It took less than one second to temporarily derail the iconic career Janet Jackson had been building for more than 30 years.
Janet was famous from birth. The youngest child of the Jackson clan, she was joining her siblings on stage and on television by age seven. At 11, she had her first acting role, in the American sitcom Good Times. By 16, her father, Joseph, had secured her first record deal. Janet released two generic pop albums in the early '80s that flopped, at the same time that her brother Michael (who was seven years older) was creating musical history a fact not lost on her harsher critics.
At 18 she eloped, the secret marriage (which lasted a year) an early sign of the defiance that would become her brand. This rebellious streak reared again when she sacked her strict father as manager and took the reins for her third album, 1986's Control. She followed that up with Rhythm Nation 1814 and by the start of 1990 she had sold more than 20 million albums.
A string of singles had topped the US charts "When I Think of You", "Miss You Much", "Escapade", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" and "Black Cat" - and she'd enjoyed major global hits with "Nasty", "What Have You Done For Me Lately" and "Alright".
In her life and her career, everything had been accelerated. That was until that Super Bowl halftime performance in early February 2004 stopped almost everything. The shamefully misogynistic situation led to ongoing debates about race and gender once social media became the new media.
As her Super Bowl guest Justin Timberlake sang the line "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song", he ripped off part of Janet's top, exposing her right breast and nipple jewellery.
Demand to see the instantly infamous "wardrobe malfunction" was so high it led to the creation of YouTube, as the platform's founders were frustrated at not being able to find the clip online.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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SHANNEN DOHERTY
The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.
Back to EARTH
In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway
ODE to LIGHT
Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent
JEN ATKIN
The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels
A NEW DIRECTION
When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life
LADY LUCK
Rosalía takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?
CURTAIN CALLING
Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton
LEIGH-ANNE
The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix
