(September 8, 2023) There were a few seismic events that shifted the culture in 1986: the appearance of Hailey's Comet, the national debut of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the release of Janet Jackson's third album, Control. Thanks to the combination of her talents and the production prowess of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was the first of a string of multiple million-selling albums and happily surprised listeners with instantly mesmerizing funk and soul anthems ("Nasty," "What have You Done Lately," "Pleasure Principle"). And then there was "Let's Wait Awhile," a ballad extolling the benefits of postponing, well...the inevitable.
(September 8, 2023) There were a few seismic events that shifted the culture in 1986: the appearance of Hailey's Comet, the national debut of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the release of Janet Jackson's third album, Control. Thanks to the combination of her talents and the production prowess of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was the first of a string of multiple million-selling albums and happily surprised listeners with instantly mesmerizing funk and soul anthems ("Nasty," "What have You Done Lately," "Pleasure Principle"). And then there was "Let's Wait Awhile," a ballad extolling the benefits of postponing, well...the inevitable.
It takes courage and vision to revisit music from that landmark release, so Carl Brister deserves major kudos for his painstaking, yet modernized homage to the music and the black and white video. Restyling the ballad into a duetfeaturing LaChardon, