Rhythm Nation 1814

***Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814*** (popularized as ***Rhythm Nation***) is the fourth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson, released on September 11, 1989, by A&M Records. Although label executives wanted material similar to her previous album, *Control* (1986), Jackson insisted on creating a concept album addressing social issues. Collaborating with songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, she drew inspiration from various tragedies reported through news media, exploring racism, poverty, and substance abuse, in addition to themes of romance. Although its primary concept of a sociopolitical utopia was met with mixed reactions, its composition received critical acclaim. Jackson came to be considered a role model for youth because of her socially conscious lyrics.

s with *Control*, recording for *Rhythm Nation 1814* took place at Lewis and Jam's Flyte Tyme Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota where they worked in seclusion with Jackson to complete the album. Noted for its use of sampling and utilizing heavily swung synthesized percussion throughout its production, the record encompasses a variety of musical styles, such as new jack swing, hard rock, pop, dance and industrial music. Songs range from mechanized dance rhythms to soft balladry, giving it appeal across multiple radio formats. It is the only album in the history of the US *Billboard* Hot 100 singles chart to have eight commercial singles peak within the top five positions. It is also the first album to produce number one hits on the chart in three separate calendar years, beginning with "Rhythm Nation" in 1989, "Miss You Much" in 1990, and culminating with "Alright" and "State of the World" in 1991.

*Rhythm Nation 1814* became Jackson's second consecutive album to top the *Billboard* 200 and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It became the best-selling album of 1990 in the United States and has sold an estimated 21 million copies worldwide. Due to its innovative production and lyrical exploration, critics have come to regard it as the pinnacle of Jackson's artistic achievement. Music scholars note the record garnered her a level of cross-cultural appeal unmatched by industry peers. Considered a "landmark" album, it has also been cited as an influence in the works of numerous music artists, setting stylistic trends in the years following its release.

isuals in music videos and live performances further elevated Jackson's superstardom. The 30-minute *Rhythm Nation 1814* film, a film depicting two aspiring musicians whose lives are disrupted by substance abuse, aired on MTV to promote the album. Jackson's Rhythm Nation World Tour became the most successful debut concert tour by a recording artist at the time. She was regarded as a fashion icon, with various attire from the album's promotional tour and music videos being emulated by youth.

## Background

Following the critical and commercial breakthrough of her third studio album *Control* (1986), Jackson was motivated to take a larger role in her album's creative process. According to *Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits* (2002), A&M Records requested she record an album similar to *Control*. It was rumored that label executives suggested a concept album titled *Scandal*, which would have centered on her personal and family life. However, Jam later denied the claim that *Scandal* was ever suggested, although he confirmed there was encouragement to produce a "*Control II*". Jackson opposed the idea of a direct sequel to *Control*, stating "that's what I didn't want to do. I wanted to do something that I really believed in and that I really felt strong about." She was initially criticized for choosing to dedicate the album's theme to social consciousness, but remained committed. Jam stated that her inspiration came primarily from watching CNN and other news sources. In particular, her reaction to the Stockton playground murders led to recording "Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make)", "Rhythm Nation" and "State of the World".

While discussing the origin of the title "Rhythm Nation", Jackson stated she first uttered the phrase during a conversation with her producers. "I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation" adding that it would be "one that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join." She based the idea on the prevalence of various youth groups and organizations that are formed as a means of creating a common identity. The usage of the number "1814" represents the year the national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written. *Rolling Stone* emphasized the core concept is further explored in the album's opening pledge (the first track of the recording), which states: "We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines." Several critics noted that "R" (Rhythm) and "N" (Nation) are the eighteenth and fourteenth letters of the alphabet, though Jackson said this was coincidental.

Jackson's primary goal for the record was to reach a younger audience who may have been unaware of what it means to be socially conscious individuals. She expressed: "I wanted to capture their attention through my music." She was influenced by other musical acts such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, and U2, although she felt their music appealed primarily to adults who were already invested in social change. She also stated, "I'm not naive—I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention" hoping it would motivate people to "make some sort of difference".

## Legacy

The commercial success of *Rhythm Nation 1814* was an unexpected achievement for mainstream pop music. Although Jackson was told focusing her album's theme on social consciousness would negatively impact sales, it was "a prediction soon proved wrong when the album was certified multi-platinum" and subsequently topped the pop, R&B and dance music charts. In *She Bop II: The Definitive History of Women in Rock, Pop and Soul* (2003), Lucy O'Brien wrote that contrary to A&M's fear that the album would underperform, its multi-platinum sales pushed Jackson to a level of superstardom rivaling her brother Michael, calling it a "personal manifesto" and regarding it as a female counterpart to Marvin Gaye's *What's Going On* (1971). Timothy E. Scheurer, author of *Born in the USA: The Myth of America in Popular Music from Colonial Times to the Present* (2007), wrote that the album "may remind some of Sly Stone prior to *There's a Riot Going On* and other African-American artists of the 1970s in its tacit assumption that the world imagined by Dr. King is still possible, that the American Dream is a dream for all people." It made history as the only album to generate seven top-five hits on the *Billboard* Hot 100, surpassing Michael Jackson's *Thriller* (1982) and Bruce Springsteen's *Born in the U.S.A.* (1984), which each have seven top ten hits. It is also the first album to achieve number one hits in three separate calendar years, with "Miss You Much" in 1989, "Escapade" and "Black Cat" in 1990, and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" in 1991. This feat would subsequently be matched by The Weeknd's *After Hours* in 2021. Additionally, it is one of only nine albums—alongside Michael Jackson's *Bad* (1987), *Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track* (1977), Whitney Houston's *Whitney* (1987), George Michael's *Faith* (1987), Paula Abdul's *Forever Your Girl* (1989), Mariah Carey's self-titled debut (1990), Usher's *Confessions* (2004) and Katy Perry's *Teenage Dream* (2010)—to produce a minimum of four number ones.

