Janet Jackson has recalled how she “doesn’t remember being asked” if she wanted to be a child star.
The singer, songwriter and performer opened up about the early days of her music career during a recent interview with BBC. In the discussion, she recalled what it was like growing up with famous siblings, and how she felt a sense of pressure to also go into the music industry.
She explained that the decision was first initiated after her family came across a song that she wrote at nine years old, and her father, Joe Jackson, urged her to pursue it as a career.
“I laid down the drum track, I did the background vocals, I sang and I played everything on it,” she said, explaining how she left the tape on the system and went to school not expecting to do anything with it, until she heard her family playing it in the car the next day.
“I was so embarrassed. The studio door was open and Mike [brother, Michael Jackson] was listening to it, Randy was listening to it, my father was listening… Then my father said, ‘You’re gonna sing’.
“I said, ‘No, no, no, I want to go to college and study business law’,” she added, before adding that “it was kind of hard [to argue] because look at where he led my brothers, so I said, ‘OK, I’ll give it a go.'”
“I don’t ever remember being asked,” she said. “I just remember doing it.”
At the time, Janet’s brothers were already experiencing worldwide fame for their music careers, and had just returned from a 10-month tour across the globe. Since starting her own career, she has gone on to sell over 100million records and became the first woman to be nominated for best producer at the Grammys.
Later in the conversation, she looked back at her huge ‘Control’ album, and explained that she thinks part of its success came from her rejecting her father’s preferred producers, and instead hiring Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
This, she explained, helped her explore a new part of her personality, and put forward a more confident and commanding front than ever before.
In other Janet Jackson news, last month the singer announced a second London date with Wyclef Jean on her upcoming 2024 tour. The music legend is bringing her ‘Together Again’ tour to 10 cities later this year, kicking off in Paris at the Accor Arena on September 25.
From there, she’ll continue on to stops in Birmingham, London, Glasgow and Manchester, before heading back to mainland Europe and concluding at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on October 10. The new London date will take place on September 29, the day after the original London show.
The singer’s UK and European leg of her ‘Together Again’ tour will mark her first UK performance since Glastonbury 2019. The shows will follow the US trek, where Nelly opened as support across June and July.
The tour will offer fans the chance to watch Jackson celebrate her 50th anniversary in entertainment while spotlighting 35 years of her 1989 album ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’. Visit here to buy tickets.
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