Sometimes an artist that you love does something so unexpected that the impact on you is astronomical. Whether you love it or hate it, there are moments when the music produced completely comes from left field –if not sonically, lyrically or visually. Thus, Janet Jackson’s 1998 single, “Got til it’s Gone”. Her sixth studio release, The Velvet Rope (1997), had to be the most mature effort she’d ever released –being at once hyper-sexual and unwaveringly introspective.
“Got til it’s Gone”, track #4 on the album, instantly struck a chord with me. Not only was it lyrically poignant in its simplicity, melodiously it was unlike anything I’d hear from Janet. Not so much surprising in terms of the softness of her voice, but the lilt and sway of the harmonies and the way she sang the verses sort of threw me into a waking reverie. It was, without a doubt, one of those songs that would stick with me for the rest of my life.
