a beginning or an end in my life. I felt her music was always there, and I feel like it always will be."<ref>{{citation|title=The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 61) Tina Turner|newspaper=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7248197/the_immortals__the_greatest_artists_of_all_time_61_tina_turner|date=April 22, 2005|access-date=April 26, 2009|archive-date=May 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503075540/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7248197/the_immortals__the_greatest_artists_of_all_time_61_tina_turner|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also named other socially conscious acts, such as [[Tracy Chapman]], [[Sly and the Family Stone]], [[U2]], and [[Bob Dylan]], as sources of inspiration.<ref name="She's a rebel" /><ref>{{citation|author=Kevin Phinney|title=Jackson takes control on latest album // Songstress instrumental in signing producers, writing lyrics for 'Rhythm Nation'|newspaper=Austin American-Statesman|date=September 21, 1989|page=F.2}}</ref>

In her early career, Jackson also credited her brothers Michael and Jermaine Jackson as musical influences.<ref name="Sex, sadness & the triumph of Janet Jackson">{{Citation | last = Ritz | first = David | title = Sex, sadness & the triumph of Janet Jackson | magazine = Rolling Stone | date = October 1, 1998 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938082/sex_sadness__the_triumph_of_janet_jackson | access-date = April 23, 2008 | archive-date = August 24, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824000643/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938082/sex_sadness__the_triumph_of_janet_jackson | url-status = dead }}</ref>

=== Music and voice ===
Jackson possesses a [[mezzo-soprano]] [[Voice type|vocal range]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://nypost.com/2015/05/20/why-pop-divas-should-fear-janet-jacksons-comeback/| title=Why pop divas should fear Janet Jackson's comeback| work=[[New York Post]]| date=May 20, 2015| access-date=March 10, 2018| first=Tashara| last=Jones| archive-date=March 11, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311021538/https://nypost.com/2015/05/20/why-pop-divas-should-fear-janet-jacksons-comeback/| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Da'Shan |date=May 17, 2018 |title=The School of Janet Jackson: Ten Songs From the 21st Century Modeled After Her Classics |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/janet-jackson-influences-10-modern-songs-8456481/ |access-date=April 23, 2025 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-date=January 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124124726/https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/janet-jackson-influences-10-modern-songs-8456481/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Yarborough |first=Chuck |date=March 29, 2019 |title=Janet Jackson: 'Rhythm Nation' singer-songwriter joins her famous siblings: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019 |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/03/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-singer-songwriter-joins-her-famous-siblings-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-class-of-2019.html |access-date=April 23, 2025 |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |archive-date=April 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425161825/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/03/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-singer-songwriter-joins-her-famous-siblings-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-class-of-2019.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Over the course of her career, she has received frequent criticism for the limitations of her vocal capabilities, especially in comparison to contemporary artists such as [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Mariah Carey]].<ref>{{citation|author=Stephen Holden|title=Big Stars, Big Bucks and the Big Gamble|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 7, 1991|page=A.24|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> In comparing her vocal technique to Houston and [[Aretha Franklin]], vocal coach Roger Love states that "[w]hen Janet sings, she allows a tremendous amount of air to come through. She's obviously aiming for a sexy, sultry effect, and on one level that works nicely. But actually, it's fairly limited." He adds that while her voice is suitable for studio recording, it doesn't translate well to the stage because despite having "great songs, incredible dancing, and her star-like presence, the live show is still magnificent. But the voice is not the star."<ref>{{Citation|author1=Roger Love |author2=Donna Frazier |title=Set Your Voice Free: How To Get The Singing Or Speaking Voice You Want|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-316-09294-4}}</ref>

Biographer David Ritz commented, "on Janet's albums—and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique [...] singing wasn't the point," saying emphasis was placed on "her slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values."<ref name="Janet Jackson: Biography: Rolling Stone" /> Eric Henderson of ''[[Slant magazine]]'' claimed critics opposing her small voice "somehow missed the explosive 'gimme a beat' vocal pyrotechnics she unleashes all over 'Nasty'&nbsp;... Or that they completely dismissed how perfect her tremulous hesitance fits into the abstinence anthem 'Let's Wait Awhile'."<ref>{{Citation|last=Henderson |first=Eric |title=Slant Magazine Music Review: Janet Jackson: Control |work=[[Slant Magazine|Slant]] |year=2003 |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=367 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031219232155/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=367 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 19, 2003 |access-date=June 30, 2008}}</ref> Classical composer [[Louis Andriessen]] has praised Jackson for her "[[Tempo rubato|rubato]], sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice."<ref name="Louis">{{citation|last=Andriessen|first=Louis|author2=Maja Trochimczyk|title=The music of Louis Andriessen|publisher=Routledge|page=61|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8153-3789-8}}</ref>

Several critics also consider her voice to often be enveloped within her music's production. Wendy Robinson of ''[[PopMatters]]'' said "the power of Janet Jackson's voice does not lie in her pipes. She doesn't blow, she whispers&nbsp;... Jackson's confectionary vocals are masterfully complemented by gentle harmonies and balanced out by pulsing rhythms, so she's never unpleasant to listen to."<ref name="PopMatters">{{Citation|url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/jacksonjanet-rhythm/|title=Janet Jackson: Rhythm Nation Compilation|work=PopMatters|author=Robinson, Wendy|date=February 9, 2014|access-date=February 9, 2014|archive-date=September 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902093416/http://www.popmatters.com/review/jacksonjanet-rhythm/|url-status=live}}</ref> In a retrospective review of her 2004 album ''[[Damita Jo (album)|Damita Jo]]'', Rich Juzwiak of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' wrote that "[whilst] Jackson doesn't have a technically great voice, she is an excellent singer...she performs with gusto and conviction, has a nimble sense of rhythm that makes [her] vocal pitter-patter around her beats. She doesn't have pipes that will blow the ceiling off a church, but she's a deft performer, and she, Jam, and Lewis know exactly what to do to enhance her limitations. Nothing about her voice aesthetically suggests power, but what is it if not almighty power to be able to transcend notions of traditional proficiency?"<ref>{{citation|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/janet-jackson-damita-jo/|title=Janet Jackson: Damita Jo Album Review|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|last1=Juzwiak|first1=Rich|date=31 March 2019|access-date=7 February 2026|archive-date=30 January 2026|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20260130140344/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/janet-jackson-damita-jo/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Matthew Perpetua of ''[[Fluxblog]]'' suggested Jackson's vocal techniques as a study for [[indie rock]] music, considering it to possess "a somewhat subliminal effect on the listener, guiding and emphasizing dynamic shifts without distracting attention from its primal hooks." Perpetua added: "Her voice effortlessly transitions from a rhythmic toughness to soulful emoting to a flirty softness without overselling any aspect of her performance&nbsp;... a continuum of emotions and attitudes that add up to the impression that we're listening to the expression of a {{Sic|hide=y|fully|-}}formed human being with contradictions and complexities."<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/07/your-new-influences-1.html |title=FLUXBLOG: New, Unusual, Trendy, and Zany |work=Fluxblog |publisher=Perpetua, Matthew |date=July 2, 2008 |access-date=February 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012061052/http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/07/your-new-influences-1.html |archive-date=October 12, 2008 }}</ref>

Jackson's music encompasses a broad range of genres, including R&B,<ref name="allmusicprofile" /><ref name="Tastemakers">{{cite web|url=https://www.tastemakersmag.com/articles/janet-discog|title=Freedom & Control: The Principles of Janet Jackson|website=Tastemakers Music Magazine|first=Joseph|last=Manganello|date=December 11, 2025|access-date=February 17, 2026|quote=Jackson creates alternate personalities to continue her exploration of R&B and dance music fueled by sexuality.}}</ref> pop,<ref name="allmusicprofile" /> dance,<ref name="Tastemakers" /> and new jack swing,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/features/popscene-new-jack-swing/|title=Popscene: New Jack Swing|publisher=Classic Pop|last=O'Brien|first=Jon|date=October 20, 2025|accessdate=January 27, 2026|quote=New jack swing would usher in artists such as Al B Sure!, Bell Biv DeVoe and En Vogue, and breathed fresh life into singers such as Janet Jackson and Bobby Brown.}}</ref> Her records from the 1980s have been described as being influenced by [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], as her producers are ex-members of [[The Time (band)|the Time]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Pareles |first=Jon |title=Pop and Jazz Guide |date=April 25, 1986 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |pages=C.23 |issn=0362-4331 |author-link=Jon Pareles}}</ref> Sal Cinquemani wrote that in addition to defining [[Top 40]] radio, she "gave Prince's [[Minneapolis sound]] a distinctly feminine—and, with songs like 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?,' 'Nasty,' 'Control,' and 'Let's Wait Awhile,' a distinctly feminist—spin."<ref name="SCNO">{{citation|last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |title=Janet Jackson: Number Ones |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1921 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116213353/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1921 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 16, 2009 |work=[[Slant Magazine]] |date=November 19, 2009 |access-date=November 19, 2009}}</ref>

