Janet Jackson is an icon in her own right, as she’s been commemorated for her decades of excellence as a musician and actress. In a recent interview with Allure magazine, however, she also reflects on the efforts that she’s made to become a leader in body acceptance, creating a foundation for women learning to fully embrace and love themselves.
With the 1993 release of her self-titled album Janet specifically, Jackson says that she was set on fully embracing and loving herself for who she was.
The cover for the album was a photograph of Janet seemingly topless with her arms above her head, resting on her curls. A Rolling Stone cover that came the same year showed the complete photo, revealing a scantily clad Janet with just a pair of hands covering her breasts. Now, she confirmed that the imagery was an intentional introduction to an era of self-love.
“Embracing me and trying to learn to love me for me, my body, all of that. Trying to feel comfortable in embracing that,” Jackson explained. “Throwing myself in the lion’s den. Just going for it, wanting to do something different. It took a lot of work, a lot of work. It was something very tough, very difficult, But I’m glad I walked through it.”
She continued, “I’m really glad I got in. It was a way of accepting and loving, accepting yourself and your body.”
The singer-songwriter — who shares son Eissa, 5, with husband Wissam Al Mana — is thrilled to see how the industry has changed in recent years with Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Miley Cyrus and more sharing messages of body positivity in their music and on stage.
Janet explained, “(They are)comfortable in their skin, in their size, in being full-figured and I love that, as opposed to back in the day,” she said. “You had to always be thin and always look a certain way. And now it’s all accepted and it is all beautiful and I absolutely love that.”
Janet’s interview comes on the heels of her upcoming documentary, which is set to premiere on 28th January on Lifetime and A&E.
Allure’s February 2022 issue is available on newsstands from the 18th January.
You can read the full interview here: Allure Janet Jackson interview.
