Take Two #1: Janet Jackson’s “Control” (1986)

Episode notes

This week, we are kicking off Take Two, a new miniseries where we look at two seminal albums of one artist. First up, we’re discussing Janet Jackson’s third studio album “Control” We talk about Janet’s changing image at the time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ production techniques that helped usher in New Jack Swing, and this album’s influence on artists like Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift.

More on Janet Jackson and Control

• Music video for Control
• Janet on Jimmy Fallon discussing Nasty
• Sorry, Ms. Jackson: You’re Underrated. ‘Control’ at 30

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Control unless otherwise indicated):

• He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive
• Control
• Janet Jackson: If It Takes All Night
• Control
• You Can Be Mine
• Control
• Nasty
• Paula Abdul: Opposites Attract
• The Pleasure Principle
• When I Think of You
• Nasty
• When I Think of You
• Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)
• Control
• Let’s Wait Awhile
• Madonna: Like A Virgin
• Cherrelle: Saturday Love

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
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