The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.
In 1991, Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest-paid artists in the industry. Prior to her first studio project with Virgin, she appeared in her first of several lead film roles in Poetic Justice (1993). Her two studio albums which followed, Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997), saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol. These records, along with their promotional music videos and live performances in concert tours, branded Jackson as one of the world's most erotic performers, garnering both criticism and praise. By the end of the 1990s, she was named by Billboard magazine as the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey. The release of her seventh studio album All for You in 2001 coincided with a celebration of her impact on the recording industry as the subject of the inaugural MTV Icon special.
The backlash from the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy resulted in an industry blacklisting under the direction of Les Moonves, then-CEO of CBS Corporation. Jackson subsequently experienced reduced radio airplay, televised promotion and sales figures from that point forward. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth studio album Discipline (2008), her first and only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation and released her eleventh studio album Unbreakable the same year. Since then she has continued to release music as an independent artist.
Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again", and "All for You"; she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with 18. She is also the only artist in the history of the chart to have seven commercial singles from one album (Rhythm Nation 1814) peak within the top five positions. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist after Madonna. One of the world's most awarded artists, her accolades include five Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, eleven American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and eight Guinness World Records entries. In 2019, she was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jackson has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers and credited with elevating a standard of sound, showmanship and sex appeal expected of pop stars.
What
Janet Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slow it down
I can see you new in town
Cause I'd never
Forget you face
That smile you wear
Is amazing
Just wanna know
I could roll
Wit you baby
Make some room
In your life
I don't wanna take up time
So baby what's your name
What's your name babe
Do you live around here
Cause I ain't never seen you before
But I wanna see you some more
What's you name babe
Put it right in my Sidekick
And I'll hit you back
Soon as I get home
I'll put you in
My favorites
The swag you got
Left a print
In my mind
As time goes by
All I can think of is you
Why you gotta be so fly
Wish I could see you again
Got me walkin' round
Lookin' for you
I'm trippin'
Damn what you do to me
Can't believe how you got me and
I don't even know your name
What's your name babe
Do you live around here
Cause I ain't never seen you before
But I wanna see you some more
What's you name babe
Put it right in my Sidekick
And I'll hit you back
Soon as I get home
Your not some random guy
I can't let this moment pass me by
I gotta do what I gotta do
Take advantage
Make the first move
Cause I don't wanna have to regret it
I just wanna know your name
What's your name babe
Do you live around here
Cause I ain't never seen you before
But I wanna see you some more
What's you name babe
Put it right in my Sidekick
And I'll hit you back
Soon as I get home
What's your name babe
Do you live around here
Cause I ain't never seen you before
But I wanna see you some more
What's you name babe
Put it right in my Sidekick
And I'll hit you back
Soon as I get home
Yeah... yeah... yeah...
Hmm, baby...
In Janet Jackson's song "What's Ur Name," the lyrics are about a person who has just seen someone new in town and is immediately attracted to them. The singer is impressed with their smile and wants to know more about them. The person singing is hesitant to take up too much of their time and asks for their name, hinting at using a sidekick to communicate with them later. The person singing is enamored with this new person and can't stop thinking about them. However, they are also afraid to let this moment pass and not take action, hence the urgency to know their name.
The song portrays the feeling of infatuation, the fear of rejection and the desire to take a chance for something new. The use of technology in the sidekick shows the advancements in communication at the time the song was written, adding a layer of modernity to the lyrics. Overall, the song celebrates the excitement of meeting someone new and the potential for something romantic to develop between them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold up
Wait a moment
Slow it down
Take it easy, let's not rush
I can see you new in town
You're new here
Cause I'd never
Because I have not
Forget you face
Forgotten your face
That smile you wear
The smile you have
Is amazing
Is impressive
Just wanna know
I'm simply curious
Where you headed
Where are you going
I could roll
I could come with you
Wit you baby
With you, my dear
Make some room
Make space for me
In your life
In your life
I don't wanna take up time
I don't want to waste your time
So baby what's your name
So could you tell me your name
What's you name babe
Can you tell me your name
Put it right in my Sidekick
Enter your name in my phone
And I'll hit you back
And I'll call you later
Soon as I get home
As soon as I get home
I'll put you in
I will add you to
My favorites
My favorite contacts
The swag you got
The style you have
Left a print
Made an impression
In my mind
In my memory
As time goes by
As time passes
All I can think of is you
You are all I can think about
Why you gotta be so fly
Why do you have to be so attractive
Wish I could see you again
I want to see you again
Got me walkin' round
You make me walk around
Lookin' for you
Looking for you
I'm trippin'
I am infatuated
Damn what you do to me
You have an effect on me
Can't believe how you got me and
I can't believe how you have me
I don't even know your name
But I don't know your name yet
Your not some random guy
You are not an unfamiliar person
I can't let this moment pass me by
I don't want to miss this opportunity
I gotta do what I gotta do
I have to take a chance
Take advantage
Seize the moment
Make the first move
Be the first to act
Cause I don't wanna have to regret it
Because I don't want to have any regrets
What's your name babe
Can you tell me your name
Yeah... yeah... yeah...
Yes, absolutely
Hmm, baby...
Hmm, my dear.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERMAINE DUPRI, CRYSTAL JOHNSON, MANUEL SEAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dmarjonsey947
The shoulder action was everything!
@mantika4892
And shoulder pads was everywhere.
@fredrichoshunrinde873
EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!
@DDominoGeronimo
That's where titi aka blameitonkway got his thot bop from.
@popboy0
I'd call it The Shoulder Attitude.
@raishriebinda4443
Hell ya 😍💃🕺
@draperlamarcakes
This song has not and will not go out of style. Simply sensational.
@Aberration79
100%… I am an underground DJ, I dropped this in set to close down and it went off… it’s such a funky, ahead of its time sound… those synths are exceptional
@eeemilu
The song itself, hell no. The hairstyles though… 😂
@pattifanalwayz7388
@@Aberration79 Jimmy , Janet and Terry