Tonight felt like a great night for something different as far as a tune of the day. I looked through a couple of things on YouTube, and there were endless possibilities. So much repertoire from the 80s and so many genres. I thought about someone whose name "ain't baby - it's Janet...Ms. Jackson if you're nasty..." Of course, I am referring to the one and only Ms. Janet Jackson. I was so completely crazed by her music back in the 80s. I think we all were to some degree. We watched her musical style develop throughout the decade and well into the 90s - and then into the 21st century. Long before her musical career, she played Penny on "Good Times" and Charlene on "Different Strokes." I loved watching those shows. Penny was so cute, and I think every teenaged girl wanted to be as pretty and sophisticated as Charlene. Ms, Jackson is a legend indeed. I could probably pick a good dozen of her songs, because they are all terrific. Thought I would take a look at "What Have You Done for Me Lately" just for fun.
This song is still as fresh and vibrant as it was in 1986. The beat is crisp and really contagious. It's hard to listen to this song and not want to pop out of the chair and break it down. I had forgotten about the video and how it is basically a "dance off" between Janet and the "deadbeat boyfriend" - although who can be a deadbeat if they dance that well? Perhaps Ms. Jackson wrote the lyrics with great accuracy and attention to the attributes (or lack thereof) of the deadbeat dude. When it came time to plan the video, maybe she wanted to just have some fun. It's a really interesting juxtaposition of fun, upbeat dancing and lyrics about some guy who you'd just want to kick to the curb. I also did not realize that Paula Abdul was in this video. I knew she was in the "Nasty" video, playing the role of Janet's best bud. Once again, Ms. Abdul appears in this video as Janet's friend, conversing with her in the beginning and asking, "what has he done for you lately..." Paula Abdul worked with Janet for several years as her choreographer, so it was pretty cool to see her in the video as one of the "characters." We all know that she went on to release some of her own recordings, but that will be a topic for another day.
I hope you enjoy this video. It is truly a classic with the fashions and dancing. I am still amazed at that crazy shoulder move. In fact, I am in awe. My shoulders would not move like that even if I asked them politely. The outfits are pretty funny, too - especially the "big shirts." Anyone remember "big shirts?" I absolutely had to have them when I was in middle school. We looked high and low for them, and when I found them at the local department store, I grabbed two (one pink with blue geometric shapes, and one blue with pink geometric shapes). Pretty awesome! Today they seem a bit odd, and I hope they don't come back in style, but if they did, well...yeah, I'd be the first in line. No shoulder pads, please. Those can stay in the time capsule of fashion.
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