The Librarian of Congress Carla Haden has named 25 new inductees into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. They include Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814,” Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints Go Marching In,” Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Nas’ “Illmatic,” Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration,” Kermit the Frog’s “The Rainbow Connection” and more.

“The National Recording Registry will preserve our history through these vibrant recordings of music and voices that have reflected our humanity and shaped our culture from the past 143 years,” Hayden said in a statement. “We received about 900 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry, and we welcome the public’s input as the Library of Congress and its partners preserve the diverse sounds of history and culture.”

The National Recording Preservation Board is an advisory board consisting of professional organizations and experts who aim to preserve important recorded sounds. The Recording Academy is involved on a voting level. The 25 new entries bring the number of musical titles on the registry to 575; the entire sound collection includes nearly 3 million titles. Check out the full list of new inductees below:

National Recording Registry Selections for 2020

1. Edison’s “St. Louis tinfoil” recording (1878)

2. “Nikolina” — Hjalmar Peterson (1917) (single)

3. “Smyrneikos Balos” — Marika Papagika (1928) (single)

4. “When the Saints Go Marching In” — Louis Armstrong & his Orchestra (1938) (single)

5. Christmas Eve Broadcast--Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill (December 24, 1941)

6. “The Guiding Light” — Nov. 22, 1945

7. “Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues” — Odetta (1957) (album)

8. “Lord, Keep Me Day by Day” — Albertina Walker and the Caravans (1959) (single)  

9. Roger Maris hits his 61st homerun (October 1, 1961)

10. “Aida” — Leontyne Price, et.al. (1962) (album)

11. “Once a Day” — Connie Smith (1964) (single)

12. “Born Under a Bad Sign” — Albert King (1967) (album)

13. “Free to Be…You & Me” — Marlo Thomas and Friends (1972) (album)

14. “The Harder They Come” — Jimmy Cliff (1972) (album)

15. “Lady Marmalade” — Labelle (1974) (single)

16. “Late for the Sky” — Jackson Browne (1974) (album)

17. “Bright Size Life” — Pat Metheny (1976) (album)

18. “The Rainbow Connection” — Kermit the Frog (1979) (single)

19. “Celebration” — Kool & the Gang (1980) (single)

20. “Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs” — Jessye Norman (1983) (album)

21. “Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814” — Janet Jackson (1989) (album)

22. “Partners” — Flaco Jiménez (1992) (album)

23. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”/”What A Wonderful World” — Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (1993) (single)

24. “Illmatic” — Nas (1994) (album)

25. “This American Life: The Giant Pool of Money” (May 9, 2008)

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Sharing mental health issues with close family or specialized medical professionals can be challenging enough. Add in the pressures of fame and being in the public eye, and any struggles are exponentially more difficult to cope with.

In recent years, though, mental health has become a much more widely discussed topic in celebrity culture. Several artists have used their music and their platform to open up about their own struggles with depression, anxiety and the like, from Bruce Springsteen to Selena Gomez.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, GRAMMY.com highlights the inspirational impact of music superstars who speak out about what they're going through, and how they manage their challenges. These 10 performers are making change through their courage and candor.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran takes fans behind the curtain of his personal life and struggles with mental health in Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All. The four-episode docuseries, which is now streaming on Disney+, details the pain of losing his best friend Jamal Edwards and his wife Cherry Seaborn receiving a cancer diagnosis while she was pregnant with their daughter Jupiter.

"What I think is really great about the documentary is the themes that it explores, everyone goes through," Sheeran said at the New York City premiere on May 2, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "Everyone goes through grief. Everyone goes through ups and downs of their mental health."

Sheeran dives deeper into his struggles — and is more vulnerable than ever before — on his latest album Subtract, which arrived on May 5. "Running from the light/ Engulfed in darkness/ Sharing my eyes/ Wondering why I'm stuck on the borderline," he sings on album cut "Borderline," which touches on battling suicide thoughts.

Lewis Capaldi

Like Sheeran, Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi also gave fans an incredibly upfront look at his mental health challenges in a documentary, How I'm Feeling Now. The new Netflix release details his experience with anxiety and Tourette's syndrome, taking viewers to physical therapy with Capaldi and discussing how his medication both helps and hurts the quality of his life.

Capaldi's second album, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (due May 19) will further explore his anxieties and vulnerability. While he has admitted it wasn't easy to be so raw in his music and on screen, Capaldi wants to make a difference in other people's lives. "If people notice things that are concurrent with what's going on in their life, then it's all been worth it," he told Variety.

