With eleven studio albums, six in the 20th century, five in the 21st, 100 total Number 1s- – making for more than 300 weeks spent on various music charts around the world; all beginning at the young age of 16, to say that Janet Jackson is anything short of an legend would be plain hating. She has earned her throne. The mother of one who recently won a Billboard Icon of the Year Award, the first ever that would be awarded to a black woman, is indeed a legend.
In her most recent interview with Billboard, the singer, dancer and actress spoke about several issues that were dear to her. From failed relationships, to getting divorced only last year, to changing religions from Christianity to Islam when she married her Qatari billionaire businessman husband, Wissam Al Mana in the year 2012, to giving birth to son who she named Eissa at the impressive age of 50; this woman continues to show that she is a force of nature while going through the rise and falls that life often brings with it.
However, these challenges she has faced in her life have not slowed her down in any way. In fact, she revealed to Billboard during the interview, that she is preparing to launch her 12th studio album. and is going on tour with dancers she hand picked herself, due to the priority she places on taking control of her creative process. On the subject of control, she discusses her faith, stating:
I’m a believer. I know that God has absolute control. I’ve never wavered in that belief. I don’t mean I don’t get controlling — most artists do. But I also know that turning myself into a control freak goes against my character. I’m much more a collaborator than a controller.
Her emboldened perspective hasn’t always been this present however, as she has had to fight some of the battles that maybe all of us women have had to, at some point or the other, overcome. Despite her larger than life persona, the soft-spoken icon reveals she has battled depression and low self-esteem.
“Like millions of other women, I’ve struggled with low self-esteem my whole life. I’m doing better in that regard. My inclination toward harsh self-criticism and even self-negation has dramatically eased up. I believe in all the different methods of help — smart psychology, vigorous exercise and sincere spirituality.”
Jackson also speaks on the societal ills happening in today’s world. She expresses her awareness and distaste for it but says she’s also cognizant of the fact that it has encouraged many younger artists to find expression in music not only as a source of entertainment, but as a tool to fight against the lack of equality and discrimination in not just the country but the world at large.
Music is more alive than ever. And more relevant. We women artists — and women in general — are saying we will not be controlled, manipulated or abused. We’re determined not to fall back to those days of emotional and even physical enslavement. It’s a blessing to be alive today and join in the fight for equality among all human beings.
One would think that as woman of Janet’s status, with her numerous achievements, she has pretty much learned everything she needs to within her field of expertise. But this is not the case, as she reveals that she is learning new choreography and writing new music, which she will soon introduce the world.
The drive is in my DNA. I couldn’t lose it if I wanted to, and I don’t. Motivation is something I treasure. Besides, for all its difficulties, this is the life I love. I’m surrounded with a team of dancers, singers and musicians I love. I’m supported by fans that have stuck by me through thick and thin. They mean the world to me. Now more than ever, performing, whether in the studio or onstage, brings me a satisfaction I find nowhere else.
Despite facing numerous challenges, Janet finds her strength in God and her love for her son, to whom she gives credit for bringing so much positivity into her life.
God is the greatest healer of all and the most potent force in the universe. In my world, though, God is so often expressed through music, and it’s music that beats back the negative forces. It’s music that drowns out those voices that say I’m not enough. It’s music, and its divine source, that gifts me with the knowledge that harmony is still possible.
And while we’re talking about positivity, let me also say that my son, even in his short 17 months on the planet, has showed me that love, no matter how deeply you believe you have experienced that emotion, can always go deeper. Love is limitless. And for someone like me, raised in show business where self-concern is always a priority, how fortunate I am now to be concerned, first and foremost, with the welfare of someone else. Day after day and night after night, holding my baby in my arms, I am at peace. I am blessed. I feel bliss. In those moments, all is right with the world.
We couldn’t be more elated for Janet and many others like her, who continue to prove to us that against all the odds stacked against us, we can prevail. Which brings me to my favourite shakespeare quote:
“All is well and if it isn’t well, then, it is not the end.”
I love that she comes across as wholesome and centred. I believe that we can all get there, if we truly allow ourselves be led. If you take one thing from this interview at all, please be reminded to trust your process, trust your journey and allow yourself embrace positivity, no matter what.
As African, female millenial women, this message is definitely one we need to hear more often.
