LET'S WAIT AWHILE (1987)

By the dawn of 1987, Janet had already made one heck of a statement. Her breakthrough exceeded multiplatinum and was the eighth biggest-selling album of '86. All four of its singles went Gold, each hitting Top 5 on the Billboard pop charts, with three shooting to Number 1 on R&B. For her first release of the new year, however, Janet decidedly trades in the role of dance diva for that of "balladeer." Released in January '87, "Let's Wait Awhile" was the album's premier slow song. It hit Number 2 on the pop charts -- kept from the summit by Club Nouveau's "Lean On Me" -- becoming her fifth consecutive Top 5 smash and R&B Number 1.

The single reflected Janet as a young woman and, at the time, spoke to an era of young lovers connecting in a hurried world. Its lyrics were immensely sweet and near ingénue-like -- with Jackson extolling the virtues of taking one's time in the intimate development of a relationship; and was viewed by many as an ode to abstinence.

Vocally, Janet's angelic mezzo-soprano hovers above a soft arrangement of distant keyboards and digital bells -- which she also performs. This track demonstrates a sizable artistic leap, for it is the first time Janet personally had a hand in producing and arranging.

The tune was a staple at high school proms and slow dances and was one of the most requested songs on American radio in 1987, not to mention a perennial call-in dedication favorite. Outside of the U.S., the single made phenomenal impressions. It became her first Number 1 in South Africa and hit Number 3 in the U.K.

"Let's Wait Awhile" demonstrated the musical versatility of Janet Jackson. It showed that her slower fare could equally rival -- even outperform -- her more uptempo numbers. Her ballads became timeless mainstays on the FM dial. The single, along with the album's final release (in the U.K.) "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)," has been rotated on quiet storm and Adult Contemporary set lists almost nightly throughout North America for the past 20 years.

On the pop cultural front, the tune gained wings and became a frequent subject of inclusion in social commentary regarding peer pressure and sexuality amongst youth by researchers in countless fields, ranging from sociology and beyond.

"The whole feeling of [Let's Wait Awhile] just has this innocence," reflects British soul vocalist Jamelia. "It's lovely, and I think that's what people really like about Janet Jackson. No matter what she looks like or what she wears, she always has this innocence."

The penultimate short film reflects the tune's pristine elements. Captured in letterbox format, it is a romantic narrative set amidst a New York cityscape -- with interchanging images of passing taxi cabs, moonlit Manhattan skylines and Janet engaged in a series of vignettes with video love interest Taimak Guarriello.

Video director Dominic Sena launched an impressive film career based on his working relationship with Janet in "Let's Wait Awhile." It was his first of many iconic shorts, including the album's final video. His visual eye documents the constantly changing Jackson as she develops from demure sweetheart to playful adult.

Janet would later go on to shed her buttoned-up persona in future ballads, but with "Let's Wait Awhile," listeners are witness to a delicate snapsnot of a mindful young woman who's not only in Control of her music and life, but body. Determined to keep people on their toes -- and not a stranger to flipping the script -- Janet cranks up the volume yet again for the project's grand showdown, "The Pleasure Principle"

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