Rhythm Nation 1814

shes so young! i hope it's something I can get behind. Kinda a bummer, her music is overwrought for me. 3. I can see why it's top rated though. its like, so much of music now.

It was a good pop album. I liked the stylization of this with all the interludes but nothing stood out to me

Not bad, a bit corny lyrically but instrumentals bang. dare i say, sexy?

There's some fat funky beats all over this thing, but it does drag on a little bit, especially as you get towards the last stretch. Nice that she tried to have some meaning to her lyrics, don't see myself returning to it much though.

Not sure what to make of this one. I remember Miss You Much and the tilte track as singles, liked them both causally at the time. Very original and unrelenting sample based production. Does have that thing of telling us all we need to pull together to make things better whilst being a very comfortable and successful person. Comes across a bit lame and preachy. It's the gritty midlle bit to Janet's excellent purple patch though.

First song was fun, but they almost all sounded the same after that. The heavy, synthetic drums got really old. I don't watch the videos now, however I remember they were fun back in the day for the dancing. But I'm rating the music now, not the visuals.

Not one of my favourites. But I like to hear it again.

Love Janet + The Minneapolis Sound. The “quiet storm” type songs were not my thing, however.

For a concept album addressing social issues, “Rhythm Nation” spent way too little time on addressing social issues. A “Rhythm Nation” that actually used music to unite people in a borderless and hateless society of belonging would be powerful, if that concept was pushed beyond the album’s music. However, Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814” doesn’t do that. It doesn’t even push the concept through the album. Most of the tracks are typical R&B love and longing, and don’t rise to the occasion of a “sociopolitical utopia.” The idea behind it is brilliant - “I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation,” Jackson said, "one that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join.” That goal was made clear in the album's first lines - “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.” But that utopian nation was not the one described throughout the album. Instead, it was the ills of the United States in 1989 that were dissected. If the sum of the vision of the Rhythm Nation is labeling what is wrong with our present society, then the dream is unrealized. The furthest Jackson takes us is in “The Knowledge” which is unable to provide us with the depth of vision that the knowledge should be able to provide us, beyond the platitudes of “Prejudice (no); Ignorance (no); Bigotry (no); Illiteracy (no).” In spite of all that, the title track, “Miss You Much,” and “Escapade” still hold up decades later. But not much else makes an impact, other than the hard rock departure of “Black Cat.” Things quickly petered out though, as “Lonely” and “Come Back To Me” were boring and killed the album’s momentum. Taking the Rhythm Nation from conception to reality both in music and community would be truly monumental, but unfortunately Jackson does not meaningfully pursue that.

General Jackson coming in hot! While this album distinctly sounds like the late 80s pop era, it’s probably because this album helped define the sound. It does not sound dated though. I like the drum machine beats and the rock-ness of Black Cat. This album is carried by Miss You Much, Escapade, and Black Cat. This album is a historical achievement and definitely deserves to be heard by all before they die. It holds the record for the album with most Billboard Top 5 singles (7). It resides with the crowning female musical accomplishments along with The Go Go’s, Adele, amongst others. For that, I salute Ms Jackson.

This album feels dated, though it has a lot of heart. I’m sure this is s great album for someone else, but for me, it’s kinda meh. Nothing particularly exciting about it. 3/5

Pretty fun album. Great concept album. Mix of pop and softer ballads.

Solid album!

Fine

The more uptempo the better. While ambitious thematically it does not feel as ambitious when the songs slow down.

Crazy how her career kind of ended because of a wardrobe malfunction that she had no control over. This is how you know the music industry aint shit. Sometimes I like her style of singing, other times I don't. It feels like she could be less soft in how she sang. The production is very of its time, but it is really good. A lot of similarities to Michale Jackson for some reason... Pretty good overall. Production Carries this for sure, but her singing isn't bad just not something I enjoy a lot. Feeling a strong 3 to light 4

Surprisingly more into this than I thought I'd be

Why do artists like this "interlude" stuff so much?

pretty dated orchestration. Fun and got me moving, but I won't listen again

It’s nice to hear Janet Jackson, as it really feels like she was blacklisted and is barely heard ever since the Super Bowl incident which is such a shame. Her talent is on full display here, with catchy beats, socially conscious lyrics, and beautiful singing. There’s some great hits here, and while I’ve definitely heard “Escapade” I don’t think I’ve ever attributed it to Janet. However, the music just sounds dated overall. Very 80s, very heavily produced. And the socially conscious lyrics and general concept of the album is a bit cheesy.

один раз только послушала, можно ли делать вывод? не моё, но вокал приятнее чем у другого Джексона

So 80's

enjoyed, peak 80s

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is the fourth album by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson. She considered it a concept album about social issues including racism, poverty, substance abuse, and romance. Rhythm Nation is a fusion of pop, R&B, and hip hop collectively known as new jack swing. Critically and commercially acclaimed, the album topped the Billboard 200 chart, is certified 6x platinum (reached double platinum in its year of release), was the best-selling album of 1990, and is considered Janet Jackson's musical career peak. It's the only album ever to have 7 top-5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This album was a perfect follow up to Jackson's third album Control. She capitalized off the hype of Control and set the bar higher with Rhythm Nation. The music is great and seems to break down barriers between listeners. Jackson wanted us to all feel the same thing when we listened to this album, and she did a wonderful job at making an awesome album.

"Now our kids can't go out to play / that's the state of the world today" Hmm I don't know about that...I was a kid when this came out, and I played outside unsupervised all the time, as did my same-age American friends, as they've told me. I used to play by myself at a park three-quarters of a mile from our house when I was 5. It was a little jarring hearing upbeat pop songs with lyrics about what's wrong with the world. I like pop music so this was fine, but I wouldn't listen to it again. It also sounded very dated, and I like 80s pop. Good for her for writing the album she wanted to write, and sticking it to the record company. I guess it paid off!

Lijkt wel of dit album is gemaakt met één drum machine, wat een 80’s bak. Lyrics slaan nergens op in vergelijking met het doel van t album maar whatever. Klinkt wel geinig voor de rest. 3.2

Did you ever notice you never saw Michael and Janet together at the same time? And since he passed away, Janet no longer performs? Coincidence? I think not. I'd rate this a "2" but there is some wicked guitar work mixed in throughout this album so +1.

58

Yet another album in the continuing series: “Is this released today or have issues sadly stayed the same for (insert year since release) years?” Rhythm Nation is overproduced in just the right ways, there’s a combination of absolute pop bangers and soulful love songs and many hip hop artists could learn from the lengths of these interludes. But I can’t get over the fact that this social commentary of a concept album has so many love songs on its track list. Even though some of them are among the strongest tracks, it keeps me from fully emerging myself into the idea of the album.