Billie Eilish

While Billie Eilish's music has been raw and real from the start, her music has become increasingly more vulnerable throughout the years. Whether in her music or in interviews, the star has opened up about dealing with body dysmorphia, depression and thoughts of self-harm — hoping to inspire fans to speak up when they are hurting, and to know that it gets better.

"It doesn't make you weak to ask for help," she asserts in a 2019 video for Ad Council's Seize The Awkward campaign, which features stars discussing mental health.

"Kids use my songs as a hug," she told Rolling Stone earlier that year. "Songs about being depressed or suicidal or completely just against-yourself — some adults think that's bad, but I feel that seeing that someone else feels just as horrible as you do is a comfort. It's a good feeling."

Selena Gomez

As one of the most-followed stars on social media, Selena Gomez has often used her formidable presence to discuss her mental health and connect with others. In 2022, the singer launched a startup called Wondermind, which is focused on "mental fitness" and helping users maintain strong mental health.

Just a few months later, Gomez further chronicled her own mental health journey in an Apple TV+ documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, which shows extremes she's suffered with her depression and bipolar disorder. She has said she was initially hesitant to share the film, but ultimately reflected on how many others could be helped if she did.

"Because I have the platform I have, it's kind of like I'm sacrificing myself a little bit for a greater purpose," she explained in a 2022 cover story with Rolling Stone. "I don't want that to sound dramatic, but I almost wasn't going to put this out. God's honest truth, a few weeks ago, I wasn't sure I could do it."

Shawn Mendes

In 2019, Shawn Mendes first publicly addressed his struggles with anxiety in the dynamic — and GRAMMY-nominated — hit "In My Blood." Three years later, the singer postponed his 2022 tour in order to focus on his mental health, opening up an important conversation to his legion of fans.

"The process was very difficult," he said in a February interview with Wall Street Journal. "A lot of doing therapy, a lot of trying to understand how I was feeling and what was making me feel that way. And then doing the work to help myself and heal. And also leaning on people in my life to help a little bit. 

"It's been a lot of work, but I think the last year and a half has been the most eye-opening and growing and beautiful and just healing process of my life," he continued. "And it just really made me see how culture is really starting to get to a place where mental health is really becoming a priority."

Bruce Springsteen

Even an artist as successful and celebrated as Bruce Springsteen has faced depression. In his 2016 autobiography Born to Run, the 20-time GRAMMY winner cites a difficult relationship with his father and a history of mental illness in the family, sharing that he has sought treatment throughout his life.

"I was crushed between 60 and 62, good for a year, and out again from 63 to 64," he wrote in the book. In that time, he released his 2012 album, Wrecking Ball, which featured a raw track called "This Depression." "Baby, I've been down, but never this down I've been lost, but never this lost," he sings on the opening verse.

As his wife, Patti Scialfa, told Vanity Fair in 2016, "He approached the book the way he would approach writing a song…A lot of his work comes from him trying to overcome that part of himself."

Janet Jackson

The physical and emotional abuse suffered by the famous Jackson family is well-documented in books, documentaries and TV dramatizations. But it's only been in recent years that Janet Jackson has talked about her own depression, which she has referred to as "intense." Her son Aissa has helped her heal from mental health challenges that have followed her all of her life.

"In my 40s, like millions of women in the world, I still heard voices inside my head berating me, voices questioning my value," she wrote in a 2020 ESSENCE cover story. "Happiness was elusive. A reunion with old friends might make me happy. A call from a colleague might make me happy. But because sometimes I saw my failed relationships as my fault, I easily fell into despair."

Elle King

After seeing global success with her debut single, "Ex's & Oh's," Elle King experienced the woes of sudden fame as well as a crumbling marriage. Her second album, 2018's Shake the Spirit, documented her struggles with self-doubt, medicinal drinking and PTSD.

"There's two ways out," she told PEOPLE in 2018, describing her marriage as "destructive," physically abusive and leading her to addiction. "You can take the bad way out or you can get help. I got help because I knew that I have felt good in my life and I knew I could get there again."

Brendon Urie

Certain public situations can trigger crippling anxiety attacks for Brendon Urie, who has been open about mental health concerns throughout his career. He can perform in front of thousands of fans, but he's revealed that being in the grocery store or stuck in an elevator for too long with other people are among some of his most uncomfortable scenarios in his life.

"You would never tell on the surface, but inside it's so painful I can't even describe," the former Panic! At The Disco frontman — who disbanded the group earlier this year to focus on his family — said in a 2016 interview with Kerrang.

Big Sean

Rapper Big Sean and his mother released a series of educational videos during Mental Health Awareness Month in 2021 — two years after the Detroit-born star started talking about his own long-held depression and anxiety publicly.

