This song received critical acclaim with most critics noting the evolution of Jackson into a sexual persona from her prior reserved, innocent wholesome pubic image. “If” received a BMI Pop Award for Most Played Song and was also ranked among Slant Magazine’s Best Singles of the 90s. It peaked at no.4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and certified Gold by the RIAA.
The music video directed by Dominic Sena and choreographed by Tina Landon and Jackson was also ahead of its time. Taking place in an Asian nightclub displaying touch screen technology and web cameras (not available at the time) used to monitor the interactions between patrons. The video’s theme of sexual fantasy, desire and voyeurism were intended as an elaborate metaphor for the songs racy content. The uniqueness and innovation of the video received various awards including Best Female Video and Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards and a Billboard Award for Dance Clip of the Year.
Jackson has sold over 100 million records over her career and is one of the world’s best selling music artists. With an “extensive” catalog to her name to the likes of other hits like Nasty, Rhythm Nation and That’s the Way Love Goes just to name a few, she holds the record for the most consecutive top ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. So this week, we’re adding another hit from one of the most influential artist of our generation to the playlist. Here’s Janet Jackson with her smash hit “If”.
Click on image below to listen to this track. Enjoy 😉
