Janet Jackson followed up the massive success of the Rhythm Nation era with the wildly successful janet.. With the album's adult lyrics and provocative themes, it was the first time Janet had expressed herself so boldly in a sexual manner (ex-husband Rene Elizondo said at the time that the album was so hot that it should come with a condom). The album marked what Janet called a time of coming into and embracing her womanhood, and as such, she decided to title the project Janet, period. With the album also came a change that could be seen brewing in the last video from the Rhythm Nation album, "Love Will Never Do (Without You)". Gone were the up-to-here black outfits, jet black hair and baseball caps, and in their place came midrif-baring crop tops, hip-hugging blue jeans, a toned and slender figure and copper-colored tresses.

Released on May 18, 1993, the album came after a bidding war with several record companies who all wanted to sign Janet to their roster, of which Virgin Records ultimately won. Virgin chairman Richard Branson was quoted as saying, "A Rembrandt rarely becomes available... When it does, there are many people who are determined to get it. I was determined." With the Virgin deal, Janet became the highest paid recording artist in history--an achievement she would reach again four years later with The Velvet Rope album. The release of janet. marked the first time in SoundScan history that a female artist debuted at #1. The album also boasted the largest first-week sales ever by a female at the time.

The first single off the disc, "That's the Way Love Goes", marked another change in that it wasn't the typical dance-heavy track that the public had become used to from Janet. Virgin wanted her to release "If" first, but she decided to come with something more mellow, and that "That's the Way Love Goes" would be the better choice. The gamble paid off, as it remains her longest-running Hot 100 #1 hit (8 weeks), and makes her the Jackson with the longest-running #1 song. The video for the album's second single, "If", was a voyeuristic feast for the eyes as Janet and her team of dancers performed on a stage at a futuristic Asian nightclub as "randy" patrons looked on (and got their freak on simultaneously). The track is most notable for its sample of The Supremes's hit "Someday We'll Be Together", and the video's choreography is mostly noted for the intricate dance breakdown section that comes in the middle of the clip. The lush ballad "Again", the album's third single, was Janet's 7th Hot 100 #1. The song was nominated for a 1994 Golden Globe and Academy Award, and played during the closing credits of her debut feature film, 1993's "Poetic Justice".

Other singles from the album were the dance track "Because of Love", the quiet storm radio staple "Any Time, Any Place", the house track "Throb", the sample-heavy "You Want This" (the video for this track was inspired by Russ Meyer's 1965 camp classic film "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"), "Whoops Now", a hidden track at the end of the CD that Janet penned herself, and which vividly evoked the Motown sound, and "What'll I Do", a remake of the 1967 Johnny Day track "What'll I Do For Satisfaction". Janet and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis toyed with several music genres for the album, experimenting with opera (famous operatic singer Kathleen Battle was brought on to sing background for the haunting spousal abuse track "This Time"), house (the aforementioned "Throb"), big band-era sounds ("Funky Big Band", a track that gave props to Harlem, New York with its mention of the famed Lenox Lounge), rock ("If"), and live drums, which were played by Stokely from the R&B band Mint Condition on "What'll I Do". Rapper Chuck D from Public Enemy shared vocals on the anti-racism track "New Agenda", and Janet cooed seductively on one of the album's final 'baby-making" tracks, the sleepy "The Body That Loves You". The standout ballad "Where Are You Now" was considered as a last single, but Janet chose to work on "Scream" with her brother Michael instead.

The janet. era is famously remembered for Janet's most recognizable photograph--and arguably one of the most famous portraits ever taken of a singer--the iconic photo of a topless Janet, whose breasts are cupped and covered by then-husband Rene Elizondo's hands. Janet has said that she came up with the idea for the photo while at a hotel in San Francisco during the making of "Poetic Justice". She'd just stepped out of the shower, and was nude save for a towel wrapped around her waist. While looking into a mirror she put her hands over her head and thought that what she saw would make a good album cover. Record execs opted for a head-only shot for the final cover, but the full photo graced the front of Rolling Stone magazine in 1993, becoming one of the magazine's most famous covers ever, and inciting a slew of parodies, knock-offs and tributes over the years:

Janet supported the album with a world tour in late 1993, and was on the road for the following year and a half touring and selling out all areas of the globe. MTV dedicated an hour-long special to the janet. Tour, and the show ultimately grossed $75 million worldwide, selling out various arenas including 3 nights at Madison Square Garden in December of 1993. The show, which boasted sets inspired by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, was never officially released to the public, however, there are several bootlegs of various stops during the tour that have surfaced over the years.