Too many interludes for a 4

de unaaa 7/10

I was not in the right mood for this album today, so my impressions will be much more biased than the standard. It's a good album and a huge backstory that makes it even more significant. I do not like Janet Jackson, and her songs sound too plain. Still, considering the mentioned backstory and how she wanted to be more conscious and political during this recording, it deserves the standard 3-star rate.

This album was okay, but WAY too long. Got tired of it long before the end.

"Miss Jackson if you're nasty" (not on this album) shows the talent, skill, and prowess of being the sister of the greatest pop legend of all time. In spite of that, this album left me feeling unfulfilled.

Super fun album. I think it would have made a bigger impact if it weren't quite so long. Everything blended together for me by the end but the first half was strong. 3.5

It sounds outrageously 80s, but it holds up well in my eyes because of all the lush and incricate rhythms and textures throughout

Generally catchy and swinging but very dated musically, certainly not timeless. Socially engaged themes, but their lyrical execution teeters on the corny.

Smá Minneapolis sound í þessu. Ekki leiðinlegt og vel unnið popp. En þetta er ekki mín tónlist.

Prince en meuf si on me demande

It's ok, actually not as soppy baledy as I expected.

almost skipped it but i have to admit it’s not that bad

I have never really listened to Janet Jackson, but this was a surprisingly good pop album. I will definitely listen more of her in the future.

"Rhythm Nation 1814" by Janet Jackson comes close to earning a solid 4/5 rating. However, the production style, which might just be an acquired taste I've yet to develop, coupled with the album's length, unfortunately pulls it down a notch.

Album 121 of 1001 Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814 Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Rhythm Nation Good album. Isn't something I would go searching for, but it is a fine listen. She is hitting on lots of societal and relationship issues. Great voice. Great production. If I ever crave some Janet Jackson, I'll go to it again. Good early morning listen.

There are good moments. Like Someday is Tonight or Escapade.

Pretty surprised at how low the Spotify listens are for this, I thought this was one of her bigger records. The production is extremely dated...one of the unfortunate side effects of current, fresh, cutting-edge music is that it sounds extremely of its time 30 years down the road. It's also overlong, clocking in at over an hour, with a fair bit of filler. All that being said, it's a solid release, and at its best, it's as good as anything else from that decade.

Yes there are many influences, but Bruno Mars wouldn't ever have dripped in Finesse if Janet hadn't dropped this album. In a similar vein, while she wasn't the first or only to do so, I also think Eminem was influenced by the theatrical thru lines of this album. That being said, upon revisiting this album, maybe I'm going crazy but I feel like her vocals are pretty muddled/hidden in the overall mix. It really distracted for me and made many songs feel repetitive. So I'm gonna rate my experience of the album specifically here and only go 3.

It’s crazy how much she sounds like Michael Jackson here. I enjoyed the first third of this album, got a little tired of it the middle third, and thought the last third was unnecessary and boring and kind of weird.

Fun late 80s pop sound. I honestly like the less popular songs that tackle social issues much more than the fluffier hits

We had some conscious hip-hop on this list, now it's time for a conscious r&b/pop. It's surprisingly solid - honestly, I was probably born too late to listen to this album by Janet Jackson, I always associated her with some cheap and boring straight-out-of-mill songs. But not only she can sing - she can write some inspiring verses as well. This type of music grinds my gears just a little bit, but I could still see how good and probably important this album was at the time. Kudos to you Janet, you have my respect, but your record is probably one and done for me.

Just ok

HL: "Escapade", title track, "State of the World", "Lonely", "Love Will Never Do Without You" Pretty good introduction to Janet Jackson's music (knew "Escapade" already tho) listening to this thing in one go, I started to tire of the loud processed drums but in small doses it gets the head bopping Definitely feels like a landmark album 3.5 June 24, 2023

I did not require 1hr of Janet but I wasn’t that upset

I can appreciate Janet Jackson's concept album based around the social issues including tragedies and inequalities facing America of the late 80s and like so many albums I've listened to so far, many of these issues are still plaguing the USA today. Rhythm Nation 1814 is full of 80s synths and samples that manages to hit at the heart of what the people really wanted to hear at the time. Best: Rhythm Nation Worst: Someday is Tonight

Highlights: Escapade, Lonely Leave Em's: The Knowledge, Rhythm Nation Overall Thoughts: The album started out sounding like High School Music for social justice warriors. Despite some of the corny lyrics there are very danceable songs and Janet's intentions are seemingly pure. I attained more personal enjoyment out of the album throughout the middle portions where she transitioned to love song variations. Some of her songs did seem to drag on a little bit too long without much variation, however there are worse voices to be subject to listen to for an hour. She really showcased her vocal through the end of the album with the R&B songs which offset my negative feelings for the beginning of the album. I don't think this is one of her most popular albums and I hope to do one with a larger profile later on in the project but I doubt I'll be coming back to this one a whole lot. Score Breakdown: 3.375 & 3 -> 3.188

Didn't expect to like it so quite surprised that I did enjoy it.

I'm a sucker for these cheesy late 80s funky beats. The lyrics are... Jackson really thought she was doing something here, huh. Kind of a weird mashup of social commentary and "let's boogie". But the boogieing is good! I simply can't deny the vibes here. Sidenote: The title track has been known to crash hard drives due to resonance frequencies, which puts it in the canon of essential cyberpunk media.

very 80s

to be honest this was a really boring album. nothing really special about it and pretty dated sounding for only coming out in 1998

Not a huge fan of pop and this is not a bad album at all. It took me a while to get into it and overall I think the second half is more enjoyable Saved tracks: Rhythm Nation, Miss You Much, Escapade, Black Cat

I read the notes and an hour long concept album about poverty slightly terrified me. The resulting album wasn't terrifying at all, a gentle pop album with a smattering of songs and plenty of 80s dance. Obviously the lyrics are ludicrous, but lyrics often are.

Good

I kind of like the Princesque clunky swing of the production. I’ve no problem with her pointing out the inequities of the world - sounds like she did a lot of charity work to back it up. But over all, like it don’t love it. I’m not sure I did the full hour, even over the course of a weekend.

Much to like. Pretty dark and relevant today (thinking especially of “Living in a World They Didn’t Make” and it’s ending).

Fun but not that interesting

Alright as far as 1980s R&B albums go. They've squeezed everything they can put of that one 80s drumbeat though. 2.5

Work it out somehow.

