From The Vault: Janet Jackson – ‘I Want You’

Time flies, but the truest gems shine on eternally.

So, with Janet Jackson‘s criminally underrated ‘Damita Jo’ celebrating its milestone 20th anniversary, what better time than the present to salute one of its many high notes – ‘I Want You.’

Co-produced by a then-rising Kanye West alongside Jackson and her longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the doo-wop-inspired cut was serviced as the second single from its housing album.

Renowned for her high-octane anthems and their accompanying videos, Jackson drove in a markedly different direction with the track.

A romantic serenade, the song saw Jackson profess her love for her boo.

Its lush visual was lensed by Dave Meyers and saw the Pop Queen navigating her way to her man – striking that trademark smile throughout. The clip features a cameo from Jackson’s then-partner Jermaine Dupri.

Much like the ‘Damita Jo’ project (which opened with one of the year’s biggest first-week sales), the dark cloud of the Super Bowl 2004 fiasco unfortunately clipped the wings of the release. Indeed, with limited TV and radio play, ‘I Want You’ peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Fast forward to today and with the climate and narrative of the episode firmly in Jackson’s favor, we hope that more of the masses dive into the brilliance of the ‘Damita Jo’ album, era, and visuals.

Your thoughts?

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