"I was just keeping it real because I was tired of not keeping it real," he said in an interview with ESSENCE in 2021. "I was tired of pretending I was a machine and everything was cool and being politically correct or whatever. I just was like, I'm a just say how I feel."

Like many of his peers, he hopes that his honesty will help others. "Whatever they can apply to their life and better themselves and maybe it just even starts a whole journey in a different direction as far as upgrading and taking care of themselves and bossing up themselves," he added. "Whatever they're trying to do, I hope it helps them get to that place."

How Durand Jones' Debut Album 'Wait Til I Get Over' Helped Him Explore His Roots & Find Self-Acceptance

From Post Malone to Peppa Pig vinyls, record stores around the world are stocking up on limited exclusive releases for Record Store Day 2023.

Held annually every April since 2007, the event honors independently owned record stores and the unity of fans and artists. This year, many stores will globally welcome more than 300 limited, exclusive records ranging from rock to jazz to rap on April 22.

With former official ambassadors including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack White, Chuck D, and St. Vincent, Record Store Day celebrates music of all genres. And that's exactly the case with this year's lineup of special releases, spanning from Miles Davis to Beach House.

In honor of Record Store Day 2023, get excited about these 10 limited, exclusive releases dropping in your local participating store.

The 1975 — I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it: Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Serving as the official Record Store Day UK Ambassadors this year, the 1975 take us back to 2016 with their second LP, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it — this time, along with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Available for the first time on double clear vinyl, this orchestral version of the British rock band's second studio album also features a version of their breakout hit, "Chocolate."

Miles Davis — TURNAROUND: Unreleased Rare Vinyl from On the Corner

Miles Davis' album On the Corner celebrated its 50th birthday last October, and its innovation takes yet another turn on Record Store Day. Titled Turnaround, this sky-blue vinyl features four cuts from the expanded 2007 album The Complete On The Corner Sessions, also offering appearances from Herbie Hancock, Dave Liebman and Bennie Maupin.

Björk — the fossora remixes

Fill your record collection with some flora and fauna — natural, eccentric scarlet and green patterns adorn each vinyl sleeve of Björk's exclusive the fossora remixes. The release features two dynamic songs: A1 Ovule featuring Shygirl (Sega Bodega remix) and A2 Atopos (sideproject remix).

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Beach House — Become

Fourteen months after psychedelic pop duo Beach House unveiled their eighth studio album, Once Twice Melody, they continue the story with a new EP. Titled Become, the five-song project — which is available on crystal-clear vinyl on Record Store Day — features five formerly unreleased songs from their 2022 LP.

Nas — Made You Look: God's Son Live 2002

Just over 20 years ago, Nas gave a spectacular performance at Webster Hall in New York City, further solidifying his status as a legend of East Coast hip-hop. The spirited 20-song concert now appears on vinyl for the first time, with familiar artwork calling back to its original DVD release in 2003.

Dolly Parton — The Monument Singles Collection 1964-1968

More than six decades into her career, Dolly Parton joins the Record Store Day fun with a celebration of her early years. The country legend's remastered singles from the 1960s are hitting record store shelves, and the special first-time collection also features liner notes from two-time GRAMMY nominee Holly George-Warren.

The Rolling Stones — Beggars Banquet

As the Rolling Stones sang of "a swirling mass of grey, blue, black, and white" on "Salt Of The Earth," the rock band's upcoming limited vinyl for Beggars Banquet will be pressed with a swirl pattern of the same four colors in tribute. The group merges classic rock with their blues roots on Beggars Banquet, and the vinyl of their 1968 critically-acclaimed album features the original artwork and window display poster.

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Taylor Swift — folklore: the long pond studio sessions

In September 2020, Taylor Swift's GRAMMY-winning album folklore was reimagined at New York's Long Pond Studio with a pair of the singer's closest collaborators, Aaron Dessner (The National) and Jack Antonoff (fun./Bleachers). And in November that year, fans got to witness those sessions in a Disney+ documentary. Now, more than two years later, the serene album's acoustic studio sessions are available on vinyl for the first time, including four sides and bonus track "the lakes."

'Ol Dirty Bastard — Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version

ODB's memory lives on in the vinyl rerelease of his iconic 1995 debut album, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Featuring the 2020 remasters of 15 tracks, this drop is the first posthumous release from ODB since 2011, but not the first time fans have heard his voice since then: SZA's SOS track "Forgiveless" concludes with a previously unreleased verse from the late rapper.

