Cherrelle was lucky enough to be under the Jam and Lewis production team, but she never became as big as Janet. Did the Jackson name get Janet mainstream sooner? Did Janet co-write (for real) her hits and Cherrelle didn't? Is Janet cuter?


[Edited 4/14/06 21:59pm]

I, for one, never saw Cherrelle's videos in popular rotation. Shit I was watching A LOT of Muchmusic back in da day.

DMSR said:

Your question almost answers itself. Yeah, it was the Jackson name, in a nutshell.

Remember the timing issue: Janet had had some stalled vehicles (Fame, Dream Street, etc.) back in the day that coincided with her brother Michael's popularity. In fact, when she was getting popular with Control, there had been a build-up of expectations to see what else would come out of the Jackson camp. Yes, Janet's cute and everything, and was riding a multimedia wave of TV (Fame, Diff'rent Strokes) and family. But the timing and name association played the biggest role.

Cherrelle still received much love from R&B/adult contemporary stations -- especially with her duets with Alexander O'Neal.

Cherrelle is the better singer by far, but Janet Jackson brought to the table the whole entertainment package - with her videos/dancing/physical attractiveness, she embodied the whole visual image that, for better or worse, has become the standard for today's mtv-ready recording stars. Janet's voice is pleasant-sounding - she's not really a "singer", per se, but her vocals are harmless enough and Jam and Lewis are the perfect sound architects for her airy vocals.

Janet Jackson and Cherrelle are just apples and oranges - two totally different entities. One's a singer, the other's more of a performer/entertainer. Same with Madonna, J-Lo, Britney, Ciara, et al. They're Janet's offspring, so to speak. Don't know if that's a good or bad thing...

JesseDezz said:

Madonna is a Janet offspring?

ehuffnsd said:

oh oh!!

Cherrelle's Affair album was one of the best albums that year. I never understood why it didn't get anywhere near the attention it deserved.

In a nutshell...lack of crossover appeal. Cherrelle got much love from the R&B realm but for super stardom one must appeal to all of the masses. A great voice and great songs don't cut it alone. Hence the stupi...ehm superstars of today.

With Janet (for all the reasons already expressed), it really was a given that she'd do well.

ThreadBare said:

I totally disgree with this...the Jackson name is more a burden...I dont think folks were waiting for another Jackson to wow them...They were all waiting for MJ to come out...I site Randy & the Gypsy album as an example of the Jackson name killing momentum...Supposedly that album is as good as anything MJ or Janet has done...but it came and went in a heartbeat...

Janet had the image, style and voice...folks dont give her enough credit...they give all of it to Jam & Lewis when in fact she has her own distinct vocal execution that aided in her stardom...Sure, like Madonna, her voice isnt the most powerful but she uses what she's got with a distinct enough style and personality that she's cultivated a huge following...

sosgemini said:

so true .

sosgemini said:

I hear you on that. I'm not suggesting she's not talented. I think the name deal -- as well as her popularity from TV -- helped her, in terms of a marketing aspect.

I don't think anyone is giving Janet her props for songwriting. Why is it that mostly female's are accused for not co-writing their songs but their male counterparts are hardly ever questioned? I think the an album like "Control" would never have been possible if it wasn't for the team of Jackson, Jam and Lewis. Same goes for all of her other efforts.

btw: Cherrelle's Affair kicks arse..

the jackson name got janet a record deal. But the rest is down to her and the choices she made.

sosgemini said:

... And a few tracks from her debut-album , which is amazingly good remasterd on cd ,
if you think about the low price it sells for .



I dig "Don't" from her 1998 album too .

.
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[Edited 4/15/06 8:52am]

if reports about her and whitney are true, then i am gonna say...

cborgman said:

That's recent, hearsay and has nothing whatsoever to do with what we're talking about so !

SexyBeautifulOne said:

oh, i am betting that there were other drugs leading up to it. it's pretty rare that someone just tries and gets addicted to crack overnight, and seems to be pretty relelvant to the conversation

cborgman said:

We're talking about when she was making records, which was what 10-20 years ago? Besides the person who reported that shit was/still is for all I know, an admitted crackhead herself, making a quick buck from a tabloid. Lots of credibility there, NOT!


[Edited 4/15/06 11:21am]

SexyBeautifulOne said:

and your point?

JesseDezz said:

Cherrell couldnt dance, just look at the way she was shimmying in the Didnt Mean TO Turn You On vid

cborgman said:

Yeah she probally is a Crackhead. Cherrelle was nothing special. So she likes lickin stinky Whitney vagina too...Nice

legendofnothing said:

legendofnothing said:

wait a minute..whats this about Cherrelle having drug problems?

sosgemini said:

Sorry wrong rag. It was in The National Enquirer. Damn non-working search feature. I'll find it. It was discussed here.

Here's a outside link to the story. http://www.eurweb.com/sto...r25640.cfm
[Edited 4/15/06 12:24pm]

sosgemini said:

I disagree. Janet had the same distinct vocals as the first album, the one that didn't go anywhere. What changed was JIMMY JAM AND TERRY LEWIS. I'm more willing to give her credit now, I think she has definately grown as a songwriter and producer, but in the beginning she has a lot to thank Jam and Lewis for. Just my opinion.
[Edited 4/15/06 12:27pm]

wonder505 said:

i havent said anything that would contradict your views for you to disagree with..


btwL: not all artist have huge success with their first albums....nikka costa has had three flops in a row...yes, jam and lewis were vital (just like quincy and mj) but IMHO the credit should be shared equally amoungst janet and jam & lewis..just like you yourself said, janet's had the same vocal style from the begining...

legendofnothing said:

So ... what have you succeed in life , really ? ... nothing legendary i guess .
You can't even spell correct .

paisleypark4 said:

CO-sign

ehuffnsd said:

Maybe she's Janet's fraternal (lighter-skinned twin) Again, she fits the "all-around entertainer" mold moreso than an actual singer.