Editing Janet Jackson (section)

=== Music and voice ===
Jackson possesses a [[mezzo-soprano]] [[Voice type|vocal range]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://nypost.com/2015/05/20/why-pop-divas-should-fear-janet-jacksons-comeback/| title=Why pop divas should fear Janet Jackson's comeback| work=[[New York Post]]| date=May 20, 2015| access-date=March 10, 2018| first=Tashara| last=Jones| archive-date=March 11, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311021538/https://nypost.com/2015/05/20/why-pop-divas-should-fear-janet-jacksons-comeback/| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Da'Shan |date=May 17, 2018 |title=The School of Janet Jackson: Ten Songs From the 21st Century Modeled After Her Classics |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/janet-jackson-influences-10-modern-songs-8456481/ |access-date=April 23, 2025 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Yarborough |first=Chuck |date=March 29, 2019 |title=Janet Jackson: 'Rhythm Nation' singer-songwriter joins her famous siblings: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019 |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/03/janet-jackson-rhythm-nation-singer-songwriter-joins-her-famous-siblings-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-class-of-2019.html |access-date=April 23, 2025 |work=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref> Over the course of her career, she has received frequent criticism for the limitations of her vocal capabilities, especially in comparison to contemporary artists such as [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Mariah Carey]].<ref>{{citation|author=Stephen Holden|title=Big Stars, Big Bucks and the Big Gamble|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 7, 1991|page=A.24|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> In comparing her vocal technique to Houston and [[Aretha Franklin]], vocal coach Roger Love states that "[w]hen Janet sings, she allows a tremendous amount of air to come through. She's obviously aiming for a sexy, sultry effect, and on one level that works nicely. But actually, it's fairly limited." He adds that while her voice is suitable for studio recording, it doesn't translate well to the stage because despite having "great songs, incredible dancing, and her star-like presence, the live show is still magnificent. But the voice is not the star."<ref>{{Citation|author1=Roger Love |author2=Donna Frazier |title=Set Your Voice Free: How To Get The Singing Or Speaking Voice You Want|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-316-09294-4}}</ref>

Biographer David Ritz commented, "on Janet's albums—and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique [...] singing wasn't the point," saying emphasis was placed on "her slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values."<ref name="Janet Jackson: Biography: Rolling Stone" /> Eric Henderson of ''[[Slant magazine]]'' claimed critics opposing her small voice "somehow missed the explosive 'gimme a beat' vocal pyrotechnics she unleashes all over 'Nasty'&nbsp;... Or that they completely dismissed how perfect her tremulous hesitance fits into the abstinence anthem 'Let's Wait Awhile'."<ref>{{Citation|last=Henderson |first=Eric |title=Slant Magazine Music Review: Janet Jackson: Control |work=[[Slant Magazine|Slant]] |year=2003 |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=367 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031219232155/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=367 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 19, 2003 |access-date=June 30, 2008}}</ref> Classical composer [[Louis Andriessen]] has praised Jackson for her "[[Tempo rubato|rubato]], sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice."<ref name="Louis">{{citation|last=Andriessen|first=Louis|author2=Maja Trochimczyk|title=The music of Louis Andriessen|publisher=Routledge|page=61|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8153-3789-8}}</ref>

Several critics also consider her voice to often be enveloped within her music's production. Wendy Robinson of ''[[PopMatters]]'' said "the power of Janet Jackson's voice does not lie in her pipes. She doesn't blow, she whispers&nbsp;... Jackson's confectionary vocals are masterfully complemented by gentle harmonies and balanced out by pulsing rhythms, so she's never unpleasant to listen to."<ref name="PopMatters">{{Citation|url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/jacksonjanet-rhythm/|title=Janet Jackson: Rhythm Nation Compilation|work=PopMatters|author=Robinson, Wendy|date=February 9, 2014|access-date=February 9, 2014|archive-date=September 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902093416/http://www.popmatters.com/review/jacksonjanet-rhythm/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Matthew Perpetua of ''[[Fluxblog]]'' suggested Jackson's vocal techniques as a study for [[indie rock]] music, considering it to possess "a somewhat subliminal effect on the listener, guiding and emphasizing dynamic shifts without distracting attention from its primal hooks." Perpetua added: "Her voice effortlessly transitions from a rhythmic toughness to soulful emoting to a flirty softness without overselling any aspect of her performance&nbsp;... a continuum of emotions and attitudes that add up to the impression that we're listening to the expression of a {{Sic|hide=y|fully|-}}formed human being with contradictions and complexities."<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/07/your-new-influences-1.html |title=FLUXBLOG: New, Unusual, Trendy, and Zany |work=Fluxblog |publisher=Perpetua, Matthew |date=July 2, 2008 |access-date=February 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012061052/http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/07/your-new-influences-1.html |archive-date=October 12, 2008 }}</ref>

