"Escapade" was the third single released from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the R&B chart, and #1 on the dance chart.
Janet launched her first ever concert tour in support of her 1989 Rhythm Nation 1814 album in Miami, Florida. The Rhythm Nation Tour continues the dark, metallic, black and white look presented in the album and some of its videos. Including the United States, the tour also visits Europe and Japan, ending on November 16, 1990 in Yokohama, Japan. The Rhythm Nation Tour becomes the highest grossing debut tour in music history.
"Alright" was the fourth single released from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on R&B, and #1 on the dance chart.
"Come Back To Me" was the fifth single released from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. The video features Janet's longtime friend and then-boyfriend Rene Elizondo, Jr. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart.
"Black Cat" was the sixth single released from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 on R&B, and #17 on the dance chart.
"Love Will Never Do (Without You)" was the seventh single released from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. After being buttoned up for years, its music video introduces the world for the first time a brand new sexual side of Janet. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on R&B, and #4 on the dance chart.
"State of the World" was the eighth and final single released from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. Released only in the U.S. as a promotional single with no video, it peaked at #9 on the dance chart.
After the terms of her first record contract with A&M Records ends, Janet leaves the record label and signs a new contract with Virgin Records. The contract, estimated to be worth $40 million, breaks records and makes her the highest paid music artist in history. Richard Branson, who at the time was the owner of Virgin, personally approached Janet and negotiated the contract with her.
Rene Elizondo, Jr., Janet's long-time friend, artistic collaborator and partner whom she met in 1984, exchanged marriage vows with Janet in a secret wedding at their Malibu home. While the public knew about their romantic relationship with each other, only a very small of family members and friends are informed that they had officially tied the knot. Trying to keep the terms of their relationship private, they hide the fact that they had married for the next nine years. It isn't until they announced their divorce in 2000 that the public even knew the two had married almost one decade prior.
Janet records a duet with Luther Vandross on the song "The Best Things in Life Are Free," which becomes the lead single released from the soundtrack for the film Mo' Money. It is also the first song Janet records that is released by her new record label, Virgin Records. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 R&B, and #3 on the dance chart.
Janet begins filming her first ever motion picture film Poetic Justice in Los Angeles, California. Written and directed by John Singleton, the movie is about a woman mourning the loss of her boyfriend and learning how to love again. It further helps bring Janet out of her shell and develop a new, sexier image. It is the source of inspiration for her next studio album, which she begins writing and recording during the production of the film.
"That's the Way Love Goes" was the lead single taken from Janet's forthcoming album, janet. Instead of releasing an energetic dance number as the first single as Virgin Records requested, Janet opted to release this mellow and laid back track. The single becomes Janet's most successful to date. It peaks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 where remained for eight consecutive weeks. It also was the first song in history to debut at #1 on the R&B chart and also peaked at #1 on the dance chart.
The 1993 release of Janet's fifth studio album janet. shocked Janet's fans as they saw the once buttoned-up tomboy morph into a grown, sexy woman. The album, again produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, becomes the fastest selling album by a female artist of all time, selling over 345,000 copies in its first week. It becomes the first album of the Nielsen SoundScan era to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart, and also reaches #1 in twenty-two different countries.
"If" was the second single released from the janet. album. The track is perhaps best known for the video's choreography, which Janet performs with dancer Omar Lopez. It peaks at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on R&B, and #1 on the dance chart.
Janet's first ever movie Poetic Justice showed success when it debuted at the box office at #1 with an opening week of $11.7 million. The movie, co-starring Tupac Shakur and featuring the poetry of Maya Angelou, shocks audiences as they hear Janet using profane language they had never heard the once shy Jackson use before. It goes on to gross $27.5 million in the U.S. Janet's song from the film, "Again," earns her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.
The ballad "Again" was the third single released from the janet. album. Although not on its soundtrack, the song is also used in the film Poetic Justice. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the R&B chart. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Song from a Motion Picture.