Minneapolis sound isn't my thing idk

Highlights: Rhytm Nation, State Of The World 3,5/5

Tylko tytułowy utwór jest spoko, reszta takie średnie plumkanie w tle

This booped right from the start

These songs all sound really similar. Interesting to have such deep themes with a light and dance-inducing beat.

A fun album, but not quite my style.

Decent album overall with some very strong early 90's sounds.

It was fine, but it has a very 80s style and the production sounds very dated.

Tämä on kovin kiva levy, meneviä rock-kasaripopbiisejä ja ysärimäisempiä balladeja

Helemaal fan van Miss You Much en Rhythm Nation toen ze als single uitkwamen, maartoch angstig aan dit plaatje begonnen. De jaren 80 kent alleen maar hoge pieken of diepe dalen muzikaal, maar dit zat voor juist net boven het midden. Eigenlijk helemaal niet slecht dus.

Ik bleek nog best een aantal van de singles van dit album woordelijk mee te kunnen zingen. Ik luisterde veel top 40 radio in mijn vroege jeugd en Janet kon ik toen best waarderen. Inmiddels doet het me niet zoveel meer. Leuk om weer eens te horen maar meer ook niet. Ik rond het naar boven af.

Lots of inspiration for other albums, but I have yet to discover what made it innovative. To me it was 80s processed overload and hubristic. Talking about world problems and all… idk 3/5

Plenty of cringy moments with those interludes. Lots of repetitive industrial percussion and a couple of R'n'B songs (I hate that wimpy genre.). Despite all that there are lots of enjoyable moments and I find myself dancing along to Rhythm Nation et al. Black Cat almost makes it a 4-star.

escapade makes this at least three stars

Janet Jackson was a force to be reckoned with in the 80's and 90's. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing her stuff on the radio. If it wasn't her, it was her brother, Michael. Admittedly, I've never really been a fan of Janet. I understand that her music was very important in shaping what pop is today, but to me, 80's - 90's pop all sounds the same. Especially the slow ballads (the last 3 songs on this record). If you played one of those for me, I would be hard pressed to tell you if it was Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, or Mariah Carey. I was unfamiliar with anything on this record from the outset, so couldn't really judge how it was going to be. The first 3/4 of the album is pretty good, it just falls flat at the end with all of the ballads. Black Cat is a rockin' tune!! This album is apparently a departure from Janet's regular musical works, and it is a concept album which focuses on themes of poverty, racism, love, and creating a better future for the next generation (amusingly, something Michael focused on heavily as well in his music (think of the children!! )). I think that because it isn't Janet's standard fare, it resonated better with me as a whole. Overall, not a bad record. Not something I would put in regular rotation, but also not bad. It shows real musical talent on Janet's part with her flawless vocal range. It may be a tad overproduced, but that seems to have been a trend of that era. Favourite songs: Black Cat, Alright, Rhythm Nation, Love Will Never Do (Without You), Miss You Much, State of the World Least favourite songs: Lonely, Come Back to Me, Someday is Tonight, and all of the interludes. It just distracts from the rest of the album while adding nothing of its own. This 80's - 90's fad has thankfully fallen to the wayside for the most part. 3/5

Albums like this take me back to the days when albums were on cassettes or vinyl, and you pretty much had to listen to all songs in sequential order, with a break in the middle to turn over the medium. There would also be excitement over new albums released, new music wasn’t as readily available then as it is now. I started off thinking, who would listen to this album and still be excited about it? Wouldn’t it be a massive disappointment? So I researched to get more perspective and it worked. JJ broke boundaries and was a political woman of colour that was even more rare than now. She had a platform and she used it well. The music isn’t for me, but then that’s the point, the music wasn’t made for me. I have full respect though.

Production and vocals are great, but there are a lot of slow jams. I don't think Janet Jackson gets enough credit or respect.

An okay album that deserves 3.5 because the good tracks are really good.

Listened all through which surprised me as not a huge fan. Didn't think I'd listen again. Prefer some of her other stuff.

This felt like a serious throwback to the 90s pop style. Not bad

Never listened - 3 stars

6.5/10 depressing simply because Janet really thought the world would become a better place, knowledge feels a little like 'knock it off'- tmg

6/10 definitely got samey, but janet's performance is really good.

Weird and long but somewhat enjoyable. 6/10

Kind of boring. But as pop albums go, this isn't the worst.

Some nice pop bops. Not a big fan of the interludes

This was another fun album, I found a few songs I hadn't heard before but felt like I had, not sure where. But I really liked Escapade and Black Cat. It was cool to hear her bits like "4,3,2,1" and "edit". The only Janet song I ever knew was All For You from Now 7 so this broadened my horizons, but also too many interludes.

Was very worried at first, I thought this would be "club music, but make it about current affairs." A couple tracks of that to kick things off was weird to me, even though I kind of liked "State of the World" for how goofy it is. It's like proto-Lizzo or Meghan Trainer, pop music that's very smugly pretending to have a brain. I honestly couldn't tell you if those messages resurfaced, but I didn't catch anymore after that. A couple other good songs on here, "Escapade" was the big hitter for me. I think this is my first time listening to Janet and I can't say I really understand the hype. It's pop/R&B from an era that isn't all that engaging to me personally. HOWEVER, I will give her some credit for doing this in the late '80s, I can hear this had considerable influence going into the '90s. Also shoot, I just saw that she wrote and produced the ENTIRE album, that kind of effort deserves a half-star bump. Favorite tracks: Escapade, State of the World, Come Back to Me. Album art: Black and white portrait, where have I seen that done before? Oh yeah, on probably hundreds of albums. What I can see of the fit goes hard though. 3.5/5

Expertly produced, dancy album, that was a mega-seller in its day. For me it falls a bit flat, as there are hardly any songs that I would like to re-listen to. Also, the first half is very repetitive. 2.5/5

Such an average and boring album of recycled 80s pop and hip hop sounds.

Just a very boring album. Every song sounded the same, nothing had any standout potential, and way too long

It's OK. But not my kind of music.

Miss You Much and Love Will Never Do (Without You) are pop perfection. The rest of the album I could take or leave. Can't stand all of these annoying interludes, I don't like being preached at when I'm just trying to listen to some music. It's just really bloated too, this could have been trimmed down to half the tracks. Keep the pop hits and ditch the highfalutin bullshit. I love Janet, respect to her for insisting on making the kind of music she wants, this just isn't her best album. Iconic moment in time for her? Absolutely. Did it age well? No, not really.

Reminded me a lot of Michael. But I was probably subconsciously comparing the two. Had the same fun energy as Michael

Typical album of the late 80s with some good tracks and some fillers. Not bad in the end.

