In a new interview, VH1 has spoken to Janet about her back catalogue of what she terms ‘baby-making songs’. In it, she reveals some of the inspiration behind the tracks and also what they mean to her. Read the interview below.
Let’s first talk about “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun).” That’s sort of the prototypical Janet baby-making song.
I was just a baby myself when I did that. I’ve heard people say that that has kind of a Jackson feel, that it’s reminiscent of stuff my family’s done in the past, musically speaking. I guess it does. Thinking about it then, I didn’t hear it, but thinking about it now, it kind of does. It was just giving people a chance to see another side of me. Just a little glimpse into a world that later they’d see a lot.
How about “Someday Is Tonight”? I always thought of that song as a sequel to “Let’s Wait a While.”
It was!
A lot of people credit “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” as being your gateway into sexy territory, but to me, the janet. album initially was set up by “Someday.”
You’re absolutely right. You’re the first person to say that. I felt a little bit more comfortable with letting people a little more into my world. “Someday Is Tonight” is a continuation of, “OK, now that you’ve waited this long…” And I even say in the song, “I know I promised I’d be worth the wait / The wait is over, please don’t hesitate.” Someone said to me a long time ago about the janet. album being very sensual and sexy: “What message are you sending to the kids? You talked about ‘Let’s Wait a While.’” And I said, “Well, I’m in my 20’s now. How long do you want me to wait?”
How about “The Body That Loves You,” speaking of janet.?
You’re pulling out stuff that people don’t talk about! I love “The Body That Loves You.” It has this island feel. It’s not Brazilian, but it has a little bit of that feel about it. One of my favorite genres of music is Brazilian music. I got into that when I was 14 years old. That and jazz. As much as I loved Stevie and my brothers’ music, I listened to Astrud and João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia. I keep telling myself, “You gotta do something that has that feel to it.” [”The Body That Loves You”] was the closest I ever came to that. I’m still going to, but I’ve never tapped upon that sound the way I want to. “Body” has that cool, relaxed, laid-back, ocean-beach, just chill feel to it. It’s just a beautiful song to me.
Janet appears on the cover of this week’s The Big Issue in Britain. The magazine, which is sold by homeless people on the streets of Britain to help them make money, features an interview with Janet in which she talks about British musicians she listens to (such as Natasha Bedingfield, Amy Winehouse and Coldplay), how she was meant to be spending Valentine’s Day in Europe and how she’s never ridden the subway. Read the full interview on Janet’s blog, but if you’re in the UK please endeavour to buy the magazine to support those without shelter.