Janet launched her second world tour, the janet. Tour, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The all-white stage is modeled after famous architect Antoni Gaudi. After constant sellouts and success around the globe, the janet. Tour, originally intended to last only around six months to a year, stretches out over the next two years, performing 120 concerts and ending on April 22, 1995 in London.
"Because of Love" was the fourth single released from the janet. album. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on R&B, and #4 on the dance chart.
"Any Time, Any Place" was the fifth single released from the janet. album. Her most sexual single to date, it brings a final end to Janet's tomboy image. The single peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #1 on the R&B chart, where it stayed for ten weeks in a row, making it the longest number of weeks at #1 on the R&B charts of any song in history.
"Throb" was a single released from the janet. album only in the U.K. and the Netherlands. In the United States, it was used as a b-side to the "Any Time, Any Place" single along with the previously unreleased song "And On And On." The single receives little promotion and no music video. It peaks at #2 on the dance chart.
"You Want This" was a single released from the "janet." album. Rapper MC Lyte makes a special guest appearance for the version of this song used on the commercial single and in the video. It peaks at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on R&B, and #5 on the dance chart. In the United States, the song was the final single released from the janet. album.
"Whoops Now," a hidden song on Janet's 1993 janet. album, was released as a single in all of the countries internationally where Janet was performing on the janet. Tour at the time. It was not released as a single in the Untied States. It is released alongside another track from the same album, "What'll I Do." The songs were the last singles to be released from the janet. album.
"What'll I Do," from the 1993 janet. album, was released as a single in all of the countries internationally where Janet was performing on the janet. Tour at the time. It was not released as a single in the United States. It is released alongside another track from teh same album, "Whoops Now." The songs were the last singles to be released from the janet. album.
Almost two years after the janet. album was released in May 1993, Virgin Records released janet. Remixed, an album composed of remixes of songs from janet. and also several b-sides. The album was released internationally and was not given a commercial release in the United States. It was Janet's second remix album - Control The Remixes being her first.
"Scream" is Janet's duet recorded with her brother Michael Jackson and was the lead single from his album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1. The single reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on R&B, and #1 on the dance chart. It is the first ever single to debut in the top five on the Hot 100. Janet's record label Virgin Records had intended on releasing the song "Where are You Now" from her 1993 janet. album as a single around this same time period, however the release of the song "Scream" canceled those plans.
"Runaway" was the lead single released from Janet's upcoming greatest hits album Design of a Decade 1986/1996. Janet describes the song as a tribute to fans from across the world that she met while on her janet. Tour, which began in 1993 and ended earlier that year. The single reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on R&B, and #6 on the dance chart. It was the first single ever by a female artist to debut in the top ten on the Hot 100. It is one of only two new songs that appear on the greatest hits album.
Design of a Decade 1986/1996 is Janet's first ever greatest hits album. Released by her former label A&M Records, the collection is comprised of songs mainly from her 1986 album Control and 1989 album Rhythm Nation. It also includes two brand new songs, "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay." Because of legal issues, only one song from the 1993 Virgin Records album janet. is included. It was released with three separate covers; one in the U.S., one in Japan, and one for the remaining international markets. In the U.S., the album reaches #3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and #4 on the R&B chart.
When CEO and owner of Virgin Records Richard Branson sold his company in 1995, a clause in Janet's contract that was signed in 1992 released her from deal. Capitalizing on the loophole, Janet shopped around for a new contract and opted to sign again with Virgin. This second Virgin Records contract is estimated at $80 million and becomes a record for a female recording artist.
"Twenty Foreplay" is the second single released from Janet's Design of a Decade 1986/1996 greatest hits album. The song's music video is an homage to one of her favorite actresses, Dorothy Dandridge. "Twenty Foreplay" breaks all of the rules in the pop song handbook: it contains neither a chorus nor a bridge. Although released to radio in the U.S., it was not commercially released in that country, a trend that would continue for her next few releases.