Non male, bella voce bell'atmosfera, peccato perche' sono un po simili

10/11/22 Couple solid songs … I liked the energy and how aggressively 80s it was lol.

Not music I typically resonate with so hard for me to judge.

Weird tired vibes on sunday, lost on run in mt pleasant, shoe sizing in the rain, pink clouds, decent, dinner

Really enjoyed this!

Not my favorite but didn't hate.

It's all right

A nice album, good rhythm. I could see myself listening to this again, although the lyrics are a little pedantic at times. This was before my time, so I also didn't recognize the hits unfortunately.

Drum machines that slap

Decent pop album

Cet album a conclu de manière positive une très belle sortie à vélo au cœur d'une région située à quelques pas seulement du domicile d'eltrapeze, mon ennemi juré et rival de toujours.

Janet aura beau tenté de copier son frère, la prestation n'en demeure pas moins lamentable. On se met à regretter tout l'album de ne pas avoir le vrai Jackson en chair et en os, en lieu et place de cette pâle imitation familiale.

I associate this sound with most late 80s pop and yet I think maybe all of that sound was in this album. Maybe a little bit in 'Control'. But anyway, there is some filler here, for sure, but for an album that was intentionally going for socially conscious subject matter, this is pretty strong. Rhythm Nation, Miss You Much, Escapade, and Black Cat all work for me. Come Back to Me has some sort of comforting '89 dentist office feel to it. I don't know - mostly this works.

Plus 80s tu meurs

Some great songs, too much sampling.

I remember a few tracks from this album when it came out. The music on Rhythem Nation 1814 sounds like that transition between the 80s and the 90s. I do not doubt that Janet Jackson is talented, but I kind of just got through the album. "Someday Is Tonight" almost sank the album, but I guess I could round up to three stars (= I can get through the music once, but don't ask me to listen again.)

Showing it age.

Istodobno zastarjelo i futuristički. Debelo predugo traje za ovako intenzivan zvuk baziran samo na ritmu. Black cat joj je jedna od najboljih stvari

The interludes were an interesting addition. I enjoyed her voice and the dance vibe of the songs. The lyrics were kinda meh and every song could have been about a minute shorter. The last few songs were less enjoyable, I felt the didn't match the vibe.

Interesting sound (although definitely “of the time”), somewhat of a concept album that’s connected by a bunch of interludes. Overall it’s an interesting cohesive listen, but the amount and frequency of interludes weakens it’s appeal for relistens.

Production sounds dated but also inextricably linked to this album. Some great songs.

(Sigh!) I always had a troubled relationship with the Jacksons, all of them. I acknowledge their talent and that they have made quite some great music over the decades, at the same time, I don't exactly know what it is, but there is something about their celebrity status that bugs me profoundly. But let's discuss this album. ...  (Crickets)  ...  I played it several times. The first time I was really impressed from the start. Then  Social concerns. Check.  Dancefloor. Check.  Heartbreak. Check. Romance. Check.  Did I forget something?  Ah yes!  Empowerment through sexuality. Check. Remember when Latoya was believed to be Michael in disguise? A ball? Does anybody have a ball here? I need to practice against a wall. Oh thanks, Mate. Boing... Boing... Boing... What is this, why do I feel so restless suddenly? For fuck's sake, I thought I took my meds this morning! Oh yes, I did, the bottle of pills is empty. Should I worry? Got a cig? Hold on there. Do you think I should worry? I think I should. Lighter, yes, thanks. But... Worry about what? Ah yes, that's what I wanted to say! I got distracted while listening to this album. Several times even.  OK. I am becoming increasingly lazy at doing this. Impatient as well. Whatever. Geez! How long IS this one? 

Objectively a great album, but not for me. Attention tailed off every time. Rhythm Nation was great, but then I just slowly lost interest and started doing other things. Don’t think it’s the albums fault though. Dancy poppy.

first listen man she sounds so much like Michael

"Rhythm Nation 1814" is the sound of Janet Jackson reigning supreme at the close of the 80s, harnessing her momentum to become unimpeachable for the next five years. Load a follow-up to your commercial breakthrough with emergent hip-hop and industrial influences to make a smash-hit? Why not! Throw in an arena-ready hard-rock number and release it as a single? Let's go for it. Go full-on social commentary, and solve all the world's problems by singing about them? Sure, we can at least try. I'd never heard this album in full until now, but it's undoubtedly a blockbuster. Framed by a tolling bell and spoken word pledges on the state of humanity, it's also interspersed with 5-10 second transitions from the sound of a TV switching channels (Roger Waters eat your heart out) to pointed commentary ("Get the point? Good, let's dance"). "Rhythm Nation" itself is a killer opening, giving rise to new-jack swing and driven by seismic, steely industrial beats and slapped bass. It also signified a new dance phenomenon for the MTV generation, immortalised in its imperial music video. All that aside, it's simply a great track: powerful beats, towering confidence from Jackson, and an addictive, rapid hook answered by a unison of voices declaring their part in the Rhythm Nation. None of the rest of it scales the same heights, but the singles "Miss You Much" and "Escapade" play well as affectionate tributes to Prince in his mid-80s prime: Jackson pulls them off with every bit as much pomp, grace and accessibility. "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" hangs itself on an atomic mid-tempo beat before breaking into an amazing second-half, where layers of vocals expressing the title as a chant, a melodic plea, an affirmation. And "Black Cat" is a total surprise that completely works, with the smooth reverb-filled distorted riffs found in arenas the world over in the late 1980s. Where many hair-metal bands would hinge their career on recreating the same sound again and again, for Jackson it's just one more string to her bow. There are quite a few comments on this page- and made by critics at the time- that "Rhythm Nation 1814" lacked subtlety, that the preachy messages were misguided and out-of-touch from a celebrity who had been rich all her life. Jackson herself laudably acknowledged this years later, in her 2015 album "Unbreakable". In truth, "State of the World" and "Livin' In A World (They Didn't Make)" may not be the most eye-popping songs on the record, and could have been made more eloquent. Many of the lyrics aren't exactly ground-breaking ("The Knowledge" is the most throwaway, with its break of "Prejudice: No. Ignorance: No. Bigotry: No."). But, at least Jackson stood up to her label by insisting on including songs which addressed universal matters of prejudice and poverty. She chose to use her platform to discuss more than her millionaire lifestyle, and who knows how many philanthropists and world-changers she might have inspired in doing so? For me, it's actually the move away from the industrial beats and high-energy that sinks the Rhythm Nation torpedo in its final act. Instead, the last three numbers see it move in a warmer, silkier direction. Perhaps it was an intentional sequencing move, or maybe the record was just front-loaded with the strongest hits. For me the closing three ballads just aren't as bold as the songs earlier in the record (bar some gorgeous nu-soul harmonies in "Come Back To Me"). "Lonely" and "Someday Is Tonight" are just a little too long and aimless, however well produced and sung they are. They don't quite have the same edge I enjoyed in the rest of the album, at least on the first couple of listens. As with so many of the other albums I've marked down on this site, "Rhythm Nation 1814"'s main fault for me is its length. It's easy to see how it could have improved if a couple of tracks were shaved off here, a couple of choruses removed there. But in its prime, running through that middle stretch of tracks, it's unstoppable, and one can only surrender to the Rhythm Nation.