The janet. album would go on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the biggest-selling albums of all time and Janet's biggest-seller to date. It also garnered two Grammy noms, of which Janet won one for Best R&B Song for "That's the Way Love Goes". The success of the album prompted a release of a remix album in 1995 titled janet. Remixed, which contained several b-sides and remixes to tracks from the original album. janet. is one of only 7 albums in history to garner a minimum of 6 Billboard Hot 100 hits.

[Edited 5/19/12 15:11pm]

Such a kickin' era. The singles were perfectly chosen. That's The Way Love Goes and Any Time, Any Place still are amoung my favorites by her. That one photo does a remarkable job at summarizing this era.

I LOVE this album. I got into Janet at the tail end of this era/Scream era. I think Again was the first song I knew in this era and I heard it in 95' and loved it before being told it's Janet. After Design of a Decade, I bought this album for the songs I loved missing on Design, and was pleasantly surprised at how good the whole album was. I don't know about it being an all time classic for her cause Control, RN and VR do that for me, but it was a 90's classic and part of my teen years, and that janet. remixed album ROCKS! The remixes are excellent on there as well as the physical singles, and all the B-Sides rock! I also love her hair, style and everything in this era, she's so glamorous and makes you want to feel beautiful as her, inside and out.

The stuff I liked best on there were the slow tracks "The Body that Loves You"; "Anytime Anyplace"; "Where Are You Now".

And...that one little cute freebie track way at the end of the disc after you listen to silence for like a minute LOL.

I loooove Where Are You Now and the remix of it.

Anytime, Anyplace has one of the best Janet choruses IMO, I wish that was repeated a few more times like on one of the remixes.

alphastreet said:

Anytime, Anyplace has one of the best Janet choruses IMO

I get hot when I hear that chorus lol so much sexual energy put in it.

aardvark15 said:

alphastreet said:

Anytime, Anyplace has one of the best Janet choruses IMO

I get hot when I hear that chorus lol so much sexual energy put in it.

That song and 70's Love Groove really turn me on

alphastreet said:

aardvark15 said:

I get hot when I hear that chorus lol so much sexual energy put in it.

That song and 70's Love Groove really turn me on

70's Love Groove really should have made it to the album.

aardvark15 said:

alphastreet said:

That song and 70's Love Groove really turn me on

70's Love Groove really should have made it to the album.

I used to think they left it off cause of the lyrics from That's The Way Love Goes and If being uttered during the moaning That song is such a classic though and timeless.

I wish Where Are You Now was released.

alphastreet said:

aardvark15 said:

70's Love Groove really should have made it to the album.

I used to think they left it off cause of the lyrics from That's The Way Love Goes and If being uttered during the moaning That song is such a classic though and timeless.

I wish Where Are You Now was released.

It wasn't? I would've sworn I heard it on the radio...then again I used to hear it so much at the time I probably just mistook someone playing it for a radio broadcast or something.

Dren5 said:

alphastreet said:

I used to think they left it off cause of the lyrics from That's The Way Love Goes and If being uttered during the moaning That song is such a classic though and timeless.

I wish Where Are You Now was released.

It wasn't? I would've sworn I heard it on the radio...then again I used to hear it so much at the time I probably just mistook someone playing it for a radio broadcast or something.

It was supposed to be released, but then it got cancelled cause of Scream coming out. It was released as the B-side to Whoops Now overseas in the end, so it may have gotten some airplay. I saw the import single here with a gorgeous pic, but didn't buy it since there was nothing extra on it.

alphastreet said:

Dren5 said:

It wasn't? I would've sworn I heard it on the radio...then again I used to hear it so much at the time I probably just mistook someone playing it for a radio broadcast or something.