Donna Summer — A Hot Summer Night (40th Anniversary Edition)

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Donna Summer's momentous Hard For The Money Tour. This exclusive vinyl celebrates the Queen of Disco in all her glory, capturing her live concert at Costa Mesa's Pacific Amphitheatre from August 1983. The vinyl offers performances by special guests Musical Youth, her sisters Dara and Mary Ellen, and her eldest daughter Mimi.

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Janet Jackson has built a musical legacy artists dream of. With five GRAMMYs, 100 million albums sold, 10 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, there's no other way to describe her than a global icon.

As a member of the ever-talented Jackson family and little sister to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, it may not be so surprising that Janet has carved a trailblazing path of her own. But her musical success story wasn't immediate — not only was she hesitant to pursue a music career after establishing herself as an acclaimed actress in the late '70s and early '80s, but her first two albums lacked Jackson's creative input and were met with disappointing sales.

Once Jackson started calling the shots herself, though, she was on the fast track to rivaling pop's biggest names. Her 1986 album, Control, wasn't just her coming of age story — it was proof that she was a superstar in her own right.

Nearly four decades later, Jackson has released 10 albums, seven of which topped the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. On April 14, Jackson will launch her Together Again Tour, which commemorates her 50th anniversary in entertainment, as well as the anniversaries of her multi-platinum albums Janet and The Velvet Rope.

As the tour kicks off, GRAMMY.com revisits all of the timeless albums, standout visuals, and fearless concepts that propelled her into superstardom and inspired countless stars after her.

Listen to GRAMMY.com's official Songbook: An Essential Guide To Janet Jackson playlist on Spotify above and on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.

Commercial Breakthrough

Jackson closed out the '80s on a high note with back-to-back hits — including Hot 100 chart-topper "Miss You Much" — so it's easy to forget that the decade started out rather slowly for her. Between 1982 and 1984, Jackson released her eponymous debut studio album and its follow-up, Dream Street, both of which failed to make a significant impact on the Billboard 200; they sold just over half a million copies combined.

By the mid-80s, Jackson yearned for the creative freedom that could set her apart from her famous family, most notably her brother Michael, who was still riding high off the success of Thriller. She parted ways with her father as her manager and enlisted Prince protégés-turned-legendary duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for the funk-infused, synthesized assertiveness demonstrated in her third studio effort: Control. 

Released in 1986, the LP was undeniably a commercial success, producing several top five feminist anthems, including "Nasty" and "What Have You Done for Me Lately." She even scored a hit with the album closer, "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)," which emerged as a staple across R&B radio stations, despite not being released as a single. And while Control featured the pro-abstinence ballad "Let's Wait Awhile" — which proved to be especially powerful amid the AIDS epidemic, "Funny How Time Flies" felt like a catalyst for Jackson's sexually suggestive material that followed in the '90s and beyond.

In addition to earning Jackson her first No. 1 ("When I Think of You") and first GRAMMY nominations, including Album Of The Year, Control re-introduced Jackson as a force to be reckoned with and kickstarted a run of chart-topping albums and songs.

Socially Conscious Grooves

Instead of taking the safe route and capitalizing off the success of Control, Jackson set out to make a socially conscious record for the follow-up — despite her label's pushback against the idea. According to Jimmy Jam, Jackson was particularly disturbed by 1989's Stockton playground murders, a racially motivated mass shooting at an elementary school that claimed the lives of five children.

Taking notes from Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, and U2, Jackson released Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 in late 1989. The album opens with a now-iconic spoken pledge that states in part: "We are a nation with no geographic boundaries/ Bound together through our beliefs/ We are like-minded individuals sharing a common vision/ Pushing toward a world rid of color lines."

What follows is a sequence of three hard-hitting, danceable tracks that preach racial harmony while shedding light on important issues like homelessness, poverty, teen pregnancy, crime, and substance abuse: "Rhythm Nation," "State of the World," and "The Knowledge." On the chilling outro of "Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make)," children's screams and a snippet of a news broadcast covering the Stockton playground murders are heard throughout.

"It's like 'Oh, she thinks the world is going to come together through her dance music,' and that's not the case at all," Jackson reportedly said at the time of the album's release. "I know a song or an album can't change the world. But there's nothing wrong with doing what we're doing to help spread the message."

Jackson's powerful messages resonated in a major way: Rhythm Nation 1814 sold 12 million copies worldwide — the second highest of Jackson's career — and amassed a long string of No. 1 and top 5 hits, including "Love Will Never Do (Without You)," "Come Back to Me," "Escapade," and "Black Cat." Rhythm Nation 1814 was also the first album to boast No. 1 hits in three different calendar years, and it's the only album to garner seven top 5 singles.

