The first two albums were fine, but Control allowed Janet Jackson to step out of her brother/family's shadow and become a global superstar of her own. With production from Prince affiliates Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, tracks like "Nasty" hinted at the forthcoming rise of new jack swing, and the melodic, dancefloor-friendly r&b core of the 9 tracker remains an influential stylistic choice. In addition, the loose concept running through the songs—feminine independence—was a bold statement from the then 19-year-old, placing Janet Jackson alongside Madonna as one of the most important artists of pop music from the era. "Control," "The Pleasure Principle," "What Have You Don't for me Lately"... just listen to the whole thing over and over.

• music label: A&M Records 1986 / 2019

reviewed by singing in japanese 06/19