ppearing in "Fame," and by the time she was nineteen, had been through a divorce after a short-lived marriage to James DeBarge of another somewhat less famous singing family, the DeBarge Family. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Janet fired her father as her manager, for the first time taking total control of her own career. It should come as no surprise that the tittle of her next album was control. Clearly, it was Janet's announcement to the world that she was no longer just the littlest Jackson , but a strong woman with a mind, body and career of her own. Control won two American Music awards in 1987 . Newsweek magazine described it as "irresistible danceable alternative to the sentimental balladry and opulent arrangements of some of the then more famous female singer."Many pop stars, having found a formula that worked, would be content to make more of the same. But when Rhythm Nation 1814 hit charts in 1989, a different , more mature, more confident Janet Jackson announced herself. Having established her own artistic identity, Janet looked outside herself. Of course, there are still some very personal songs on this record, and very sexy ones such as "Black Cat," but more that that, the songs of Rhythm Nation 1814 reflect her long held concern for the state of society and the place of the individual in that society. Rhythm Nation 1814 won praise, not just because its a great record to listen to with hard-hitting dance tunes, heart felt lyrics and visually stunning videos, but because it is an uplifting collection of songs. unlike so many "issue oriented" albums, Rhythm Nation 1814 didn't just point out the problems, it struck a note of hope. Making such a difference album is a risk for any artist but this one paid off. Like Control, Rhythm Nation 1814 sold eight million copies, but more remarkably, the album set a new record by placing seven singles in the Billboard Top Five. Her Rhythm Nation tour a nine month marathon, playe...