It was supposed to be released, but then it got cancelled cause of Scream coming out. It was released as the B-side to Whoops Now overseas in the end, so it may have gotten some airplay. I saw the import single here with a gorgeous pic, but didn't buy it since there was nothing extra on it.

So THAT'S the name of that last bonus track. I always did like that song.

But it was stupid as hell of them to realize that as a main track anywhere. If anything, they should've reversed it and put out "Where Are You Now" and put the other one as a b-side. I love that song, it's cute, but it's plain as day that song really wasn't a good idea to release as a single.

SEANMAN said:

I loved this photo so much. I remember it was the summer before junior high and I had a copy of this magazine. I remember US Mag would put little adverts in later issues trying to promote subscriptions to their mag using this cover and I would just keep those little pics too and put them up in my locker at school.

Much prettier than those "how I became thin" covers she graced for US...

My favourite album of hers...

She looks soo good in this era too.

Dren5 said:

alphastreet said:

It was supposed to be released, but then it got cancelled cause of Scream coming out. It was released as the B-side to Whoops Now overseas in the end, so it may have gotten some airplay. I saw the import single here with a gorgeous pic, but didn't buy it since there was nothing extra on it.

So THAT'S the name of that last bonus track. I always did like that song.

But it was stupid as hell of them to realize that as a main track anywhere. If anything, they should've reversed it and put out "Where Are You Now" and put the other one as a b-side. I love that song, it's cute, but it's plain as day that song really wasn't a good idea to release as a single.

No it wasn't. Considering there were already some many singles released, Whoops Now was pretty big in Europe (where it was released). It even went top 10 in some countries. People loved that song.

robertlove said:

Dren5 said:

So THAT'S the name of that last bonus track. I always did like that song.

But it was stupid as hell of them to realize that as a main track anywhere. If anything, they should've reversed it and put out "Where Are You Now" and put the other one as a b-side. I love that song, it's cute, but it's plain as day that song really wasn't a good idea to release as a single.

No it wasn't. Considering there were already some many singles released, Whoops Now was pretty big in Europe (where it was released). It even went top 10 in some countries. People loved that song.

I loved the carefree video for "Whoops Now" that showed Janet and her dancers clowning around in Anguilla

alphastreet said:

Much prettier than those "how I became thin" covers she graced for US...

I don't think she had the healthiest diet in this era, from what I read in True You.

Cinny said:

alphastreet said:

Cinny said:

I don't think she had the healthiest diet in this era, from what I read in True You.

It didn't quite sit well with me either when reading about how she ate during love will never do and Janet. I felt weird enjoying them after, knowing the story in the back of my mind, but I only read it once after buying the book.

Don't feel bad, I think she was doing the best she knew how at the time.

Cinny said:

alphastreet said:

Cinny said: It didn't quite sit well with me either when reading about how she ate during love will never do and Janet. I felt weird enjoying them after, knowing the story in the back of my mind, but I only read it once after buying the book.

Don't feel bad, I think she was doing the best she knew how at the time.

yeah, and she sorted it out before it got worse and took care of herself

SEANMAN said:

robertlove said:

No it wasn't. Considering there were already some many singles released, Whoops Now was pretty big in Europe (where it was released). It even went top 10 in some countries. People loved that song.

I loved the carefree video for "Whoops Now" that showed Janet and her dancers clowning around in Anguilla

I never knew there was a video. Must have missed it, didn't have YT at that time.

but that smile, she really smiles with her whole face.

robertlove said:

SEANMAN said:

I loved the carefree video for "Whoops Now" that showed Janet and her dancers clowning around in Anguilla

I never knew there was a video. Must have missed it, didn't have YT at that time.

but that smile, she really smiles with her whole face.

yeah she does

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[Edited 5/20/12 11:22am]

Cinny said:

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[Edited 5/20/12 11:22am]