Rhythm Nation

About

If 1986’s <i>Control</i> established Janet Jackson as a force in R&B, <i>Rhythm Nation 1814</i>, arriving three years later, was her soul manifesto; she used proud politic, stark iconography, and heavy-hitting beats to craft a State of the Union address that demanded to be danced alongside. Working once again with the Minneapolis production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewi, whose work on <i>Control</i> had kickstarted their takeover of late-'80s R&B-leaning pop, Jackson channeled her calls for respect into calls for unity—both lyrically and through her relentless genre-melding. The results include cracking rock songs like the sinewy "Black Cat" as well as funk workouts like the jubilant wedding-song-ready "Alright." Filled with aural collages and spoken-word interludes tackling the cultural ills that plagued the chaotic late '80s (and still reverberate decades later), <i>Rhythm Nation 1814</i> flows like a long night at the club—complete with reminders of why finding transcendence on the dance floor is a necessary act. "State of the World" has a propulsive beat and slinky bassline that make its stories about people on the edge and its visions of a better world ("Can't give up hope now/Let's weather the storm together," she declares after verses about homeless kids and teen moms) hit even harder. "The Knowledge" takes a defiant stand against various strands of ignorance while synths careen around Jackson and her army—a phalanx that she envisioned in the stark black-and-white clips for "Rhythm Nation" and "Miss You Much," which featured her leading precision-grade dance troupes outfitted in decorated top. .

via Apple Music

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