Internationally, Janet topped the record charts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom, and has sold an estimated 14 million copies worldwide.

The MTV-sponsored Janet World Tour supporting the album received critical acclaim for Jackson's elaborate stage performances, reinforcing her reputation as one of the preeminent artists of the MTV generation.

Janet cemented her as an international icon and sex symbol, and is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time.

Jon Bream of the Star Tribune reported: "For most movie soundtracks, producers negotiate with record companies, managers and lawyers for the services of big-name singers.

Like the Hollywood outsiders that they are, Edina-based Jam and Lewis went directly to such stars as Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, Bell Biv DeVoe, Color Me Badd and Johnny Gill.

"[12] She stated in an interview with David Wild for Rolling Stone that "[w]hile I was doing Rhythm Nation, I was thinking about how things were so hard, so regimented and so black and white ...

"[12] Despite the critical and commercial success of her two previous albums, Jackson continued to receive numerous comparisons to her brother Michael, often with doubts that she held staying power in the music industry.

"[16] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine recounted the title of the album ultimately "announced the singer as completely independent of her male-dominated family [and] it positioned her as the person in charge of her sound.

"[12] "That's The Way Love Goes" contains a sample loop of "Papa Don't Take No Mess" written by James Brown, Fred Wesley, Charles Bobbit, and John Starks.

Costumes and wardrobe for the tour were designed by stylist Tanya Gill, with outfits "rang[ing] from pipebone vests with high-heeled moccasin boots to zoot suits top-hats to circus-ringmaster bustiers.

[46] The one-hour-and-45-minute performance was so tightly choreographed—down to two built-in pauses for "tears" at overwhelming waves of crowd adoration and a contrived bit of seductive repartee with a handsome, buffed hunk plucked from the front row for the ode to lust, "Any Time, Any Place"—that it breezed by like a glitzy Vegas revue or a television variety show.

"[55] Claiming the album should bring her critical praise, the magazine concludes its review with the statement "[t]he princess of America's black royal family has announced herself sexually mature and surrendered none of her crown's luster in the process.

"[55] Robert Christgau originally gave the album an "honorable mention" in his consumer guide for The Village Voice, wherein he complimented its erotic songs and cited "Funky Big Band", "Throb", and "Be a Good Boy" as highlights.

[60] Billboard magazine gave a positive review, stating "[d]estined to be an instant smash, Ms. Jackson's latest is a glamorous assortment of styles—pop, dance, R&B, rock, jazz, rap—each delivered with consummate skill and passion.

Public Enemy's Chuck D counterweights Jackson's sugared vocal to stunning effect on a black-pride anthem, 'New Agenda'; soprano Kathleen Battle turns the heavyweight funk of 'This Time' into something eerie and beautiful.

He wrote: "Under the enormous pressure of her $40 million deal with Virgin Records, Jackson had to deliver something big enough to put her on a first-name basis with the world ... janet.

"[65] "Janet will please most people," remarked The Daily Telegraph, "because it is crammed with the sort of tender, joyous pop music that lingers long after smarter records have been forgotten.

"[53] Jay Cocks of Time magazine offered a mixed review, stating "[f]or all its sass, there is something a little too careful about this album: the rhythms are too studied and studiobound, the sexiness slightly forced.

Although sex in popular music is considered a standard concept, Willman states the only reason the album would cause a reaction is because of Jackson's well-known conservative nature.

It is the first delivery under her $40 million contract with Virgin, and its title—which translates as 'Janet, period'—is meant as a declaration of independence from her oddball siblings ... She still sounds like a young woman from a male-dominated family who is searching for her identity and voice.

"[50] David Sinclair of The Times wrote: "In the steamy, post-Madonna climate of the 1990s, Jackson is not about to let thoughts of love get in the way of the mechanics of lust, and like many of her superstar contemporaries she tends to confuse sex with soul.

[73] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune stated, "Jackson again was denied a nomination for album of the year, even though janet (Virgin) has remained in the Top 10 since its release last summer and has been critically acclaimed.

"[74] He adds that "the oversight is doubly vexing, because [Jackson]—in a songwriting and production partnership with Jimmy Jam (aka James Harris III) and Terry Lewis—is not just a multiplatinum pop act but an artist who has reshaped the sound and image of rhythm and blues over the last decade.

Some make perfect sense on a thematic as well as sonic level, like Kool & the Gang's 'Kool It (Here Comes the Fuzz)' and Stevie Wonder's 'Superwoman, Where Were You When I Needed You' on 'New Agenda', or the orchestral flourish from Diana Ross & the Supremes' 'Someday We'll Be Together' on 'If', which seems to exist for the sole purpose of providing the impetus behind one of the greatest dance-break routines in music video history.

"[59] Alex Henderson of AllMusic offered a positive review, saying "[a]nyone who expected Jackson to top Rhythm Nation—her crowning achievement and an incredibly tough act to follow—was being unrealistic.

According to Nacy Berry, vice chairman of Virgin Records, Janet marked the first time the label "had centrally coordinated and strategized a campaign on a worldwide basis" which ultimately brought her to a plateau of global recognition.

It was a year in which Janet Jackson, at 27, topped the Billboard pop album charts for six straight summer weeks, with her critically lauded, six-times-platinum Janet"[108] It became one of only five albums in the history of the Billboard 200—along with Whitney Houston's Whitney (1987), Norah Jones' Feels Like Home (2004), Taylor Swift's Fearless (2008), and Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream (2009)—to debut at number one and remain at the top of the chart for a minimum of six consecutive weeks.

"[111] Reporter Edna Gunderson commented: "The woman whose hourglass torso and sensual gyrating have made her MTV's reigning sex kitten is today a vision of wholesome beauty.

"[112] Professor and social critic Camille Paglia expressed: "Janet's unique persona combines bold, brash power with quiet sensitively and womanly mystery.

[115] Goren adds that later pop stars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Pink would rely on image, sex appeal and choreography as much as musical talent.