Janet's wilkipedia page is really something. The influence and recognition part>>>>
Quote:
Usher later called Jackson "a true entertainer," adding, "There’s no one like her. Some people compare her to Madonna, but I think Janet’s above that."[366] Kelly Clarkson has performed live covers of her song
Did he really say this? I'm glad Good Kisser is flopping now.
Solange launched into astonishing elevator attack on Jay-Z after he said he was going to Rihanna's party WITHOUT Beyoncé - after months of tension about her stalled career
i bet this is 100% true. Poor Beyst can't handle the fact that Rihanna is better than her in every single aspect, so she got her sister to attack her husband (one of Rihs biggest supporters).
Janet's wilkipedia page is really something. The influence and recognition part>>>>
The Damita Jo pages>>
Quote:
"I Want You" was released as the second single from Damita Jo, following the rock-influenced "Just a Little While." It was produced by Jackson, Jam & Lewis, and Kanye West and written by West, John Legend, Miri Ben-Ari, and Harold Lilly.[2] It was initially titled "Have Your Way with Me" in its early stages, and contains a brief sample from B.T. Express' version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You." It was the only song from the album which Jackson did not co-write along with "Thinkin' 'Bout My Ex", written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Describing the song, Jackson said, "It's a different kind of song for me, it's more of like a throwback. More of a doowoop-y [feel], which I've never done before which is quite exciting, and I enjoyed recording it in the studio."[3] John Platt, senior Vice President of Virgin Records and EMI Publishing, commented, "This album is really about positive love and where she's at in her life right now.
"I Want You" is a pop ballad based on music of the Motown era. It also incorporates slight elements of doowop, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop into its production, providing an "equally keen senses of retroism and hip-hop currency."[15] Its instrumentation consists of guitar, piano, violins, and synthesized drums. It has a slow tempo of 72 beats per minute, with Jackson's vocals ranging from G3 to C5.[16] Jackson described the song as having a "throwback" feel, considered a departure from her other works.[3] Michael Paletta of Billboard described its "opening drum downbeat" accompanied by "swirling string crescendos," considered "the perfect backdrop for Jackson's breathy vocals."[17] It was analyzed to have a "chimes-studded texture" and various strings "backed by drums," also having "a triangle thrown in there for good measure."[18] Its lyrics focus on longing for an estranged lover and feeling emotionally distraught when apart. Jackson pleads for their affection during its chorus, telling them to "Have your way with me." Tareck Ghoneim of Contact Music stated "The lyrics are simple. She just wants her man and she’s telling it straight," while Plugged In Online observed it to convey Jackson's "insatiable" desire for intimacy in a "vulnerable and lovesick" manner.[19][20]
Critical reception
"I Want You" received favorable reviews, considered likely to achieve success on multiple airplay formats.[17] It was described as "innocent pop" which "pays homage to the Motown sound", though was also considered "more R&B-leaning" than many of Jackson's prior singles.[21][22][23] The song's old fashioned sound fused with modern pop drew comparisons to artists such as The Carpenters and The Dramatics; critics also praising the song's production from Kanye West.[22][18] Michael Paoletta of Billboard stated, "the retro-vibed song calls to mind the sparkly yet wistful soul of '60s-era girl groups" while maintaining "a contemporary reference." Paoletta considered its aura and "girl-desires-boy theme" to make the track a "crossover gem." Its production from "the prolific West" was also praised, adding "the opening drum downbeat immediately sets the tone. That beat smoothly propels the song, accompanied by swirling string crescendos that are the perfect backdrop for Jackson's breathy vocals", concluding it to potentially have "multiformat popularity."[17] Ernest Hardy of LA Weekly called it "a retro affair" with a classic "girl-group arrangement", while a critique from Gashaus noted the song "shimmers with some of Janet's former iridescent glow."[24][25] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised its "impossibly lithe basseline," calling it "an intriguing electronic reconstruction of an early 1970s soul ballad," also determined to be "not only inventive, but brilliantly constructed."[26]
