LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Seven is a lucky number for Janet Jackson but Number One is even better. Janet Jackson’s long-awaited album, Unbreakable, topped the Billboard 200 Chart at #1 on its first week of release, becoming the Queen of Pop’s seventh #1 album. Unbreakable, also represents the fourth consecutive decade in which the music icon has achieved at least one #1 album.
Unbreakable, the first album on Jackson’s newly formed Rhythm Nation label, was released on Friday, October 2nd, to rave reviews, with the Washington Post exclaiming “That’s the way real music goes,” People Magazine calling it “Triumphant,” “Stimulating,” says theLos Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly calling it “Powerful,” Rolling Stone “Soulful,” and the New York Times exclaiming “Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable is Right On Time.”
Now the public has given an even better review, a #1 charting for the superstar’s first studio album in seven years. While that achievement is always hard-earned against tremendous competition, it came as no surprise since her first single release from the collection, “No Sleeep,“ has held the #1 position on the Adult R&B Chart for seven weeks, breaking the Queen of Pop’s own record on that chart.
The Unbreakable album constitutes a historic re-teaming of the iconic performer, now a holder of 46 record chartings with producer/songwriter superstars Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The Unbreakable release comes on the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking collaboration on Ms. Jackson’s “Control” album.
Janet Jackson set social media on fire in June when she announced over Twitter “This year, new music, a new world tour, a new movement.” She later had the music world buzzing by making history (again) when her new worldwide partnership with BMG, which includes her own label, Rhythm Nation, was announced. The groundbreaking deal makes her the first iconic female African-American recording artist to form her own record label, and the biggest worldwide superstar yet to quit the traditional record label system for a so-called artist services deal, designed to put artists in the driving seat. Unbreakable is also a significant milestone for BMG, founded just seven years ago as a new kind of music company bringing music publishing and recordings under one roof and promising artists fairness, transparency and service worldwide. It is the company’s first Number One album in the US.
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said, “Janet, Jimmy and Terry have delivered an exceptional album which is really connecting with music fans. We are delighted that Janet and her management team have placed their faith in BMG, and especially pleased that Unbreakable is the first album to be released by the new BMG to reach Number One in the United States.”
Ms. Jackson’s management team, Jaime Mendoza and Jessica Davenport of JDJ Entertainment, and Stephen Roseberry and Jason Winters of Sterling Winters Company, a kathy ireland® Worldwide company stated, “We congratulate Janet on her genius and this extraordinary accomplishment which is so brilliantly shared by her creative partners, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as Janet’s great BMG team that truly delivered, WME, Live Nation and Brad Wavra for excellence and great support.”
“This is a truly special week for Janet with a Number One album, a sell-out world tour and a nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame,” said Rhythm Nation President, Phil Quartararo. “We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this success, including Janet’s longtime friends and collaborators Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, and Janet’s management team, Sterling Winters Company and JDJ Entertainment.” He added, “We have been incredibly impressed by the BMG team. They have proven to be the ideal partners.”
BMG US President Creative & Marketing Laurent Hubert said, “This is an incredible achievement for an incredible artist. After seven years away it is a dramatic reminder of Janet’s ability to create music which is genuinely timeless. We congratulate Mr. Jam and Mr. Lewis on this great achievement as well. More importantly this Number One debut is only the beginning of our strategic campaign for this album around the world.
Jon Cohen, EVP of Recorded Music at BMG Chrysalis US said, “Congratulations to Janet, as well as to Jimmy and Terry on this great achievement. Unbreakable is undoubtedly one of the musical highlights of 2015. We are thrilled and honored to collaborate with this remarkable music icon.”
Ms. Jackson’s UNBREAKABLE WORLD TOUR, commenced to critical acclaim on August 31st in Vancouver, BC, and continues to sell out as dates go on sale. In response to the demand, a third leg of the tour has just been announced, as well as a European leg, keeping Jackson on the road until June of 2016. A full list of dates can be found at http://www.JanetJackson.com.
Janet Jackson is one of the most influential entertainers of the modern era. Her music has won her 6 GRAMMY® Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a nomination for an Academy Award along with dozens of American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, BET honoree, and Billboard Music Awards. She has received accolades as an actor as well, including the NAACP Best Supporting Actor award. Janet is a published author, choreographer, dancer, businessperson, philanthropist and one of the biggest-selling artists in popular music history. With sales of over 160 million records worldwide, Janet Jackson stands as one of the best-selling artists of all time with a string of hits that have left an indelible impression on pop culture. Her music and artistry has opened doors through which other top artists have followed, while acknowledging her impact on their musical perceptions.
