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C O U R S E L E C T U R E Prince and Janet Jackson Notes taken on May 11, 2016 by Edward Tanguay |
Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and Janet Jackson
interesting connections between all four of them
Prince and Janet Jackson having their success in the second half of the 1980s
all of them big MTV stars
stars that depended much on the video dimension of music
developed an image as a somewhat sexually charged and somewhat androgynous figure
you are reminded to a certain extent of David Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust period
you're not sure if he's dressing to approach more his feminine side
or whether he's just a dandy or a pretty boy
there's definitely something sexually charged
so it's not like he's asexual or not interested in sexual attraction
he's definitely sexual and in many of his songs the sexuality that he expresses is of a markedly heterosexual nature
but his appearance is somewhat androgynous
has his roots in 1970s black pop and funk
coming out of the Parliment Funkadelic sound
extremely prolific as a song-writer
a fantastic multi-instrumentalist
one problem was that he was producing music too fast
success was in the rhythm and blues
success with black audiences
not crossing over like Michael Jackson
"I Wanna Be Your Lover"
heavy sexual element in stage shows
not directed by Prince but designed to showcase him
had new material, record companies were telling him to not produce so fast
1985 Around the World in a Day
1989 Batman (Soundtrack)
Michael Jackson was probably the biggest artist of the two in the 80s
in the 90s, Michael Jackson starts to fall from favor and Prince continues to be active
but two photogenic guys
Michael Jackson more the dancer
Prince more the musician type
the youngest sister of the Jackson family
ends up being produced by two associates of Prince from Minneapolis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
her act showcases dancing like her brother Michael
was a child actress, a child star
first albums were in that child star mold
called "bubble gum soul"
very dominated by her family and her dad
teen idol, squeaky clean
this third album was much different
something she needs to prove
bring in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
as a way to show she is different now
starts with a spoken declaration of independence
Madonna's already done this
because she had been such a squeaky clean teen idol, had something to prove
there was a complete break with teen innocence with regard to the sexuality
1989 Janet Jacksons's Rhythm Nation 1814
a concept album addressing social injustice
at the approach from the Control album from 1986
a continuation of Madonna's sexual rebellion meeting up with a proof of independence
coming out of the Jackson family
proves that she is her own person
Janet Jackson sexuality
1993 Rolling Stone Cover
unknown man's hands covering her breasts
scandalous cover for its day
2004 wardrobe malfunction