Texterna är så pinsamma att jag knappt klarar av att lyssna men groovet är kanon

A lot of well known songs and the whole album has an 80s feel to it. It was a good listen. I probably would not choose this album to listen to again but I would listen if it was chosen.

High 3. A little repetitive.

Fresh and funky pop, politically powered. Bit too earnest for my liking but of the age and danceable

Who doesn't love a little bit of Janet now and again?

Super-tight 80s pop but never reaches the high of Rhythm Nation, which is a shame as it's the second track on an album over an hour long. A couple of tracks attempt to be topical/meaningful, but like many 80s/90s "we gotta do something" songs, they fall flat and are not redeemed musically either. Janet is at her best with uptempo pop, and this has some great examples

I'm genuine surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. Velvet Rope has sort of smothered the genuine ...well not charm, more like excitement, of 1814. It might be that the mechanised aspect of the lead video and production lumped it, mentally, with the proto-techno of the time (this demands unpacking – another time, another time...). Anyway.

This isn't an album I'd listen to all the way through, but there are multiple tracks I like a lot. My favorites are Rhythm Nation, Escapade, and Black Cat, with an honorable mention to Miss You Much.

Interesting to listen to such a prominent album which I'd not listened to previously - OK but it didn't grab me. Production is very of its time.

Conpetently made funky 80s pop. Enjoyable, but not too much else. Also very dated, although that didn’t bother me

Prettyyyyyyyyy, Pretttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, Prettttttttttttttttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy good

I like her. Super fun and catchy stuff.

Decent beats but other than the hits, nothing too memorable on this album. Very similar sounds on all of the songs.

Queen

Not really my thing, but didn't find it an ordeal to listen to. The synth and drum machines sound very dated but, tbf, they're used well. Fave track - "Rhythm Nation" still slaps.

5/10

Uff

Album pop correct. Consistent mais rien qui se démarque tellement

3.5 for sure. Great sound, energetic, bit of nostalgia.

Solid baselines and catchy. Its depressing that the exact same issues are still happening in the US now.

these beats are so funny. the most 80s thing ever

I don't really enjoy this but I respect where she is coming from. Very 80's sound.

Definitely going for the Michael Jackson sound. Percussion is pretty fun, liking the general LinnDrum sounds here. I appreciate the conscious themes as well, although I don't feel like the commentary goes far enough. Lyrically it just sounds like mentioning problems, but not pointing to the issues that cause it. Some may prefer this approach, but I feel like institutions and people need to be called out, otherwise it feels like feel-good-activism, like by just acknowledging the issues of things is enough. It is a good sounding album for sure, though. Great pop, but generally not my vibe. Although those orchestral hits with the LinnDrum definitely do something for me.

I paused my project for a bit because I was tired of listening to pompous guitar dudes every day, so it was nice to reactivate and come back to this. Good production and overall sound; it really does feel like an ‘album’ rather than a collection of hit singles. Not sure it belongs on this list but whatever, I had fun.

When Janet says bass bass bass then hits you in the feels with a tin pan full of treble you know it is a brink of the 90s release. (I did a few dance moves when I saw this selection. Stomp slide, stomp slide... 😂) Let JJ take you on an escapade. Like a moth to the flame, I actually settled in and enjoyed the second half of the album.

Great album, I've enjoyed it less as I've got older, but in the early 90s I listened to this over and over. Rhythm Nation and Miss You Much are still top songs.

People of the world today Are we looking for some gated drums We are a part of the rhythm nation People of the world unite Brisk electro-beat, we can get it right One time We are a part of the rhythm nation

Such a great voice for 80s music.

First half of the album had some good beats and interesting layering - New Jack Swing apparently. The second half was all ballad all the time, which I can do without.

Souns a lot like Michals music Intresting use of interludes Cretiv beats and drumsounds

Surprisingly enjoyable listen with good songs and infectious rhythms. Her singing is frankly nondescript for me and given this genre perhaps below par but the songs are what's important to me. 3.5 🌟

Maybe its nostalgia but I enjoyed this album.

Favs: Love Will Never Do (Without You), Escapade, Rhythm Nation Mehs: All the Interludes Janet Jackson sounds happy on this album, and that makes me happy. Fun tween bop pop. I'm not sure I'd have it on this list, but I did enjoy listening to it again.

Een paar goeie nummers, de rest is maar 'meh'

Good stuff, almost a 4

dated, naive, but pretty brave for its time and some catchy tunes. i won't go back but enjoyed. 3

Surprisingly enjoyable listen. 3.5 🌟

Not the best Jackson, not even in the top 5.

Too long !

classic RnB

It just makes me want to live in the 80s and drink Pepsi. I wish there was more of a sense of humor or irony to it. It's just very straightforward.

Pretty nostalgic to listen to the album. Never was much of a fan, but was kind of fun to re-live some of the 90s

Its another Michael Jackson Álbum. It shouldn't be in this list. Uniform and nice fade between Songs.

Ne visi a mano stilius, bet funky efektukai

I actually enjoyed this album a bit more than most of the others I've rated 3. Standout songs were Livin' In A World & Alright real rating 3.5/5

Love an album with a bit of social commentary. A lot of the themes in this are still very relevant today. The album definitely has a very distinct 80s sound but I liked it. As with a lot of these albums it was just too long for me not to start losing interest.

I've not listened to Janet that much. It sounded a bit like Michael, but she added her own flair. Good album and good sound. Not quite my cup of tea but I could listen to it occasionally.

It was a nice enough R&B album without ever really having a wow moment. Its way too long too like a lot of albums from Genre. 3/5

"Not to say that I'm in love with you But who's to say that I'm not" (Miss you much) "The people we learn from Forge the ideas we become" (Livin' in a wolrd) Me ha resultado muy interesante 1. cómo está montado todo el disco como un continuo 2. que sea un disco tan reivindicativo desde el primer segundo. La verdad es que no conocía mucho de la música de Janet Jackson y ahora me da pena.

