1966–1985: Early life and career beginnings '' Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966, in
Gary, Indiana. She was the youngest of ten children in the
Jackson family, a working-class
African-American family living in a two-bedroom house on Jackson Street. Her mother,
Katherine Esther Jackson (
née Scruse), played clarinet, cello, and piano, had aspired to be a
country-and-western performer, and worked part-time at
Sears. Her father,
Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a former boxer, was a crane operator at
U.S. Steel and played guitar with a local
rhythm and blues band, the Falcons, to supplement the family's income. Janet's great-great-grandfather, July "Jack" Gale, was a US Army
scout. Family lore held that he was also a Native American
medicine man. Janet grew up with two sisters (
Rebbie and
La Toya) and six brothers (
Jackie,
Tito,
Jermaine,
Marlon,
Michael and
Randy). The Jacksons were devout
Jehovah's Witnesses, although Janet would later refrain from organized religion. At a young age, Jackson's brothers began performing as
the Jackson 5 in the Chicago-Gary area. In March 1969, they signed a record deal with
Motown, and soon had their
first number-one hit. The family then moved to the
Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. When Jackson was fifteen, her father and manager Joseph Jackson arranged a contract for her with
A&M Records. Her debut album,
Janet Jackson, was released in 1982. It was produced by
Angela Winbush,
René Moore, Bobby Watson of
Rufus and
Leon Sylvers III, and overseen by her father Joseph. The album appeared on the
Billboard Top Black Albums of 1983, while Jackson herself was the highest-ranking female vocalist on the
Billboard Year-End Black Album Artists. Jackson's second album,
Dream Street, was released two years later. Both albums consisted primarily of
bubblegum pop music.
1986–1988: Control After her second album, Jackson terminated business affairs with her family, commenting "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do." Within six weeks, Jackson and the duo crafted her third studio album,
Control, released in February 1986. The album shot to No. 1 on the
Billboard 200, and was certified fivefold Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over ten million copies worldwide.
Control was declared "remarkably nervy and mature" for a teenage act, also considered "an alternative to the sentimental balladry" which permeated radio, likening Jackson to
Donna Summer's position of "unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it." The album spawned five top five singles, "
What Have You Done for Me Lately", "
Nasty", "
When I Think of You", "
Control", and "
Let's Wait Awhile", and a top 15 hit with "
The Pleasure Principle". "When I Think of You" became her first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100.
Control received six
Billboard Awards, including "Top Pop Singles Artist", and three
Grammy nominations, such as
Album of the Year. It also won three
American Music Awards from twelve nominations. At this point, Jackson was successfully "shaking off the experience of being a shadow Jackson child", becoming "an artist in her own right". The album's lyrical content included several themes of empowerment, inspired by an incident of sexual harassment, with Jackson recalling "the danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street and instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense." Its innovative fusion of
dance-pop and
industrial music with
hip-hop and
R&B undertones influenced the development of the
new jack swing genre by bridging the gap between the latter two styles. The accompanying music videos shot for the album's singles became popular on
MTV, and obtained a then-unknown
Paula Abdul a recording contract for her choreography work with Jackson.
Billboard stated "[Jackson's] accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to MTV, and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader, beat-driven musical mix." MTV's Meaghan Garvey asserted "it's hard to overstate the significance of
Control, whether in terms of the pop landscape, the evolution of the music video as a vessel for promotion and expression, or Top 40 feminist anthems." She also argued "it's important to note that
Control's self-actualization anthems were expressions of black female pride.
Control spawned a whopping six videos—great ones, at that—which played an immeasurable role in the shift toward visible black pop."
