The Feminine Musique: Why Janet Jackson is the Queen of Pop

Janet Jackson, and her place in the music industry, has always been a topic of conversation. With a documentary on her life set to release in January, it is time to examine just how she has been in completely altering the pop sphere for women in the genre today.

Written by Adam Cherian

Photo courtesy of Ellen Von Unwerth

In a tweet from Aug. 29 of this year, bonafide pop-star Lizzo gave her audience a definite list of who are, in her opinion, pop music royalty. The usual suspects were on the list, with Michael Jackson as king and Britney Spears as the princess of pop. Lizzo then put Janet Jackson as her queen of pop, to the confusion of many. To many people, Janet may not even be on their radar when it comes to this ranking. This confusion sparked debate under Lizzo’s Tweet. 

Discussion ensued with others giving their own rankings. Twitter users debated about whether pop icon Madonna is more deserving of this title, raging on in the replies. Madonna has always been seen as the pinnacle of female pop for decades, but others would argue the same for Jackson. People then started to argue about music, which can be tricky given how subjective one’s music taste can be.

Ultimately, it seems as if all of the arguments surrounding Lizzo’s tweet boiled down to one question: what constitutes the title of “queen of pop”? 

Janet Jackson. Janet Jackson constitutes all that it means to be the queen of pop.

It is unmistakable that Jackson is a powerhouse in the music industry, and was once the top woman in pop. The numbers do not lie; Jackson has one of the most impressive careers of any woman in music with a staggering 100 million records sold worldwide. This is no small feat for anyone, but for a solo female artist to sell this much is something to celebrate. Janet, along with her brother, Micheae, is in the top 10 of artists with the most Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, with Janet raking in a whopping 10. With seven platinum or multi-platinum albums under her belt, she has solidified herself as one of the best-selling artists of all time. Overall, however, numbers only show so much. Her influence on the music industry at large is even more indicative of her queen status.

Apart from her success, Jackson’s legacy goes far beyond herself. She has acted as the blueprint for a multitude of other female artists. Janet Jackson is one of the most influential artists in history. Her music, dance, and performance style have all been instrumental in inspiring many significant female artists in the years following Jackson’s own debut. Britney Spears is one of the most apparent examples of this. In the 2001 MTV Special, “MTVicon: Janet Jackson,” Spears was a celebrity guest interview. Spears went as far as to say that she “wanted to be her,” when describing her first experience seeing Jackson in concert. Though Spears has not modeled her entire appearance off of Jackson, the resemblance in dance, music, and performance is uncanny. Her live performance in the 2000 VMAs is a perfect example of how she uses the same staccato movements and possesses the same enigmatic stage presence that is Jackson’s signature.

Industry titan Beyonce is also a vocal Janet Jackson fan, even going as far as to dress up in the latter’s iconic “Rhythm Nation” get up on Instagram for halloween 2014. Jackson’s influence on Beyonce goes beyond costumes, though; “Formation” has elements reflective of Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” in its themes of Black liberation and social justice. “Rhythm Nation” is a very interesting era to reference, given how it was a powerful declaration of racial equality. Rihanna is another example of an industry giant taking direct influence from Jackson. In a 2009 interview with the Times Online, Rihanna was quoted as saying Jackson was “the first female artist I could relate to.” This can be seen in how Rihanna displays the carefree, cool attitude that Jackson is known for.

Although Janet Jackson’s influence on the music industry is immeasurable, it is her dedication to social justice that puts her on another level above her peers. She has been a beacon of light for many marginalized communities, as she has continuously used her platform for calling out social injustices.

In an age where celebrities are accused of fake activism and phony allyship, Janet Jackson has spent most of her career tackling difficult social issues with the authenticity that others lack. Jackson has always made music and talked in interviews about feminism and racial inequality, emphasizing her perspective and experiences as a Black woman. But she even goes on to make art for the LGBTQ+ community, during times when that could cost an artist their career. Take for example, George Michael, and how he was publicly outed in 1998, causing his public image to plummet.

Jackson has pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable for women to make music about. With her first two albums being controlled mainly by her father’s influence, Control was the first time she had creative jurisdiction over her music. Control is an album ahead of its time; the themes of sexual liberation and female empowerment were revolutionary for 1986. In songs such as “Nasty,” Jackson took inspiration from a real life event where she was being harassed by men in the streets of Detroit while recording the album. She stood up to her harassers without any outside aid from other men. This incident inspired the iconic lyrics, “No, my first name ain't baby it's Janet... Ms. Jackson if you're nasty.” 

Jackson’s fourth studio album, Rhythm Nation 1814, tackled topics like race and poverty. These are topics that most mainstream pop artists avoid, given their unglamorous nature. But Jackson tackled them in a thorough manner. She used Rhythm Nation 1814 as a public declaration for justice that is not often given. She brings awareness to issues of racism or poverty, to bring wider attention to these injustices in America. Her use of the new jack swing style of dance, as well as her style of performance, Jackson used her platform in songs like, “Rhythm Nation,” or “The Knowledge,” to popularize fighting these systems of inequalities.

Photo courtesy of Guzman

Perhaps the most astonishing use of Jackson’s platform is her continued support of the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career. In times where the slightest detour from heteronormativity could effectively destroy your career, Jackson used her platform to uplift the members of and highlight the issues surrounding the LGBTQ community. In an album that some would consider her magnum opus, The Velvet Rope, Jackson dedicates a plethora of songs to the community. In “Free Xone,” Jackson outright claims “one rule, no rules, one love,” in a bold statement that love between any gender is valid. We may take notions like this for granted in modern times, but without artists like Jackson pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable, there would be no modern day LGBTQ-affirming music.

Jackson also tackled the heavy topic of HIV/AIDS. In her hit song, “Together Again,” Jackson fantasizes about being in heaven with the friends she has lost to AIDS. Writing a dance song celebrating the lives of the LGBTQ people who were taken from this disease was a genuine way of showing support for a marginalized community. It is also significant, given that she was celebrating the lives of gay people, and not just mourning their deaths. This adds another perspective that gay people could lead lives worth living, and not constantly be bombarded with tragedy. Jackson was proactive in using her resources to help fund HIV/AIDS research. This is why she was honored by The Human Rights Campaign with an award for her contributions to AIDS research.

Janet Jackson is a legend in pop music. With the numbers, influence, and advocacy, she has cemented her position as the queen of pop. In considering all of these factors, the obvious question begs to be asked: why is Jackson not universally hailed as the queen of pop?

The women that are constantly brought up as a counter when Jackson is proclaimed as the queen of pop are mostly white, with Madonna being the prime example. Artists like Britney Spears and Celine Dion are constantly compared to Jackson as well. When considering pop as a genre, white artists often tend to take up the most space while Black and other POC artists are relegated to genres like R&B, despite them making the same pop music white artists make. It is clear that the music industry values the art of Black women less than that of any other demographic. This, coupled with the ageism embedded in popular culture that implies that women over 35 are disposable, are both factors in why Jackson is not only dethroned, but not even mentioned in so many conversations.

Without Jackson, we would not be getting artists today like Normani, SZA, or any woman daring enough to speak their truth through art. Art as activism would not be as popular without the bravery Jackson displayed when making such music. Jackson paved the way for our new generation, and she deserves the respect so often robbed from her.

The queen of pop isn’t Madonna, or Britney, or Celine. Her name is Janet. 

Ms. Jackson, if you’re nasty.