Janet Jackson's 'Control' at 40: A Legacy of Independence and Innovation
Janet Jackson celebrates the 40th anniversary of her groundbreaking album 'Control' with a nostalgic look back at its iconic era, highlighting its themes of independence and artistic freedom.
Forty years on, Janet Jackson's Control remains a potent symbol of artistic autonomy. The musician commemorated the 40th anniversary of her seminal third studio album with an Instagram post. The shared video is a compilation of footage from the Control era, underscored by the monologue from the title track.
That monologue, a powerful declaration of self-determination, encapsulates the album's core message:
"This is a story about control/My control/Control of what I say/Control of what I do/And this time, I’m gonna do it my way,” Jackson proclaims in the song. “I hope you enjoy this as much as I do/Are we ready?/I am/’Cause it’s all about control/And I’ve got lots of it.”
"Happy 40th Control!" Jackson captioned the post, also tagging producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The duo played a crucial role in shaping the album's sound. According to Jam and Lewis, "Nasty" was the turning point, solidifying their creative direction.
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"When she went in to sing it, she started singing it in the [high] Janet voice we all know. And we said, Janet, what if you sang it an octave lower? And she said, ‘Oh, I don’t know, that sounds really weird,'" Lewis recounted to Rolling Stone in 2021. "And then I remember the next day she came to the studio and we played it back for her. And she got this look on her face. It’s the best look an artist could ever give you, that look of surprise and satisfaction. And that was the thing that fueled us, because ‘Nasty’ was one of the earlier songs we did in making Control. That kind of took off of the any apprehension she had, any nervousness. She knew we had her back."
Control not only launched Jackson into superstardom, it also set the stage for a remarkable run of albums, including Rhythm Nation (1989) and Janet (1993). The album earned Jackson three Grammy nominations in 1987, including Album of the Year and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Control, plus Best R&B Song for “What Have You Done for Me Lately.” Jam and Lewis won Producer of the Year, Non-Classical that same year, cementing their status as industry titans.
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