Any Janet Jackson or Madonna fans?

[MomoAdachi]

Yeah, I know, there's some questionable-at-best moral issues with both of them, but does anyone else like any of either of their music? Just wonderin'...

[yukoxholic]

I can't really stand either but I will say the only Madonna album that I deemed buyable was the Ray of Light album. I love all the songs and couldn't get enough of it, still to this day I have it on my player. ^__^

As for Janet Jackson I only liked the songs Runaway and Together Again.

[MomoAdachi]

Of course, as people, I didn't expect either star to be very popular on a Christian site, although I think Janet might consider herself a Christian, albeit an extremely liberal one, not that I want to start a debate there. :hits_self

Yeah, Together Again is a good song, definately one of my faves on The Velvet Rope, along with Everytime and I Get Lonely. Runaway is pretty good too.
Hmm, I wouldn't call Ray Of Light my fave Madonna album, a little too New Agey/artsy/introspective for my taste, I'm into more traditional pop/dance music, but there are some good songs on there, Frozen and the title track both rock, IMO.

[GhostontheNet]

Madonna has a remarkable ability to both irritate me and offend every ethical system I have ever thought to be worthwhile (basically a fusion of Christian, Socialist, and Punk/Goth Do-It-Yourself ethics). She started her career by stealing her image from the Punk band The Slits. Not content to merely copy and commercialize their image, she took a cue from their phrase "We ain't no material girls" to release her smash hit single "Material Girl", which was designed to glorify the worst kind of crass materialism. The end result after its 1985 release was "the mainstream tyranny of nouveau riche pop" (Simon Reynolds, Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 p. 390). Since then, it would appear that Pop musicians have mastered the art of sugar-coating their poison pills to feed listeners eager for sweet candy. Certainly, Madonna's career over the next twenty-some years is no exception to this rule.

[yukoxholic]

Of course, as people, I didn't expect either star to be very popular on a Christian site, although I think Janet might consider herself a Christian, albeit an extremely liberal one, not that I want to start a debate there. ]

I just wanted to clarify one thing: When I meant I couldn't stand either artist it wasn't because of what they stood for in belief or morals or what not. I just didn't particularly like their music. When I'm listening to secular artists I don't try and sway from what I like even if they are not Christians because if the music is good than I'll most certainly listen it. I know that sounds terribly contradictory but that's just where I stand... music-wise. I suppose I am just confident in my morals and faith as a Christian that when it comes to the music I listen too I can pick and choose since I know another's outlook on life won't sway me to their beliefs when I have my own.

And yes, I forgot about those Janet Jackson songs. So, I suppose The Velvet Rope would be another o.k. album from that artist! ^__^

Madonna has a remarkable ability to both irritate me and offend every ethical system I have ever thought to be worthwhile (basically a fusion of Christian, Socialist, and Punk/Goth Do-It-Yourself ethics). She started her career by stealing her image from the Punk band The Slits. Not content to merely copy and commercialize their image, she took a cue from their phrase "We ain't no material girls" to release her smash hit single "Material Girl", which was designed to glorify the worst kind of crass materialism. The end result after its 1985 release was "the mainstream tyranny of nouveau riche pop" (Simon Reynolds, Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 p. 390). Since then, it would appear that Pop musicians have mastered the art of sugar-coating their poison pills to feed listeners eager for sweet candy. Certainly, Madonna's career over the next twenty-some years is no exception to this rule.

I'll I have to say is this: Everybody rips off somebody.

Though I have to say for Madonna she's made herself almost "megastar" quality. I mean she's what close to fifty years old and still going strong? It's just like Aerosmith, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, KISS, Carley Simon, The Cure, even Cyndi Lauper made a comeback at some point though it was just a releasing of greatest hits. Older artists never want to give up and throw in the towel which is a good and bad thing: Good because than the youth of today can get a taste of the "classics" and bad because older artists are in competition with the younger mainstream. If young music listeners were given the option Oldie or Miley Cyrus, the majority will pick Miley because it's supposedly fresh, catchy, new, etc even if it is a "rip off" of some else's work.

People just like what they like, regardless of anything. ^__^

[GhostontheNet]

I'll I have to say is this: Everybody rips off somebody.

Though I have to say for Madonna she's made herself almost "megastar" quality. I mean she's what close to fifty years old and still going strong? It's just like Aerosmith, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, KISS, Carley Simon, The Cure, even Cyndi Lauper made a comeback at some point though it was just a releasing of greatest hits. Older artists never want to give up and throw in the towel which is a good and bad thing: Good because than the youth of today can get a taste of the "classics" and bad because older artists are in competition with the younger mainstream. If young music listeners were given the option Oldie or Miley Cyrus, the majority will pick Miley because it's supposedly fresh, catchy, new, etc even if it is a "rip off" of some else's work.

People just like what they like, regardless of anything. ^__^

There's a difference between the ordinary process of artistic influence and stealing one's style and persona outright. This is especially true when one intends not to pay tribute to their source, but instead to subvert it. The Slits were a Punk band heavily influenced by Reggae music who made it their project to "chant down Babylon" by assaulting the cultural expectation that women be placid and happy consumers. Madonna, by contrast, took their image and used it to encourage the ladies to be "The Richest Woman In Babylon" (to adapt the phrase of the Electronic Lounge band Thievery Corporation) and made gobs of filthy lucre by feeding those aspirations. Few things could be more niave, I think, than to listen to music without assenting to its underlying values on some level. I have more respect for the power of music than that.