1989–1992: ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' Jackson released her fourth album,
Rhythm Nation 1814, in September 1989. Although her record label desired a direct sequel to
Control, Jackson chose to include a socially conscious theme among various musical styles. She stated, "I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics." The album's central theme of unity was developed in response to various crimes and tragedies reported in the media. Peaking at No. 1 on the
Billboard 200, the album was certified sixfold Platinum by the RIAA and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. The album was also considered "the exclamation point on her career", consisting of a "diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses", which effectively "expanded Janet's range in every conceivable direction", being "more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike." With singles "
Miss You Much", "
Rhythm Nation", "
Escapade", "
Alright", "
Come Back to Me", "
Black Cat" and "
Love Will Never Do (Without You)", it became the first album in history to produce number one hits in three separate calendar years, as well as the only album to achieve seven top five singles on the Hot 100. Famous for its choreography and warehouse setting, the "
Rhythm Nation" music video is considered one of the most iconic and popular in history, with Jackson's military ensemble also making her a fashion icon. The video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is notable for being the first instance of Jackson's transition into sexual imagery and midriff-baring style, becoming her trademark.
Rhythm Nation 1814 became the highest selling album of 1990, winning a record fifteen
Billboard Awards. The full
Rhythm Nation 1814 short film won a
Grammy Award. Jackson's
Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 became the most successful debut tour in history and set a record for the fastest sell-out of Japan's
Tokyo Dome. She established the "Rhythm Nation Scholarship", donating funds from the tour to various educational programs. As Jackson began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the
San Francisco Chronicle wrote "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country", and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the
United Negro College Fund, told the
Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects." She also received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her impact on the recording industry and philanthropic endeavors. The massive success experienced by Jackson placed her in league with her brother Michael, Madonna, and
Tina Turner for her achievements and influence.
Ebony magazine remarked: "No individual or group has impacted the world of entertainment as have Michael and Janet Jackson," arguing that despite many imitators, few could surpass Jackson's "stunning style and dexterity". The recording contract also established her reputation as the "
Queen of Pop".
1993–1996: Janet, Poetic Justice, and Design of a Decade Jackson's fifth studio album,
Janet, was released in May 1993. The record opened at number one on the
Billboard 200, making Jackson the first female artist in the
Nielsen SoundScan era to do so. Certified sixfold Platinum by the RIAA, it sold over 14 million copies worldwide.
Janet spawned five singles and four promotional singles, receiving various certifications worldwide. The lead single "
That's the Way Love Goes" won the
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and topped the
Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks. "
Again" reached number one for two weeks, while "
If" and "
Any Time, Any Place" peaked in the top four. "
Because of Love" and "
You Want This" charted within the top ten. The album experimented with a diverse number of genres, including
contemporary R&B,
deep house,
swing jazz,
hip-hop,
rock, and
pop, with
Billboard describing each as being "delivered with consummate skill and passion". Jackson took a larger role in songwriting and production than she did on her previous albums, explaining she found it necessary "to write all the lyrics and half of the melodies" while also speaking candidly about incorporating her sexuality into the album's content. In July 1993, Jackson made her film debut in
Poetic Justice. While the film received mixed reviews, her performance was described as "beguiling" and "believably eccentric". Jackson's ballad "Again", which was written for the film, received
Golden Globe and
Academy Award nominations for "Best Original Song". In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of
Rolling Stone, with her breasts covered anonymously by her then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. The photograph is the original version of the cropped image used on the
Janet album cover, shot by
Patrick Demarchelier.
The Vancouver Sun reported, "Jackson, 27, remains clearly established as both role model and sex symbol; the
Rolling Stone photo of Jackson ... became one of the most recognizable, and most lampooned, magazine covers." The
Janet World Tour launched in support of the studio album garnered criticism for Jackson's lack of vocal proficiency and spontaneity, but earned critical acclaim for her showmanship. It was described as erasing the line between "stadium-size pop music concerts and full-scale theatrical extravaganzas". During this time, Janet was set to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with
Coca-Cola when her brother Michael was immersed in a
child sex abuse scandal, of which he denied any wrongdoing. She provided moral support, defending her brother, and denied abuse allegations regarding her parents made by her sister La Toya. She collaborated with Michael on "
Scream", the lead single from his album
HIStory, released in 1995. The song was written by both siblings as a response to media scrutiny. It debuted at number five on the Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first song ever to debut within the top five. Its music video, directed by
Mark Romanek, was listed in
Guinness World Records as the "Most Expensive Music Video Ever Made", costing $7 million. The clip won the
1996 Grammy Award for
Best Short Form Music Video. The lead single, "
Runaway", became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot 100, reaching number three. Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million the following year. The contract established her as the then highest-paid recording artist in history, surpassing the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million contracts earned by Michael Jackson and Madonna.
