- Aug242011
Way Back Wednesday: Pink, Usher & Mya Honor Janet Jackson
Flashback exactly 10 years to 2001 and you will find this week’s Way Back Wednesday: the MTV Icon tribute to the legendary Janet Jackson. In addition to guest appearances by Aaliyah and Stevie Wonder, the ceremony also included a show-stopping medley performance by Pink, Usher and Mya.
Watch all the action below:
This performance is a lasting reminder of the talent that characterised the music industry at the turn of the century. All three artists were still relatively fresh and ready to prove what they can do as they honored Jackson.
However, many of the current crop of performers who cite Jackson as an inspiration don’t exhibit half as much of her influence beyond their fashion sense. Indeed, Rihanna claims to be a fan of Jackson but only her hairstyles attest to that fact.
It is time for the industry to experience a reboot and search for new talent that will inspire the next generation. Truly, it is quite frightening to think that our children might regard Rihanna, Britney Spears and Katy Perry as their icons.
Thoughts?
12 Comments to “Way Back Wednesday: Pink, Usher & Mya Honor Janet Jackson”
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That’s how U do a Tribute!!! Yessss!
Can I be honest? Beyonce is great, but she looks greater than her true identity because her peers today are soooooooooooo inferior. Mya’s dances are on par with Janet’s. Pink’s singing is on par with any great singer out there, and she can sing Rock and Soul without sounding like a poser. Beyonce needs true competition, because she is great, but somehow the bar isn’t being raised. Where are the great songwriters? Where are the true dancers, who has moves that aren’t “viral” like the Crank That Soulja Boy. Where are the true singers that understand that screaming, wailing, theatrics don’t equate to selling a song?
Where the real talent at? And even with Electronica? The American artists who came out of Germany to dominate the dance in the 90′s like Snap, Real McCoy, LaBouche, can destroy any of this watered down bastardization of dance music!
Where is the talent?
now this was a time before the industry got some shadey ass people in it.. it was peaceful and real! now it’s fake.. everyone’s doing the same thing… there are models holding mics, fake asses googling legends they don’t know..claiming they inspired them while leaving the real ones that they grew up on just coz they know they still young… everything is just phoney..
anywho this was an amazing show, the Destiny’s children including ((((Beyonce)))) tributed Janet too, Stevie Wonder, Nsync, Usher, Pink and more… i think the people in the music industry today are ruining it for themselves.. there is a high chance that they are not going to be getting something like this from young artists in the future.. coz they are just fake… there is a lot of them doing the shit..
I agree with sparkD’s first point
SparkD just poreached its due to the lack of real talent that Beyonce and Britney are viewed as the budding icons. Granted they have all accomplished phenomenal feats in their careers. They cant hold a candle to the Janets, Michaels, Arethas, Diana’s,Tina’s and Prince’s of yesteryear.
The real talented people out now like Janelle Monae, Bruno Mars, Adele, Esperanza Spalding need to be at the forefront of Modern Music and not Ke$ha, Rihanna, Katy Perry etc.
I am sure Riri’s fans will come saying shit, but one fact nobody can deny is that Riri’s talent is largely undeveloped hence she is mediocre at best. Take away her team and the cool fashion looks and you will see that Rihanna is an average looking girl with average vocal and dancing ability.
They DID that! too bad Mya didn’t survive…
@ Gigli – “The real talented people out now like Janelle Monae, Bruno Mars, Adele, Esperanza Spalding need to be at the forefront of Modern Music and not Ke$ha, Rihanna, Katy Perry etc.”
I don’t get why people think an artist has to fit a certain category like the people aforementioned to be considered really talented. They make similar music but they are not the only “real” talented people. There are other genres of music and music is about creativity and freedom of expression. Some people are just narrow-minded.
now thats what i call a tribute
@jay Janet and Madonna were pop stars who pushed the envelope. Janet was talking about world and women issues on Rhythm Nation…And Madonna made a whole statement about women and power when she dubbed an image like Marilyn Monroe with the cone bra during her Like A Prayer cd, with Express Yourself. She was taking on a sex symbol image but giving her power over exploitation. The lyrics in Express Yourself are possibly the best female empowerment lyrics of all the pop songs. This is why people don’t respect today’s versions of “women empowerment” songs. Sadly, Selena Gomez was the only pop artist who had a decent “empowerment song” today (Who Says) , and she’s pulling a Disney/Bieber fanbase.
Janet and Madonna were not “big power” singers, but they knew how to sell a message, a song, and perform for an audience with difficult and visual choreography that told stories.
The bar is so low today, that talent like Adele and Beyonce, are leaping in a time, where they would have had to share their crowns with 8 other people—who could attest stronger lyrics, authentic-non-theatrical vocals, true choreography, and progress.
Wow, Wow, Wow !!!
I couldn’t agree more with SparkD, Well said. In addition, Janet is an innovator and has broken boundaries. Todays artists such as Beyonce may have big theatrical vocals but are doing nothing original.
SparkD, I agree with you 1,000,000%. The reason Beyonce is always being called a icon after just 14 years in the industry is because her peers can’t compete with her. Gaga, Adele, Alicia Keys and Ciara are Beyonce’s only real competiton in terms of being an overall artist: singer/writer/producer/performer. Ciara may not have the vocals as the other women but Janet did not have the same vocals as Mariah, Whitney, Patti, Tina, Celine and Aretha but she could easily compete with them by being a great writer/producer and innovative performer. But still none of these women are being innovative, everytime they perform they always saying what inspired them, which is fine, but women like Janet always created new trends and raised the bar for all female performers after them.