Its accompanying tour transformed Jackson into a fashion icon, as hoards of fans emulated her all-black, military-inspired attire. With two million concertgoers, the Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 is the most successful debut concert tour, a record Jackson still holds today. 

But the accolades didn't end there: "Rhythm Nation" won a GRAMMY for Best Long Form Music Video. She received a total of nine nominations in 1990 and 1991, including Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical) — making her the first woman to receive a nod in that category.

Culturally, it set the wheels in motion for future pop and R&B stars to make bold musical statements, from TLC's "Waterfalls" to Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is the Love?" to Beyoncé's "Formation." In 2021, the album was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its "cultural, historical or aesthetic" significance.

The Janet Era

Jackson's "Love Will Never Do" video — the first to show off her physique — offered a preview of the megastar embracing her sensuality, but 1993's Janet saw her shed her good girl image once and for all.

Sonically, Janet departs from the big dance numbers Jackson issued in the '80s. Lead single "That's the Way Love Goes," for instance, marked her official foray into more adult, R&B-oriented sounds. It turned out to be a risk worth taking: The song soared to the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 and won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Song.

The album displayed Jackson's willingness to experiment with a myriad of musical styles, including new jack swing ("Because of Love"), opera ("This Time"), jazz ("Funky Big Band"), and house ("Throb"). Jackson, of course, leaves room for social consciousness in the underrated "New Agenda," a collaboration with Public Enemy's Chuck D that addresses racial and gender discrimination through a more optimistic lens.

Lyrically, "If" and "Any Time, Any Place" contain some of Jackson's most risqué verses. "I'll hold you in my hand and baby/ Your smooth and shiny feels so good against my lips, sugar," she sings in "If"; "Any Time, Any Place" is dedicated to public lovemaking ("I don't wanna stop just because people walkin' by are watchin' us").

But although the LP's overall theme was sexual pleasure, liberation, and lust, standout track "Again" tugged on listeners' heartstrings, showcasing one of her most emotional vocal performances. It sounds like Jackson is fighting back tears as she sings the closing line, "Don't you stand there and then tell me you love me then leave again/ 'Cause I'm falling in love with you again."

"Again" appeared in the 1993 film Poetic Justice, which saw Jackson return to her acting roots by playing the titular role. The song scored Jackson her first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations in 1994, and her "Poetic Justice" braids created another style icon moment for the star, as the hairstyle soared in popularity among young Black women. 

The sexed-up Janet era also birthed her famous Rolling Stone cover, which featured a topless Jackson with then-husband René Elizondo, Jr.'s hands cupping her breasts — solidifying her new status as a full-on sex symbol.

A Game-Changing Concept Album

Riding high off the success of three consecutive multi-platinum albums, Jackson was at her commercial peak in late 1997. Two years prior, she released her first compilation album, Design of a Decade: 1986-1996, celebrating the hits that made her a bonafide superstar. "Runaway," one of two new tracks recorded to promote the album, debuted in the top 10 — a first for a female artist at the time.

Adding to the hype, in 1996, she renegotiated her Virgin Records contract for $80 million, the largest deal in history at that time for an artist. Beneath the surface, however, Jackson battled depression. She chronicled those then-private struggles in what's arguably her most impactful project: The Velvet Rope.

On lead single "Got 'til It's Gone," Jackson merges hip-hop and folk music, thanks to Q-Tip's rap verse and a brilliant sample of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi." Set in South Africa's apartheid era, its stunning visuals celebrating Black culture and beauty earned a GRAMMY for Best Short Form Music Video in 1998. 

For many, "Together Again" is Jackson's most recognizable track from The Velvet Rope era, selling over six million copies worldwide — her biggest international hit to date, likely due to its universal themes of grief and loss. Originally penned for a friend she lost to AIDS (with the song's proceeds benefiting the American Foundation for AIDS Research), "Together Again" has since morphed into a dedication to her late brother, Michael.

Leaning into the sounds of neo-soul, "I Get Lonely" (which features Blackstreet on its remix) unveils Jackson's vulnerability. "I fell asleep late last night, cryin' like a newborn child," she laments on the song's first verse. Elsewhere on The Velvet Rope, she tackles domestic violence ("What About"), protests against homophobia ("Free Xone"), and confronts her own self-scrutiny and childhood trauma ("You" and "Special"). She also explores sexual fluidity on a cover of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night," as well as BDSM on "Rope Burn." In contrast, the club-ready "Go Deep" serves as one of the rare bright spots on the album — perfectly crafted for late-night house parties.

