Forty years after its release, Control still stands as the project that firmly introduced Janet Jackson as an artist fully in charge of her own voice, sound, and direction.
And according to Vibe, Jackson marked the album’s 40th anniversary with a commemorative Instagram post that looked back on the era through a montage of archival clips.
The video was paired with the spoken introduction from the album’s title track, a moment that has become synonymous with the record itself. Over the years, that opening has come to represent the broader shift Control signaled in Jackson’s career—one defined by independence, confidence, and clarity of purpose.
Jackson captioned the post “Happy 40th Control!” and acknowledged producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whose collaboration with her would become one of the most influential partnerships in pop and R&B.
Released on February 4, 1986, Control was Jackson’s third studio album and her commercial turning point. After two earlier releases that kept her closely tied to family oversight, the album marked a clean break.
Working primarily in Minneapolis with Jam and Lewis, Jackson helped shape a sound that fused funk, synthesized pop, R&B, and rhythmic experimentation that would later influence new jack swing.
Songs like “What Have You Done for Me Lately” and “Nasty” announced that shift immediately. “Nasty,” in particular, became a defining record during the sessions.
Terry Lewis later recalled that encouraging Jackson to sing the track in a lower register changed everything. “When she heard it back, she got this look of surprise and satisfaction,” Lewis told Rolling Stone in 2021, noting that the moment helped dissolve any hesitation she had about the album’s direction.
The results were historic. Control produced five singles that landed in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, including “When I Think of You,” which became Jackson’s first No. 1 hit.
The album itself topped the Billboard 200, stayed on the chart for more than two years, and has since sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
At the 1987 Grammy Awards, Control earned multiple nominations, while Jam and Lewis won Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
More than four decades later, Control remains the foundation of a career-defining run that continued with Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet.
