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'll I Do
Janet Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey, who'll take care of me now?
If you leave, I can't make it
Darlin', please don't you put me down
'Cause what'll I do for satisfaction
If you take away your heart
'Cause what'll I do for satisfaction
What'll I do?
I can't take no more of missin' you
I don't know just what I'm gonna do
How can I love another
You don't know just what you mean to me
'Cause what'll I do for satisfaction
If you take away, away your heart?
What'll I do for satisfaction
When my nights start to getting long? Oh, no, no
Boy, I love you
Want to hold you
Love, hey, hey, hey, yeah
Woo
Your love's strong and that's no lie
And I hate, I hate to put it down
But if you, if you leave me now
You won't want, want me hangin' around
'Cause what'll I do for satisfaction
If you take away, away your heart?
What'll I do for satisfaction
When that funny, funny feeling's gone?
Oh, I need you now, woo
What'll I do, baby?
What'll I do, baby?
What'll I do, baby?
What'll I do, baby?
What'll I do, babe?
Said, a-na-na-na, hey, uh
Hey, hey, hey
That's what I say
Hey, hey, hey
That's what I say
If you don't love me
What'll I do, babe?
If you don't love me
What'll I do, baby?
I said, a-na-na-na
I said, a-na-na-na, woo
I said, a-na-na-na
I said, a-na-na-na
The song "What'll I Do" by Janet Jackson is a plea for her lover not to leave her because she doesn't know what she'll do without him. She wonders what she'll do for satisfaction and who'll take care of her when he's gone. Jackson sings that she can't make it without him and begs him not to put her down. She is deeply in love with him and doesn't know what she'll do without him. She can't imagine loving anyone else because she loves him so much. The song is a perfect example of the pain that comes with the end of a relationship.
The lyrics suggest a sense of uncertainty and desperation, which are amplified by Jackson's emotional delivery. The repetition of the phrase "what'll I do" emphasizes Jackson's feelings of helplessness and insecurity. She is consumed by the thought of being without her lover and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep him by her side. The song is a powerful representation of the importance of love and how it can impact one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
What'll I do for satisfaction?
What will bring me pleasure or contentment now?
Honey, who'll take care of me now?
Who will provide for me and care for me the way you did?
If you leave, I can't make it
I won't be able to survive without you if you go
Darlin', please don't you put me down
Please don't hurt me or make me feel worthless
'Cause what'll I do for satisfaction if you take away your heart
I won't be able to feel fulfilled if you take away your love from me
'Cause what'll I do for satisfaction when that funny, funny feeling's gone
I won't know how to feel happy when the joy in my life disappears
I can't take no more of missin' you
I can't bear to feel the pain of missing you anymore
I don't know just what I'm gonna do
I am uncertain about how to move forward without you
How can I love another
I can't imagine loving anyone else besides you
You don't know just what you mean to me
You don't realize how much I value you and your love
When my nights start to getting long? Oh, no, no
When the nights feel lonely and endless without you
Boy, I love you
I deeply care for you
Want to hold you
I desire to be close to you physically
Your love's strong and that's no lie
Your love is genuine and powerful
But if you, if you leave me now
However, if you decide to go away from me
You won't want, want me hangin' around
You won't want me to stay near you anymore
Oh, I need you now, woo
I still need you and your love more than ever
What'll I do, baby?
What am I supposed to do without you, my love?
Said, a-na-na-na, hey, uh
A nonsensical phrase to convey emotion
Hey, hey, hey, that's what I say
Repeating a phrase to express enthusiasm or agreement
If you don't love me, what'll I do, babe?
I won't know how to proceed if you stop loving me
I said, a-na-na-na, woo
An excited and expressive phrase
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc., JANET JACKSON DBA BLACK ICE, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stephen Lee Cropper, Joe Shamwell, Janet Jackson, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@janetjackson9049
Hello thanks for your constant support ,your likes and comment has brought me this far so as to show my gratitude 🙏
Thanks and keep supporting
You can Send me a DM on W•H•A•T•S°A°P°P
+1929 242 9650
❣😍🥰🥰
@Willowpeytonx
The Janet tour looked amazing. The introduction of her metamorphosis, her sexy side, her long curly hair being flipped and whipped, and all the incredible new energetic songs from the Janet album, new dance moves, as well as all the previous hits from her last era
@JUST1CE22
Will Murphy Yes you nailed it, my favorite era
@potatobanana9358
i wish i had hair like her 😭
@RockinDaBoombox
It was her Virgin Tour era. Madonna reference. Janet was at her sexiest. I can’t believe we still don’t have this tour on DVD.
@yckfides5613
For those wondering why the Janet. Tour hasn't been released in any home video format:
Back in the early 90s, Pioneer was pushing really hard to make the Laserdisc a profitable format; to accomplish this, they got ahold of the distribution rights of many music tours (The Blond Ambition and Janet. being two of the most popular ones) to release them exclusively.
While some of them were indeed released, a big portion of the tours never saw the light of the day (Janet. Tour being one of them). To this very day, the Pioneer contracts are still active, meaning they still have the distribution rights on home video; meaning no other company is able to release them unless a negotation happens or the artists/record labels attempt to buy the rights back from them.
@khuziwesithole6719
I really wish she did more rock like this, the energy is so amazing I loved this!!
@groove.mp4
she has plenty of rock tracks but i wish she’d do a whole album of them
@khuziwesithole6719
@@groove.mp4 I only know of this one and Black Cat. Which other tracks does she have?
@groove.mp4
@@khuziwesithole6719 trust a try, what about (nu metal), just a little while (pop rock), you (trip hop)
then there’s other songs like rhythm nation and “if” that have rock elements. and also, i kinda see “this time” as an opera/rock track.
and if you like what’ll i do, search up the dave navarro mix of it from the janet.remixed album. its hard rock. it’s on australian DSPs only, so you might need to search it on youtube.
@piotrkucharski7797
I don't know why it wasn't more successful but I think it's one of the best songs from "Janet" album