Tareck Ghoneim of Contact Music praised the "love song" as "a nostalgic trip back to the soulful Motown era." Ghoneim also commended its "sweet melody, nice backing vocals and laid back groove", considered an effective departure from the era's "upbeat tempo and modern r’n’b progression." He added, "The lyrics are simple. She just wants her man and she’s telling it straight." Its production was also commended, adding "there’s nice strings to give the song feeling, a cool groove from the bass, backed by the drums and there’s even a triangle thrown in there for good measure," concluded as "A blast from the past, with sweet serenity for those candlelit moments."[19] Irish publication The Hot Press called it an "obligatory ballad" which portrays Jackon's musicality. showcasing her "versatility and mastery of a bewildering array of styles."[27] Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman decided the track "takes a breather from the brazenly steamy numbers to demonstrate that she still has a knack for cute, lonesome pop soul songs", thought to portray Jackson "as a teenager, all toothsome and coy."[28] Spence D. of IGN praised the single, calling it "'70s retro mode" and "a perfect homage to the lighter, brighter era of .. mainstream excess." The review added, "It's squeaky and clean sounding in a sugary, fluff kind of way, almost as if it were a song recorded by Janet years ago and recently rediscovered. And you know what? It's cool because of that."[29] Aaron Foley of MLive considered it Jackson's fourth most underrated single, calling it among "the fruits from that era that don't get the respect they deserve." Foley added, "In the aftermath that was nipplegate, the Kanye West-produced single "I Want You" simply got lost in the wash. The starry-eyed, Motown-inspired ballad had Janet vulnerable and lovesick, boo hooing for her lover's attention."[30][31]
Jim Abott of The Orlando Sentinel classified "the sweetly melodic old-school" song among Jackson's "occasional bursts of inspiration," declaring it "a beautifully big arrangement that's Motown-esque."[32] Muze stated "Jackson truly scores when she combines the distinctly carnal with more innocent pop notions," relating its "sublime beauty" to The Dramatics.[22] Additionally, its "depth and sweetness" was considered "unexpected" by Dan LeRoy of The Scene, commenting "West's swaying '50s pastiche "I Want You" is delightful".[33] Richard Cromelin of The LA Times exclaimed the track "has a swooning charm, with a chimes-studded texture that suggests the sweeping light-points of a disco ball."[18] Mikael Wood of The City Paper gave a similar critique, saying the "luscious slow jam" ultimately "shimmers with the sweet lovesickness Karen Carpenter had to fight through a scrim of suburban sang-froid to express."[34] Stephen Erlewine of AllMusic declared the song "on the slower side," containing "a verse that's memorable."[35] Tom Moon of The Inquirer called it "rapture-seeking", while The Toronto Sun regarded it as a "drippy ballad."[36] Furthermore, Aidin Vaziri of The San Francisco Gate qualified it as "cascading", and Blogcritics affirmed the release as "a great single."[37][38] Plugged In Online observed subtle sexuality within its lyrics, commenting "She’s insatiable," with Entertainment Weekly also suggesting its title to "relay that message" of affirming her desires.[20]
The song's production from Kanye West also received acclaim. People Magazine stated, "it's producer-rapper Kanye West who makes the biggest impression", adding the "old-school charmer" would effectively "return the attention to Jackson's music, where it belongs."[39] Blender declared "he also guided I Want You, one of the most entertaining moments here... its poignant, too, as Jackson seems to sympathetically describe her.. innocent youth."[40] Dan Aquilante of The New York Post praised its aura, saying the "breezy" song sounds "so old-fashioned, it could have been on the radio 30 years ago," calling it "pretty, light and easy on the ear." However, Aquilante considered it to a misstep, adding "it isn’t Janet Jackson. This sass-less song shows how taking a step backward has to be just about the worst way to reinvent yourself."[41] Music critic Kevin Nottingham ranked it as West's second best production, classifying it as a "gorgeous piece of work." He exclaimed. "The drums hit at the beginning and the listener should already fall in love. Janet’s voice should intrigue you, but frankly, those strings and those drums grab my attention all the time." Nottingham added, "Kanye’s beat takes us on a really joyful ride that doesn’t have to have us ending up in JD’s presence; after all, the beat evokes happiness, not pre-pubescent teenage talent."[42]
Live performances
Jackson performed "I Want You" on Good Morning America, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Much Music, Canada AM, MSN, and Spain's Gala Xacobeo. It was performed along with "Just a Little While" or "All Nite (Don't Stop)" during each appearance. The performance from On Air with Ryan Seacrest is included on Jackson's From janet. to Damita Jo: The Videos compilation. To date, the song has not been included on any of Jackson's following tours.