Decades later, The Velvet Rope holds up as a masterpiece. The deeply personal record sparked conversations about mental health and helped to usher in alternative R&B, a sub-genre now associated with artists like SZA, The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean. It also paved the way for mainstream artists to incorporate darker themes into their music while tapping their personal lives as inspiration — with Beyoncé's Lemonade and Rihanna's Rated R albums being prime examples.

Feel-Good Classics

Jackson separated from Elizondo, Jr. when she began recording 2001's All for You. The upbeat title track, built around a heavy sample of Change's "The Glow of Love," skyrocketed to No. 1 — her 10th and final chart-topper.

Smashing radio airplay records left and right, "All for You" made its way onto every pop, rhythmic, and urban radio station during its first week, and it also became the highest Hot 100 debut for a non-commercially available single. The song's chart performance earned Jackson the "Queen of Radio" title — an impressive feat nearly 30 years into her career, especially amid the booming success of younger acts like Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Usher, and Nelly. A year later, "All for You" earned Jackson her fifth GRAMMY, and her first for Best Dance Recording.

The 20-track LP also includes "Doesn't Really Matter," the lead single for the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack and technically Jackson's first offering of the new millennium. All for You's final single "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" — a delightfully warped reimagining of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" — and deep cuts like "Trust a Try," "Truth," and "Better Days" allude to the singer's relationship woes, but the album mostly celebrates being newly single. The then 35-year-old sounds optimistic, almost giddy at times, about the possibility of finding love again, as exhibited in "Come On Get Up" and "Someone to Call My Lover." The latter song borrows America's laid-back guitar riff from their 1972 hit "Ventura Highway" for a dose of nostalgic folk.

Turning Music Videos Into An Art Form

As Jackson proved to be a stealth competitor to the new generation of pop superstars, her impact was rippling through the music videos of Britney Spears, Usher, and Backstreet Boys — particularly her "Miss You Much" chair routine. 

Jackson's music videos have been an essential facet of her legacy from the start, but "Rhythm Nation" is arguably the most striking and influential. Originally presented on MTV as the conclusion of Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 short film, the black-and-white visual displayed a deeper side to her artistic vision, featuring Jackson and her dancers executing rigid, military-style choreography in a warehouse setting, while singing unison about social injustice. 

The Velvet Rope is responsible for some of her most artistic and captivating visuals to date. In "Together Again," filmed in Tanzania, vibrant images of a joyful, red-haired Jackson in a safari-esque utopia are bolstered by breathtaking shots of wildlife. Her sex appeal is undeniable in the videos for "I Get Lonely" and moderate hit "Every Time," the latter of which is easily her most forgotten visual — though it seemingly inspired the bathtub scenes in Britney Spears' "Everytime" and Rihanna's "Stay" videos.

Earlier videos such as Control's "The Pleasure Principle" quickly set a new standard for female artists to carry entire videos based on choreography alone, as evidenced in Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?," Ciara's "Promise," and Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." Later, 1995's avant-garde "Scream" — her highly anticipated duet with brother Michael — set off a wave of other futuristic videos, including TLC's "No Scrubs" and Missy Elliott's "She's a B—." The visual won the sibling duo a GRAMMY for Best Short Form Music Video in 1996, and still holds the Guinness World Record for most expensive music video ever made, costing a whopping $7 million. 

As a pioneer of the video era, Jackson's contributions were acknowledged and celebrated when she received MTV's inaugural Icon tribute in 2001. The televised event featured an electrifying dance tribute from Pink, Usher and Mýa; a sincere rendition of "Let's Wait Awhile" from Destiny's Child; and *NSYNC's recreation of Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes" video. Jackson herself closed out the show with a performance of her then-latest hit "All for You."

Underrated Gems

Upon the arrival of 2004's Damita Jo, Jackson's music had been overshadowed by a career-derailing wardrobe malfunction during her Super Bowl halftime show performance with Justin Timberlake. The incident resulted in Damita Jo becoming Jackson's first album to miss the No. 1 spot since 1984's Dream Street; even then, many critics praised its lead single, "Just a Little While," noting its potential to become Jackson's next big hit. Despite the unprecedented backlash Jackson endured, Damita Jo picked up a nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2005 GRAMMY Awards.

Standouts include "All Nite (Don't Stop)," "Strawberry Bounce," and the Evelyn King-sampling "R&B Junkie." Co-written by then-upcomers Kanye West and John Legend, the slept-on "I Want You" pays homage to the Motown era and remains a fan favorite.

