There are other Janets in the world of course. But how many can you name? The actress Janet Suzman perhaps. Or the late Janet Leigh who inspired so many shower-related traumas courtesy of her appearance in Hitchcock's film Psycho. And then there's columnist and controversialist Janet Street Porter of course.
But, really, when it comes to Celebrity Janets one stands head and shoulders above the others. Even if she is just 5ft 4in tall.
Janet Jackson – well who else did you think I was talking about? – is back. A new album, her first in seven years is released this week. There's an American tour planned too. Probably safe to say now that Ms Jackson has definitely put the infamous 2004 Superbowl Nipplegate incident behind her (metaphorically if not physically. That would require the kind of cosmetic surgery that no one has yet been keen on).
Jackson's new album is entitled Unbreakable, which may or may not be a reaction to the furore that engulfed her in the wake of the "wardrobe malfunction" during her halftime performance alongside Justin Timberlake in Houston's Reliant Stadium 11 years ago.
What is certain is that Unbreakable sees the return of Jackson's star producers Jam and Lewis, the men behind her most potent albums Control and Rhythm Nation.
The duo were posted missing when Jackson last released an album, Discipline, back in 2008. It's possible that Jackson would never have managed to emerge from the shadow of her more famous brother without the input of Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis.
Under their watch Jackson became a genuine superstar thanks to singles such as What Have You Done For Me Lately and Nasty, that glorious kiss off to leering men, back in 1986. Indeed, with Control, Jackson became the first female artist to produce six top 40 hits in the US charts from a single album.
Jackson kept racking up hit after hit throughout the nineties and into the 21st century in collaboration with the production duo. In all she has sold more than 160m records.
But all acts have their moment in the sun and there's no doubt that she has been less visible and less successful in the last decade. The fallout from the Superbowl incident hasn't helped, but it may simply be that her moment has passed.
Then again, her new album will be released on her own label Rhythm Nation, in partnership with BMG, making her the latest artist to quite the traditional record label system for an artist services deal.
Which is all very well and good but what really matters is the new album any good? We can all find out on Friday.
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