In 1986 Janet Jackson finally took a bold step toward her independence with her third album “Control.” As the cute little sister of her more famous siblings, particularly older brother Michael, Janet seemed destined to stay in their shadows. Her controlling father-manager Joseph wanted Janet to be the “actress” of the family, finding her guest spots on such TV staples “Good Times,” Different Strokes,” and “Fame.” She turned out to be a decent actress, but her passion was always music. And under the guidance of Joseph, she released two forgettable solo albums. Janet knew that if she had any chance of succeeding as a solo artist and climbing out of the shadow of the Jackson legacy, bold actions were needed.
Janet Jackson fired her father-manager and teamed with the Minneapolis songwriter/producer duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had previously worked with Prince. Jettisoning the work on Jackson’s previous two solo efforts, they helped Janet create a bold new sound that fused driving beats with R&B and funk. They released “Control” in 1986. It won instant acclaim and announced that Janet Jackson was an artist with a unique identity. She was no longer Michael Jackson’s little sister.
“Nasty” was the second single from “Control,” and it’s easily my favorite song and video from the album. The clip was directed by Mary Lambert, an in-demand video director in the 80s. She worked with artists as varied as Whitney Houston and Sting but is best known for her two Madonna videos: “Borderline” and the uber-controversial “Like a Prayer.” We also get a glimpse of former Laker Girl Paula Abdul, who not only appears as part of Janet’s girl posse but also choreographed the video. In fact, Abdul choreographed most of Janet’s early videos before launching her successful solo career in 1988.
And the song features the often memed and imitated line, “No, my first name ain’t baby, it’s Janet, Mrs. Jackson if you’re nasty!
Check it out below:
Great song! Great video! Great memories!