Jackson's next couple of albums, 2006's 20 Y.O. and 2008's Discipline, also underperformed with combined sales echoing those of Janet Jackson and Dream Street. Even so, compared to Damita Jo's "Just a Little While," 20 Y.O. and Discipline's lead singles fared better on the charts. The endearing "Call on Me" (featuring Nelly), and the infectious "Feedback" peaked at No. 25 and No. 19 on the Hot 100, respectively.

In 2015, Jackson released Unbreakable, which spawned the slow jam "No Sleeep," her 40th Hot 100 entry. Marking Jackson's first release as an independent artist, Unbreakable debuted atop the Billboard 200, making her only one of four artists with No. 1 albums spanning four consecutive decades.

Three years later, Jackson teamed up with Daddy Yankee for "Made for Now," bridging African and Latin beats for a dancefloor classic. The track was an extension of what Jackson does best: create infectious tunes that inspire, uplift, and unite the world. 

It's hard to believe a decade is fast approaching since Jackson's last studio album. As she revealed herself when she announced the Together Again Tour, "there will be new music" — but as it stands, her body of work feels as relevant as ever. 

As she treks across North America to perform her biggest hits, she'll remind millions that she's as musically innovative as they come. Janet Jackson shined a light on social issues, shattered sexual taboos, broke new ground with candid lyrics, and revolutionized the industry with intricate choreography and memorable videos — solidifying her status as eternal pop royalty.

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Mary J. Blige’s tireless work ethic, extraordinary singing talent and soul-level relatability are the secret ingredients to her longevity as a recording artist. Her discography includes nine GRAMMY wins and 37 nominations, and the multi-hyphenate artist continues to demonstrate that there's no limit to her creativity.

Blige is nominated for six awards at the 2023 GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year and Best R&B Album for Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe). The title track is nominated in three categories: Record Of The Year, Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, and "Here With Me" is up for Best R&B Performance.

Good Morning Gorgeous encapsulates the true self-love Blige felt after healing from divorce, abusive relationships and depression. As she explains on an album interlude "good morning gorgeous" is the affirmation Blige now says to herself in the mornings — and, for the first time, she believes it. And when it comes to the odds of adding to her GRAMMY wins on Feb. 5, it’s safe to wager that Blige thinks they’re sound.

"Bet on me, why not?" Blige sings in the chorus of the album’s "On Top." "Don’t act like I never left on top."

For her resonant musical messages, Blige has been crowned the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. But  she’s also an industry professional who deftly sets and iterates on trends, keeping even her earliest releases relevant and exciting. 

Blige became a record label boss when she released Good Morning Gorgeous as a joint venture between Lyor Cohen’s 300 Entertainment and her own Mary Jane Productions. She’s a frequent executive producer of her albums and multimedia projects and is set to executive produce two fictional films for Lifetime in 2023 through her production company Blue Butterfly. Real Love and Strength of a Woman are both named for her songs. Real Love is described as a romantic drama set in an upstate New York college. 

After more than 30 years of recording, Blige has amassed an acclaimed and extensive discography of consummate original classics, deep soundtrack cuts, scene-stealing covers and remixes. Press play on the Amazon Music playlist above and use the below guide as a diving board into a career full of the empathetic pain, healing, promise and happiness that she has shared with unflinching honesty and vulnerability.

The Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul

Blige was living in a housing project in Yonkers, N.Y. when the late Andre Harrell signed her to his Uptown Records, which released her 1992 debut album, What’s The 411? Harrell coined the nickname Queen of Hip-Hop Soul to describe the fresh way Blige's music melded rap beats with R&B hooks.

Harrell and his then-intern Sean Combs gave her a rugged style to match her music, with boots and baseball caps instead of heels and sparkles. Young women from the inner city saw themselves in Blige's aesthetic and in her rawness.

Yet admiration for Blige’s powerful vocals and unique tone grew before her name was ever recognized. Blige was first heard as a backup singer for Father MC’s 1990 hit "I'll Do 4 U" and, the following year, her own single "You Remind Me" (from the Strictly Business soundtrack) gave Blige some street buzz to lead into What’s The 411? The hip-hop swagger of "Real Love" — which samples "Top Billin'" by Audio Two, a beat highly familiar to New York City fans at the time — served as her formal introduction to the world and remains a calling card decades later.

The My Life Era (Extended Mix)

Contrary to the music industry’s sophomore slump stereotype, Blige’s second album is a seminal work. 1994's My Life became career-defining, and an album that she has subsequently reflected on to show her growth.

The album is a reflection of her volatile relationship with singer Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, Blige explained in Mary J. Blige’s My Life, a documentary she executive produced for Amazon Studios in honor of the album’s 25th anniversary. Throughout, Blige keenly pairs heights of happiness with depths of her despair on songs like "You Bring Me Joy," "I’m Goin’ Down," "I Love You" and "Be Happy." 

