Welcome to Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature carved out to celebrate TV and Film’s glorious past.
This week, as today’s generation of stars struggle to find conversational platforms to promote themselves and their material, we return to 1997 to revisit one of Janet Jackson‘s conversations with Oprah Winfrey on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’
Originally set up to discuss her project ‘The Velvet Rope’, the ladies’ interview soon saw them dig deep into Jackson’s personal struggles and insecurities.
One of them being her feeling that she was undeserving of the fame her older brother Michael had generated for her with his own Pop career.
By the end, Winfrey and her audience taught the then 31-year-old entertainer a life lesson we’re sure has remained with her since.
Check it out…
![Songwriters Hall of Fame 2025: Janet Jackson, Eminem, N.W.A., & Rodney Jerkins Nominated [Full List]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/janet-jackson-eminem-nwa-songwriters-hall-fame-tgj-464x260.jpg "Songwriters Hall of Fame 2025: Janet Jackson, Eminem, N.W.A., & Rodney Jerkins Nominated [Full List].")
I wonder if Oprah and Toni Braxton ever made up?
Oprah is DISGUSTING for coming at Toni like that.
I think it has become CLEAR how important Janet truly is to the music industry! It’s funny, because when I watch the videos for Uptown Funk or 24K Magic, I don’t see Michael…I see JANET…Janet is all smiles, carefree yet choreographed dancing, zoot suits and Minneapolis sound! Janet brings her friends along for the ride! Janet “sing raps”, goofs around and has a good time…she “Escapades” and “Alrights”..The Hooligans are The Time lol…her proven blueprint works for women AND men in 2016…Tinashe is the latest girl trying the Janet blueprint, but she must have received the wrong copy chile lol…cause IT WORKS…ask Britney, Bey, Rih and Ciara!
Janet <3
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS WOMAN
She hates u tho
Janet Jackson is the Greatest Female Entertainer of All Time!
1. Janet Jackson
2. Tina Turner
3. Beyonce
I have to agree, maybe Janet wasn’t the best vocalist if you’re comparing her to Whitney, Aretha or Celine, but even they couldn’t make songs like “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Rhythm Nation,” or “Any Time, Any Place” shine the way Janet did.
When you really talk about stage performances. Janet set the standard. When you’re looking at Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears’ stage shows you can’t help but notice the “janet.” and “Velvet Rope” tours more than anything from Michael or Madonna. Janet is beyond overrated, it’s a crying shame.
In terms of impact, Janet it really is the original Queen of Pop. Her impact on music videos, stage performances and R&B, Dance, and Pop music is much larger than Madonna’s. As she could never cover the R&B/Hip-Hop audience Janet was able to reach.
… Also how easily people forget she’s had #1 hits on R&B, Rap, Adult Contemporary, Hot 100, Dance and Mainstream Rock (Black Cat). Whitney, Madonna, Mariah, Beyonce, Michael… None of them can say that. Janet’s credit is long overdue.
I often say The only reason God gave joe n katherine all those children is to prove janets success wasnt cause of michael… Love u jan!!
That’s why I love Janet. So humble.
It is me or does she sound like J.Lo here?…So lovely, actually one of her best interviews, I love how honest she was about wanting to sell more records than Michael, but seriously two years without talking to your sister, it seems to me that Michael had a superiority complex, like he wanted to be the only successful member of his family and Janet’s success, while not comparable to that of him, might have scared him, he probably thought that she was going to become bigger than him. Janet was very ambitious and I believe that all the things she accomplished in her career was thanks to her determination to prove her family and the world that she had something to offer too, that not only Michael was special.
I actually believe MJ was happy for his sister. He said that one of his favorite albums ever was Rhythm Nation. And he would dance to that for hours. Also, he collaborated with her in 1995. That speaks volumes considering he barely if not ever collaborated with other pop competition. He also said Janet was the most like him, in terms of work ethic & determination. I don’t believe he was threatened by her success at all. To be honest, I think MJ was genuinely happy for her. He never tried to do shady things towards her as he did with Jermaine. She created 3 of the best pop/R&B albums ever imo. Rhythm Nation, Janet & Velvet Rope are true masterpieces.
You mean 4 great albums.
1. Control
2. Rhythm Nation 1814
3. Janet
4. The Velvet Rope
Rihanna?
Who?
Love Janet… icon forever!
<3
Rihanna is the next Janet… Ciara just keep taking pictures
???
Lol what drugs are you doing
She never held back Harpo played no games back then chile I wish she would of told Nippy bout that chalk
MOM
Nice and now she’s a happy married woman that’s about to be a mother in her 50