Jackson's music has encompassed a broad range of genres. Her records from the 1980s have been described as being influenced by [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], as her producers are ex-members of [[The Time (band)|the Time]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Pareles |first=Jon |title=Pop and Jazz Guide |date=April 25, 1986 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |pages=C.23 |issn=0362-4331 |author-link=Jon Pareles}}</ref> Sal Cinquemani wrote that in addition to defining [[Top 40]] radio, she "gave Prince's [[Minneapolis sound]] a distinctly feminine—and, with songs like 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?,' 'Nasty,' 'Control,' and 'Let's Wait Awhile,' a distinctly feminist—spin."<ref name="SCNO">{{citation|last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |title=Janet Jackson: Number Ones |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1921 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116213353/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1921 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 16, 2009 |work=[[Slant Magazine]] |date=November 19, 2009 |access-date=November 19, 2009}}</ref>

On ''Control'', Richard J. Ripani documented that she, Jam, and Lewis had "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility."<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> Author [[Rickey Vincent]] stated that she has often been credited for redefining the standard of popular music with the industrial music beats of the album.<ref name="Vincent">{{Citation| last = Vincent | first = Rickey | author2 = George Clinton | title = Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One | publisher = Macmillan | year = 1996 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/funkmusicpeopler00vinc/page/272 272, 284] | isbn = 978-0-312-13499-0 | url = https://archive.org/details/funkmusicpeopler00vinc/page/272 }}</ref> She is considered a trendsetter in pop balladry, with Richard Rischar stating "the black pop ballad of the mid-1980s had been dominated by the vocal and production style that was smooth and polished, led by singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and [[James Ingram]]."<ref>{{citation|author=Richard Rischar|title=A Vision of Love: An Etiquette of Vocal Ornamentation in African-American Popular Ballads of the Early 1990s|journal=American Music|volume=22|issue=3|pages=407–443|year=2004|doi=10.2307/3592985|jstor=3592985|issn = 0734-4392 }}</ref>

Jackson continued her musical development by blending pop and urban music with elements of hip-hop in the nineties. This included a softer representation, articulated by lush, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance beats.<ref>{{citation|last=Miller|first=Michael|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History|publisher=Penguin Group|page=[https://archive.org/details/completeidiots00mill/page/205 205]|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59257-751-4|url=https://archive.org/details/completeidiots00mill/page/205}}</ref> She is described by music critic [[Greg Kot]] as "an artist who has reshaped the sound and image of rhythm and blues" within the first decade of her career.<ref>{{citation|author=Greg Kot|title=Fighting Another Grammy Whammy 'Janet' Producers Defend Jackson's Role|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=February 28, 1994|page=5|issn=1085-6706}}</ref> Critic Karla Peterson remarked that "she is a sharp dancer, an appealing performer, and as 'That's the Way Love Goes' proves—an ace pop-song writer."<ref name="Peterson">{{citation|author=Karla Peterson|title=Pop goes Janet in concert full of programmed flash|newspaper=[[U-T San Diego]]|date=February 26, 1994|page=E.6}}</ref> Selected material from the following decade has been viewed less favorably, as Sal Cinquemani comments "except for maybe R.E.M., no other former superstar act has been as prolific with such diminishing commercial and creative returns."<ref name="SCNO" />

Jackson has changed her lyrical focus over the years, becoming the subject of analysis in [[musicology]], [[African American studies]], and [[gender studies]].<ref name="Smith 1996 324">{{harvnb|Smith|1996|p=324}}</ref><ref name="TSR">{{citation|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author2=Joy Press|title=The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/sexrevoltsgender00reyn/page/297 297]|year=1996|isbn=978-0-674-80273-5|url=https://archive.org/details/sexrevoltsgender00reyn/page/297}}</ref> David Ritz compared Jackson's musical style to Marvin Gaye's, stating, "like Marvin, autobiography seemed the sole source of her music. Her art, also like Marvin's, floated over a reservoir of secret pain."<ref name="Sex, sadness & the triumph of Janet Jackson" /> Much of her success has been attributed to "a series of powerful, metallic grooves; her chirpy, multi-tracked vocals; and a lyrical philosophy built on pride and self-knowledge."<ref>{{citation|last=MacCambridge|first=Michael|title=Worth a note|newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|page=G.2|date=October 19, 1989}}</ref> Ritz also stated, "The mystery is the low flame that burns around the perimeters of Janet Jackson's soul. The flame feeds off the most highly combustible elements: survival and ambition, caution and creativity, supreme confidence and dark fear."<ref name="Sex, sadness & the triumph of Janet Jackson" />

