Although she has been an unshakeable force in the entertainment industry since she was a young child starring in Good Times, Janet Jackson has taken a bit of a break in recent years. She began releasing albums as a teen but forged her way into dominating the small screen, film industry, and of course, becoming an icon in music. At this point in her career, Jackson has 11 studio albums under her belt since her 1982 self-titled debut. Yet, it has been seven years since she released her last album, Unbreakable.
In 2016, Jackson welcomed her son with ex-husband Wissam Al Mana, and that has been her primary focus. Still, her fans have been begging for new music and it seems that the music icon has been in the studio, however, she’s not quite ready to share just yet.
During her chat with Essence for their recent cover feature, Jackson explained why she’s taken a break.
“Even though it’s something that I absolutely love, it still is my work, my job,” she said. “There will be music at some point. Exactly when? I can’t say just yet, but there will be. I love it too much not to do it. This is all I know. There’s so much that I want to do — but my number one job is being a mama.”
Jackson also reportedly explained that although she’s been famous for most of her life, that notoriety isn’t something that she craves. She claimed that her coveted awards—such as her numerous Grammys—aren’t even displayed in her home.
“That’s not important to me, whether I did or didn’t [win], to be quite honest,” she said. “It’s really the body of music touching people and how it impacts their lives that matters to me. It’s not the accolades. I honestly don’t think about that stuff.”
Check out a few shots from Janet Jackson’s July/August cover feature with Essence below.
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