Chart performance
"CBS and MTV’s parent company Viacom, angered that an unannounced addition to the Super Bowl performance has now cost them all future halftime shows, hits back at Jackson by essentially blacklisting her, keeping her music videos off their properties MTV, VH1, and radio stations under their umbrella. The blacklist spreads to include non-Viacom media entities as well.
— Rolling Stone [1]
"I Want You", along with Jackson's other singles from Damita Jo and her following two albums, was blacklisted by many major radio formats following her controversial Super Bowl Halftime Show incident, regarding several media conglomerates receiving massive FCC fines in its aftermath, such as Viacom, which owns many radio formats, MTV, and CBS, which broadcast the event and owns Clear Channel Communications.[1]
The song was released exclusively in North America and Europe to urban radio formats. Due to the blacklist, "I Want You" quickly rose to number eighteen in airplay before stalling on the chart. The song generated an audience impression of nearly twenty-two million on formats able to play the song during its first week.[43] The single peaked at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and eighteen on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming her thirty-third consecutive top forty hit on the latter chart.[44] It had also reached number sixteen on Radio and Record's weekly airplay report.[45] Additionally, it reached number sixteen on the genre's World Top 30 singles chart, also peaking at number four on Billboard's Urban Adult Contemporary airplay chart.[46][47] "All Nite (Don't Stop)" was issued as the album's second single in most international markets as a double A-Side with "I Want You," making the song ineligible to chart. However, "I Want You" reached number nineteen in the United Kingdom and entered the top thirty in Italy based on airplay. It also reached number ten on the United Kingdom's BBC Radio 2 airplay chart and fifty-nine on Japan's Tokio Hot 100, while lead single "Just a Little While" spent multiple weeks atop the chart.[48][49] Due to strong sales, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Simultaneously, an additional song produced by and featuring West titled "My Baby" charted without being issued for airplay, reaching number nine on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart, becoming its seventy-eighth most played song, and twenty-four on Japan's Tokio Hot 100.[50][51][52]
Blacklist
The blacklisting of Jackson drew attention and commentary from critics; many deciding the song to likely have achieved much greater success if the blockage had not occurred. Glenn Gamboa of Newsweek stated. "Unfortunately, it's not clear whether these songs will get heard," saying after the incident, "Jackson has been put in the pop culture penalty box. The result is that despite some initial backing for "Just a Little While," radio and TV support for her music has withered, as the conglomerates worry about angering the FCC and Congress" in fear of receiving fines for supporting Jackson. Gamboa added, ""I Want You," for example, would have been an across-the-board smash pre-Nipplegate."[53] Langston Wertz Jr. of The Charlotte Observer commented the incident made Jackson among the "most villified female artists of all time," stating due to the blacklist, "radio wouldn't play it and MTV wouldn't play her videos for "I Want You" and "All Nite," two songs that would've been out-of-the-park hits at any other point in Jackson's career."[54] An article in Billboard noted, "The three singles it spawned were blacklisted by pop radio—they were also the albums biggest highlights—the electronic guitar studded "Just a Little While," Motown-influenced "I Want You" and the funky, heavily dance orientated "All Nite (Don't Stop)."[55] In retrospect, Rich Juzwiak of Gawker commented the "lush" single "sounds like something that would have been successful for Jackson given another set of circumstances."[15]
Music video
Jackson in "I Want You."
The video for "I Want You" was directed by Dave Meyers, who previously directed Jackson's music videos for "All for You" and "Just A Little While." It was filmed over three days from March 21–24, 2004. Intended to resemble Brooklyn, New York, the video was shot in Los Angeles. It portrays Jackson traveling through the city at night to meet her fiance, interacting with the various people she encounters along the way.[56] Jackson stated, "it wasn't a lot of major wardrobe, major hair, major makeup. It was just very simple and very real in a sense. I like that, and I hadn't done in a video like that in awhile." Explaining its concept, she stated "I'm coming out of my apartment building and walking down the street, and you see all the goings-on in the neighborhood." Jackson praised Meyers as a director, saying "I think he's a wonderful director and he's a good friend, we've been friends since the "All for You" video. He has a great eye."[4] Hollywood casting agents sought a wide variety of extras, ranging from teenage delinquents to "mothers picking up babies and children from day care, and men and women of all ages commuting by bus to and from work."[56] The video was desired to have an intimate "community" feel.[57]
The video begins with Jackson leaving her apartment before walking through the city's various settings, including a grocery store before taking the bus, and ends with Jackson entering a Boys & Girls Club recreation center to visit her then-boyfriend, record producer Jermaine Dupri. Along with Dupri, actor Bobb'e J. Thompson makes a brief cameo. Jackson is shown wearing her trademark midriff-baring outfits and naval piercing in the clip. A scene of Jackson purchasing Trojan condoms was filmed to promote safe sex, but was omitted from the final video.[58] Jackson previously included a similar message at the finale of her video for "Any Time, Any Place."[4]
The video's setting is intended to resemble Brooklyn, New York (pictured).
