Janet Jackson collaborators say fans in for a treat on Japan tour

Currently on her "Unbreakable" world tour, Janet Jackson is set to return to Japan after an extended break in her music career. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, her long-time collaborators, gave an insight to the career of the "All For You" singer.

Jackson’s number one album "Unbreakable" is nearly 30 years since her breakthrough No. 1 "Control" record. Jam explained her changes throughout her journey, “I just think you get better at your craft. She is a better writer, she is a better producer and she is a better vocalist. Terry and I obviously have a lot of successful records with her, and we really appreciate it now even more so. To be back together with her is wonderful and we do not take it for granted.”

Lewis added, “Over the 30 years she has become a very insightful songwriter. That is one of the most precious things about her because it allows her to really verbalize what she feels. Her albums reflect on what she is feeling at the time of them being created.”

"No Sleeep," the lead single from "Unbreakable," features none other than J. Cole. Lewis said, “In creating the track, J. Cole was at the top of our list of artists we wanted to collaborate with. He is so flexible in the way he can create a rhyme and feel the moment and is not single dimensional in terms of style.”

Jam continued, “We have collaborated with other artists like Usher and Boyz II Men and it is always a great process working with these super talented artists because you do not have to teach them anything. You can just bring ideas together and collaborate, although we will never have the history with anyone like we do with Janet. J. Cole told us a funny story about his mother buying a ticket for him to Janet’s tour one year when he was younger and for some reason she canceled the show. He had his mother write a letter to her that insisted in her not canceling the show. It is quite humorous because it goes in a full circle. He has been a fan for so long, then he gets the opportunity to work with her, so it made us all feel comfortable together. There is always the love for music no matter the age. A child can show you a melody that you would never have heard of.”

Jam and Lewis’ last contribution to Janet was working on her album "20 Y.0." It has been nine years since they last collaborated together. Mentioning the reunion of working on "Unbreakable," Jam said, “We had a lunch with Janet almost two years ago. A little while after, we had a meeting with her management about the record and Janet’s idea was that it had to be a record by Jam, Lewis and herself. It had to be like 'Control,' 'Rhythm Nation,' 'Janet,' 'The Velvet Rope' and 'All For You.' Those five albums had no outside influence or involvement by anyone.”

“If I do a song today, it has taken me so many hours that I have been living each day to create that song,” Lewis added. Every song is created and is all about what you have learned and experienced in life. Janet did not make an album for close to 10 years because she probably did not have anything to say. She has spent her entire life in the music industry and entertainment business and if entertainment is your only life then you do not have time to experience anything else in the world. It is not that it has taken so long, it has just taken as long as it has needed.”

Jackson was only 14 when she met Jam and Lewis, only to start working with them some years later. They were asked what they liked about her when they first met her, Jam explained, “We were always fans of her attitude. When she did the television shows with her brothers, we thought that it would be great to write with someone that had a lot of aggressiveness. The record label gave us a list to choose from and Janet was an obvious choice. They only recommended us to do a couple of songs with her but we immediately said that we wanted to do an entire album. That album was 'Control' and her attitude influenced other artists like Beyonce and Britney Spears.”

Jam and Lewis have had a hugely successful career spanning decades. Lewis said, “We do not have a desire to do music without each other. We have that much love in our music and for each other that we did a handshake agreement when we first began where everything is split right down the middle. We have total freedom with each other and we do not question the ability of one another. If one day Jimmy wants to hang it up then I will too.”

“Who knows what will happen?”, asked Lewis when talking about surprising Jackson onstage at her recent show in Inglewood, California. Jam said fans can look forward to “nothing but hits! The shows on the 'Unbreakable' tour are the best shows she has ever done. We will try to come along to Japan and meet the fans who have supported her over the years.”

Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour

Thursday, November 19 - INTEX Center, Osaka Saturday, November 21 - Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo Sunday, November 22 - Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo

© Japan Today