
20. ‘No Sleeep’ (2015)

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All hail Janet! Looking back at over three decades of music and dance routines, we count down the 20 best Janet Jackson songs
Janet Jackson has sold staggering 160 million records worldwide, so where the hell do we start with the 20 best Janet Jackson songs? Let's start at the beginning, born May 16, 1966 Janet Damita Jo Jackson is the youngest of the Jackson family clan. She has achieved world domination through her groundbreaking choreography and innovative music videos, she has delighted fans with a rich catalogue of both socially conscious and sexually charged records, not to mention a few feel-good anthems and tearjerkers along the way.
RECOMMENDED: The best songs ever
Compiling a definitive list of the best Janey Jackson songs is no easy task, so we asked an expert and a London legend with a keen awareness of all things Janet. Neil Prince is both an excellent DJ and a promoter of R&She – a night dedicated to the queens of R&B and hip hop.
As we gear up for the release of Janet’s eleventh studio album, 'Unbreakable', we've trusted Neil with the task of rating the defining singles of Ms Jackson’s career so far…
Abandoning long-time producers Jam & Lewis for 2008’s ‘Discipline’ raised some eyebrows, but lead single ‘Feedback’ didn’t disappoint. With its chant of ‘Yeah that’s sexy sexy sexy’, this electropop gem remains a more recent dance floor favourite of Janet fans. Breaking from tradition, she didn’t write or co-write any of the songs on the album. So let’s not hold her responsible for the choice lyric: ‘Heavy like a first day period’.
1993’s ‘Janet’ album saw JJ explore sexual liberation and intimacy in her lyrics and this 1994 single is a standout testament to the theme. Also receiving a remix from R Kelly, the original sees Janet unashamedly confess: ‘I don’t give a damn, I want you now’ as the production slowly inches its way to climax. Still on point with her social consciousness, the erotic video ends with the message ‘Any time, any place… be responsible'.
We take a bump ’n’ grind down memory lane and round up the top R&B songs from the last quarter-century, from great old-school R&B love songs to new R&B music by younger artists. Crank it up and get low.
It may be cool once again, but London never really stopped dancing to the sexy beat of R&B. Here’s our pick of the best tried-and-tested club nights and parties that supply R&B, hip hop, soul and '90s jams on a regular basis, via great DJs, MCs and live performances.
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