On ''Control'', Richard J. Ripani documented that she, Jam, and Lewis had "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility."<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> Author [[Rickey Vincent]] stated that she has often been credited for redefining the standard of popular music with the industrial music beats of the album.<ref name="Vincent">{{Citation| last = Vincent | first = Rickey | author2 = George Clinton | title = Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One | publisher = Macmillan | year = 1996 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/funkmusicpeopler00vinc/page/272 272, 284] | isbn = 978-0-312-13499-0 | url = https://archive.org/details/funkmusicpeopler00vinc/page/272 }}</ref> She is considered a trendsetter in pop balladry, with Richard Rischar stating "the black pop ballad of the mid-1980s had been dominated by the vocal and production style that was smooth and polished, led by singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and [[James Ingram]]."<ref>{{citation|author=Richard Rischar|title=A Vision of Love: An Etiquette of Vocal Ornamentation in African-American Popular Ballads of the Early 1990s|journal=American Music|volume=22|issue=3|pages=407–443|year=2004|doi=10.2307/3592985|jstor=3592985|issn = 0734-4392 }}</ref>

Jackson continued her musical development by blending pop and urban music with elements of hip-hop in the nineties. This included a softer representation, articulated by lush, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance beats.<ref>{{citation|last=Miller|first=Michael|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History|publisher=Penguin Group|page=[https://archive.org/details/completeidiots00mill/page/205 205]|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59257-751-4|url=https://archive.org/details/completeidiots00mill/page/205}}</ref> She is described by music critic [[Greg Kot]] as "an artist who has reshaped the sound and image of rhythm and blues" within the first decade of her career.<ref>{{citation|author=Greg Kot|title=Fighting Another Grammy Whammy 'Janet' Producers Defend Jackson's Role|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=February 28, 1994|page=5|issn=1085-6706}}</ref> Critic Karla Peterson remarked that "she is a sharp dancer, an appealing performer, and as 'That's the Way Love Goes' proves—an ace pop-song writer."<ref name="Peterson">{{citation|author=Karla Peterson|title=Pop goes Janet in concert full of programmed flash|newspaper=[[U-T San Diego]]|date=February 26, 1994|page=E.6}}</ref> Selected material from the following decade has been viewed less favorably, as Sal Cinquemani comments "except for maybe R.E.M., no other former superstar act has been as prolific with such diminishing commercial and creative returns."<ref name="SCNO" />

Jackson has changed her lyrical focus over the years, becoming the subject of analysis in [[musicology]], [[African American studies]], and [[gender studies]].<ref name="Smith 1996 324">{{harvnb|Smith|1996|p=324}}</ref><ref name="TSR">{{citation|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author2=Joy Press|title=The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/sexrevoltsgender00reyn/page/297 297]|year=1996|isbn=978-0-674-80273-5|url=https://archive.org/details/sexrevoltsgender00reyn/page/297}}</ref> David Ritz compared Jackson's musical style to Marvin Gaye's, stating, "like Marvin, autobiography seemed the sole source of her music. Her art, also like Marvin's, floated over a reservoir of secret pain."<ref name="Sex, sadness & the triumph of Janet Jackson" /> Much of her success has been attributed to "a series of powerful, metallic grooves; her chirpy, multi-tracked vocals; and a lyrical philosophy built on pride and self-knowledge."<ref>{{citation|last=MacCambridge|first=Michael|title=Worth a note|newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|page=G.2|date=October 19, 1989}}</ref> Ritz also stated, "The mystery is the low flame that burns around the perimeters of Janet Jackson's soul. The flame feeds off the most highly combustible elements: survival and ambition, caution and creativity, supreme confidence and dark fear."<ref name="Sex, sadness & the triumph of Janet Jackson" />

During the 1980s, her lyrics embodied [[self-actualization]], feminist principles, and politically driven ideology.<ref name="TSR" /><ref name="Lilly">{{citation|last=Goren|first=Lilly|author-link=Lilly Goren|title=You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|page=61|year=2009|isbn=978-0-8131-2544-2}}</ref> Gillian G. Gaar described ''Control'' as "an autobiographical tale about her life with her parents, her first marriage, and breaking free."<ref name="She's a rebel" /> [[Jessie Carney Smith]] wrote "with that album, she asserted her independence, individuality, and personal power. She challenged audiences to see her as a transformed person, from an [[Ingenue (stock character)|ingénue]] to a grow-up, multi-talented celebrity."<ref name="EAAPC">{{citation|author=Jessie Carney Smith|title=Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|pages=738, 739|isbn=978-0-313-35797-8}}</ref> Referring to ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' as an embodiment of hope, Timothy E. Scheurer wrote "It may remind some of [[Sly Stone]] prior to [[There's a Riot Goin' On|There's a Riot Going On]] and other African-American artists of the 1970s in its [[tacit assumption]] that the world imagined by [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Dr. King]] is still possible, that the [[American Dream]] is a dream for all people."<ref>{{citation | author=Timothy E. Scheurer | title = Born in the USA: The Myth of America in Popular Music from Colonial Times to the Present | publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] | year = 2007 | page = 224 | isbn =978-1-934110-56-0}}</ref>

On ''Janet'', Jackson began focusing on sexual themes. Shayne Lee wrote that her music over the following decade "brand[ed] her as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s."<ref name="ER">{{citation|author=Shayne Lee|title=Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture|publisher=Government Institutes|year=2010|pages=12–16|isbn=978-0-7618-5228-5}}</ref> [[Lilly Goren|Lilly J. Goren]] observed, "Jackson's evolution from politically aware musician to sexy diva marked the direction that society and the music industry were encouraging the dance-rock divas to pursue."<ref name="Lilly" /> ''The Washington Post'' declared Jackson's public image over the course of her career had shifted "from innocence to experience, inspiring such carnal albums as 1993's 'Janet' and 1997's 'The Velvet Rope', the latter of which explored the bonds—figuratively and literally—of love and lust."<ref name="Klein">{{Citation | last= Klein| first=Joshua | title=Janet Jackson's Lighthearted Lament About Lost Love | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | page= C01 | date=April 25, 2001}}</ref>

The song "Free Xone" from ''The Velvet Rope'', which portrays [[same-sex relationship]]s in a positive light, is described by sociologist Shayne Lee as "a rare incident in which a popular black vocalist explores romantic or sensual energy outside the contours of [[heteronormativity]], making it a significant song in black sexual politics."<ref name="ER" /> During the promotion for ''Janet'', she stated "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process."<ref name="Sexual Healing" />

Upon the release of ''Damita Jo'', Jackson stated "Beginning with the earlier albums, exploring—and liberating—my sexuality has been an ongoing discovery and theme," adding "As an artist, that's not only my passion, it's my obligation."<ref name=upscale>{{cite book |first=David |last=Ritz |year=2004 |title=The Naked Truth |page=64| publisher = Upscale}}</ref> Stephen Thomas Erlewine has found Jackson's consistent inclusion of sex in her music lacking ingenuity, especially in comparisons to other artists such as Prince, stating "while sex indisputably fuels much great pop music, it isn't an inherently fascinating topic for pop music—as with anything, it all depends on the artist."<ref name="STE">{{Citation |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |title=''Damita Jo'' |publisher=AllMusic |year=2004 |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r680820 |access-date=February 8, 2009 |archive-date=March 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305130000/https://pixels.ad.gt/api/v1/getpixels?tagger_id=7628a6611852e35ce2be09b26135f8dc&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.allmusic.com%2Falbum%2Fdamita-jo-mw0000696985&code=%27none%27 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Videos and stage ===
{{See also|Janet Jackson videography}}

