The case of this female singer still makes fans regret.

For US-UK music fans, names like Rihanna, Britney or Beyoncé are no longer strange. They are the faces representing the Pop music of the 21st century, following the Diva era in the 90s. A fact that not everyone knows is that to have Rihanna, Britney and Beyoncé like today, Janet Jackson ‘s music career played an important role in inspiring 3 famous female artists.

For those who don’t know Janet Jackson, she is one of the most iconic artists of Pop and R&B music, with a career spanning over 5 decades. If it sounds familiar, then yes, Janet is the youngest member of the Jackson family. The famous singer has surpassed the shadow of her brother Michael Jackson, standing on par with the greatest women in music at that time such as Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Paula Abdul…

Janet Jackson is one of the most iconic artists in pop and R&B music, with a career spanning more than five decades.

However, Janet is not only known for her huge music career but also for the 2024 Super Bowl breast scandal – an event that pushed her from the peak of fame to the abyss. Until now, the famous singer has not been able to restore the position she once built. “Where is Janet Jackson now?” is the question the public is looking for an answer.

Revolutionary music, competing for the title of “Queen of Pop” with Madonna

Born in 1966, Janet Jackson, the youngest of nine children, grew up in an environment with a long tradition of performing arts. Having dreamed of growing up to be a jockey or a lawyer, her father directed her towards a career in music and entertainment. At the age of seven, she performed for the first time in Las Vegas with her family, and joined the CBS show The Jacksons a year later. At that time, her brothers, including Michael Jackson, were more prominent as the Jackson 5. However, Janet gradually made her mark through television projects such as Good Times (1977–1979), Diff’rent Strokes (1981–1982) and Fame (1984–1985), affirming her talent as a child actress.

Janet first touched music with the album Janet Jackson (1982) at the age of 16, reaching number 63 on the Billboard 200. The next album, Dream Street (1984), was a commercial failure, making her dissatisfied with her father’s unreasonable strict control. After severing management relations with her father, she released Control (1986) and became one of the hottest albums of the year. Control sold 10 million copies, topping the Billboard 200 with When I Think Of You – the first No. 1 hit marking independent creativity in music, allowing Janet to freely “struggle” with her artistic personality.

Janet really “let loose” in music after cutting off management ties with her father.

By 1989, the album Rhythm Nation 1814 made Janet a pop superstar, selling 12 million copies, topping the Billboard 200, setting a record with 7 top 5 singles. This was also the first album to have a No. 1 single for 3 consecutive years, including 5 hits Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, Escapade, Black Cat and Love Will Never Do. Taking the injustices and tragedies related to people of color at that time, Janet expressed her political views through vibrant Dance-Pop sounds, revealing heavy aspects in a new and entertaining way. True to the album title, Rhythm Nation 1814 is a picture Janet painted of racial unity and passion for dance. This is a world without skin color discrimination, where everyone has the same ideals to live based on equality.

Thanks to her huge influence on the music industry, as well as her contribution to opening many doors for people of color, Janet was offered a contract of 32 million dollars (1991) and 80 million dollars (1996) with Virgin Records – a record number at that time. Subsequent albums such as janet . (1993), The Velvet Rope (1997), All For You (2001), Damita Jo (2004)… all achieved certain commercial success, at the same time affirming her diverse musical thinking with many genres such as Pop, Dance, R&B, Funk, Hip-hop, Rock…

She founded Rhythm Nation Records in 2015, becoming the third artist to have a No. 1 album in four consecutive decades. With 11 albums, 78 singles, 28 top 10s, 10 top 1s, five Grammys, and 100 million records sold, she is one of the best-selling artists in America. At the same time, Michael Jackson’s sister is also one of the greatest women in the world music industry.

Janet has a huge influence on the world music industry.

She was once called the “Queen of Pop” by many editorial offices. This coincides with the same title given to Madonna. Experts believe that comparing the two most famous female artists at that time was a media “trick” to create controversy. Because nothing attracts more drama than pitting two famous women against each other, especially when both have always been in a competitive position since their debut.

Janet and Madonna have always been compared since their debut.

However, the answer seems to be too obvious. Even if we are not knowledgeable about music, specifically US-UK, we can all point out that the “Queen of Pop” is Madonna, as well as the only “King of Pop” – Michael Jackson. No one knows when this title came into being or who initiated it, but Madonna has been deeply imprinted in the subconscious of many generations with a Pop legacy that cannot be “measured”. Madonna’s musical era cannot be copied and cannot be revived.

Unlike Madonna – a person who almost exclusively specializes in Pop, Janet has been more R&B-oriented throughout half of her career. This factor has somewhat limited Janet’s influence on popular music, in the international category. Pop music covers many mainstream music genres that are loved by the public. However, when standing separately according to the definition of a specific music genre, Pop naturally “reigns king” and R&B has no “chance” to stand “on the same table” with it.

