Doing the write-up of Number Ones put me in the mood to reminisce about "If," hands down my favorite Janet Jackson song ever. When Janet. came out in the summer of 1993, I listened to the whole album nonstop, but this was an early and immediate favorite. My friends and I used to try to copy the video's dance moves--particularly the robotic arm motions during the instrumental middle section.
A few years later while in college, my friend Layla, who was an extraordinary dancer (and now a DJ), got a group of us together to perform "If" at DragFest, our college's big spring gay dance--the social event of the season. We rehearsed daily for about a week leading up to the dance, and it was a lot of fun. I've always loved the videos with the big choreographed dance sequences--many of the best of which were Janet Jackson's (When I Think of You, Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, and Alright, in particular). Thanks to Layla, I actually got to be part of one. Her choreography was pretty faithful to the video moves (see below). When we performed on stage at the dance, it was a big hit.
The song itself is pretty amazing dance pop. Its unrelenting tempo, heavy bass beat, layers of synths, and fuzzy electric guitar form the perfect background for Janet's horny declarations ("I closed my eyes and thought about us a hundred different ways") and thinly veiled allusions to oral sex ("your smooth and shiny feels so good against my lips, sugar"). Indeed. This is one to turn up--way up.
3 comments:
i get ya! i get ya!
"If" rates as one of my favs of Jant too..but i do love a lot of Janet. A lot.
Ditto - If is absolutely my favourite Janet song. There is something just magical about it, from the down and dirty lyrics to the guitar licks to the beat to the chorus. All amazing!
My favorite Janet song is the normal version of "I Get Lonely." But "If" is cool too. It has such an... invigorating (wow!) beat to it.
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