Jackson drew inspiration for her music videos and performances from musicals she watched in her youth, and was heavily influenced by the choreography of [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Michael Kidd]], among others.<ref name="Envisioning">{{Citation| last = Mitoma | first = Judy| title = Envisioning dance on film and video | publisher=Routledge | year = 2002 | page = 16 | isbn = 978-0-415-94171-6 | author2= Judith Mitoma| author3= Elizabeth Zimmer| author4= Dale Ann Stieber| author5= Nelli Heinonen| author6= Norah Zuniga Shaw}}</ref> Throughout her career, she has worked with and brought numerous professional choreographers to prominence, such as [[Tina Landon]], Paula Abdul, and Michael Kidd.<ref>{{Citation| last = Cutcher | first = Jenai | title = Feel the Beat: Dancing in Music Videos | publisher = The Rosen Publishing Group | year = 2003 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/feelbeat00jena/page/14 14–16] | isbn = 978-0-8239-4558-0 | url = https://archive.org/details/feelbeat00jena/page/14 }}</ref> Veronica Chambers declared, "Her impact on pop music is undeniable and far-reaching," adding, "A quick glance at the ''Billboard'' chart reveals any number of artists cast in the Janet Jackson mold." Chambers observed numerous videos which "features not only Ms. Jackson's dancers, but choreography and sets remarkably like those she has used."<ref>{{cite news|title=She's Not Anybody's Baby Sister Anymore|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Chambers, Veronica|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/07/arts/she-s-not-anybody-s-baby-sister-anymore.html|date=September 7, 1997|access-date=March 7, 2014|archive-date=March 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311015829/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/07/arts/she-s-not-anybody-s-baby-sister-anymore.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Janine Coveney of ''Billboard'' observed that "Jackson's musical declaration of independence [''Control''] launched a string of hits, an indelible production sound, and an enduring image cemented by groundbreaking video choreography and imagery that pop vocalists still emulate."<ref name="Janet's Juggernaut" /> Ben Hogwood of ''[[MusicOMH]]'' applauded the "huge influence she has become on younger pretenders to her throne," most notably Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and [[Christina Aguilera]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/music/dvds/janet-jackson.htm |title=Janet Jackson – From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos – music DVD reviews |work=MusicOMH |publisher=Hogwood, Ben |year=2004 |access-date=December 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513191906/http://www.musicomh.com/music/dvds/janet-jackson.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2013 }}</ref> Qadree EI-Amin remarked that many pop artists "pattern their performances after Janet's proven dance-diva persona."<ref name="crossroads">{{Citation | last1 = Norment | first1 = Lynn | title = Janet: At the crossroads | volume = 56 | issue = 1 | page = 180 | newspaper=Ebony | date = November 1, 2000 | issn = 0012-9011}}</ref> Beretta E. Smith-Shomade wrote that "Jackson's impact on the music video sphere came largely through music sales successes, which afforded her more visual liberties and control. This assuming of control directly impacted the look and content of her music videos, giving Jackson an agency not assumed by many other artists—male or female, Black or White."<ref name="Beretta">{{citation|author=Beretta E. Smith-Shomade|title=Shaded Lives: African-American Women and Television|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=2002|page=86}}</ref>

''Parallel Lines: Media Representations of Dance'' (1993) documents that her videos have often been reminiscent of live concerts or elaborate musical theater.<ref name="PL">{{citation|author1=Stephanie Jordan |author2=Dave Allen |title=Parallel Lines: Media Representations of Dance|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1993|page=68}}</ref> However, in her 30-minute ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' film, Jackson utilizes street dancing techniques in contrast to traditional choreography.<ref name="PL" /> The group dynamic visually embodies gender-neutral equality, with Jackson "performing asexually and anonymously in front of, but as one of the members of the group."<ref>{{citation|author1=Helmi Järviluoma |author2=Pirkko Moisala |author3=Anni Vilkko |title=Gender and Qualitative Methods|publisher=[[SAGE Publications]]|year=2003|page=92|isbn=978-0-7619-6585-5|author-link2=Pirkko Moisala}}</ref> Her music videos have also contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among young women, with Jackson "heavily implying male-on-female oral sex in music videos by pushing down on a man's head until he's in exactly the right position."<ref>{{citation|author=Jean M. Twenge|title=Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than Ever Before|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2007|page=167}}</ref> However, accusations of cosmetic surgery, skin lightening, and increasingly hypersexual imagery have led to her being viewed as conforming to a white, male-dominated view of sexuality, rather than liberating herself or others.<ref name="Beretta" />

Jackson received the [[MTV Video Vanguard Award]] for her contributions to the art form, and she became the first recipient of the MTV Icon tribute, celebrating her impact on the music industry as a whole. In 2003, ''Slant Magazine'' named "Rhythm Nation" and "Got 'til It's Gone" among the 100 Greatest Music Videos of all time, ranked at number 87 and number 10, respectively.<ref>{{citation|author=Sal Cinquemani and Ed Gonzalez|title=100 Greatest Music Videos|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/100-greatest-music-videos/205/page_10|work=Slant Magazine|date=June 30, 2003|access-date=March 9, 2012|archive-date=January 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110110203/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/100-greatest-music-videos/205/page_10|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, "Rhythm Nation" was voted the tenth best music video of the 1980s by ''Billboard''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/468693/the-10-best-80s-music-videos-poll-results|title=The 10 Best '80s Music Videos: Poll Results|last=Letkemann|first=Jessica|magazine=Billboard|date=August 1, 2011|access-date=August 1, 2011|archive-date=February 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201055739/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/468693/the-10-best-80s-music-videos-poll-results|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[The Independent Newspaper|Independent]] Journalist Nicholas Barber stated "Janet's concerts are the pop equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, with all the explosions, special effects, ersatz sentimentality, gratuitous cleavage, and emphasis on spectacle over coherence that the term implies."<ref name="Glasgow">{{Citation |last=Barber | first=Nicholas | title=Rock music: Janet Jackson gets lost in her own limelight | newspaper=[[The Independent]] | page=6 | date=June 7, 1998}}</ref>
''Jet'' magazine reported "Janet's innovative stage performances during her world tours have won her a reputation as a world-class performer."<ref>{{citation|title=Janet Jackson receives American Music Awards' Top Honor Highlighting Stellar Career|newspaper=Jet|volume=99|issue=7|date=January 29, 2001|page=56|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> Chris Willman of the ''Los Angeles Times'' stated the "enthralling" choreography of Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour "represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements."<ref name="Chris Willman">{{Citation| last1 = Willman | first1 = Chris | title = Pop Music Review Janet Jackson's Dance of Community| page = 1 | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date = April 23, 1990 | issn = 0458-3035}}</ref> When Jackson was asked "do you understand it when people talk about [The Velvet Rope Tour] in terms of Broadway?", she responded, "I'm crazy about Broadway ... That's what I grew up on."<ref name="broadway" />

Her "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal" tour deviated from the full-scale theatrics found in her previous concert arena settings in favor of smaller venues. Critics noted being scaled down did not affect the impact of her showmanship, and in some cases, enhanced it. Greg Kot of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote, "In past tours, Jackson's thin voice was often swallowed up by the sheer size of her production&nbsp;... In the more scaled-down setting, Jackson brought a warmth and a passion that wasn't always evident in stadiums&nbsp;... the best Janet Jackson performance I've covered in 20-plus years."<ref>{{citation|author=Glenn Gamboa|title=The magnificent 7 Our critic's take on Janet Jackson's top hits before her musical comeback|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|date=March 18, 2011|page=B.15}}</ref>

