In this series of videos, we go deep into the years of private
politics between Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.
But before we begin,
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Make sure to check out the previous parts to this series as we chronicle Janet's
determined rise to superstardom as another member of the Jackson family.
1993 marked a new era for the artist, when
Janet Jackson released her fifth record, simply titled 'Janet'.
A title symbolically releasing herself
from the Jackson name and suggesting that she was now such a huge star,
all one needed to do was to utter her first name to identify her.
Ushering in a more low key superstardom befitting of the 1990s,
Janet Jackson didn't launch the album with a predictable
flashy new video and choreographed dance routine. But with a more mellow track,
'That's The Way Love Goes'. With an equally sensual, unassuming video to match.
Then cementing her now fully developed stage presence
and elaborate performance style in the video for the boldly provocative track, If.
As her first musical effort under her
record breaking contract with Virgin, the artist exuded a quiet confidence as
she proclaimed her full blown womanhood. Sizzling with sex and desire,
the album marked a new direction for Janet. Incorporating rubbery hip hop,
luscious ballads and house rhythms. Rejoicing over her awakened spirituality,
and strengthened identity as an African-American woman.
When previously she was crippled
by insecurities over her weight and looks, Janet appeared liberated on the cover
of Rolling Stone. As if taking on Whitney Houston and Madonna
for the right to be crowned the glamor queen of pop music.
With such a buzz around Janet's new look
and sound, many began to question Michael Jackson's ubiquitous reign as
the King of Pop and asked whether it was time for another Jackson to make a claim
for his throne. Especially when, in seven months she sold
what it took her brother two years to sell in records with their latest outputs.
Quote, I think this is going to be the biggest
record of her career, said Kevin Johnson, RnB writer for Impact magazine.
Quote, I think the album is going to outsell Michael's 'Dangerous,
at least in the US, remarked Gordon Chambers at Essence magazine.
Quote, To me, she's the normal Jackson.
She got past the family curse.
It's a fabulous album.
She's right on musically and looks
fabulous, said Greg Sando of Entertainment Weekly.
Although comparisons had been
and continued to be made between Janet and Michael, there were also crucial
differences between the two that had been instrumental in Janet's burgeoning star
power at this point. Where Michael was a loner,
Janet enjoyed being around people.
Janet embraced her racial identity and the black experience, when Michael's
lightened appearance always put that into question.
Janet spoke freely about relationships
and her sexuality, when Michael remained fiercely private.
She was less obsessed with maintaining a veil of mystery. Mystery that allowed
dangerously misguided rumors and assumptions to swirl around the orbit
of Michael's celebrity. Where a crash of cataclysmic portions was inevitable.
On August 24th, 1993, police investigations into Michael Jackson
involving claims of child abuse were made public.
The legal back and forth taking place
while Michael was in Bangkok on the Dangerous World tour.
Michael's fellow superstar sister
immediately reached out in a telephone conversation.
Janet even offered to postpone her upcoming world tour and join him
to support his fight against the allegations.
Quote, He's really hurt.
He's so hurt by it.
He loves children and he would never do anything like that, ever.
Truly awful that someone would try to get 20 million dollars out of you
and this is their way of doing it,
by saying that you did something to their child, said Janet in a press interview.
Over the following months, the legal and criminal case against
Michael ensued just as Janet began a grueling world tour.
Unlike Michael, who eventually canceled
the rest of his concerts due to his mounting legal and health issues.
Janet Jackson spent the next 18 months performing to thousands night after
night as tabloid headlines were filled with every twist and turn of her brother's
very painful public dethroning. In order to stay focused,
Janet declined to partake in interviews of any kind.
It was noted that Janet's performances
while on tour were perfect in execution but lacked any personal ad libs.
Rolling Stone's Greg Kot, upon reviewing her show, noted, quote,
If her performance can be faulted for being too well rehearsed and too
tautly paced, this was certainly an example.
At times, it seemed like the audience was
eavesdropping on a shoot for a long form video rather than being engaged
by a performer. Suggesting that Janet was determined
to get through the tour to the best of her capabilities, but wasn't always fully
present in her performance due to the personal stress she was under.
As she later recounted the words of her
father, quote, Whatever that is going on in your personal
life, you don't let them see that people have paid their hard earned money
to see you, to see you perform, and you give them that.
However, during one performance, Janet Jackson asked the audience to pray
for her brother Michael as part of her routine.
And cracks started to show as Janet
canceled several dates due to, quote, illness. Cancelations
coincidentally occurring on the same dates as sister Latoya Jackson's press
conference, where she implied that she believed the accusations,
as well as Michael's return from his self-imposed European exile
and the announcement of his civil suit settlement.