During the 1980s, her lyrics embodied [[self-actualization]], feminist principles, and politically driven ideology.<ref name="TSR" /><ref name="Lilly">{{citation|last=Goren|first=Lilly|author-link=Lilly Goren|title=You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|page=61|year=2009|isbn=978-0-8131-2544-2}}</ref> Gillian G. Gaar described ''Control'' as "an autobiographical tale about her life with her parents, her first marriage, and breaking free."<ref name="She's a rebel" /> [[Jessie Carney Smith]] wrote "with that album, she asserted her independence, individuality, and personal power. She challenged audiences to see her as a transformed person, from an [[Ingenue (stock character)|ingénue]] to a grow-up, multi-talented celebrity."<ref name="EAAPC">{{citation|author=Jessie Carney Smith|title=Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|pages=738, 739|isbn=978-0-313-35797-8}}</ref> Referring to ''Rhythm Nation 1814'' as an embodiment of hope, Timothy E. Scheurer wrote "It may remind some of [[Sly Stone]] prior to [[There's a Riot Goin' On|There's a Riot Going On]] and other African-American artists of the 1970s in its [[tacit assumption]] that the world imagined by [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Dr. King]] is still possible, that the [[American Dream]] is a dream for all people."<ref>{{citation | author=Timothy E. Scheurer | title = Born in the USA: The Myth of America in Popular Music from Colonial Times to the Present | publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] | year = 2007 | page = 224 | isbn =978-1-934110-56-0}}</ref>

On ''Janet'', Jackson began focusing on sexual themes. Shayne Lee wrote that her music over the following decade "brand[ed] her as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s."<ref name="ER">{{citation|author=Shayne Lee|title=Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture|publisher=Government Institutes|year=2010|pages=12–16|isbn=978-0-7618-5228-5}}</ref> [[Lilly Goren|Lilly J. Goren]] observed, "Jackson's evolution from politically aware musician to sexy diva marked the direction that society and the music industry were encouraging the dance-rock divas to pursue."<ref name="Lilly" /> ''The Washington Post'' declared Jackson's public image over the course of her career had shifted "from innocence to experience, inspiring such carnal albums as 1993's 'Janet' and 1997's 'The Velvet Rope', the latter of which explored the bonds—figuratively and literally—of love and lust."<ref name="Klein">{{Citation | last= Klein| first=Joshua | title=Janet Jackson's Lighthearted Lament About Lost Love | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | page= C01 | date=April 25, 2001}}</ref>

The song "Free Xone" from ''The Velvet Rope'', which portrays [[same-sex relationship]]s in a positive light, is described by sociologist Shayne Lee as "a rare incident in which a popular black vocalist explores romantic or sensual energy outside the contours of [[heteronormativity]], making it a significant song in black sexual politics."<ref name="ER" /> During the promotion for ''Janet'', she stated "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process."<ref name="Sexual Healing" />

Upon the release of ''Damita Jo'', Jackson stated "Beginning with the earlier albums, exploring—and liberating—my sexuality has been an ongoing discovery and theme," adding "As an artist, that's not only my passion, it's my obligation."<ref name=upscale>{{cite book |first=David |last=Ritz |year=2004 |title=The Naked Truth |page=64| publisher = Upscale}}</ref> Stephen Thomas Erlewine has found Jackson's consistent inclusion of sex in her music lacking ingenuity, especially in comparisons to other artists such as Prince, stating "while sex indisputably fuels much great pop music, it isn't an inherently fascinating topic for pop music—as with anything, it all depends on the artist."<ref name="STE">{{Citation |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |title=''Damita Jo'' |publisher=AllMusic |year=2004 |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r680820 |access-date=February 8, 2009 |archive-date=March 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305130000/https://pixels.ad.gt/api/v1/getpixels?tagger_id=7628a6611852e35ce2be09b26135f8dc&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.allmusic.com%2Falbum%2Fdamita-jo-mw0000696985&code=%27none%27 |url-status=live }}</ref>