Thor Christensen of ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'' reported Jackson often [[lip sync]]s in concert; he wrote: "Janet Jackson—one of pop's most notorious onstage lip-syncers—conceded&nbsp;... she uses 'some' taped vocals to augment her live vocals. But she refused to say what percentage of her concert 'voice' is taped and how much is live."<ref name="lip-sync">{{Citation| last1 = Christensen | first1 = Thor | title = Loose Lips: Pop Singers' Lip-Syncing In Concert Is An Open Secret| page = B.8 | newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] | date = September 15, 2001 | issn = 1068-624X}}</ref> Michael MacCambridge of the ''[[Austin American-Statesman]]'', who reviewed Jackson's Rhythm Nation World Tour, described lip-syncing as a "moot point", stating "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles."<ref name="MacCambridge">{{Citation |last=MacCambridge | first=Michael | title=A lesson in 'Control' – Janet Jackson delivers precise, sparkling show | newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]] | page=B.8 | date=July 6, 1990}}</ref> MacCambridge also observed "it seemed unlikely that anyone—even a prized member of the First Family of Soul Music—could dance like she did for 90 minutes and still provide the sort of powerful vocals that the '90s super concerts are expected to achieve."<ref name="MacCambridge" />

Similarly, Chris Willman commented, "even a classically trained vocalist would be hard-pressed to maintain any sort of level of volume—or, more appropriately, 'Control'—while bounding up and down stairs and whipping limbs in unnatural directions at impeccable, breakneck speed."<ref name="Chris Willman" /> Critics observed that in the smaller scale of her "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal" tour, she forwent lip-syncing.<ref>{{citation|title=First-Person Reflections on a Pop Career|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/arts/music/janet-jacksons-number-ones-at-radio-city-review.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 20, 2011|access-date=April 1, 2011|first=Ben|last=Ratliff}}</ref> Chris Richards of ''The Washington Post'' stated "even at its breathiest, that delicate voice hasn't lost the laserlike precision."<ref name="CR">{{citation|author=Chris Richards|title=Janet Jackson lets fans see her sweat with energized Constitution Hall show|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/janet-jackson-lets-fans-see-her-sweat-with-energized-constitution-hall-show/2011/03/23/ABtaY8KB_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 23, 2011|access-date=April 1, 2011}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
{{See also|List of awards and nominations received by Janet Jackson|Janet Jackson as a gay icon}}
[[File:JanetJacksonStarOfFame.jpg|thumb|upright|Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
The youngest sister of the "precious Jackson clan",<ref>{{Cite book| last = Strong | first = Martin | title = The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track | publisher=Canongate U.S. | year = 2004 | page = 749 | isbn = 978-1-84195-615-2}}</ref> Jackson has striven to distance her professional career from that of her older brother Michael and the rest of the Jackson family. Steve Dollar of ''Newsday'' wrote that "[s]he projects that home girl-next-door quality that belies her place as the youngest sibling in a family whose inner and outer lives have been as poked at, gossiped about, docudramatized and hard-copied as the [[Kennedy family|Kennedys]]."<ref>{{cite news|first=Steve |last=Dollar|title=A Little Help From Her Friends|newspaper=Newsday|date=July 23, 2000|page=D.07}}</ref> Phillip McCarthy of ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' noted that throughout her recording career, one of her common conditions for interviewers has been that there would be no mention of Michael.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=smh&kw=%22don%27t+mention+michael%22&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=SHD0802241O77H3LSPMD |title=The Sun Herald&nbsp;— Don't mention Michael |last=McCarthy |first=Phillip |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=February 25, 2008 |access-date=October 22, 2010}}</ref> Joshua Klein wrote, "[f]or the first half of her recording career, Janet Jackson sounded like an artist with something to prove. Emerging in 1982 just as big brother Michael was casting his longest shadow, Jackson filled her albums not so much with songs as with declarations, from 'The Pleasure Principle' to the radical-sounding 'Rhythm Nation' to the telling statement of purpose, 'Control'."<ref name="Klein" />

Jackson has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the world's [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling music artists]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vibe.com/2020/04/janet-jackson-biopic-reportedly-in-development |title=Janet Jackson Biopic Reportedly In Development |author=Vibe Staff |work=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |date=April 29, 2020 |access-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-date=May 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506054806/https://www.vibe.com/2020/04/janet-jackson-biopic-reportedly-in-development |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/12/lifestyle/janet-jackson-brings-black-diamond-tour-td-garden-this-summer/ |title=Janet Jackson brings Black Diamond tour to TD Garden this summer |first=Diti |last=Kohli |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214140844/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/12/lifestyle/janet-jackson-brings-black-diamond-tour-td-garden-this-summer/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190623-why-janet-jackson-is-pops-most-underrated-legend|title=Culture – Why Janet Jackson is pop's most underrated legend|first=Nick|last=Levine|publisher=[[BBC]] Culture|date=June 24, 2019|access-date=February 29, 2020|archive-date=June 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628064100/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190623-why-janet-jackson-is-pops-most-underrated-legend|url-status=live}}</ref> Steve Huey of AllMusic asserted that despite being born into a family of entertainers, Jackson has managed to emerge a "[[superstar]]" in her own right, rivaling not only female recording artists including Madonna and Whitney Houston, but also her brother, while "successfully [shifting] her image from a strong, independent young woman to a sexy, mature adult".<ref>{{Citation| last = Huey | first = Steve | title = Janet Jackson > Biography |publisher=AllMusic | year = 2008 | url = {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4572|pure_url=yes}} | access-date = June 7, 2008}}</ref> By forging her own unique identity through her artistry and her business ventures, she has been esteemed as the "Queen of Pop".<ref name="Queen">She confirmed her status as today's Queen of Pop when, not long ago, she signed a $35–40 million recording contract with Virgin Records. {{citation|author=James Robert Parish|title=Today's black Hollywood|publisher=Pinnacle Books|year=1995|page=158|isbn=978-0-8217-0104-1}}</ref><ref>Janet Jackson is a big deal these days, the Queen of Pop, though we can still call her by her first name. So little is she trading off the fame of her brother, so completely has she become her own thing, she has all but abandoned the family name. Tour posters, tickets and recent album&nbsp;— all say, quite simply "Janet", and leave it at that. {{cite news|last=Smith|first=Giles|title=Slow riffs, fast riffs, midriffs|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|page=26|date=April 21, 1996|issn=0951-9467|ref=none}}</ref> Klein argued that "stardom was not too hard to predict, but few could have foreseen that Janet—Miss Jackson, if you're nasty—would one day replace Michael as true heir to the Jackson family legacy.".<ref name="Klein" />

Jackson has also been recognized for playing a pivotal role in crossing racial boundaries in the recording industry, where black artists were once considered to be substandard.<ref>Over the next few years, a significant proportion of music industry revenues were generated by a handful of superstar artists; in addition to her brother Michael, there were [[Lionel Richie]], [[Madonna]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Wham!]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Steve Winwood]], [[Huey Lewis and the News]], [[the Pointer Sisters]], Janet Jackson, [[Anita Baker]], and a handful of others. A surprising number of the new superstars were black.{{cite journal|last=Garofalo|first=Reebee|title=From Music Publishing to MP3: Music and Industry in the Twentieth Century|journal=American Music|volume=17|issue=3|pages=318–354|year=1999|doi=10.2307/3052666|jstor=3052666}}</ref> Author Maureen Mahon states: "In the 1980s, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Prince were among the African American artists who crossed over&nbsp;... When black artists cross over into pop success they cease to be black in the industry sense of the word. They get promoted from racialized black music to universal pop music in an economically driven process of racial transcendence."<ref>{{cite book|last=Mahon|first=Maureen|title=Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race|publisher=Duke University Press|year=2004|page=[https://archive.org/details/righttorockblack0000maho/page/163 163]|isbn=978-0-8223-3317-3|url=https://archive.org/details/righttorockblack0000maho/page/163}}</ref> The ''Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge'' documented that Jackson, along with other prominent African-American women, had achieved financial breakthroughs in mainstream popular music, receiving "superstar status" in the process.<ref name="Routledge" />