1997–1999: The Velvet Rope Jackson began suffering from severe
depression and
anxiety, leading her to chronicle the experience in her sixth album,
The Velvet Rope, released in October 1997. Jackson returned with a dramatic change in image, boasting vibrant red hair, nasal piercings, and tattoos. The album is primarily centered on the idea that everyone has an intrinsic need to belong. Aside from encompassing lyrics relating to social issues such as
same-sex relationships,
homophobia and
domestic violence, it also contains themes of
sadomasochism and is considered far more sexually explicit in nature than her previous release,
Janet. The album debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200 and was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA. The lead single "
Got 'til It's Gone" was released in September 1997, featuring guest vocals from folk singer
Joni Mitchell and rapper
Q-Tip. The song's music video, depicting a pre-
Apartheid celebration, won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. "
I Get Lonely" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, Several other singles were released, including "
Go Deep" and the ballad "
Every Time", which was controversial for the nudity displayed in its music video. The album fully established Jackson as a
gay icon for its themes regarding homosexuality and protesting homophobia. "Together Again", a "post-Aids pop song", and "Free Xone", considered "a paean to homosexuality" and an "anti-homophobia track", were praised for their lyrical context, in addition to Jackson's lesbian reinterpretation of
Rod Stewart's "
Tonight's the Night".
The Velvet Rope received an award for "Outstanding Music Album" at the 9th Annual
GLAAD Media Awards and was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum. A portion of the proceeds from "Together Again" were donated to the
American Foundation for AIDS Research. The tour's
HBO special,
The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, garnered more than fifteen million viewers. It surpassed the ratings of all four major networks among viewers subscribed to the channel. The concert won an
Emmy Award from four nominations. Jackson donated a portion of the tour's sales to
America's Promise, an organization founded by
Colin Powell to assist disenfranchised youth. As the tour concluded, Jackson lent guest vocals to several collaborations, including
Shaggy's "
Luv Me, Luv Me", used for the film
How Stella Got Her Groove Back, as well as "
Girlfriend/Boyfriend" with
Teddy Riley's group
Blackstreet, and "
What's It Gonna Be?!" with
Busta Rhymes. The latter two music videos are both among the
most expensive music videos ever produced, with "What's It Gonna Be?!" becoming a number-one hit on the
Billboard Hip-Hop Singles and
Hot Rap Tracks charts, reaching the top three of the Hot 100.
Billboard ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind
Mariah Carey.
2000–2003: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and All for You In July 2000, Jackson appeared in her second film,
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, in the role of Professor Denise Gaines, opposite
Eddie Murphy. Director
Peter Segal stated "Janet Jackson was a natural fit, and an obvious choice." The film became her second to open at number one, grossing an estimated $170 million worldwide. Jackson's single "
Doesn't Really Matter", used for the film's soundtrack, became her ninth number-one single on the Hot 100. Preceding the release of her seventh album, MTV honored Jackson with the network's inaugural "
MTV Icon" ceremony, honoring her "significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the
MTV Generation." The event paid tribute to Jackson's career and influence, including commentary from
Britney Spears,
Jennifer Lopez,
Aaliyah, and
Jessica Simpson, and performances by
'N Sync,
Pink,
Destiny's Child,
Usher,
Buckcherry,
Mýa,
Macy Gray, and
Outkast. The American Music Awards also honored Jackson with the
Award of Merit for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums". Jackson's seventh album,
All for You, was released in April 2001. It opened at number one on the
Billboard 200 with 605,000 copies sold, the highest first-week sales of her career, and among the highest first-week sales by a female artist in history. The album was a return to an upbeat dance style, receiving generally positive reception. Jackson received praise for indulging in "textures as dizzying as a new infatuation", in contrast to other artists attempting to "match the angularity of hip-hop" and following trends.