This is a really late 80s /early 90s Janet Jackson album. There is a good amount of songs that are catchy and “radio friendly” and other songs that have more meaning and emotion. It’s easy to listen to and several I remember listening to back in those days.

Meh

another snapshot of its time. i'm not sure i really liked it, or that i ever really cared for janet - but boy, did her producers work hard on this one! overall, not for me, but her talent is easy to spot.

Interesting and very socially aware for a pop album, but that also makes songs like "Escapade" stand out as off-key. Not bad but a weird one overall.

Album contains a couple of Janet Jackson's top hits. The album contains many songs but many are forgettable. That being said many songs are linked to the previous song.

I know she's supposed to be the proto-Beyonce or whatever, but...meh. Best track: Miss You Much

Not offensive just didn’t do a lot for me.

Something doesn't sit right with me hearing someone with a net worth of $180,000,000 singing about people who "don't have enough to eat". And doing a choreographed dance along with it. Take away the family name and would this be notable enough to set it apart from the other pop records from the late eighties? Possibly not.

This could not sound anymore 80s. Couple songs had me bumping my shoulders but it’s like as soon as the length constraints of vinyl were no longer an issue everyone decided to include a bunch of crap on every album.

2/5 not my type of pop

Rhythm Nation

It seems pretty ambitious with all the interludes and what not. Too bad the music is terrible

Even though it was released in 1989 this felt very much like a 90s pop album. It had great production (if overproduced) and is very much a product of its time. It wasn't bad but I didn't find it particularly engaging either.

I was quite surprised and somehow excited having a Janet Jackson- album popping up. But this one hasn't aged well. Sounds like Michael Jackson but without any hits. favourite: "Black Cat" (because of the guitar) 2,5

It’s ok, but nothing special here - goid voice

Alright I have a hot take on this album. Which is; this album is just too much. Not like I hated it, it’s just too much extra shit. Like how many fucking interludes do you need? There’s a ton on this album. It doesn’t help that a lot of the interludes have the same sort of energy/message. I did genuinely LOVE 4 songs on this album, those being “Rhythm Nation”, State of the World”, “Escapade”, and my top favorite song, “ miss you much”. I’ve had that damn ear worm stuck in my head for DAYS! It’s so catchy and fun. Most of this album wasn’t really for me and didn’t do anything for me. But here’s my hottest take yet that I will gladly defend to my death, Janet is was better than Micheal. Not to mention the obvious, but she’s also way more talented and I wish she didn’t have to live in his nasty shadow.

I've never really liked JJ's music and this has not changed my view. The 80's Prince lite production is not my bag and I don't think she has a particular good voice. The interludes are annoying and sermonizing felt performative rather than heart felt. A very low 2.

I'm more of a Control guy

Every song sounded the same to me. Not for me.

Best Track - "Escapade"

Lots of it sounds like 80s don't do drugs raps

She loves an interlude

A good escapade, just not my escapade (2.5)

Okay for what it is.. Lyrically heavy handed and nothing particularly memorable.

She’s always pissing in the wind due to her brother being on a different level but it was awrite

Sounded like a knock off Michael Jackson album at times. Didn’t hate it but didn’t like it. 2/5

Too boring

Miss You Much and Escapade stood out. The production takes away from the lyrics throughout most of it. Not an R&B fan, but the album did grow on me. 2/5

Didn't care about this much as I'm not huge fan of this type of pop music anyways.

Not for me. Bit boring & samey.

There’s a fairly hard cap on how much I’m going to enjoy mega-produced pop music, especially this deep into the torture of the list. I will say, this one has a bit more going on than the average comparable. I could imagine liking it a lot more as a live performance with a slightly loose band.

Nice dumb pop nothing spectacular not near her Bro

Aside from a couple bangers, this is pretty boring.

80's barf, mixed with way too many interludes. Probably could have cut this one down to 30-40 minutes MAX.

This is not the kind of music I pick for myself, especially in the last half of the album where it gets cheesy. But I have to admit the first few tracks and even up to about the halfway point had me grooving and enjoying the energy and percussiveness of some of the melodies.

FTL: Yeah… not my taste. But not horrible music, good voice.

The lyrics felt so corny for such serious subject matter. She does have a great voice and the music sounded cool. I just couldn’t get over those lyrics 4/10

Way way way too long. The whole thing started to become boring and repetitive after about 15 minutes.

I don't feel like finishing this one haha I'm at #160 and I usually finish these thing, but I've been through alot... I just don't see any reason to go on. I understand what this is, it's not bad, but I really want it to stop, I just wanna listen to Mark E. SMITH spit limericks and stuff right now.

It's not bad, but it feels like a pastiche of what r&b sounds like in the late 80s. Like, I don't know, maybe this is a case of setting a standard that became stale? It's tough to know without more context that I don't have. It feels so shallow and namby pamby

All I heard was the same electronic drum machine best on every single song.

I remember back when this came out. To me, it already sounded dated at the time. More programmed than performed. Not a terrible album, but not particularly good either, and that's too bad - Janet is a talent.

i really don't think this will help my already shitty day at the office, but we shall see. i've heard "rhythm nation" before. "state of the world" makes me nostalgic. it sounds like the soundtrack of every movie in the late 80's early 90's. If you bet me it was used in "sister act" and at least one "beverly hills cop" i'd believe it.

Very 80/90s pop. Nothing really groundbreaking for me again. Didn't dislike it, but really can't understand why it's on this list over other things.

Not for me

i didn’t finish it

Not bad, though not my cup of tea

Ehmmm, pues al principio me animó y luego... pues menos

I’ve never listened to a Janet album but there’s something off putting about this to me. On the surface it’s a good album, but something really bugs me about the production here. For one, it sounds like it never escaped the 80’s/early 90’s. I can’t stand this particular production style. Janet is signing like this should be a dance album, but the production feels so much darker and trance like at times. Maybe that’s the pull? Either way I’m not a big fan. It’s the same ick I get with later queen music.

I don't really like criticising albums for being "dated", but that's pretty much the main reason why I'm not a fan. I'm sure I would have liked this had I been alive in 1989, but it just doesn't hold up anymore. The beats are decent but they get old quickly. The album as a whole is too repetitive and too long. It's a shame really, as there is some hard-hitting moments and topics that are still very much relevant. Livin' In A World (They Didn't Make) is a moving one, but then the song immediately after goes back to the disco-industrial beats that completely juxtapose the moment you just had with that song. I don't really understand the aim of this. Probably my harshest 2 yet.

