Calvin Michaels explains how Janet Jackson sold based off her name despite no support by the industry or her labels

[Spicechinodiva]

Between 1986-2001 Janet Jackson was an unstoppable force in the US, However, as Calvin Michaels explains it. Internationally beginning with The velvet rope and in the US, this was when road blocks and cracks started to happen..

 

Whether it was due to a lack of singles (velvet rope only had two major hits, the rest failed to chart in the US, and when Billboard lifted the rule on radio only singles it was way too late for an artist like Janet to gain momentum..

 

He also touches how Janet not postponing her European leg of the all for you tour to 2002 after 9/11 actually hurt her and definitely did significant damage to  the European music industry for her brand. 

 

The merger of Virgin and emi in late 2001 and they basically paying Mariah Carey to leave Virgin financially hurt Janet's label that they abandoned everything. 

 

While the super bowl hurt Janet's career in the US, he touches how in Europe, particularly Germany it was celebrated and used as a promotion tool to promote Damita Jo. 

 

But he also touches how Her competition Madonna, Mariah Carey and whitney Houston all had radio and strong industry support in both the US and internationally..

 

That before any of these artists sold albums and concerts based off their name and devoted fan bases alone, Jabet was the first one, and at 37 she was younger than both Madonna and Whitney Houston, and only a couple of years older than Mariah Carey. 

 

All 3 would have global comebacks. 

Madonna at 47 with hung up and the global best seller confessions on a dance floor, whitney Houston with I look to you and of course despite charmbracelet being another flop for Mariah Carey, the industry still believed in her, and the emancipation of mimi proved it.

 

Janet didn't have any of that. 

The only support she had was in the Urban based genres but that was only a few market shares, without the hot 100 and her support from her record label, Janet had to rely on her name to sell records and it backfired for her. 

 

It wasn't until 2015's Unbreakable and thanks to just touring off her extensive catalog, did Janet get her flowers and reminded the public, the Music she made shouldn't be erased the way it was..

 

It's actually pretty good and it goes in deep of explaining on the surface her first two albums might look like they flopped, but the industry at the time was very much segregated and it wasn't a flop due to industry politics at the time..

 

@Rik

@Prachi

@Jordan Miller

@Slayer

[FemmeFataleBrit]

I wouldn’t call Whitney’s I Look To You a comeback. 
 

Madonna went from 10 million to 5 million to 11 million. 
 

Mariah went from 2 million to 3 million to 11 million

Whitney went from 10 million to 2 million to 2 million. 

[rik]

6 hours ago, Spicechinodiva said:

While the super bowl hurt Janet's career in the US, he touches how in Europe, particularly Germany it was celebrated and used as a promotion tool to promote Damita Jo

This is so interesting actually, I did not know this 

[S0ggyBiscuit]

I watch him often n love his documentary takes. 

[rosenotes]

i wonder if the jackson name hurt her career bc of the allegations of michael throughout the years.

regardless she’s a queen and deserves way more than what has been handed to her.