She, alongside her contemporaries "offered viable creative, intellectual, and business paths for establishing and maintaining agency, lyrical potency, marketing and ownership".<ref>{{cite book| last=Smith-Shomade| first=Beretta E.| title=Shaded lives: African-American women and television| publisher=Rutgers University Press| year=2002| page=[https://archive.org/details/shadedlivesafric0000smit/page/181 181]| isbn=978-0-8135-3105-2| url=https://archive.org/details/shadedlivesafric0000smit/page/181}}</ref> Her business savvy has been compared to that of Madonna, gaining a level of autonomy which enables "creative latitude and access to financial resources and mass-market distribution".<ref>{{citation|last=Millner|first=Denene|title=Dueling Divas Top Five Singers Slug It Out To See Who's The Real Queen Of Pop|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/dueling-divas-top-singers-slug-real-queen-pop-article-1.728224|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=January 12, 1996|access-date=October 15, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=DeCurtis|first=Anthony|title=Present tense: rock & roll and culture|publisher=[[Duke University Press]]|page=257|year=1992|isbn=978-0-8223-1265-9}}</ref> A model of reinvention, author Jessie Carney Smith wrote that "Janet has continued to test the limits of her transformative power", receiving accolades in music, film and concert tours throughout the course of her career.<ref name="EAAPC" />

Musicologist Richard J. Ripani identified Jackson as a leader in the development of contemporary R&B, as her music created a unique blend of genre and sound effects which ushered in the use of rap vocals into mainstream R&B.<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> He also argues her [[signature song]] "Nasty" influenced the new jack swing genre developed by [[Teddy Riley (producer)|Teddy Riley]].<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> Leon McDermott of the ''[[Sunday Herald]]'' wrote: "Her million-selling albums in the 1980s helped invent contemporary R&B through Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's muscular, lean production; the sinuous grooves threaded through 1986's ''Control'' and 1989's '' Rhythm Nation 1814'' are the foundation upon which today's hotshot producers and singers rely."<ref>{{Cite news | last= McDermott | first= Leon | title= Going bust?; Damita Jo ought to have been Janet Jackson's big comeback album, says Leon McDermott, but after that incident at the Super Bowl will America forgive her? | newspaper=Sunday Herald | page=3 | date= March 28, 2004}}</ref> On March 24, 2021, the [[Library of Congress]] added ''[[Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' to the [[National Recording Registry]]'s class of 2020, stating that the album still "resonates today".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Janet Jackson's Classic 'Rhythm Nation 1814' Added To National Recording Registry |work=HuffPost |date=March 25, 2021 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-1814-national-recording-registry_n_605c9de4c5b67593e05631c0 |access-date= March 25, 2021}}</ref>

[[Simon Reynolds]] described Jackson's collaborations with her record producers as a reinvention of the dance-pop genre, introducing a new sonic palate.<ref name="Reynolds">{{citation|author=Simon Reynolds|title=Bring the Noise: 20 Years of Writing About Hip Rock and Hip Hop|publisher=Soft Skull Press|year=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/bringnoise20year0000reyn/page/226 226]|isbn=978-1-59376-401-2|url=https://archive.org/details/bringnoise20year0000reyn/page/226}}</ref> Den Berry, Virgin Records CEO and Chairman stated: "Janet is the very embodiment of a global superstar. Her artistic brilliance and personal appeal transcend geographic, cultural and generational boundaries."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Janet Jackson Renews Contract With Virgin Records For Blockbuster Deal|magazine=Jet|volume=89|issue=13|page=35|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> In July 1999, she placed at number 77 on [[VH1]]'s "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll".<ref>{{citation|author=J.D. Considine|title=Ranking the Women of 'Rock'|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|date=July 25, 1999|page=2.F}}</ref> She also placed at number 134 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time",<ref>{{cite web|title=200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time|url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=68034|publisher=[[VH1]]|access-date=February 28, 2011|archive-date=September 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909214051/http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=68034|url-status=dead}}</ref> number seven on the "100 Greatest Women In Music",<ref>{{citation|title=VH1's 100 Greatest Women In Music |url=http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2012-02-13/vh1s-100-greatest-women-in-music-complete-list/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214233543/http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2012-02-13/vh1s-100-greatest-women-in-music-complete-list/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |publisher=VH1 |date=February 13, 2012 |access-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref> and at number two on the "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", behind Madonna.<ref>{{citation|title=50 Greatest Women of the Video Era |url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=66355 |publisher=[[VH1]] |access-date=February 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061423/http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=66355 |archive-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref>

In March 2008, [[Business Wire]] reported "Jackson is one of the top ten selling artists in the history of contemporary music; ranked by ''Billboard'' magazine as the ninth most successful act in rock and roll history, and the second most successful female artist in pop music history."<ref>{{Cite web |title=UOMO Producer Helps Propel Janet Jackson to #1 in the US| publisher=[[Business Wire]] |url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080310005488&newsLang=en| date=March 10, 2008}}</ref> She is the only female artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have 18 consecutive top ten hit singles, from "Miss You Much" (1989) to "I Get Lonely" (1998).<ref name="all 4 janet">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UBIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 |author=Melinda Newman|title=Achievement Award is 'All' for Jackson|magazine=Billboard|volume=113|issue=49|date=December 8, 2001|page=28|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> In 2008, the magazine ranked her at number seven on their Hot 100 50th Anniversary "All-Time Top Artists", making her the third most successful female artist in the history of the chart, following Madonna and Mariah Carey.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913150551/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2008 |title=Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary |magazine=Billboard |access-date=October 1, 2009}}</ref>

In November 2010, ''Billboard'' released its "Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked her at number five.<ref name="top rnb artists">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/#/column/the-juice/the-top-50-r-b-hip-hop-artists-of-the-past-1004127916.story | title=The Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years&nbsp;— Billboard Underground |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |last2=Caulfield |first2=Keith |last3=Ramirez |first3=Rauly |magazine=Billboard |date=November 18, 2010 |access-date=November 18, 2010 }}</ref> She ranked as the top artist on the chart with 15 number ones from 1985 to 2010, garnering 27 top ten entries between 1985 and 2001, and 33 consecutive top 40 songs from 1985 through 2004.<ref name="top rnb artists" /> The magazine later ranked her at number 41 on its 2025 "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" list.<ref>{{cite magazine |first1=Trevor |last1=Anderson |first2=Jim |last2=Asker |first3=Pamela |last3=Bustios |first4=Keith |last4=Caulfield |first5=Eric |last5=Frankenberg |first6=Kevin |last6=Rutherford |first7=Gary |last7=Trust |first8=Xander |last8=Zellner |date=March 19, 2025 |title=Billboard's Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century Chart: Nos. 100-1 |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/top-women-artists-21st-century-chart/no-8-ariana-grande/|access-date=March 19, 2025 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319183615/https://www.billboard.com/lists/top-women-artists-21st-century-chart/ |url-status=live |archive-date=March 19, 2025}}</ref> A recipient of eleven [[Billboard Music Award|''Billboard'' Music Awards]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.billboardmusicawards.com/winners-database/?winnerKeyword=janet+jackson&winnerYear=&winnerCategory= | title=Winners Database: Janet Jackson | work=Billboard Music Awards | access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref> she is one an elite group of musical acts, such as Madonna, [[Aerosmith]], [[Garth Brooks]] and [[Eric Clapton]], whom ''Billboard'' credits for "redefining the landscape of popular music".<ref name="all 4 janet" /><ref name="BMA1">{{citation|author=Nick Goumond|title=Rihanna, Eminem, Lady Gaga score double digit Billboard Music Awards noms|url=http://www.goldderby.com/music/news/1397/rihanna-eminem-lady-gaga-score-double-digit-billboard-music-awards-noms.html|publisher=Gold Derby|date=April 14, 2011|access-date=April 16, 2011}}</ref>

In November 2014, Jackson was voted 'Queen of Pop' by a poll conducted online by VH1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2014-11-07/winner-vh1-pop-queen-faceoff|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108055945/http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2014-11-07/winner-vh1-pop-queen-faceoff/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 8, 2014|title=VH1's Pop Queen Faceoff: The Winner Revealed! |work=VH1 News|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> In October 2015, she received her first nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and four years later was inducted to the Hall.<ref name=RRHF /> Jackson's music and choreography have inspired numerous performers.
Virgin Records executive Lee Trink expressed: "Janet is an icon and historic figure in our culture. She's one of those gifted artists that people look up to, that people emulate, that people want to believe in&nbsp;... there's not that many superstars that stand the test of time."<ref name="Janet's Juggernaut" />

