Jam and Lewis were the primary instrumentalists for the recording , including percussion , piano , drums , and also provided background vocals . Jackson accompanied Jam and Lewis on keyboard and took part in composing the arrangements . Stephen Holden of '' The New York Times '' observed the album was prominent example of the developing relationship with musicians and modern technology , stating " ... technology has altered the form , shape , scale and even the meaning of popular music ... The album was n't created by a studio band , as were most pop-rock albums in the 1960s and '70s , but by the producers and the singer programming mechanized drum and keyboard textures . " Jackson 's father disapproved of the new material and image of '' Control '' , claiming it would never sell . In a cover story for '' Spin '' magazine titled " Damn It , Janet : The Battle for Control of Janet Jackson , " Joseph was reported saying " i f Janet listens to me , she 'll be as big as Michael . " She and McClain disregarded his objections . Commenting on the final product , Jackson stated : " It 's aggressive , cocky , very forward . It expresses exactly who I am and how I feel . I 've taken control of my own life . This time I 'm gon na do it my way . " Fashion photographer and illustrator Tony Viramontes created the stylized cover for the new album and the singles '' Nasty '' and '' Control '' . Jackson said of Viramontes , " He was very creative , and I believe one day his work will be iconic . He was such a joy to work with . I miss him . " Author Dean Rhys Morgan in '' Bold , Beautiful and Damned : The World of Fashion Illustrator Tony Viramontes '' discusses how Jackson was " transformed from a former child star into an assured fashion forward figure with her trendsetting big hair and severe all black ensemble . Until this point , Jackson had been more a reflection than pioneer , more interpreter than innovator . This album was all about Janet and who she wanted to be . " Alexander Fury wrote in '' The Independent '' , " the artwork created with Eighties illustrator Tony Viramontes for '' Control '' stands the test of time . " Although A&M did not consider a full concert tour to promote Jackson 's album , the label funded a three-week promotional tour across the United States in 13 cities following its release . In addition to the studio release , a remix album , '' Control : The Remixes '' , was released in select countries in November , 1987 . Jackson 's lyrical expression has been noted as one of the key elements of the album 's success . Author Dave Marsh in '' The Heart of Rock & Soul : The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made '' ( 1999 ) comments : " Certainly , Janet must have written her own lyrics , which went after men — in particular , not very well disguised stand-ins for her father and former husband — more venomously than another guy would have dared . '' Control '' , the resulting album , was one of the best-sellers of 1986 – 1987 , producing five hit singles . " Jesus Garber , then-director of A&M 's black music marketing and promotion , noted that in addition to crossover promotion from black to pop music charts , music video was utilized to launch Jackson into super stardom . Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine credits the release of '' Control '' as " the birth of Janet the music video star , as six of the nine tracks were turned into popular videos that all but announced her as queen of the production dance number . " Henderson commented that Jackson 's dancing ability , trained by a then-unknown Paula Abdul , only served to propel her into further stardom . Charlie Minor , then-senior vice president of promotion for A&M stated : " The images completed the image of Janet Jackson with the buyer ... They gave her a face , dance , action identity with the songs , and a visual image of her as a rock 'n' roll star . " Jonathan Cohen of '' Billboard '' magazine commented " Jackson 's accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to MTV , and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader , beat-driven musical mix . " The video for " Nasty " received three nominations for the fifth annual 1987 MTV Video Music Awards , winning Best Choreography for Paula Abdul
1987 MTV Video Music Awards
1987 MTV Video Music Awards
Control (Janet Jackson album)