Madonna may have been making music for 25 years, but so have many of the musicians I listen to. My favorite music has its roots in the 70's and 80's Underground, so the old "you young whippersnappers and yer newfangled music" has little to do with me. Music is most interesting when one takes into account its whole history and development of ideas, so I'm eager to listen to both older and newer musicians. In the case of Madonna's lengthy career, however, I think Batou of Ghost In The Shell captures my feelings well when he said "No matter how far a jackass travels, it will not return as a horse."

[Scarecrow]

I don't really like Janet Jackson at all but I don't mind a lot of Madonnas stuff (and Cher for that matter... actually prefer Cher over Madonna). I mean, its stuff I couldnt just sit and listen to and there's only a small handful, if that, Id even bother putting into my iPod. But they're catchy and fun (well, the 80s stuff anyway) The only album Id even consider buying of hers though would be Ray of Light. Frozen and Power of Goodbye are probably my favorites out everything shes done.

Her morals and stuff are in the garbage though and I try to stay away from the music videos. But she does know how to entertain I'll give her that.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]I like old-school Janet. Stuff like "Pleasure Principle" "Control" "Rhythm Nation" and "Love Will Never Do Without You". Her dancing skills rock my freaking socks, that's for certain.

Honestly, I never saw the big deal over Madonna. Why is it that whenever she changes her hairstyle, people say she's "Reinventing herself"? She just got a haircut. She kiss Brittany Spears at the VMA's one year...so? She's just one out of countless others I'm willing to bet.[/color][/SIZE][/font]

[Doubleshadow]

Madonna is one of the reasons my parents raised me on country music. They just didn't think it was appropriate for a two-year-old to be singing those lyrics. I only heard the song "Like A Virgin" two years ago or so. I feel I didn't miss anything, and that applies to all the songs of hers I've heard.

Janet has only one song I've really liked, Rhythm Nation.

[MomoAdachi]

Doubleshadow and KhakiBlueSocks, I love Rhythm Nation too. That "5...4...3...2...1!" intro is so cool, and the anti-racism message is a worthy one. I guess that's why RN is my fave Janet album, a lot of the songs on there have important, pro-social messages about racism, poverty, education, etc. Growing up in a comfortable middle-class household, listening to that CD really opened my eyes to a lot of the horrible things going on in the world. I realize there is lots of other music out there with the same kinds of messages, but that was my first exposure to "socially aware" pop music.

[Tsukuyomi]

Either one is alright with me I don't really put in to much to them. If their sound catches my ears then it catches my ears.

Lol, there was actually some Madonna playing in the car earlier

[Lilac#18]

I don't really like Janet or Madonna.With Janet,I really like her Rhythm Nation album because of its message, but I don't really like the rest of her albums but Control. With Madonna,I like a song that was writen by Babyface(can't remember the name of the song)but other than that,I'm not into those artists.

[MomoAdachi]

Lilac...I think the song you're thinking of is "Take A Bow".

[Lilac#18]

Oh yeah,thanks MomoAdachi.

[Slytherine]

My mother happens to LOVE Madonna. Please, have pity on me. I grew up with "The Immaculate Collection" album by Madonna, even knew the words to ever song by the time I was 6. Looking back on it, it's SLIGHTLY disturbing on a considerable number of levels. I was in the talent show in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade singing her songs. You know there's something wrong when you have a 10 year old singing "Like a Virgin" in a Catholic school. Too bad they had a shortage of try-outs that year, LOL.

My mother has always been a really free person, and she was like "Madonna: Now THERE'S music you can groove to!" Because that's TOTALLY not disturbing at all, now is it? LOL. Then again, my parents only put me in a Catholic school because it happened to be 5 minutes from my house, LOL.

But yeah. Looking back on it, my childhood was a little disturbing in the music department. Motown all the way. And Madonna. I was laughing hysterically when I saw a video of her rapping in one of her newer albums [like, between 2000 and 2006 I think]. Funny stuff there.

~Slytherine

[ilikegir33]

Rhythm Nation is good, but most of Madonna's songs are terrible. Except for Vogue. That's a good song, and Madonna's actually gotten a little bit (read: little bit) more moral with her new song 24 Minutes, but it sucks.

[rocklobster]

I was a Madonna fan until she started acting. Then I didn't like her much anymore. And I was a Janet Jackson fan until her infamous Superbowl appearance.

Madonna is one of the reasons my parents raised me on country music. They just didn't think it was appropriate for a two-year-old to be singing those lyrics. I only heard the song "Like A Virgin" two years ago or so. I feel I didn't miss anything, and that applies to all the songs of hers I've heard.

And "the more I drink/the more I drink" is appropriate?

[Shao Feng-Li]

I like a few songs here and there...

But after Weird Al's "Like a Surgeon" I can never take Madonna seriously.

[beau99]

"Holiday", "Take a Bow", "Like a Prayer", "Human Nature", most of the Ray of Light album and "Music" are among my favorite songs ever.