Sarah Rodman of the ''[[Boston Herald]]'' remarked: "For every hand-fluttering, overwrought, [[melisma]] addict out there aping Mariah's dog calls, there's an equal number trying to match Jackson's bubbling grooves and fancy footwork, including Britney Spears, Aaliyah and Destiny's Child."<ref name="divawings">{{Citation | last= Rodman | first=Sarah | title= Music; Has Janet Jackson earned her diva wings?; Two FleetCenter shows are just one criterion | newspaper=[[Boston Herald]] | page=S03 | date= August 24, 2001}}</ref> Music critic Gene Stout commented she "has so broadly influenced a younger generation of performers, from Jennifer Lopez&nbsp;... to Britney Spears, who has copied so many of Jackson's dance moves."<ref>{{citation|last=Stout|first=Gene|title=Janet Jackson's Steamy Album Leaves Room For Romance|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|page=8|date=July 16, 2001|issn=0745-970X}}</ref> [[NSYNC]] and [[Usher (musician)|Usher]] have credited her for teaching them how to develop stage show into theatrical performance.<ref>{{citation|last=Valdéz|first=Mimi|title=Show and prove|newspaper=Vibe|volume=9|issue=8|page=116|date=August 2001|issn=1070-4701}}</ref><ref>{{citation|author=Chris Nickson|title=Usher:The Godson of Soul|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2005|page=[https://archive.org/details/usher00chri/page/39 39]|isbn=978-1-4169-0922-4|url=https://archive.org/details/usher00chri/page/39}}</ref>

Elysa Gardner of ''USA Today'' wrote: "Jackson claims not to be bothered by the brigade of barely post-adolescent baby divas who have been inspired by—and, in some cases, have flagrantly aped—the sharp, animated choreography and girlish but decidedly [[Postfeminism|post-feminist]] feistiness that have long been hallmarks of her performance style."<ref>{{citation|author=Elysa Gardner|title=Luscious Jackson|newspaper=USA Today|date=July 28, 2000|page=1.E|issn=0734-7456}}</ref> Adrienne Trier-Bieniek stated, "scholars trace the origins of pleasure as a Black feminist commitment within popular culture to Janet Jackson" who inspired the feminist perspective found in many pop stars' careers.<ref>{{citation|author=Adrienne Trier-Bieniek|title=The Beyonce Effect: Essays on Sexuality, Race and Feminism|publisher=McFarland|year=2016|page=181|isbn= 978-0-7864-9974-8}}</ref> Those who are considered to have followed in her footsteps have been referred to as "Janet-come-lately's".<ref>While her vocal skills are at least as decent as Britney Spears and the other Janet-come-latelys, it's Jackson's skills as an entertainer—and commanding stage presence—that makes her so deserving of the spotlight. {{citation|author=Gemma Tarlach|title=Janet Jackson takes her place as Queen of Pop|newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|date=October 17, 2001|page=12.B}}</ref><ref>"Most disappointing was crunk princess Ciara. The Janet-come-lately and her octet of dance-floor acrobats moved with ferocious elegance to tracks like 'Goodies,' but the singer had glaring microphone problems when she spoke—tediously, about the 'importance' of her upcoming sophomore album." {{Cite news |author=Sarah Rodman|title=MonsterJam Lacks Star Power|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 31, 2006|page=E.7|issn=0743-1791}}</ref> Sociologist Shayne Lee commented that "[a]s Janet enters the twilight of her reign as erotic Queen of Pop, [[Beyoncé]] emerges as her likely successor."<ref name="ER" /> Joan Morgan of ''Essence'' magazine remarked: "Jackson's ''Control'', ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' and ''janet.'' established the singer-dancer imprimatur standard in pop culture we now take for granted. So when you're thinking of asking Miss Jackson, 'What have you done for me lately?' remember that Britney, Ciara and Beyoncé live in the house that Janet built."<ref>{{citation|author=Joan Morgan|title=Before Sunset|newspaper=Essence|date=August 2010|page=106}}</ref>

[[File:Jennifer Lopez at GLAAD Media Awards (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|229x229px|Artists such as [[Jennifer Lopez]] have been compared with Jackson's film career.]]

Jackson has also been considered a primary example of a musician maintaining an acting career, setting a template for artists such as [[Jennifer Lopez]]. [[Dan Shanoff]] stated, "Before J-Lo even thought about being a singing-dancing-acting triple-threat... [Janet] was reinventing music videos, putting on a sick stage show and starring in both "''[[Good Times]]''" and "''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]''."<ref name="Shanoff">{{cite web |title=Culture shock |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/shanoff/030729.html |access-date=August 30, 2014 |work=[[ESPN.com]] |author1-link=Dan Shanoff |last=Shanoff|first= Dan}}</ref> [[MTV News]] observed her to inspire "a slew of singers" with her forays into film.<ref name="MTV">{{cite news |date=September 8, 2009 |title=Mary J. Blige, Santigold Talk Janet Jackson's VMA Appearance – MTV Video Music Awards |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621338/mary-j-blige-santigold-talk-janet-jacksons-vma-appearance.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210141610/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621338/mary-j-blige-santigold-talk-janet-jacksons-vma-appearance.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=August 30, 2014 |agency=[[MTV News]] |last=Rodriguez |first=Jayson}}</ref> [[Ashley Roberts]] stated, "I always kind of went to the artists who, like Janet Jackson, was an artist, but would go off and do film," while [[Kat Graham]] commented, "looking up to artists like Janet Jackson... I just don't know why you can't do it both."<ref>{{cite web |title=THE ART OF ORIGINAL FILMMAKING MAKE IT HAPPEN |url=http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page2367.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129082622/http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page2367.html |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |work=TheWritingStudio.co.za}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=May 22, 2012 |title=Interview: Kat Graham Talks "Hip Hop Squares," Perez Hilton and Her Upcoming Album |url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/interview-kat-graham-talks-hip-hop-squares-perez-hilton-upcoming-album |access-date=August 25, 2014 |magazine=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |last=Aquino |first=Tara}}</ref>

