Throwback Thursday: Janet Jackson – “Black Cat”
Janet Jackson’s magnus opus, Rhythm Nation, turns 34 years old this week, and while we don’t like celebrating non-milestone anniversaries, this is certainly a great opportunity to take a look back at the album’s sixth single, “Black Cat.”
The ability to execute in different genres — and do so believably — is one that few recording artists possess. Janet is a member of this elite group, and she makes this abundantly clear on “Black Cat,” a hard rock song that somehow fits perfectly in an album that is decidedly pop/R&B.
Written by Janet and co-produced by Janet & Jellybean Johnson from The Time, the song is sung from the perspective of a woman with a gang-banging man who can’t stay off the streets. Between the production and Janet’s forceful vocal delivery, it’s easy to imagine a completely different subject matter, but the song is basically “Waterfalls” (thematically, at least).
“Black Cat” would become the sixth of the record seven top five hits from Rhythm Nation. It would also become Janet’s fourth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earn her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, making her the first artist to be nominated across five genres at the award show.
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