By K.B. Tindal
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Because of the work she put in, early in her career, Janet Jackson will forever be an icon. There are generations of women born in the 1970s, 80s, and even 90s named Janet because of Miss Jackson. But, this doesn’t change the evident struggles Janet Jackson has had since the 2000s.
Janet Jackson struggled to land a major hit over the past decade and a half, but she certainly has succeeded in other areas. One major place where she has succeeded is financially. Her marriage helped her cross the billionaire mark.
But, Janet Jackson is an artist and as long as she is here, she is going to make music. Seven years have passed since her last effort and Janet Jackson, obviously, did not like how things turned out. In some ways, it seemed like Janet Jackson was being punished for the 2004 Super Bowl, even though it was an accident and something that should have been long forgotten.
It’s not easy bearing the Jackson name and being a celebrity, due to how high the family set the bar. There is someone who can relate to Janet Jackson’s struggles, however, Mariah Carey. The two dominated the R&B industry during the same period of time and have worked with many of the same people, although many have tried to make rivals out of the two.
Mariah Carey solidified herself as a legend off of her early work and she also struggled in the late 1990s and early 2000s to recapture her audience. Just when many wrote Mariah Carey off, she teamed up with Jermaine Dupri, the then-boyfriend of Janet Jackson, and made the best album of her career. Then, Mariah Carey went on to enjoy another five year run.
During the mid-2000s, Jermaine Dupri had the midas touch, after developing his own So So Def talents, which include Bow Wow and Da Brat. He breathed new life into Usher’s career, developing Confessions with him in 2004 and then working with Mariah Carey on The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005. The year of 2006 was supposed to be the Janet Jackson comeback with 20 Y.O., which was a letdown even though it went platinum.
Given the success Janet Jackson had in her career, Discipline resulting the way it did had to be a disappointment. But, the world needs to not forget Janet is a Jackson, therefore she has the ability to make hits. This past weekend, she confirmed she indeed has a new album in the works, so will this album do for Janet Jackson in 2015 what The Emancipation of Mimi did for Mariah Carey in 2005.
Follow K.B. Tindal on Twitter @KBTindal.
