25 Albums Every Gay Guy Should Hear

From: Next Magazine

Janet Jackson

Janet

For me, The Velvet Rope was like Janet on sex drugs. The Velvet Rope is like, “I’m into S&M and I’m gonna tell you about it!” It was the same blueprint as Janet, but Janet has softer edges. Sensuality. Sexuality. Becoming a woman. The videos for “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “If”—I think those set the standard for what I see as sensual for most of my life. And I think that in an age where the gay ear is increasingly tuned to a really abrasive EDM sound, the sound that you get on Janet is something that you can put on and open a bottle of wine and learn what being sensual and sexy is again. —RM

Janet (stylized as janet.) is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on May 18, 1993 by Virgin Records. Prior to its release, Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract. In 1991, her original label A&M sought to renew her contract, while others, such as Atlantic, Capitol, and Virgin all vied to sign her. After meeting with Virgin owner Richard Branson, she signed with the label for a $40 million contract, making her the world's then-highest paid musical act, renewing it in 1996 for $80 million.

Due to increasing commentary that her success in the music industry was attributed to being a member of the Jackson family and a producer-dependent artist, she made a concentrated effort to take greater creative control of her new album. Its title, read "Janet, period.", is meant to disassociate her public image from that of her family, essentially dropping the Jackson surname. She wrote all lyrics for the album, in addition to co-producing every song and co-writing each of their arrangements with record producers and long-time collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. While the use of contemporary R&B and rap had been standard in her music, she broadened her compositions by incorporating hip hop, opera, house and jazz, eliminating the rigid, industrial sound found in her previous records.

Although considered to be less innovative than Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) and Control (1986), critical reception was predominately positive. In light of the fact that she composed much of the album's material and took a greater role as producer, Janet has been credited as a truer testament of her independence than Control. While she had once garnered a reputation as an advocate for sexual abstinence with her 1986 single "Let's Wait Awhile", the theme of Janet is sexual intimacy—an abrupt departure from her well-known conservative image. Much of the acclaim for the album was centered around her lyrics that emphasized the female perspective on sexuality, as well as the demand for practicing safe sex.

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with the largest first week sales in history for a female artist at the time. It became Jackson's third consecutive album to top the chart, as well as reaching the number one position in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Certified sixfold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and is one of the world's best-selling albums. It cemented her as an international icon and sex symbol, and is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time.

It produced six top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "That's the Way Love Goes" became her most successful single in the United States, staying atop the Hot 100 for eight weeks, as well as topping the singles charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It received two Grammy Award nominations in 1994, winning Best R&B Song. Her ballad "Again"—written for the feature film Poetic Justice—also topped the Hot 100 and garnered nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song. Academics have noted that the erotic imagery in her music videos released to promote the album's singles have contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among women. The MTV-sponsored Janet World Tour supporting the album received critical acclaim for Jackson's elaborate stage performances, reinforcing her reputation as one of the preeminent artists of the MTV generation.