All for You was certified double Platinum by the RIAA. Jackson was titled "Queen of Radio" by MTV as the single made airplay history, being "added to every pop, rhythmic and urban radio station" within its first week. It topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks, also reaching the top ten in eleven countries. The song received a Grammy Award for
Best Dance Recording. In July 2001, Jackson embarked on the
All for You Tour, which was also broadcast on a concert special for HBO watched by twelve million viewers. The tour traveled throughout the United States and Japan, although European and Asian dates were required to be canceled following the
September 11 terrorist attacks. The
Los Angeles Times complimented Jackson's showmanship. Richard Harrington of
The Washington Post said Jackson's performance surpassed her contemporaries, but Bob Massy of
Spin thought her dancers "threw crisper moves" and her supporting singers were mixed nearly as high, though declared "Janet cast herself as the real entertainment." Jackson donated a portion of the tour's proceeds to the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The following year, Jackson began receiving media attention for her rumored relationships with
Justin Timberlake, actor
Matthew McConaughey, and record producer
Jermaine Dupri.
2004–2005: Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy and Damita Jo Jackson was chosen by the
National Football League and MTV to perform at the
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004. She performed a medley of "All for You", "Rhythm Nation", and an excerpt of "The Knowledge" before performing "
Rock Your Body" alongside surprise guest Justin Timberlake. As Timberlake sang the lyric "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song", he tore open her costume, exposing her right breast to 140 million viewers. The incident was referred to as "nipple gate" by the media. Jackson issued an apology after the performance, saying that the incident was accidental and unintended, explaining that Timberlake was only meant to pull away a
bustier and leave the red-lace bra intact. She commented, "I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention ... MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end." Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "
wardrobe malfunction". denied any knowledge of the incident and all responsibility for it. The
Federal Communications Commission heavily fined all companies involved and continued an investigation for eight years, ultimately losing its appeal for a $550,000 fine against CBS. Following the incident, CBS permitted Timberlake to appear at the
46th Grammy Awards ceremony but did not allow Jackson to attend, forcing her to withdraw after being scheduled as a presenter. The controversy halted plans for Jackson to star in the biographical film of singer and activist
Lena Horne, which was to be produced by
ABC. Horne was reportedly displeased by the incident, but Jackson's representatives stated that she withdrew from the project willingly. A
Mickey Mouse statue wearing Jackson's iconic "Rhythm Nation" outfit was mantled at
Walt Disney World theme park the previous year to honor her legacy, but it was removed following her controversial performance. Jackson's eighth studio album
Damita Jo was released in March 2004, titled after her middle name. It debuted at number two on the
Billboard 200. The album received mixed to positive reviews, praising the sonic innovation of selected songs and Jackson's vocal harmonies, while others criticized its frequent themes of carnality. However, several critics' reviews focused on the Super Bowl incident, rather than critiquing the album itself. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA within a month, and sold over three million copies worldwide. The album's performance was affected by
blacklisting from radio and music channels, in part at the behest of CBS CEO
Les Moonves. Conglomerates involved in the boycott included
Viacom and CBS, subsidiaries MTV,
Clear Channel Communications, and
Infinity Broadcasting, the latter two among the largest radio broadcasters. The blacklist was placed into effect preceding the release of
Damita Jo and continued throughout the course of Jackson's following two albums. Entertainment conglomerate Viacom owns MTV, VH1, and many radio formats, and a senior executive commented that they were "absolutely bailing on the record. The pressure is so great, they can't align with anything related to Janet. The high-ups are still pissed at her, and this is a punitive measure." Prior to the incident,
Damita Jo was expected to outsell prior release
All for You. Its three singles received positive reviews but failed to achieve high chart positions, although each was predicted to perform extremely well under different circumstances.