As the dust began to settle
and Michael Jackson could start to piece together the fragments of his career,
soon came ambitious plans for his musical comeback to pop prominence.
Janet wanted to help Michael in any way
she could, and finally agreed to unite in a superstar collaboration.
When Janet asked Michael what kind of duet he was thinking of,
she recounted him saying, quote, you know with all these things that have gone
on in my life, I need to just release some anger.
And Janet would act as sisterly support in the endeavor.
Both Janet and Michael worked with Janet's producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
in studios situated in New York City, as well as Minneapolis.
When asked about the siblings process, Jimmy Jam said, quote,
Their approach to working is so different, Janet works very simply very quickly.
Michael is a little more methodical.
He's a perfectionist and tends to cut
a million songs, then pick the best of what he has.
The sessions resulted in the creation of 'Scream', a boldly aggressive protest
against the perpetuation of lies and the ruthless tabloid press.
When it was decided that the track would become the lead single for his much
anticipated history album and the centerpiece of Michael Jackson's
comeback, a music video befitting of the size and scale of the two superstars
and its mission was put into development.
While he was frantically trying to finish the album,
Michael put Janet in charge of the music video, even though she was still on tour.
Since Janet has expressed a huge amount of stress and effort it took to bring
together the shoot in such a short period of time. To select a director
and collaborate on the ambitious video concept. Directed by Mark Romanek, with 13
epic sets by Foden, and choreography by both Michael and Janet's choreographers.
The production became larger and more complicated as Michael became increasingly
unsure of the video's concept and overall direction.
Riddled with doubt and with so much riding on this single and its video,
Michael Jackson agreed to additional last minute changes and expensive reshoots,
taking the original shoot from three days to a week and increasing the budget,
becoming the most expensive music video of all time.
The 'Scream' music video premiered on June 12th, 1995,
and became one of Michael Jackson's most critically acclaimed.
James Hunter of Rolling Stone, called it a contemporary video quote
in which Michael and his sister Janet jump around like 90s fashion kids trapped
in a spaceship stolen from a Barbarella film set.
Jim Farber called it a, quote, super cool black and white clip.
The clip's great allure is that neither the siblings look quite real.
He was of the opinion that while
Michael Jackson outshines his sister in the vocals,
it is Janet Jackson who gives the better performance in the music video.
Standing together as a united front,
the single became an instant international
hit and gained 11 MTV Video Music Award nominations. More than any other music
video, and won best dance video, best choreography and best art direction.
Reacting to this, Michael stated that he was very honored. Explaining that he worked
very hard and he was very happy with the reception up to that point.
It was also given a Billboard Music Award for best Pop/Rock video, and a year later
won a Grammy for best music video short form.
Despite the single's commercial
and critical success, after the immediate period triggered a deep depression
for Janet, which was later explored in her 1997 album, 'The Velvet Rope'.
Although the artist never shared publicly
what may have contributed to the episode, during interviews, she spoke openly about
dealing with traumas that took place in her childhood and even got a tattoo
that symbolized the need to deal with the past in order to move forward.
What was also significant is that during this period, Michael and Janet had lost
all contact with each other for almost two years, starting from December 1995.
In an Oprah interview from the fall
of 1997, Janet proclaimed that there wasn't any kind of feud,
but she wasn't able to fully explain why the prolonged absence.
Despite Michael getting divorced, then remarried and having his first child
during this period. Causing speculation that Janet was
choosing to distance herself emotionally and publicly from the media circus
that surrounded Michael's increasingly erratic personal life and celebrity.
In all interviews during this period,
Janet Jackson refused to answer questions directed at her about Michael.
Quote,
I've decided with this project I'm not going to talk about my brother anymore.
That's just something I'm doing for myself.
Suggesting that after such an intense period of scandalous attacks,
media speculation and retaliations in defense of her brother, Janet
decided to no longer remain so emotionally involved and entangled with the convoluted
stardom her brother had previously courted, and was now the prolonged victim of.
Quote, he's brought some upon himself too,
in all honesty, I love my brother and I think he's wonderful.
He's been in this business since he was a kid, and it's real difficult
sometimes. Nobody stays on top.
Thanks for watching, click
subscribe and watch out for the next part when we investigate the public onslaught
the Jackson family experienced during
Michael's 2003 to 2005 criminal trial. As well as Janet's controversy as a result
of her wardrobe malfunction during 2004's Super Bowl halftime show.
We'll see you next time.