- Biography
Janet Jackson, widely regarded as the Queen of Pop, is one of the truest examples of a living legend there is. Her career as a singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and all-around artist has endured as long as a lifetime, and even after spending 44 of her 52 years on stages and in studios, Janet still shows no signs of relenting. After a storied childhood in the spotlight alongside the rest of the Jackson family, Janet released her debut solo album at age 16 and eventually came into her own as a mature pop artist in the late 1980s and 1990s. Janet made a name for herself as a singular force of nature; she embodied a creative identity and attitude that dared to be different. Her lyrics celebrated sexuality, empowered women, challenged societal circumstances, and radically awakened audiences in a way that would establish a vital blueprint for the pop stars of subsequent generations. Her videos and performances exemplified artistry and precision.
The 6x platinum Rhythm Nation 1814 and its visual accompaniment remains a career-defining opus; it is the only album to ever see seven of its singles reach the top five on Billboard, the only album to yield No. 1 singles over three consecutive years, and it garnered a total of nine GRAMMY nominations, including Producer of the Year, for which a woman had never been nominated before. Since 1982, Janet has released 78 singles from 11 studio albums, had 28 top ten hits, won five GRAMMY Awards, received multiple lifetime achievement accolades, and has sold approximately 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time in the U.S. In 2015, she became the first black woman recording artist to form her own record label, Rhythm Nation, through which she released her first album in seven years, Unbreakable. As of 2018, her legacy only continues to expand: Janet says she is currently working on new music.