Director Dave Meyers stated, "the song has kind of an old school vibe to it, so we wanted to be really stripped down and really simple with the video." Meyers added, "Every time we get the chance to work together I always try to do something a little different, you know. I hadn't seen her a do a real stripped down, really basic video. I got a taste of it when I did another video with her where she was a guest star, and I got her really stripped down in that but it was still in a Jamaican environment. I just wanted to put her in a really contemporary American environment and bring out the emotions in the song and the bittersweetness of it. Me and her were just vibing off that, and thought it would be really fun to do something just really simple. No visual effects, no gags. The whole strength of the video is on just the honesty of the piece, and that was sort of what we set out to do. Sometimes it's an important visual effect, today it's an important emotion." A portion of the clip's premise was inspired by Jackson's then-relationship, which was unconfirmed and had generated speculation within the media. Meyers explained, "In the other video we were shooting, she came out of the trailer wearing a So So Def jacket, and that's when I got the idea, 'it would be great if you do a whole video if you look like you do now when you're going home'. It took her a minute, she thought about it, she asked JD if he'd be okay with doing the video, 'cus I was begging and I was like, 'if I could get the two of you in a simple video together, it's gonna be gold.' She asked and he said yea, and that's when my video came to life." Meyers also had the idea for Dupri's cameo due to persistent rumors of their relationship circulating in the media, saying "That's the whole concept here, a real simple video and then the slam dunk is JD's in the video. He hasn't been in any of her stuff and all the rumors of 'are they together, are they not together.'"[4]
Release and reception
The video premiered on documentary series Access Granted, which also aired behind-the-scenes footage of its creation.[59][60] It was included on the song's enhanced single and video compilation From janet. to Damita Jo: The Videos, along with a live performance of the song. The video peaked at number four on Yahoo! Music's Launch.com streaming chart.[61]
The video generally received positive reception, though Dupri's cameo was ultimately panned. A critique read, "The video follows Janet from the block as she strolls through the hood, on her way to meet her boo. Janet walks through the grocery store, rides a bus and hollas at her girls. See, she's just like us. [...] Unfortunately, the last 30 seconds of the video are marred by the appearance of Janet's then real boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri."[31] USA Today also commented, "He's also her love interest in the I Want You video, sharing a juicy kiss." An additional review considered the portrayal of Jackson "walking down some really shady parts of the neighbourhood in pursuit of Jermaine Dupri" as unrealistic.[42] In an interview with Launch.com, Jackson said she was not hesitant to feature Dupri in the video, though revealed it was not her idea to do so, saying "everyone knows [about us]. It's not a secret. I wasn't hesitant at all. I didn't know if he'd do it or not. It wasn't my idea. It was David Meyers's, the director's."
Blacklist
"[We are] 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."