I was all set to give this the standard inoffensive 3-star rating. Then Livin’ in a World (They Didn’t Make) came on. Such cringy, over wrought lyrics meant I had to knock another star off

Glossy, emotionless and hyper-produced. Twenty minutes longer than necessary and I did not care for it at all.

Didn’t care for it.

I know she's an icon and it was nice to pull an album that I could have on in the car with my wife for once, but this was really really not for me.

Rhythm does not fit me.

Rich person singing about troubles. Album was about 20 minutes too long as most songs began sounding the same

Who's the psycho who thought I want to hear happy poppy music while bringing up images of starving children? Musically safe and productionally over polished, everything about this album screams commerical product, not a work of art. I'm not interested in this side of the axis.

This sounded far too manufactured and false. Sure, I hear your social concerns. But it's hardly What's Going On, sung from the heart. The Jam and Lewis production never fails, no matter the artist. But I wanted a little more soul and meaning. I wanted authenticity, and not album sales.

To be perfectly clear from the outset, listening to this album was a real challenge for me. The driving sounds of the drum machine, the synthetic sound, the agitated vocals—all of it got on my nerves terribly. Janet Jackson was an unparalleled artificial construct, a product of her time. Whether she's still relevant today, I have no idea. "Rhythm Nation" is, in my opinion, totally overproduced; nothing sounds genuine, except for her ballads. I find "Livin' in a World," "Lonely," and "Someday Is Tonight" quite listenable, but definitely not every day. I'm glad I listened to the whole album, and now I have to stop. Janet Jackson—not really my cup of tea.

Idc about this

There are a few really good, solid songs on here. Then some real clunkers in my mind --

And 80's R&B/pop album is gonna be skating uphill with me at the best of times, and this one did not overcome my biases. The songs are well-crafted, and she's a talented singer, but it's just not for me.

Not my thing at all. Glad when it ended

I just can’t get past the production and the annoying electronic snare. It’s still very MJ era sounds but just not as good as the MJ songs. Not my cup of tea

More influential in music video styles than in the music itself, but all over the charts for a really long time. Dance-Pop meh, it does almost nothing for me now and didn't do much for me at the time.

Me not liking Janet Jackson might be one of my more controversial music opinions

A few hits of note, but not my cup of tea.

Sounds that defined the 90s and an era of cartoon themes. Personally, it's not my cuppa tea. 4/10

an album speaking to the issues of society .... done quite poorly. i enjoyed the musicality of the album to an extent. however the surface level mentioning of a wide variety of issues makes the album seem performative - "prejudice. no....bigotry. no". well duh... but give us some more insight. not overly surprised considering the artist.

everything sounds the same also, that one review is WILD and it made me not like her so...

The production is excellent, most of the song writing is simple, but it was an easy listen.

The latter half of the album was sooo much better than the first half, but by that point I was too annoyed to care! The lyrics were so awful

The more 'soul' songs at the end were nice. Everything else kind of sucked. Very 'after school special' written by someone in a completely different class than their listening demographics

Standouts Rhythm Nation

As much as I liked the Jackson 5, I've just never been huge on their solo careers. This album, when it came out, was pretty much elevator music to me and that's still where I place it. Its odd because I consider myself a pop fan today, but dear god did 80s pop sound like bland crap. Some of the songs, Like "Miss you Much" and "Escapade" I could see liking with a different arrangement/production but as it is I couldn't even make it to the end in one sitting.

She’s a talented vocalist who sings about worthwhile subject matter, but I can’t get into this style of music

Seriously disappointing. Songs aren't catchy and sounds are irritatingly repetitive.

Some albums must be stayed in the era they were made, and Rhythm Nation is one of them. It's an extremely dated sounding 80s new jack swing/pop album, very overproduced. Janet sings about societal issues but the sound overpowers everything, including the message of the album. Some songs are ok, but the album is quite long and overstays its welcome by a couple of songs. I understand this was a cool album in the late 1980s but it isn't one in 2026.

As expected, there are a lot of sonic and stylistic elements here that I'm really not into. However, I dug the first part of this record a bit more than I expected. In addition to her strong sense of melody, Janet's social messaging is quite prescient and powerful. Even if I don't really love the overall style, some of these tracks are among my favorites I've heard in this vein, especially "Rhythm Nation". Unfortunately, the ending trio of slow jams reeeeally sunk it for me; I have yet to develop the patience for or understanding of this particular type of R&B. 2.5/5

It’s ok… not my favorite.

Meh 🥱

Ju mer maskinellt det låter desto bättre. Lite Prince utan hans finess och låtskrivargeni Snuddar vid trean

Låter väldigt daterat. New jack swing är väldigt präglat av den tidens syntar och trummaskiner. Överlag för många och för långa låtar. Black cat är fruktansvärd. Ok pop i övrigt.

Pretty meh and got worse.

A few songs were ok but overall too boring.

What do you do to follow up your breakout smash hit album? Hire the same producers and do it again….but this time turn everything up to 11. Lean into the CD format and put out 65 minutes of content! Bought this on the day of release having already bought the preview single (Miss You Much) as well. Was a massive fan of Control and was excited to hear the follow up. The thing is…..more isn’t better with this album. Control was a tight set of songs and worked well. But this is an overblown bloated mess in comparison imho. It’s all just trying way too hard. There are still good moments in here (usually when they calm down a bit on the preaching and the production), but it’s telling that I haven’t listened to this album in 20+ years since it got filed into the collection. Listening again now, I’m surprised it made this list tbh. I guess the 80s had to have a quota….but Control is a better JJ album. 2

1.9 2x some catchy and fun songs, but not my thing

80s pop gold

Getting strong late 80s vibes here. Sounds like Paula Abdul and others, especially State of the World. Anyway, the album sounds well produced and everything. Not that I would ever listen to it again. I don't even recognize the hits here.

This one is time-stamped hard. The only thing that could possibly make this appealing today is performing it at a halftime show and then having her boob pop out right after.

A good pop album from a really good singer. I really dislike all the Interlude tracks however. Doing an album a day is for me a chance to listen to the albums from start to finish, how most were intended to be listened to. But to me the interlude takes away more than it adds from the experience.

oh brother so many damned interludes what is this a fucking symphony what is an interlude wait this is actually epic okay turns out only the interludes are good

This is just a female version of her brother's album "Bad," but without the hits.

# Album Name: Rhythm Nation 1814 # Artist: Janet Jackson # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Such a boring album. All blended into one piece of steaming turd. # Top Tunes: ? # Would I listen to it again? No

a ver, es la mama Jackson pero se me ha hecho increíblemente repetitivo, no distinguía el final del comienzo de las canciones.