Jackson has inspired performances by a number of actors, including [[Brit Marling]],<ref>{{cite news |date=April 28, 2012 |title=Q&A: Indie Darling Brit Marling On SOUND OF MY VOICE & Eating Worms – New at the Movies – Articles |url=http://cinemovie.tv/New-at-the-Movies/qaa-indie-darling-brit-marling-on-sound-of-my-voice-a-eating-worms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227011245/http://cinemovie.tv/New-at-the-Movies/qaa-indie-darling-brit-marling-on-sound-of-my-voice-a-eating-worms |archive-date=February 27, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |work=Cinemovie.tv}}</ref> [[Olivia Wilde]],<ref>{{cite web |date=August 2011 |title=Olivia Wilde August 2011 NYLON – NYLON MAGAZINE |url=http://www.nylon.com/articles/olivia-wilde-nylon-cover |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129051900/http://www.nylon.com/articles/olivia-wilde-nylon-cover |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |magazine=[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]] |last=Jarrett |first=Marvin Scott}}</ref> [[Kate Hudson]] in ''[[Something Borrowed (film)|Something Borrowed]]'',<ref>{{cite web |year=2011 |title=Kate Hudson Interview SOMETHING BORROWED |url=https://collider.com/kate-hudson-interview-something-borrowed-plus-an-update-on-the-linda-lovelace-movie/ |access-date=August 25, 2014 |work=Collider |last=Radish |first=Christina}}</ref> and [[Elizabeth Mathis]] in ''[[Tron: Legacy]]'', who stated, "I got the part. So I owe it all to Janet."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 16, 2010 |title=Initiation: Tron's Elizabeth Mathis Is Our Wonder Woman |url=http://www.vibe.com/article/initiation-trons-elizabeth-mathis-our-wonder-woman |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035107/http://www.vibe.com/article/initiation-trons-elizabeth-mathis-our-wonder-woman |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |access-date=August 30, 2014 |magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |last=Barone |first=Matt}}</ref> [[Tom Hanks]] praised the usage of Jackson's choreography within films.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 2, 2014 |title=''Disney's Greatest Moments'' |work=[[Sky Movies]]}}</ref> Jackson brought director [[Dominic Sena]] to prominence, leading him to direct films starring [[Brad Pitt]] and [[Angelina Jolie]].<ref>{{cite web |date=January 23, 2013 |title=10 Directors Who Have Never Made A Good Movie – Page 7 of 11 |url=http://whatculture.com/film/10-directors-who-have-never-made-a-good-movie-2.php/7 |access-date=August 30, 2014 |last=Moore |first=Sam |publisher=WhatCulture.com |quote=The sixty-two year-old Sena started his career directing music videos for Janet Jackson before graduating to movies and he made his debut with the Brad Pitt starring [[Kalifornia]]}}</ref> [[Jessica Alba]] cited her as the inspiration for her role in ''[[Honey (2003 film)|Honey]]'', saying, "I grew up falling in love with Janet Jackson videos... And I wanted to be part of that."<ref>{{cite web |date=December 4, 2003 |title="Honey's' Alba sidesteps dreaded "m' word |url=https://www.mcall.com/2003/12/04/honeys-alba-sidesteps-dreaded-m-word/ |access-date=August 25, 2014 |work=[[The Morning Call]] |publisher=Longsdorf, Amy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 7, 2003 |title=CANOE -- JAM! Movies – Artists – Alba, Jessica : Dancing queen |url=http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Artists/A/Alba_Jessica/2003/12/07/756314.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311224853/http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Artists/A/Alba_Jessica/2003/12/07/756314.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 11, 2016 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |work=[[Jam! Canoe]] |last=Hobson |first=Louis R.}}</ref> [[Jenna Dewan]] credits dancing with Jackson as the platform to star in ''[[Step Up (film)|Step Up]]''.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 17, 2006 |title="Steppin" with Jenna Dewan – TeenHollywood.com |url=http://www.teenhollywood.com/2006/08/11/steppin-with-jenna-dewan |access-date=August 25, 2014 |work=TeenHollywood.com |last=Barker |first=Tyrin |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222033014/http://www.teenhollywood.com/2006/08/11/steppin-with-jenna-dewan |url-status=dead }}</ref> She also influenced actors [[Michael K. Williams]] and [[Carmen Electra]].<ref>{{cite web |date=January 2, 2008 |title=Michael K. Williams on Playing Omar on 'The Wire,' Discovering Snoop, and How Janet Jackson Changed His Life |url=http://www.vulture.com/2008/01/michael_k_williams_on_playing.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129062618/http://www.vulture.com/2008/01/michael_k_williams_on_playing.html |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |publisher=[[Vulture.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 2002 |title=I wanted to be Janet Jackson |magazine=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]}}</ref> Her choreography has also been incorporated in numerous [[Bollywood]] films.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 5, 2004 |title=Little India – Banal Dreams |url=http://www.littleindia.com/arts-entertainment/1542-banal-dreams.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704035153/http://www.littleindia.com/arts-entertainment/1542-banal-dreams.html |archive-date=July 4, 2014 |access-date=August 30, 2014 |work=Deshpande, Shekhar |publisher=[[Little India (magazine)|Little India]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 7, 2002 |title=Neil Spencer on Bollywood – Film – The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/apr/07/bollywood.features |access-date=August 30, 2014 |last=Spencer |first=Neil |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

Jackson's debut in ''Poetic Justice'' has inspired several trends. ''[[PopMatters]]'' said its spoken poetry theme started "the spoken word explosion," influencing films such as ''[[Love Jones (film)|Love Jones]]'' and ''[[Slam (1998 film)|Slam!]]''.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 7, 2006 |title=Ise Lyfe: Spread The Word |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/ise-lyfe-spread-the-word/ |access-date=August 30, 2014 |work=[[PopMatters]] |last=Huff |first=Quentin B.}}</ref> ''[[The Fader]]'' considered Jackson's image as Justice iconic, declaring it "one hell of a defining, iconoclastic moment that sticks in our brains and eventually disseminated through-and-through society."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 18, 2011 |title=Gentlemen Prefer: The Style of Miss Jackson In Poetic Justice, If You're Nasty |url=http://www.thefader.com/2010/11/18/gentlemen-prefer-the-style-of-miss-jackson-in-poetic-justice-if-youre-nasty/ |access-date=August 30, 2014 |magazine=[[The Fader]] |last=Holmlund |first=Marcus}}</ref> Her [[box braids]] in the film have become known as "Janet Jackson Braids," setting fashion trends.<ref name="Source2">{{cite magazine |date=June 17, 2013 |title=Angela Simmons, Solange & More Rock The Classic Janet Jackson Braids |url=http://thesource.com/2013/06/17/angela-simmons-solange-more-rock-the-classic-janet-jackson-braids/ |access-date=August 25, 2014 |magazine=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]}}</ref> An anecdote stated, "celebrities continue to embrace Janet's look and continue to evoke the memory of John Singleton's classic character and film."<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Are "Poetic Justice" Braids? - HelloBeautiful |date=August 14, 2013 |work=HelloBeautiful.com |url=http://hellobeautiful.com/2013/08/14/what-are-poetic-justic-braids |access-date=August 30, 2014}}</ref> Artists such as [[Beyoncé]] and [[Solange Knowles]] were observed to emulate Jackson's braids.<ref name="Source2" /> ''[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]]'' considered it the film's most iconic feature, comparing [[Jennifer Lawrence]]'s "side-winding [[French plait]]" in ''[[The Hunger Games (film series)|The Hunger Games]]'' to the style.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 11, 2014 |title=Top Three Beauty Products August 2014 – NYLON MAGAZINE |url=http://www.nylonmag.com/articles/three-top-beauty-products-august-2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816054619/http://www.nylonmag.com/articles/three-top-beauty-products-august-2014 |archive-date=August 16, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |magazine=[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]] |last=Dickens |first=Katie}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
At age 18, Janet Jackson eloped with singer [[James DeBarge]] in September 1984. The marriage was annulled in November 1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://people.com/archive/her-impetuous-marriage-kaput-janet-jackson-michaels-sis-is-now-a-miss-with-a-nasty-hit-vol-26-no-1/amp/ |title=Her Impetuous Marriage Kaput, Janet Jackson, Michael's Sis, Is Now a Miss with a Nasty Hit |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180401144429/http://people.com/archive/her-impetuous-marriage-kaput-janet-jackson-michaels-sis-is-now-a-miss-with-a-nasty-hit-vol-26-no-1/amp/|archive-date= April 1, 2018|magazine= [[People (magazine)]]|date=July 7, 1986 |access-date=November 3, 2025}}</ref> In 1986, Jackson began dating dancer, songwriter, and director [[René Elizondo Jr.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/janet-jackson-november-1997-cover-story-660192/|title=Revisit Janet Jackson's November 1997 Cover Story: 'JANET'S BACK!'|publisher=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=October 7, 2022|access-date=October 8, 2022}}</ref> In March 1991, Jackson married Elizondo and the union was kept a secret until the divorce was made public in May 2000. They had separated in January 1999.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gordinier |first=Jeff |date=May 7, 2001 |title=Will the real Janet Jackson please stand up? |url=https://ew.com/article/2001/05/07/will-real-janet-jackson-please-stand/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Janet Jackson - Divorce |url=https://www.celebrityarchive.com/Janet-Jackson-Rene-Elizondo-Divorce-p/1483.htm |website=The Celebrity Archive}}</ref> Elizondo filed a lawsuit against her, estimated to have been between $10–25&nbsp;million.<ref name="Gordinier">{{Cite magazine | last=Gordinier | first=Jeff | title=Will the real Janet Jackson please stand up? | url=https://ew.com/article/2001/05/07/will-real-janet-jackson-please-stand/| newspaper=Entertainment Weekly | page=36 | date= May 7, 2001 | access-date=April 26, 2021}}</ref> A settlement was reached and the divorce was finalized in October 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/janetfinal1.html |title= Janet Jackson and Rene Elizondo divorce finalized |publisher=[[The Smoking Gun]] |date=October 21, 2003 |access-date=May 21, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217085114/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/janetfinal1.html|archive-date=February 17, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last= McElroy | first=Quindelda | title=Ex-hubbies can cash in| newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] | page=E.2 | date= April 21, 2007}}</ref> From September 2002 to 2009, Jackson dated music producer, rapper, and songwriter [[Jermaine Dupri]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dupri |first=Jermaine |title=Young, rich, and dangerous : the making of a music mogul |date=October 16, 2007 |publisher=Atria Books |isbn=978-0743299800 |location=New York |pages=188–190}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Laura |date=September 9, 2009 |title=Janet Jackson Takes Control |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a432/janet-jackson-interview-1009/ |magazine=Harper's Bazaar}}</ref>

