Control is the third album from Janet Jackson. The album featured production by successful producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as well as Jackson herself. The subject matter dealt with Jackson's independence, emergence from the Jackson family, and recent annulment from James DeBarge.

Jackson's first two albums, Janet Jackson & Dream Street, were commercial failures, more due to the fact that she did not put as much effort in those two than she would with her future albums. Early in her career, her father had controlled her every move, like he did with the rest of his children. A year before this album was released, Jackson had fired her father as manager, which was not an easy move. Despite, the personal feelings Jackson had to move on, take control, and become a woman, which was the theme of the album. The album marked the first time she worked with Jam & Lewis.

The album became her breakthrough album, becoming a commercially successful hit. It went 6x Platinum and spawned six hit singles: "What Have You Done For Me Lately" (#4 Pop, #1 R&B), "Nasty" (#3 Pop, #1 R&B), "When I Think Of You" (#1 Pop, #3 R&B), "Control" (#5 Pop, #1 R&B), "Let's Wait Awhile" (#2 Pop, #1 R&B), and "The Pleasure Principle" (#14 Pop, #1 R&B). The singles got extensive airplay on radio and TV stations like MTV, BET and VH1 in addition to dance clubs around the world.

Track listing

1. "Control" (James Harris, Janet Jackson, Terry Lewis) – 5:53
2. "Nasty" (Harris, Jackson, Lewis) – 4:03
3. "What Have You Done For Me Lately" (Harris, Jackson, Lewis) – 4:59
4. "You Can Be Mine" – 5:16
5. "The Pleasure Principle" (Monte Moir) – 4:58
6. "When I Think of You" (Harris, Lewis) – 3:56
7. "He Doesn't Know I'm Alive" – 3:30
8. "Let's Wait Awhile" (Melanie Andrews, Harris, Jackson, Lewis) – 4:37
9. "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" – 4:28

Personnel

• Janet Jackson (lead and background vocals, lyrics, co-producer, rhythm and vocal arrangements, digital keyboards, synthesizers, synthesized & digital bells, digital piano)
• James "Jimmy Jam" Harris (producer, songwriter, rhythm and vocal arrangements, drum & synthesizer programming, digital sampling, digital keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, vocals, background vocals, assistant engineer, acoustic piano)
• Terry Lewis (producer, songwriter, rhythm and vocal arrangements, recording engineer, vocals, background vocals, drum programming, bass, percussion)
• Melanie Andrews (background vocals)
• Troy Anthony (saxophone)
• Lyle Baker (project coordinator)
• Chuck Beeson (art direction)
• Jerome Benton (vocals)
• Spencer Bernard (co-producer, rhythm arrangement, vocal arrangement, guitar, synthesizer)
• Geoff Bouchieiz (guitars)
• Mark Cardenas (synthesizers)
• Roger Dumas (drum programming)
• Steve Hodge (recording engineer, mixing)
• Jellybean Johnson (co-producer, rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements, vocals, guitar solo)
• Lisa Keith (vocal arrangement, background vocals)
• Monte Moir (producer, rhythm arranger, drum programming, guitar, synthesizer progrmming, synthesizers, assistant engineer)
• Melanie Nissen (art direction)
• O'Nicholas Raths (6 & 12 string acoustic guitar)
• David Rivkin (recording engineer)
• Gwendolyn Traylor (background vocals)
• Tony Viramontes (photography)
• Hami Wave (background vocals)
• Steve Wiese (recording engineer)

Singles released

• What Have You Done For Me Lately (11 February 1986)
• Nasty (6 May 1986)
• When I Think Of You (29 July 1986)
• Control (21 October 1986)
• Let's Wait Awhile (6 January 1987)
• The Pleasure Principle (12 May 1987)
• Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun) (1987)

External links

• Control Lyrics

Janet Jackson albums | 1986 albums