No female artist has surpassed Madonna in pop music in particular and popular music in general.

Therefore, her fan base and recognition are still somewhat inferior to the real “Queen of Pop”. To be most accurate, “Queen of R&B” is the most suitable name for Janet, although this title is originally only deserved by Mariah Carey. However, because “the ultimate nightingale” and “Queen of Christmas music” are associated with Mariah, Janet can be temporarily “preferred” as “Queen of R&B”.

Janet should be called the “Queen of R&B,” even though that title rightfully belongs to Mariah Cary.

Alongside her music, Janet maintained a notable acting career, paving the way for female artists such as Jennifer Lopez to enter the film industry. Her first leading role in Poetic Justice (1993) with Tupac Shakur was a box office hit that year, earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (Again). She played Professor Denise Gaines in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), which grossed $170 million worldwide, and appeared in Tyler Perry films such as Why Did I Get Married? (2007), Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010) and For Colored Girls (2010). Janet’s dance choreography, music videos and feminist/sexual messages, such as Rhythm Nation and Scream , were revolutionary, inspiring generations of artists such as Britney Spears, Aaliyah and Beyoncé.

Turned away by the whole world because her bust was exposed, her current appearance is shockingly transformed

On February 1, 2004, Janet Jackson had the honor of performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Houston, Texas. Justin Timberlake, a young and hot prospect at the time, shared the stage with Janet that night. The set went smoothly until the end of the performance of Rock Your Body. Justin accidentally took off part of Janet’s outfit, completely exposing her right breast (although the sensitive part was covered with a star-shaped sticker) in front of tens of thousands of viewers and hundreds of millions of TV viewers. The incident lasted less than a second but caused a wave of fierce controversy, known as “Nipplegate” or “breast exposure incident”.

Both apologized publicly, but Janet took the brunt of the criticism, while Justin was largely unscathed. Critics pointed out that Janet, a woman of color, received more criticism than Justin, a white male singer. Les Moonves, CEO of CBS, was accused of deliberately damaging Jackson’s career by banning her music from Viacom stations, including MTV and VH1, and by withdrawing her invitation to the 2004 Grammys. Justin, on the other hand, performed at the Grammys that year, and the public largely forgot about his appearance at the  2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show .

Justin gained more than he lost, in complete contrast to his co-star.

Her subsequent albums, 20 YO (2006) and Discipline (2008), did not achieve the same success. 20 YO , the 20th anniversary of Control , sold only 1.5 million copies and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200. Discipline did not fare much better, selling only 1.2 million copies, lacking a major hit to rebuild her name. Many have argued that the media boycott following the 2004 Super Bowl reduced her exposure and promotion opportunities, making it impossible for her work to compete with younger artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys.

The Super Bowl breast incident changed the way the public viewed Janet. From an icon of empowerment and creativity, she was labeled a “fame-hungry” person who used the trick of showing off her body to maintain her appeal. This incident overshadowed the message of female empowerment in her music, making her the focus of ridicule and attacks in the press and on websites at that time. Pressure from the public and the media forced Janet to avoid public appearances and avoid public scrutiny.

Janet was criticized for using tricks to “catch fame”

This is a classic case of sexism and racism in the entertainment industry. Notably, Janet was the one who led the fight against it, raised public awareness through her legacy, and then ended up being the victim of what she fought for.

Referring to Justin, we see the obvious inequality here. He continued to rise with the album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), won many Grammy awards and was invited to perform at the 2018 Super Bowl. The hits Cry Me A River, Sexy Back, Suit & Tie, Got Me A Feeling … all made a big splash, contributing to Justin becoming the “Prince of Pop”. Until now, he has never defended Janet that it was all an accident, instead of a “drama” between the two. Netizens sarcastically call him “king of clams”.

After a long time, Janet suddenly shocked everyone with her unrecognizable appearance. Her face was stiff, her cheekbones were unreasonably high, Janet was the victim of cosmetic abuse. Many fans expressed regret for a famous singer who was once naturally beautiful. The media called her a “plastic surgery disaster”, losing both her career and her beauty.

Janet’s stiff, swollen beauty due to cosmetic complications is shocking

However, Janet’s legacy is undeniable. She was a pioneering black female artist who broke down racial and gender barriers in music, paving the way for and empowering many recognized talents. Jackson’s legacy is multidimensional, including musical innovation, cultural impact and social activism. With a career spanning over 50 years, Janet’s voice continues to inspire and shape popular culture today. Alongside her brother Michael Jackson, Janet remains one of the greatest artists in the entertainment industry. 

Janet remains one of the greatest female artists in the entertainment industry.