April 2023 nONCONFORMIST of the Month – Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson started her tour this month, so I was prompted to make her this month’s nONCONFORMIST.  As the youngest member of a very famous musical family, Janet could have been lost in the shadows.  However, she got a taste of fame at age seven when she performed in Las Vegas with the youngest of her older brothers.  This led to her performing on the family’s variety show and later to acting roles as a child and teen.  She recorded a few albums during this time and her musical direction was under the control of her father who kept her image clean and innocent.  At this time her music was not commercially successful.

Janet is a nonconformist because after becoming an adult, she broke away from her father’s control and worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to create a gritty and daring new sound that she paired with dance moves that gave her brother Michael a run for his money.  The album, which was called “Control” which contained five top five singles, hit number one, and sold ten million copies.  In her songs, Janet explored both the emotional and sensual side of love and also put forth a strongly assertive image that no one had seen from her before.  The album was nominated for twelve American Music Awards which is a record number of nominations that still stands.  The album one four of those awards and three Grammy’s and six Billboard awards.

A few years later, she released “Rhythm Nation” which also hit number one and sold twelve million copies.  In addition to the themes from her prior album, she also spoke out about civil and social injustices.  Her concert tours and merchandising led to more fame and fortune.  The only one who came close to her level of success at the time was her brother Michael.

Becoming an adult allowed her to express herself truthfully and her messages hit home with many young women who needed a strong and daring role model.  In spite of the tremendous fame she was experiencing, she kept her private life under wraps.  She had been secretly married twice and this did not become known by the public until years later.  She also offered support and public defense to her brother after the very serious allegations against him were made and during his very public legal battle.  She also spoke out against her sister who claimed parental abuse during their childhood.

In 2004, Janet played the Superbowl Halftime show with guest Justin Timberlake.  At the end of the set there was what came to be called a “Wardrobe malfunction” which led to Janet being ostracized by much of the public.  She was forced to apologize but was still not quite forgiven.  Yet her male performing partner was just as much a part of the incident as Janet was but got almost no flack for it.  Janet weathered the blatant double-standards with as much privacy as she could.

Although her popularity took a hit, she remained creative in both music and acting.  She spoke out about her long struggle with anxiety, depression, and self-image as a way of bringing awareness to the public.  In 2009, in spite of her own grief and loss, Janet stood as a pillar of stretch for her niece and nephews after her brother Michael died unexpectedly.  She published a book and has continued to tour. 

In 2012, Janet married a third time and had a child at age 50.  This time she allowed the public some glimpses into her personal life while still maintaining some privacy.  She even kept many details of her 2017 divorce from becoming headlines and chose to focus on raising her son while remaining creative and connected to her fans.

Janet is this month’s nONCONFORMIST because despite her famous brothers, she paved her own path as a strong artistic woman who has had her share of struggles and still stands tall and true to herself.