Billboard reported that
Damita Jo "was largely overshadowed by the Super Bowl fiasco.... The three singles it spawned were blacklisted by pop radio—they were also the album's biggest highlights". For the album's promotion, Jackson appeared as a host on
Saturday Night Live performing two songs, and she was also a guest star on the sitcom
Will & Grace portraying herself. Jackson received several career accolades upon the album's release, including the "Legend Award" at the
Radio Music Awards, "Inspiration Award" from the
Japan Video Music Awards, "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the
Soul Train Music Awards, and a
Teen Choice Awards nomination for "Favorite Female". In November 2004, she was honored as a role model by
100 Black Men of America, Inc. and presented with the organization's Artistic Achievement Award saluting "a career that has gone from success to greater success". The organization responded to criticism for honoring Jackson in light of the Super Bowl incident by saying that "an individual's worth can't be judged by a single moment in that person's life." In June 2005, she was honored with a Humanitarian Award by the
Human Rights Campaign and
AIDS Project Los Angeles as recognition for her involvement in raising money for AIDS charities.
Impact on the Internet The
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show is considered to be one of the most
controversial televised events in history, and Jackson was later listed in
Guinness World Records as the "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item". The incident became the most recorded and replayed moment in
TiVo history, enticing an estimated 35,000 new subscribers.
Jawed Karim has stated that the incident inspired the creation of
YouTube, as he noted that it was difficult for him to find videos of the incident online.
2006–2007: 20 Y.O. and Why Did I Get Married? '' Jackson began recording her ninth studio album,
20 Y.O., in 2005. She recorded with producers Dupri, Jam and Lewis for several months during the following year. The album's title was a reference to the two decades since the release of her breakthrough album
Control, representing the album's "celebration of the joyful liberation and history-making musical style". To promote the album, Jackson appeared in various magazines, and performed on the
Today Show and at the Billboard Awards. Jackson's
Us Weekly cover, revealing her slim figure after heavy media focus was placed on her fluctuations in weight, became the magazine's best-selling issue in history.
20 Y.O. was released in September 2006 and debuted at number two on the
Billboard 200. Jackson's airplay and music channel blacklist remained persistent, massively affecting her chart performance and exposure. However, lead single "
Call on Me", which featured rapper
Nelly, peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100, number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number six in the United Kingdom. After the album's release, Dupri was condemned for his production and misguidance of the album, and subsequently was removed from his position at Virgin Records.
Slant Magazine stated, "After promising a return to Janet's dance-pop origins, [Dupri] opted to aim for urban audiences, a colossal mistake that cost Dupri his job and, probably, Janet her deal with Virgin." Jackson was ranked the seventh richest woman in the entertainment industry by
Forbes, having amassed a fortune of over $150 million. In 2007, she starred opposite
Tyler Perry as a psychotherapist in the film
Why Did I Get Married?. It became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, grossing $60 million. Jackson's performance was praised for its "soft authority", though also described as "charming, yet bland".
2008–2009: Discipline and Number Ones Jackson signed with
Island Records after her contract with Virgin was fulfilled. She interrupted plans for touring and began recording with various producers, including
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins,
Tricky Stewart, and
Stargate. Her tenth studio album,
Discipline, was released in February 2008, opening at number one. Also in February 2008, Jackson won an
Image Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for the role. Jackson was also approached to record the lead single for the film
Rush Hour 3. Jackson was awarded the Vanguard Award at the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring her contributions in promoting equal rights among the gay community. Jackson parted with Island Records through mutual agreement.
Billboard disclosed Jackson was dissatisfied with
L.A. Reid's handling of the album and its promotion, saying "the label agreed to dissolve their relationship with the artist at her request." Producer
Rodney Jerkins expressed "I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly.... She just didn't get her just due as an artist of that magnitude." In June 2009, Jackson's
brother Michael died at age fifty. She spoke publicly concerning his death at the 2009
BET Awards, stating "I'd just like to say, to you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much." In an interview, she revealed she had first learned of his death while filming
Why Did I Get Married Too?. Amidst mourning with her family, she focused on work to deal with the grief, avoiding any news coverage of her sibling's death. She commented, "it's still important to face reality, and not that I'm running, but sometimes you just need to get away for a second." During this time, she ended her seven-year relationship with Jermaine Dupri. MTV stated "there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message." The performance was lauded by critics, with
Entertainment Weekly affirming the rendition "as energetic as it was heartfelt". Jackson's second hits compilation,
Number Ones (retitled
The Best for international releases), was released in November 2009. For promotion, she performed a medley of hits at the
American Music Awards,
Capital FM's
Jingle Bell Ball at London's
O2 arena, and
The X-Factor. The album's promotional single "
Make Me", produced with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, debuted in September. It became Jackson's nineteenth number one on the
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, making her the first artist to have number-one singles in four separate decades. Later that month, Jackson chaired the inaugural benefit of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, held in
Milan in conjunction with
fashion week. The foundation's CEO stated: "We are profoundly grateful to Janet Jackson for joining amfAR as a chair of its first event in Milan... She brings incomparable grace and a history of dedication to the fight against AIDS." The event raised $1.1 million for the nonprofit organization.
