“No, my first name ain’t baby; it’s Janet. Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.” With her third solo album, Janet Jackson declared fierce independence from her famous brothers and launched true control of her own career and musical identity. The 1986 album began a potent partnership with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (both of The Time, and Prince associates) that embraced the Minneapolis sound at a time when it ruled the pop airwaves, fusing R&B, disco, funk, hip-hop and electro-pop. Control delivered five Top 5 singles, including the starry-eyed romance of chart-topper “When I Think of You.” The album is remembered for liberating and sinewy #4 single “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” tough-talking and self-respecting #3 single “Nasty” with its James Brown-styled breaks, and the empowering title cut. The sweetly chaste ballad “Let’s Wait a While,” co-written with Jackson’s best friend and background vocalist Melanie Andrews, peaked at #2. “I promise, I’ll be worth the wait,” whispers Jackson in conclusion. This is Control’s first LP reissue since the album’s initial release, with sparkling, full-bodied sound on audiophile-grade vinyl.