"Got 'til it's Gone" was the lead single from Janet's forthcoming album The Velvet Rope. Janet creatively used a sample of Joni Mitchell's voice from the song "Big Yellow Taxi" on the track. The video for the song went on to win a Grammy for Best Sort Form Video. Although released to radio in the U.S., the single saw no commercial release in the country and was therefore ineligible to chart on the Hot 100 under Billboard's rules.
Years of depression and loneliness marked the theme for Janet's sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. Sporting curly red hair, new piercings, and showing more cleavage then ever, Janet continues to publicly explore her sexual side on her most personal album to date. It is her fourth studio album produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The Velvet Rope debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and #2 on the R&B albums chart.
"Together Again" was the second single from Janet's The Velvet Rope album. The song is a tribute to the friends that Janet has lost from AIDS. Released one day after World AIDS Day, a portion of the proceeds from the single are donated to the charity amfAR. The single reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on R&B, and #1 on the dance chart.
Janet launched her third world tour in support of 1997's The Velvet Rope in Rotterdam, Holland. The Velvet Rope Tour travels worldwide for ten months, climaxing in New York with her first ever HBO concert special. After performing 120 concerts, the tour ends on January 30, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
"I Get Lonely" was the third single released from The Velvet Rope. The track peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on R&B, and #1 on the dance chart.
"Go Deep" was the fourth single released from The Velvet Rope. Despite having no commercial single in the U.S. and thus not eligible to chart on the Hot 100 under Billboard's rules, it gains much airplay. The track peaks at #1 on the dance chart.
Janet joined reggae star Shaggy by singing the chorus on the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced song "Luv Me, Luv Me." The song was released on the soundtrack to the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The track peaks at #76 on the Hot 100 and #22 on the R&B chart.
As her Velvet Rope Tour continued through the United States, Janet released "You" as the fifth single from The Velvet Rope. The track had no U.S. commercial release.
HBO broadcasts Janet's Velvet Rope Tour live from New York City's Madison Square Garden. It is Janet's first concert to be aired on televised in the United States. It was later released onto VHS and DVD, making it Janet's first tour to be commercially released to home video.
"Every Time" was the sixth and final single to be released from The Velvet Rope. It receives no commercial release in the U.S., thus making it ineligible to chart on the Hot 100 under Billboard's rules. The accompanying video features Janet naked in a pool of water.
Janet and longtime partner Rene announce to the world that they have separated. The two had known each other since the early 80's. It wasn't revealed that the two had been secretly married since 1991 until a year later in March 2000 when they announce their divorce.
Helping launch a new promotional campaign for Pepsi, Janet records a song titled "Ask For More" and films an accompanying television commercial. The commercial was filmed while on the Velvet Rope Tour in Australia. The song and commercial were released internationally, except for in the United States. Consumers are able to receive a free CD of the song with the purchase of Pepsi products. Janet filmed two separate commercials under the promotional campaign; one alongside Latin superstar Ricky Martin and the other with Hong Kong music artist and actor Aaron Kwok.
Janet sings the chorus on the Busta Rhymes song "What's It Gonna Be?!," the lead single from his album E.L.E. It peaks at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on R&B. It also becomes Janet's first ever appearance on the rap chart where it reaches #1.
After recording "What's It Gonna Be?!" with Busta Rhymes, Janet quickly records another duet with BLACKstreet titled "Girlfriend/Boyfriend," the lead single from the group's album Finally. The track also features upcoming rappers Eve and Ja Rule. It peaks at #47 on the Hot 100 and #17 on the R&B chart.
At the request of Elton John, Janet records a duet with him titled "I Know The Truth." The song is released on the soundtrack for his Broadway musical Aida. The song was produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
It is announced that Janet has signed a deal to film the sequel to the Nutty Professor alongside comedian Eddie Murphy, who starred in the original. It will be her second acting appearance in a movie. Janet explains in interviews that it was her fondness for the original film and its humor that made her want to be in the sequel. Filming soon begins and the film is released on July 28, 2000.
