In an email from her official website it has been confirmed that Janet will appear on tonight’s 2008 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. The awards will air live from 8pm ET.
The email suggested that Janet will be making an appearance at the start, saying, “Make sure you watch from the beginning… hint hint.”
After a period of little contact with fans via her official website, Janet has posted a note to thank fans for their support. She also posted the recently released Feedback remix featuring Busta Rhymes, Ciara and Fabolous.
In a new radio interview with Orlando’s XL106.7FM on Thursday (20th March), Janet has revealed she expects the first show of her upcoming tour to be on September 15th. Janet also speaks about her relationship with the paparazzi, confirmed that she will soon be visiting Europe and Asia to promote Discipline and revealed she hopes to film another movie shortly:
“I’ve gotten in a lot of scripts and I was hoping to do a film before I started promoting the album, but the strike happened so we went forward with promoting the album. But now that the strike is over I have to refigure out the timing of it all because I’m going to be getting into tour rehearsals pretty soon – in a couple of months – and the first show is mid-September.”
Listen to the interview in full at JohnnyAndJayde.com.
In a new interview, Mariah Carey has quashed rumours that there are plans for her and Janet to record a duet. Insisting it was nothing more than a ‘concept’, Mariah adds: “That was Jermaine’s concept… I love J.D., he’s like my brother but he makes these things up and he gets an idea and then he tells the world.”
Janet has launched an official page on the social networking site Bebo. Check out her profile now.
Janet has spoken to Essence.com in a new interview. Speaking to Clay Cane, she speaks primarily about her move from Virgin to Island Def Jam. Read the full interview below:
Janet Jackson is more than a long-lasting force in the entertainment industry. She’s a part of American history. Her breakthrough 1986 album Control was honored with twelve American Music Award nominations, a record that has yet to be broken, and she’s the first Black female recording artist to receive a Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year.
Here she talks to Essence.com about her new album Discipline, being a pioneer and the young competition.
Essence.com: After more than twenty years of recording, why do you need discipline?
Janet Jackson: Discipline has always been a part of me. When I started to perform onstage with my brothers and sisters, I would do my own hair. And not just in a messy way that a little kid would do, it had to be very neat. That’s a lot of discipline for a kid and I’ve always had that.
Essence.com: You once said that you view everyone as competition. Who do you see as competition now?
J.J.: Everyone! I still feel the same way. Even though I do feel there’s room for everyone as long as I’m first—no, I’m just kidding! [Laughs] I grew up competitive. We even grew up like that as brothers and sisters, but it’s a healthy competition. It keeps me going. It keeps me moving the way music and other things do.
Essence.com: “Discipline” is your first album since you left Virgin. How is the creative process different being on Island Def Jam?
J.J: There’s a huge difference. When I first joined Virgin Records we connected and spent a lot of time together similar to a family. Then, a lot of people left. It was a new group of people and we didn’t always see eye to eye. At that point it was time for me to move on and I did.
Essence.com: We always hear horror stories of artists trying to leave their label. How were you able to move on?
J.J.: I saw LA Reid at Oprah’s Legends Ball. We’ve been friends for years plus he’s wanted to work with me since my early days at Virgin. He asked me when my contract would end and I told him that I was working on my last album. It started from there.
Essence.com: For a while, you were one of the few Black female artists with worldwide success. What role do you think you’ve had in changing the landscape for women of color in the music industry?
J.J.: I’ve held the door open a little wider and that’s the way it should be. There were people before me who helped make it a lot easier for myself, like Diana Ross, Eartha Kitt and Lena Horne. I did things to try to make it better for those coming up behind me so it wouldn’t be as difficult.
Essence.com: Are there any plans to tour this album?
J.J: Yes, the idea is to tour at the end of summer. We were actually in full tour mode with the band and dancers for the last album. But the label called and asked if we would make a new album, then go on a tour.
Following many emails, Janet Love would like to confirm that Janet was not hospitalised last night, contrary to many media reports circulating the internet. She merely made a trip to Cedars-Sinai hospital and was not kept in overnight.
Janet Love has confirmed that Janet will no longer be performing on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live. She was originally scheduled to perform two songs on the show and as yet it has not been confirmed if and when the performance will be rescheduled.
Janet was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles “late last night with a shortness of breath”, according to Us Magazine.
A rep this morning told the magazine: “Janet is fine. She’s just battling this flu like everyone else.”
Update 18:12 GMT: Janet Love has learnt that Janet’s trip to Cedars-Sinai was a brief visit which did not require an overnight stay and she was released after being treated for flu-like symptoms.
Janet joins a list of names who have added their support to a television campaign in response to the recent murder of 15-year old Lawrence King and 17-year old Simmie Williams.
Other celebrities in the public service advertisement, which is due to air on MTV amongst other networks in the coming weeks, include: Calpernia Addams (who appears in Logo’s Transamerican Love Story), Andre 3000 (of OutKast), R&B artist Ashanti, singer/songwriter Sarah Bareilles, actress Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Nip/Tuck), international performer Estelle, actor T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy), R&B artist Little Sister, actor Darryl Stephens (Logo’s Noah’s Arc) and singer/songwriter Taylor Swift
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