Aside from its commercial performance, the album's composition has continued to receive acclaim for its sonic innovation. Upon its 25th anniversary, music critic and scholar Joseph Vogel observed that when viewed "as a complete artistic statement, *Rhythm Nation 1814* was a stunning achievement. It married the pleasures of pop with the street energy and edge of hip-hop." Kyle Anderson of *Entertainment Weekly* asserted the record "has barely aged—it sounds as rich and vital as it did when it was first released, and stylistically as contemporary as anything on the *Billboard* charts." Anderson also underscores that it pioneered several musical trends, citing records by pop and R&B artists including Rihanna, Pink, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Gwen Stefani, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Jhené Aiko, Miguel, Christina Aguilera, FKA Twigs, and Tinashe that have exhibited similarities to the "landmark" album. Its single for "Alright" featuring Heavy D made Jackson the first pop artist to team with a rapper, "setting the trend for future pop and hip-hop collaborations." Additionally, "Black Cat" set a precedent for female pop stars segueing into glam metal. The album notably influenced Michael Jackson's *Dangerous* (1991) and *HIStory* (1995), the latter of which features the sibling's duet "Scream", produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Its impact also extends to indie and alternative rock music, with School of Seven Bells, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, and Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells citing the album as an influence in their work. MTV's Brenna Ehrlich remarked: "From Beyoncé ... to Britney Spears to Robyn to Sleigh Bells, the influence of Jackson's game-changer of a record is still rippling through the radio waves (or SoundCloud waves) today."

Jackson's handwritten lyrics to "Rhythm Nation" have been preserved by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Women Who Rock" exhibit, which Kathryn Metz describes as "the perfect platform to talk about song structure" for the museum's "Women Who Rock: Songwriting and Point of View" course, in which students analyze music written by female songwriters. The Hall has also preserved her military styled "Rhythm Nation" uniform. *Rolling Stone* observed the song's music video "set the template for hundreds of videos to come in the Nineties and aughts." Mike Weaver remarked the "innovative, one-of-a-kind, funk-and-groove choreography was unlike anything seen in the history of pop music." Although music historian Ted Gioia considered the song to be an "awkward chant" he commented that "Rhythm Nation" became "one of the most riveting videos of the era, a kind of sensual steampunk for MTV viewers." In 1990, Jackson received MTV's Video Vanguard Award for her contributions to the art form. That same year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her impact on the recording industry and philanthropic endeavors, including her Rhythm Nation Scholarship fund. With her contractual obligations to A&M fulfilled in 1991, she signed with Virgin Records for an unprecedented multimillion-dollar deal, becoming the world's highest paid musician at the time.

Sal Cinquemani noted her popularity had eclipsed Michael Jackson's, "as she would continue to do for more than a decade". Music scholars John Shepherd and David Horn wrote that as a crossover artist on the pop and R&B charts, she emerged "the most dominant female performer of the 1980s" behind Whitney Houston. Dan Rubey observed that she presented herself as a role model for black women and as a creative intellect whose work advocated the advancement of black people. Joseph Vogel stated that her rising popularity towards the end of the decade was important for several reasons, "not the least of which was how it coincided with (and spoke to) the rise of black feminism". At a time when radio airplay and MTV primarily catered to white rock musicians, her album and its predecessor garnered widespread critical acclaim alongside other "unprecedented breakthroughs" by black women—including Alice Walker's *The Color Purple* (1982), Toni Morrison's *Beloved* (1987) and Patricia Hill Collins's *Black Feminist Thought* (1990)—musically capturing the spirit of the movement and presenting an alternate model on both womanhood and feminism to that of Madonna. Regarding her diverse appeal among youth, he also stated: "Janet didn't have the vocal prowess of Whitney Houston, or the poetic subtlety of Kate Bush; she didn't have Annie Lennox's penchant for the avant-garde or Madonna's predilection for shock. But none of these artists achieved the cross-racial impact (particularly on youth culture) of Janet. And none of them had an album like *Rhythm Nation 1814*."

## Tracklist

1. Interlude: Pledge
2. Rhythm Nation
3. Interlude: T.V.
4. State of the World
5. Interlude: Race
6. The Knowledge
7. The Skin Game
8. Interlude: Let's Dance
9. Miss You Much
10. Interlude: Come Back
11. Love Will Never Do (Without You)
12. You Need Me
13. Alright
14. Work
15. Interlude: Hey Baby
16. Escapade
17. Interlude: No Acid
18. Black Cat
19. Livin' In a World (They Didn't Make)
20. Lonely
21. Come Back To Me
22. Someday Is Tonight
23. Interlude: Livin'... In Complete Darkness