Legendary producer and songwriter Jimmy Jam has opened up to VIBE about the profound influence Janet Jackson’s 1989 album “Rhythm Nation 1814” had on her brother Michael Jackson, describing it as a pivotal shift in the King of Pop’s musical direction.
In recent remarks, Jam stated, “I think the Janet record that really changed Michael’s life in a big way was ‘Rhythm Nation.’” He explained that when the team later collaborated on the 1995 duet “Scream” from Michael’s 'HIStory' album, Janet’s earlier work provided the sonic template.
“Because when we got around to doing ‘Scream,’ ‘Rhythm Nation’ was almost the blueprint for what he wanted, that kind of bombastic industrial with sound effects and glass breaking and all those kinds of things,” Jam said.
Jam further highlighted Michael’s personal connection to the album, noting that he frequently turned to one of its tracks for dance warm-ups. “And, you know, ‘The Knowledge’, that was the record when he would warm up to dance, ‘The Knowledge’ from Janet would be what he put on. So he was a huge fan.”
He concluded that the influence was lasting: “And even if he listened to Michael’s records post-‘Rhythm Nation,’ his records had changed the whole the way they sounded.”