Jackson was introduced to [[Qatar]]i businessman Wissam Al Mana in October 2006, and began dating him in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/janet-jackson-confirms-marriage-to-billionaire-wissam-al-mana-j83051 |title= Janet Jackson confirms marriage to billionaire Wissam Al Mana |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |date=February 2013 |access-date=January 4, 2024}}</ref> The couple became engaged and married privately in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2013022611309/janet-jackson-wedding-wissam-al-mana/ |title=Janet Jackson reveals secret wedding to Wissam Al Mana |magazine=[[Hello! (magazine)|Hello!]] |date=February 26, 2013 |access-date=October 24, 2022}}</ref> In January 2017, aged 50, Jackson gave birth to their son, Eissa Al Mana. In April 2017, it was reported that the couple had separated and were pursuing a divorce, which was announced by Jackson the following month.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://people.com/music/janet-jackson-wissam-al-mana-separate-shortly-after-son-birth-different-worlds/ |title= 'They Come from Very Different Worlds:' Janet Jackson and Husband Separated Shortly After Son's Birth, Says Source |date=April 10, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Welsh | first=Daniel | title=Janet Jackson Breaks Silence On Split Rumours, As She Announces New Tour | website=HuffPost UK | date= May 2, 2017| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/janet-jackson-split-divorce-tour_uk_59086a96e4b0bb2d08715144 | access-date= August 8, 2025}}</ref>

== Discography ==
{{Main|Janet Jackson albums discography|Janet Jackson singles discography}}

'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[Janet Jackson (album)|Janet Jackson]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Dream Street (Janet Jackson album)|Dream Street]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Control (Janet Jackson album)|Control]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Janet (album)|Janet]]'' (1993)
* ''[[The Velvet Rope]]'' (1997)
* ''[[All for You (Janet Jackson album)|All for You]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Damita Jo (album)|Damita Jo]]'' (2004)
* ''[[20 Y.O.]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Discipline (Janet Jackson album)|Discipline]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)|Unbreakable]]'' (2015)

== Filmography ==
{{Main|Janet Jackson filmography}}
* ''[[Good Times]]'' (1977–1979)
* ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' (1980–1984)
* ''[[Fame (1982 TV series)|Fame]]'' (1984–1985)
* ''[[Rhythm Nation 1814 (film)|Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Poetic Justice (film)|Poetic Justice]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Nutty Professor II: The Klumps]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Why Did I Get Married?]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Why Did I Get Married Too?]]'' (2010)
* ''[[For Colored Girls]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Janet Jackson (TV series)|Janet Jackson]]'' (2022)

== Tours and residencies ==
'''Concert tours'''
* [[Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990]] (1990)
* [[Janet World Tour]] (1993–1995)
* [[The Velvet Rope Tour]] (1998–1999)
* [[All for You Tour]] (2001–2002)
* [[Rock Witchu Tour]] (2008)
* [[Number Ones, Up Close and Personal|Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour]] (2011)
* [[Unbreakable World Tour (Janet Jackson tour)|Unbreakable World Tour]] (2015–2016)
* [[State of the World Tour]] (2017–2019)
* [[Janet Jackson: A Special 30th Anniversary Celebration of Rhythm Nation]] (2019)
* [[Janet Jackson: Together Again]] (2023–2024)
* [[Janet Jackson Japan 2026|Janet Jackson Japan]] (2026)

'''Concert residencies'''
* [[Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis]] (2019)
* [[Janet Jackson: Las Vegas]] (2024–2025)

== Written works ==
* ''[[True You]]'' (2011)

== See also ==
{{Portal|Biography|Pop music|R&B and Soul Music|Indiana|United States}}
* [[Honorific nicknames in popular music]]
* [[List of American Grammy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one in the United States]]
* [[List of best-selling music artists]]
* [[List of best-selling music artists in the United States]]
* [[List of dancers]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
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* {{cite book|last=Ripani|first=Richard J|title=The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2006|isbn=978-1-57806-862-3}}
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* {{Cite book|last=Smith|first=Jessie Carney |title=Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|isbn=978-0-313-35797-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Jessie Carney|title=Notable Black American Women, Volume 2|publisher=[[Gale (Cengage)|Gale]]|year=1996|isbn=978-0-8103-9177-2|url=https://archive.org/details/notableblackamer00jess}}
* {{cite book|last1=Starr|first1=Larry|last2=Waterman|first2=Christopher Alan|title=American Popular Music: The Rock Years|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2006|isbn=978-0-19-530052-9}}
* {{cite book |first1=Jordan|last1=Stephanie |first2=Dave|last2=Allen |title=Parallel Lines: Media Representations of Dance|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-86196-371-3|year=1993}}
* {{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin Charles|title=The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded by More Than 1200 Artists|publisher=Canongate U.S.|year=2004|isbn=978-1-84195-615-2}}
* {{cite book | last = Sutherland | first = William | title = Aaliyah Remembered | publisher=Trafford Publishing | year = 2005 |isbn = 978-1-4120-5062-3}}
* {{cite book|last1=Tannenbaum|first1=Rob|last2=Marks|first2=Craig|title=I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution|publisher=[[Dutton Penguin]]|year=2011|isbn=978-1-101-52641-5|title-link=I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution}}
* {{cite book | last=Trier-Bieniek|first=Adrienne |title=The Beyonce Effect: Essays on Sexuality, Race and Feminism|publisher=McFarland|year=2016|isbn= 978-0-7864-9974-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Twenge |first=Jean M. |title=Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than Ever Before|isbn=978-1-4767-5556-4|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2007}}
* {{cite book|last1=Vincent|first1=Rickey|last2=Clinton|first2=George|title=Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One|publisher=Macmillan|year=1996|isbn=978-0-312-13499-0|url=https://archive.org/details/funkmusicpeopler00vinc}}
* {{cite journal |last=Young |first=Julie |date=Fall 2009 |title=A Hoosier Thriller: Gary, Indiana's Michael Jackson |journal=Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History |volume=21 |issue=4 |publisher=Indiana Historical Society |location=Indianapolis |access-date=April 14, 2014 |url=https://www.indianahistory.org/our-services/books-publications/magazines/michaeljackson |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415035650/https://www.indianahistory.org/our-services/books-publications/magazines/michaeljackson}}
* {{cite book|last=Warner |first=Jay|title=On This Day in Black Music History|publisher=[[Hal Leonard]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-634-09926-7|url=https://archive.org/details/onthisdayinblack00warn}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|d=Q131324|c=category:Janet Jackson|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4572}}
* {{IMDb name|1390}}

{{Janet Jackson|state=expanded}}
{{Janet Jackson singles}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Janet Jackson|Awards for Janet Jackson]]
|list =
{{American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist}}
{{American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist}}
{{American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Song}}
{{American Music Award of Merit}}
{{GLAAD Vanguard Award}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording}}
{{Grammy Award for Best R&B Song}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Music Video}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Music Film}}
{{Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award}}
{{MTV Europe Music Award for Best Female}}
{{MTV Europe Music Award for Global Icon}}
{{MTV Movie Award for Best Actor in a Movie}}
{{MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography}}
{{NAACP Image Award – Chairman's Award}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture}}
{{2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Billboard Year-End number one albums 1990–2009}}
}}
{{Jackson family}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Janet}}
[[Category:Janet Jackson| ]]
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[[Category:Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
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[[Category:American women human rights activists]]
[[Category:GLAAD Vanguard Award]]