2010–2014: Film projects and True You In April 2010, Jackson reprised her role in the sequel to
Why Did I Get Married?, titled
Why Did I Get Married Too?. The film opened at number two, grossing $60 million. Jackson's performance was hailed as "invigorating and oddly funny", and praised for her "willingness to be seen at her most disheveled". Her performance earned her an Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture". Jackson recorded the film's theme, "
Nothing", released as a promotional single. The song was performed on the
ninth season finale of
American Idol along with "Again" and "Nasty". In July, Jackson modeled for the
Blackglama clothing line featuring
mink fur, then helped design a signature line of clothing and accessories for Blackglama, to be sold at
Saks Fifth Avenue and
Bloomingdales. Universal Music released Jackson's third hits compilation,
Icon: Number Ones, as the debut of the
Icon compilation series. In November 2010, Jackson starred as Joanna in the drama
For Colored Girls, the film adaptation of
Ntozake Shange's 1975 play
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
The Wall Street Journal stated Jackson "recites verses written by Ntozake Shange, the author of the play that inspired the film ... But instead of offering up a mannered coffeehouse reading of the lines, Jackson makes the words sound like ordinary—though very eloquent—speech." Jackson's portrayal in the film was likened to
Meryl Streep as
Miranda Priestly in
The Devil Wears Prada. Her performance earned
Black Reel Awards nominations in the categories of
Outstanding Supporting Actress and
Outstanding Ensemble. tour In support of her second hits collection,
Number Ones, Jackson embarked on her largest world tour, entitled
Number Ones, Up Close and Personal; she held concerts in thirty-five global cities, selected by fans who submitted suggestions on her official website. Jackson released the
self-help book
True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself in February 2011, co-written with David Ritz. It chronicled her struggle with weight and confidence, also publishing letters from fans. It topped
The New York Times Best Seller list the following month. Additionally, she signed a film production contract with
Lions Gate Entertainment to "select, develop and produce a feature film for the independent studio." Jackson became the first female pop singer to perform at the
I. M. Pei glass pyramid at the
Louvre Museum, raising contributions for the restoration of iconic artwork. Jackson was selected to endorse fashion line
Blackglama for a second year, being the first celebrity in the line's history chosen to do so. She partnered with the label to release a fifteen-piece collection of luxury products. In 2012, Jackson endorsed
Nutrisystem, sponsoring their weight-loss program after struggling with weight fluctuations in the past. With the program, she donated ten million dollars in meals to the hungry. She also participated in a public service announcement for
UNICEF to help starving children.
2015–2019: Unbreakable, touring and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In the wake of releasing a new album, scheduled for the fall of 2015, Jackson founded her own record label, Rhythm Nation, distributed by
BMG Rights Management. The launch of label established Jackson as one of the few African-American female musicians to own a record label. The label's first release was the lead single from the upcoming album, "
No Sleeep", on June 22. Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart. The song went to number 1 on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 immediately following the release. The album version featuring
J. Cole enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the
Adult R&B Songs chart.