"The whole 'My Life' album is, 'Please love me, don’t go, I need you,'" she said in the documentary. Combs, then known as Puffy, continued: "When she made that album, she was fighting for her heart." (Combs and Harrell served as executive producers of My Life.)

Blige and Combs never collaborated quite so closely again, though they remained friends. Combs didn’t produce 2011’s My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1), but he appears in a telephone skit to open the album, similarly to how he did on My Life. The sequel features guest stars such as Nas, Beyoncé and Drake.

Though her earlier works hinted at the potential, My Life most firmly established Blige as a beacon for hurt hearts everywhere. In a 2021 interview with Trevor Noah, Blige described how childhood physical and mental abuse, as well as her relationship with Hailey, led to substance abuse and depression. When she used the songs on My Life as a way of saying she needed help, "four million people responded and said, ‘'We need help, too.'"

Covers, Collaborations And Remixes

Cover songs have been an acclaimed — and long-lasting — part of Blige’s career ever since she sang "Sweet Thing" by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan on What’s The 411? Blige released her hugely popular version of Rose Royce’s "I’m Goin’ Down" in 1994, which reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and she beat Beyoncé to the punch in 2000 with her take on Maze’s "Before I Let Go."

But her ascension to rock star status has a lot to do with her scene-stealing covers of songs of stadium-level acts. Blige has delivered epic versions of songs by Led Zeppelin ("Stairway To Heaven") and Sting ("Whenever I Say Your Name"), and when she collaborated with U2 on a new version of "One," there’s an audible battle with Bono as to whose song this is now.

Blige collaborates with rap, R&B, rock, country, electronic and classical artists with equal ease, and her discography includes work with late legends, including "Holdin’ On" with Aretha Franklin and a cover of Stevie Wonder’s "As" with George Michael. She won her first career GRAMMY in 1995 for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for "I'll Be There For You / You're All I Need To Get By," a collaboration with Method Man that covers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. 

A dance music collaboration with London duo Disclosure called "F for You" in 2013 helped to catalyze an entire album from the Capital of England called The London Sessions. The 2014 album features a second collaboration with Disclosure ("Right Now"), a cameo from UK garage DJ/producer MJ Cole ("Nobody But You") and guest vocals from Scottish singer Emeli Sandé ("Whole Damn Year").

Blige has long understood the potency of both hip-hop and dance music remixes, which remain a part of her single roll-outs. Over the years, she created a remix album of songs from What’s The 411?, and in 2002 released club-focused reworks of songs from No More Drama, Mary and Share My World on Dance For Me. 

Blige's remixes also pay homage. On her cover of First Choice’s "Let No Man Put Asunder," Blige honors singers who came before by featuring guest vocals from the group's lead singer, Rochelle Fleming.

Her Rap Alter Ego

Blige has rapped a few times on her albums, beginning with a verse in "Love," from 2001’s No More Drama. She won her first solo GRAMMY for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2003 for "He Think I Don't Know" from No More Drama. By the time she rhymed on "Enough Cryin’" and "Take Me As I Am" (both from 2005’s The Breakthrough), her rap alter ego had a name: Brook Lynn.

Her cadence caught the ear of her friend Busta Rhymes, who recruited Blige for his "Touch It (Remix)" the next year. "The haters plot and they watch, lookin’ all pale/While I’m on a yacht overseas, doin’ my nails," she raps alongside Busta, Missy Elliott and Rah Digga.

Brook Lynn took a hiatus for a few years after that, but she came back blazing in 2011. "Homegirls love me and we be ridin' Phantoms/Mad chicks hate me 'cause I be writin' anthems," she rhymes on "Midnight Drive" from My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1). 

The Soundtracks

Since "You Remind Me," her first Top 40 entry, appeared on the soundtrack to Strictly Business, Blige has written stunning original songs such as "I Can See in Color" for Precious (2009). She has also licensed other hits to dozens of movies.

After years of contributing to soundtracks, Blige created her own as executive producer and performer of the soundtrack for Think Like a Man Too (2014), which includes a cover of Shalamar’s "A Night to Remember" and guest appearances by Pharrell Williams and The-Dream.

Blige has been cast in several acting roles since she guest starred in an episode of The Jamie Foxx Show in 1998 and has played fictional characters as well as real life figures Betty Shabazz (Betty and Coretta) and Dinah Washington (Respect). She received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song for her work on 2017 film Mudbound.

More than 30 years into her recording career, Blige appears happy, energized and ready to add more hits and heartfelt anthems to her songbook.

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