Started ok but got a bit boring toward the end

Overall better than TLC but the hits were worse. I was waiting for Scream but never got it.

“Shit, that girl wider than all outsides. Talking about she looks like Janet Jackson.” “Oooooo, she didn’t go there” “Yeah. Bitch got out the car looking more like Freddy Jackson” I guess it’s a fine early 90’s R&B album 2.5⭐️

this was not a fun experience for me really. There was one track - Escapade. 48 million plays on Spotify, seems like they spent their entire production budget on making this one track sound good. Also her voice... HER VOICE! If this didn't pre-date the technology I would have sworn this was auto-tuned. Her voice sounds perfect. It's kind of unreal. The rest of the record was not fun though. One in my listening group said that listening to this record felt like chewing aluminum haha. That heavy synth-oriented soundscape feels noisy and crazy but also thin and weak at the same time.

Wooo Yeah Wooo Yeah. Literally every song in 1989. No.

Don't get the hype for this one, seems like typical late 80s pop fare.

Listens: 0.9 Standout tracks: none Ugh. Not for me. From some cursory research, it seems like Janet Jackson is being genuine in her concerns she's raised in this concept album about a variety of social topics, but it still comes across as preachy, sterile and vapid.

What's the deal with 80s and 90s hip hop albums and the 'interlude'. Why did anybody think this was necessary? Some of the songs seem a bit preachy and not sure how much she backed this up with actions in her life? Happy to be proven wrong on this. The tracks where she was more 'Prince-y' and less preachy were far better. But why not just listen to a Prince album? A lot of the production is very similar and that can be a bit of a drag.

very busy. clattering percussion everywhere, all the sounds are harsh and demanding - cavernous drums, clanking bass synths - no light and shade

Not good.

The album started very well. I liked the beats and the vocals and lyricism, but this is one of those albums that could have been a lot shorter to its benefit. Having 6 minute long slow songs makes it go on forever and it did no favors here. I appreciate it, but not my thing.

Sounds like Michael Jackson to me. Added few songs which deserved 2nd chance.

Ambitious effort tackling some big social issues in a concept album peppered with confrontational "interludes", but ultimately it comes across as pretentious. It's hard to take anything here seriously when it's presented with synthesised drums.

Standout Songs: Rhythm Nation Love Will Never Do (Without You) Alright Black Cat Not really my style, but a couple songs I knew from the radio

I did not like it, but for no particular reason. Maybe too cheesy.

A few tracks I may return for, but nothing I plan on seeking out. Perfectly fine music to listen to in a department store

And I’m the skinniest jacksooooo00000nnnnn. Interesting choice for a Janet album. It's very '89, and not in a way I really appreciate. Her other albums are bangers though.

Best Song: Rhythm Nation. Steel drums and a danceable rhythm counts for something. Worst Song: Livin' In A World. Who are these cheesy ballads for? When would I want to listen to this? Were people in the 80s just looking through rain-speckled windows, feeling heavy emotions? Overall: This feels like a distillation of late 80s pop. Nothing really sticks out. It all just reads as a continuous panache of big 80s production. Some might say too big. I am some. I didn't like this.

This album has been made over and over and the world is still a shithole in the brink of demise. Consciousness is music can be cool, but there is a fine line and the 80s wasn’t it.

Ha, I had this record when I was like 11. I listened to it somewhat regularly until I discovered Poison and Motley Crue, and I don’t think I’ve ever come back to it until now. Sometimes it’s interesting when you remember your 11-year-old self’s understanding of something and compare it to your 47-year-old’s understanding of the same thing. For instance, at 11, I understood that this was supposed to be some kind of important record where Janet took on some of the day’s hot-button issues with her singing and dancing, but finding myself pretty much unmoved about the issues of poverty and education. I remember that it had a handful of songs that I preferred to the songs in between that handful of songs. I remember thinking that Janet was easy on the eyes. At 47, I think the reason I was unmoved by these critical issues of the day is because most of these songs are really pretty dumb surface-level treatments of the topics; 11-year-old me must have understood that. I still think there are a handful of decent songs on here, but the filler is really pretty bad (and now I understand why none of those songs stick out to me now…I fast-forwarded 80% of this record when I was a kid). This record absolutely did not have any business being an hour and 4 minutes long; the fact that it takes this much time to get through is a testament to Janet’s ability to take herself too seriously. I still think 1989-era Janet is pretty easy to look at though. The funniest bit about this record for me though is realizing that some music is truly timeless. But this isn’t that kind of music. You can tell some producers and engineers put in a ton of work on this record, but it sounds like a distillation of the lamest parts of 1989 slick studio production. I’m not sure there’s a real drum anywhere on this record, the samples are multilayered and ubiquitous, and the synthesizers are out of control. Janet can sing, but less would have been more here as far as everything else is concerned. I appreciated the walk down memory lane here. But I also understand so well why 11-year-old me found other musical avenues to explore. I guess I can say that I appreciate Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 because it was pivotal in my discovery of better music. 2.5/5

Always loved Rhythm Nation as a song, but this album is just a little too long for me and no other song delivers the way RN does

5/10 Enjoyed the synth bass on the first couple of tracks but then it became stale very quickly. Highlights: State of the World Miss You Much

Phuuu mir isch das zu vill. Wie de michi (wo mir wu nöd so pässlet) aber mit biz weniger banger potential. 2 banditos für die 2 jacksons

Didn't like It. For one, a lot of the content seems preachy and shallow, and a touch insincere. Something about the mega-label pop machine putting out a melodramatic album like this rubs me the wrong way. Ultimately, I feel like singing about the world’s problems like this ultimately creates more distance between the public and those problems. It drives a wedge between the artist + the listeners and the problems. “They”, the children with the problems, are different from “we”, the famous pop star and contemporary music listeners. I much prefer music that unifies the listener with the problems since, after all, most of us are closer than we think to a dark path. Art and music are about sharing and understanding different perspectives that can’t be captured with simple language, and the best of this helps expand your mind to understand those lives that are different than yours. And maybe once we understand those that are different at such an intimate level, we can truly empathize and understand how to make those problems a little better.

Everything she does sounds the same to me. Fine for what it is, not my cup of tea, and certainly no where near as talented as her brother.

Girl power comin' on strong

The super outdated 80s production made this a tough listen

I fully appreciate the intention behind this album, and I can tell how much effort was put behind it. However, it suffers from some of the worst cliches from the 80's. I guess for people that were around that time it must have been groundbreaking, but sadly I think it has stayed on its time.

this did not hit