BET presented Jackson with their inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual award at the
BET Awards 2015, which also featured a dance tribute to her performed by
Ciara,
Jason Derulo and
Tinashe. She launched a luxury jewelry line called the "Janet Jackson Unbreakable Diamonds collection", a joint venture between herself and Paul Raps New York. On August 20, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever" followed by the launch of her
Unbreakable World Tour on August 31. The upcoming album's title track "
Unbreakable" was released on September 11, 2015. "
Burnitup!" featuring Missy Elliott debuted on
BBC Radio 1 on September 24, 2015. The
Unbreakable album was released on October 2, 2015. It received largely positive reviews, including those by
The Wall Street Journal,
The New York Times,
USA Today,
Los Angeles Times, and
The Guardian. The following week, Jackson received her first nomination to be inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her album debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200, becoming her seventh album to top the chart in the United States. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis stated that Jackson's concept for the album was developed simultaneously with the accompanying tour's production and that its composition differed from the majority of her catalog. They also stated that the album's theme reflects "being able to be vulnerable and to be able to withstand what comes to you," drawing on Jackson's experiences over the past several years. On April 6, 2016, Jackson postponed her tour in favour of "planning her family" with husband Wissam Al Mana. On September 7, 2017, Jackson resumed her Unbreakable World Tour, now known as the
State of the World Tour. Refocusing the tour's theme to reflect socially conscious messages from Jackson's entire music catalog, many songs selected for the concert set list along with corresponding imagery depicted on stage address
racism,
white supremacy,
fascism,
xenophobia and
police brutality. The tour opened to positive critical reception, with several commentators praising Jackson's post-pregnancy physical fitness, showmanship and socially conscious messages. Her emotional rendition of "What About", a song about domestic violence originally recorded for
The Velvet Rope, drew media attention highlighting her recent separation from her husband; Jackson's brother Randy alleges she suffered verbal abuse by Al Mana which contributed to the breakdown of their marriage. Proceeds from the concert of September 9, 2017, at the
Toyota Center in
Houston, Texas were donated to relief efforts supporting evacuees of
Hurricane Harvey. Jackson met with Houston mayor
Sylvester Turner and evacuees at the
George R. Brown Convention Center prior to the performance. Jackson received the
Billboard Icon Award at the
2018 Billboard Music Awards. In an interview for
Billboard magazine, Jackson revealed that she was then working on new music. On August 16, 2018, Jackson and Rhythm Nation entered into a partnership with
Cinq Music Group. The next day, Jackson released the single "
Made for Now", a collaboration with
Daddy Yankee. In October 2018, she received her third nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2019, Jackson was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On May 17, 2019, Jackson launched a four-month Las Vegas residency entitled
Metamorphosis. The initial schedule comprised fourteen shows at the Park Theater at
Park MGM resort; three additional shows were added in May. In September and November 2019 Jackson performed a series of concerts in support of the 30th anniversary of the
Rhythm Nation album in Welch
Treasure Island Resort & Casino, San Francisco and Hawaii. In 2019, Jackson played a variety of festivals in the US and abroad, including
The Glastonbury Festival.
2020–present: Documentaries and continued touring in December 2025 Jackson was set to embark on the Black Diamond World Tour in 2020 in support of her twelfth studio album
Black Diamond, which was scheduled for a release that year. A two-part documentary titled
Janet Jackson for
Lifetime and
A&E premiered on January 28 and 29, 2022, respectively. Jackson previewed a clip of a new song, "Luv I Luv", during the end credits of the last episode of her documentary. Jackson was a headliner of the 2022
Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. On April 14, 2023, Jackson launched her
Together Again Tour, which later became the highest-grossing tour of her career. On March 8, 2023, Lifetime and A&E greenlit a follow-up documentary series,
Janet Jackson: Family First. The series will follow Jackson as she prepares for her Together Again Tour as well as her and brother Randy's attempts to reunite the family band. On December 30, 2024, Jackson began another Las Vegas concert residency,
Janet Jackson: Las Vegas. On January 14, 2025, six shows were added for May of the same year. In September, she was featured on "Principal", a track from
Cardi B's album
Am I the Drama, which samples Jackson's "
The Pleasure Principle". The song debuted at number 92 on the Hot 100, making Jackson the first black female artist to chart new songs in five distinct decades. In February 2026, a
concert tour in Japan was announced to take place in June of the same year. One month later, it was revealed Jackson had signed a global publishing deal with
Believe Music. == Artistry ==