For whatever odd reason, the music of the Jackson family, whether solo or in their incarnation as the Jackson 5 or the Jacksons, has never caught my fancy. They're certainly an incredibly talented bunch, but my favorites playlist includes exactly two songs by a member of the Jackson family. Both of them are by the family's youngest, Janet, and one of the two is this week's featured tune.
Like numerous other artists featured here on Friday Night Jukebox, Janet Jackson's accomplishments are a bit long and varied for a one paragraph synopsis so I'll just hit a few highlights (truth be told, her Wikipedia entry is novelesque and I just skimmed most of it). Ms. Jackson actually got her start in television with her guest starring on the family variety show, followed by stints on Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. In 1982 she began her recording career, and while her first two albums had little success, her third drove her into the sales stratosphere. Jackson went on to be the second best selling artist of the nineties (Mariah Carey was first), and has sold over 100 million albums in her career (ninth best selling artist of the rock and roll era). She has won five Grammy Awards (her list of overall awards is mind boggling). For her career, she has released eleven studio albums (with seven of them hitting #1), and a whopping 78 singles with ten of them reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Jackson was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, and has had nine world tours.
Fun Fact: Ms. Jackson holds the record for most consecutive top ten hit singles by a female artist with 18 straight from 1989 to 1998. Not a bad run....
"Again" was the third single from Jackson's album Janet (also known by janet.). The song was originally the closing song of the movie Poetic Justice (though not included on the soundtrack). Both the single and the album reached #1; additionally the song was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
For the second straight week, we have a song that's a top forty wonder, though this week's is a ballad rather than a pop ditty. Jackson tells the story of running into a former lover and realizing she's still in love with him, but not knowing if she can take the pain if he leaves her, well...again. The melody is syrupy sweet throughout, aided by some lightly tickled ivories and a string section that gives the song its overarching glow. In the end, though, this is Jackson's showcase and she sings it with all heartfelt hope and painstaking fear that she can muster. Yes, it's a bit on the sappy side, but it's another nice musical reminder that love can both make us and break us...but we keep looking for it regardless.
Lyric Sheet: "I've come too close to happiness/To have it swept away/Don't think I can take the pain/No never fall again..."
Enjoy:
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Peace,
emaycee
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