It’s interesting to see the recent wave of poptimism that has spread across music discussion both online and off. For a long time, many in the industry wanted to stray away from pop, or would deride it when it was done in earnest. Artists like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga were discounted in their time, due in no small part to their unashamedly pop sound. Artists like Linkin Park and Eminem were panned for their attempts at pop crossover. Even I used to be far more averse to pop than I am now. What’s fascinating about this is, from what I can gather from past critical reception for pop albums, general fondness for those albums today, and accounts from people who were there, people in the 1980s were not so averse to the pop music of their time. Poptimism wasn’t some big musical movement, it was the norm.
The first major wave of dance pop divas truly exploded with Madonna, with her 1983 classic self titled album. A confident solo woman singing over cool synths was new in this accessible dance pop format. With that said, she wasn’t the only pioneer of this style of pop that decade. Other prominent pop divas such as Kylie Minogue and Whitney Houston were also coming to prominence, as well as today’s subject, Janet Jackson. It is no secret Michael Jackson was one of the most prominent musical artists of all time and was also Janet’s brother. One may even argue she was an ‘industry plant’ because of her connection to Michael and The Jackson 5, but I think even without all of those factors, someone would have discovered Janet and she would have become a success anyway. For proof of this, look no further than the album that truly showed the world what she was capable of, Control. Control is an album about not only its very name, but also everything to do with control such as change, revolution, and individualism. Janet not only shares genuinely insightful philosophies on her life, but also sings over some of the punchiest pop music in the mainstream at the time, while rarely letting up.
Control truly lives up to its name right from the start with foreboding, airy synths, over which Janet narrates the beginning of the album. She discusses how this is her story, and she now has control. The vocal delivery is slightly cheesy, but it has enough charm and confidence to work. On top of that, the explosion of synths, drums, and the funky rhythm that proceeds it makes it all the more earned. There’s even a couple of sliding horn sections and glitchy samples. The rhythm itself combined with the more metallic drums would both be a bit ‘quintessentially 80s’ for my liking if Janet’s vocal performance and the rest of the instrumentation weren’t so fantastic. Over this Janet describes her upbringing and, not so surprisingly, she didn’t have a say in as much of it as she would’ve liked. With that said Janet confidently proclaims that she’s “all grown up” and a “rebel”. I would argue what separates this from much of the synthpop at the time is just how dynamic it is. There’s refrains, there’s additions to the beat, and of course Janet is interesting to listen to given her upbringing and her place in it. Despite any criticisms I have with it, this track is a strong start to the album and really shows Janet’s headspace for it.
To some this would be dorky or derogatory but I genuinely mean it in a positive manner; I could not listen to Nasty without thinking of the game Sonic The Hedgehog 3 for the Sega Genesis. Part of it may be my inexperience in funk, but much of it I believe is because this album likely had some influence on the game’s music, especially considering Michael Jackson himself worked on it. The heavy use of industrial electronics to push the funk, combined with just how punchy it all is should make this comparison easy to see. Like the music in Sonic 3, Nasty is fantastic. The main keyboard melody in the chorus is so satisfying, especially given the delightfully muffled drums that accompany it. Janet’s vocal delivery is so smooth and it contrasts with the heavy beat well. When Janet yells “give me a beat!” at the beginning of the song, it would seem fellow producers listened. Nasty is also paced quite well, not feeling remotely as long as it is. This is especially apparent with the incredible ending to the song. Janet does what any good pop diva would do and whispers “I like this part”, before some incredible, more sinister synths kick in, ending the track. Lyrically, Janet mainly discusses ‘nasty boys’ that she doesn’t need. It is simple but effective and is so much fun to sing along to.
The next few tracks strike a similar feel to what has been discussed so far; punchy synths and drums, Janet singing about her life, etc. This isn’t to say the other tracks don’t have individual qualities. On the track What Have You Done For Me Lately? Janet delves into her needs as a woman, sticking up to those who can’t satisfy them over a beat with a very satisfying back and forth synth pattern in it. There’s also When I Think Of You which has some fun piano action and a mean bassline. In fact, along with the vocals, the piano makes up the main melody. On this song, Janet tackles a complicated love, in a surprisingly mature light for a 20 year old. There’s even a refrain towards the end where she starts making whispery noises into a beat. It is super funky and works surprisingly well. On top of this, the punchy synths really pop out at the listener with how short and loud each note is.
Despite my praise for much of Control, the album surprisingly ends on a whimper. Two ballads in a row close out the Control, starting with Let’s Wait A While. It’s fairly empty on the production end, with a sparse keyboard, very minimal hi hats, and Janet herself who sounds pretty but fairly nondescript on this track. Lyrically it isn’t that special either. The chorus is catchy but the song is really just what the name says. I will say it is pretty emotionally mature for a 20 year old to not want to rush a relationship and “wait a while”, though unfortunately the sentiment is not expressed in a compelling manner. I was taken aback by this track on first listen because while it’s not bad, it is a cheesy ballad following 7 mature bangers. What was even more surprising is that the closer isn’t much better. There is more going on overall with snaps and an acoustic guitar, in addition to the normal synths. but it was still an unimpressive way to end an otherwise incredible album. Thankfully it is more interesting lyrically than the previous track, even if it is more short worded as well. Janet basically just discusses how various aspects of life such as love and enjoyment can lead to the years passing you by. It is more thought provoking than anything else but I do enjoy it. Just the sort of young, idealistic philosophy most of the album takes on. I just wish there was more to the music, but it ends up feeling more relaxed than it should even for a song like this.
While Control does not end nearly as strong as it starts, the ending isn’t remotely unpleasant enough to ruin an album like this. Most of what’s here is a young woman with fire in her heart, creating one of the most prolific albums in dance pop through innovative song ideas, production and her general attitude towards individualism. Janet handily built on the sounds of artists like Prince and Madonna, while also carving out who she is. This not only paved the way for more unorthodox sounding mainstream pop, but also added to the growing list of incredible women in dance pop. Control also proved Janet is more than just one of the Jackson siblings. She’s an individual, and an incredibly talented one that was taken out of the spotlight for the most ridiculous of reasons. Hopefully soon, with the earlier mentioned recent wave of poptimism, Janet will have some control on the mainstream again, somehow. But for now, we have incredible works like this to enjoy.
9/10
