Like a Moth to a Flame: Janet Jackson’s ‘janet.’ Gets Expanded for 30th Anniversary

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With her fifth album, Janet Jackson took her artistry and popularity into a new gear for a new decade. Now, 30 years after janet. was released, it’s coming back into print this summer as an expanded edition featuring rare bonus material.

Coming off the back-to-back critical and commercial smashes of Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) – the latter of which met big brother Michael’s Thriller-era benchmark of seven Top 10 hits off one album, the youngest member of the Jackson family grabbed headlines in 1991 thanks to a record-breaking contract negotiation from longtime label A&M to Virgin. (Michael knocked out her record only days later by re-upping with Sony Music Entertainment.) Two years later, she was back with another collection of music. Where Control dealt with independence and Rhythm Nation tackled world affairs and increasingly mature romance in its lyrics, janet. featured slinky, celebratory paeans to love and intimacy in all its forms, from emotional to physical. “For the first time, I’m feeling free,” she’d tell Rolling Stone. “I love feeling deeply sexual–and don’t mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process.”

In her third collaboration with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet sought to quash the frankly bizarre accusations that they were doing all the work; conesequently, she’d pen every lyric on the 75-minute album, from the laid-back groove “That’s the Way Love Goes” to the fun and chill “Whoops Now,” the album’s unlisted closer. janet. showed fans and critics that she’d hardly lost a step after the ambitions of Rhythm Nation: it became her first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, has sold some 14 million copies worldwide (her bestselling release), and nearly matched the previous album with six more Top 10 hits: the chart-toppers “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Again,” “If,” “Because of Love,” “Any Time, Any Place” and “You Want This.”

Though the album only comes with seven bonus tracks – this would have been a great opportunity to put out 1995’s Janet Remixed in the U.S. – they’re all prime cuts. The album’s three non-LP B-sides are here – “And On and On” (the flip to “Any Time” which garnered radio airplay on its own), “70’s Love Groove” and “One More Chance” (a rare in-family cover, first performed by her brothers on 1984’s Victory) – along with various 7″ versions of “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Because of Love,” “You Want This” and non-single “Where Are You Now.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is currently on a stellar concert tour, which will be chronicled later this year in a new documentary series from Lifetime and A&E, who aired a documentary of her life and career in 2022. janet. will be reissued July 7 as a 2CD, 3LP or digital set. Pre-order them below.

janet. (Deluxe Edition) (Capitol/JDJ/UMe, 2023)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD) / Amazon Canada (TBD)

CD 1/LP 1-2: Original album (released as Virgin/JDJ/Flyte Tyme V2-87825, 1993)

  1. Morning
  2. That’s the Way Love Goes
  3. You Know
  4. You Want This
  5. Be a Good Boy
  6. If
  7. Back
  8. This Time
  9. Go On Miss Janet
  10. Throb
  11. What’ll I Do
  12. The Lounge
  13. Funky Big Band
  14. Racism
  15. New Agenda
  16. Love Part 2
  17. Because of Love
  18. Wind
  19. Again
  20. Another Lover
  21. Where Are You Now
  22. Hold On Baby
  23. The Body That Loves You
  24. Rain
  25. Any Time, Any Place
  26. Are You Still Up
  27. Sweet Dreams
  28. Whoops Now

CD 2/LP 3: Bonus material

  1. And On and On
  2. 70’s Love Groove
  3. One More Chance
  4. You Want This (Remix)
  5. Where Are You Now (Nellee Hooper Mix)
  6. Because of Love (Muggs 7″ with Bass Intro)
  7. That’s the Way Love Goes (CJ R&B 7″ Mix)

Track 1 from “Any Time, Any Place” CD single – Virgin V25H-38435, 1994
Tracks 2 and 4 from “You Want This” CD single – Virgin V25H-38455, 1994
Track 3 from “If” CD single – Virgin V25H-12674, 1994
Track 5 from Janet Remixed – Virgin (U.K.) CDVY-2720, 1995
Track 6 from “Because of Love” CD single – Virgin V25H-38422, 1994
Track 7 from “That’s the Way Love Goes” CD single – Virgin V25H-12654, 1993

Mike Duquette
Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, having written at and worked for all three major catalogue music labels and contributing to Allmusic, Billboard, Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Classic Rock. He's penned liner notes for Verve, Chess, Mondo and Soul Music Records.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

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6 thoughts on “Like a Moth to a Flame: Janet Jackson’s ‘janet.’ Gets Expanded for 30th Anniversary”

  1. Not really the Janet Jackson album I’ve been waiting to see expanded, but good for the fans who have been. So many mixes that could have been included on the space left blank on CD2, especially since the mixes that are included are 7″ rather than 12″. Perhaps the mentioned Janet Remixed will see a deluxe reissue soon after this release. Or may there are plans to digitally release the singles from this album, as Madonna’s been doing for her career singles?

  2. I never thought I would be “this guy” and technically Im not, I appreciate the effort, but it’s seemingly such a half-measure that I almost wonder if UME or Black Doll is trying to spring a surprise or two on us as we get closer to the release date. Because at the end of the day, I struggle with the idea that a 2023 Special Edition has fewer (albeit with substitutions) tracks than the 1993 Special Edition- https://www.discogs.com/release/1273251-janet-janet

  3. Brian Stanley

    New mixes, remixes and dance mixes have never held any interest for me so the three b-sides would have to be amazing to justify replacing my original disc. A live disc or concert and video DVD would be more appealing.

  4. Bellenger1981

    Wow! What a disappointment! Disc 2 is missing so many potential tracks. Ideally, the track listing should have looked something like this, in my opinion:

    Disc 2: Singles, Promos & Rarities

    01 That’s the Way Love Goes [A/C Edit]
    02 If [Adult 7″ Radio Mix]
    03 Again [Piano/Vocal]
    04 Because of Love [D&D Bentley Radio Mix]
    05 Any Time, Any Place [R. Kelly Mix]
    06 You Want This [Remix] (featuring MC Lyte)
    07 What’ll I Do [Dave Navarro Remix]
    08 One More Chance
    09 And On and On
    10 70’s Love Groove
    11 That’s the Way Love Goes [CJ R&B 7″ Mix]
    12 Because of Love [Frankie & David 7″]
    13 Any Time, Any Place [Jam & Lewis Remix]
    14 That’s the Way Love Goes [That’s The Remix (We Aimsta Win) #1]
    15 If [Extended LP Version]
    16 You Want This [Spoiled Milk. Remix]

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