— Senior executive at Viacom on Jackson's airplay and video blacklist [62]
Following her highly controversial Super Bowl incident, Jackson's singles and music videos were blacklisted by various entertainment conglomerates involved with the event who received massive FCC fines, including Viacom, which owns MTV, VH1, and co-produced the event, and CBS, which aired the event and owns Clear Channel Communications.[1] A senior executive for Viacom stated, "[We are] 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."[62] As a result, the video for "I Want You" video, in addition to other releases from Damita Jo and Jackson's following two albums, received minimal or no rotation on major music channels, despite Jackson's appeal and iconic status in pop culture. The single was released shortly prior to the dawn of Youtube, when music videos from major stars required rotation on music outlets such as MTV to receive promotion. In British publication Music Week, Virgin Record's marketing director Elizabeth Nordy stated MTV's lack of support due to the Super Bowl incident had been a "major catalyst" in the performance of Jackson's singles.[63]
A report from the Associated Press on Fox News commented, "MTV's "Spanking New" videos in heavy rotation include a gyrating, cleavage-baring Beyonce [in "Naughty Girl"] and a bleeped-out Eminem with his group D12 ["My Band"]. Yet the sedate new video from Janet Jackson—a fixture on the cable channel for almost two decades and its first "MTV Icon"—has been absent from its playlist. Meanwhile, Jackson's name had barely been mentioned on MTV—unusual for a superstar whose previous projects have typically gotten heavy promotion." Producer Jimmy Jam commented, "You can probably read between the lines with MTV ... I would guess that if MTV wanted to play it, they would, but this is just speculation on my part. It certainly could raise a few questions if you have an investigative mind."[64] Jam also responded to an MTV statement claiming the network never received Jackson's videos, saying "It's tough to click with audiences when you don't get support from the major media outlets." "It's interesting because the video was sent to Viacom ... but somehow MTV didn't [receive it]?"[65] In retrospect, a critic recalled "The video for "I Want You" received little rotation. MTV had Miss Nasty blacklisted after the Super Bowl incident".[31] Roger Friedman of Fox News stated, "One thing is certain, however: Janet is being scapegoated for her Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction." [...] Imagine that MTV, where illiteracy and lewdness thrive most of the day, would banish Janet's new video because of her "reputation." Who are they trying to kid? Of course, MTV is a corporate cousin of CBS, where the original snafu happened. But that's just a coincidence!"[66] It received moderate rotation on VH1, though generated increased airplay on BET, with senior vice president Stephen Hill commenting "There was never any doubt that when Janet Jackson put out her video, we would play the video."[64] Select channels who were unaffected by the blacklist aired "I Want You" in regular rotation, including MuchMusic.
Legacy
A single from Gwen Stefani has been compared with "I Want You" for their notable sales.
"I Want You" received positive acclaim, praised for its "depth and sweetness" and thought to display "some of Janet's former iridescent glow."[33][25] It was also commended for its departure from Jackson's element, generally considered an effective retreat for "one of Pop’s biggest Queens."[67] It received acclaim for displaying Jackson's "mastery of a bewildering array of styles," following the rock-influenced "Just a Little While" and preceding the electro-house of "All Nite (Don't Stop)." The song was only released to urban formats in North America and Europe, performing exceptionally despite radio and music channel blacklisting of Jackson's music, reaching the top twenty in airplay, number four on urban adult contemporary, and ten on the United Kingdom's BBC Radio 2 airplay chart. In retrospect, it has been called among "the fruits from that era that don't get the respect they deserve," also thought to have been an "across-the-board smash" and one of the album's multiple "out-of-the park-hits" had the blacklisting not occurred.[30][53][54] The single was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales exceeding one million and received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.[68] To date, it is the last single to sell a million physical copies, preceding Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" as the first to sell one million in digital sales.
Influence
"I Want You" has influenced artists such as Cee-Lo Green.
The song is notably among the first singles to be produced by Kanye West in his early career, as well as the first top twenty airplay hit to be written by John Legend. West commented, "She's a legend. You can't say anything bad about Janet. She looks good, she sounds good, and she's such a nice person. I'm honored just to be part of the album." Referring to his appearance on Jackson's "My Baby," West added, "When you rap on a Janet Jackson album, you're a part of history at that point."[69] Its nostalgic production and arrangement have been thought to influence several songs, with Fuse likening Cee-Lo Green's single "I Want You (Hold On to Love)" to Jackson's song as it similarly "reached back to an earlier era," also having "old-fashioned strings for "sweetening" all over it" in a related fashion.[70] AllMusic also compared Brandy's "Talk About Our Love" to the song.[71] Jackson's "I Want You" music video has been considered to influence Rihanna and Drake's "What's My Name" video, which uses a similar plot.[72]
Dennis Kelly of The Morning Call added, "If imitators such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, et al., are quiet the next few months, it's because the Queen of Pop has sent them back to class with new material to study."[148] Charles Taylor of Salon exclaimed Jackson "has turned into a more interesting figure than Madonna, and a maker of better music."[149] The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan announced Jackson to be the highest paid recording artist in history, signing a contract with Virgin Records worth $90 million, and was declared to have surpassed the influence of Michael Jackson.[150]
Entertainment journalist Kelley L. Carter regarded it among "the most influential albums to be released since 2000," declaring it "set the tone for much of what we’re hearing on the radio from current female pop stars. Anything Rihanna, Beyoncé and Britney are doing right now, was heard on this album."
The composition of Beyoncé's fifth album Beyoncé was regarded as partially based on All for You, in addition to her previous album The Velvet Rope.[166]
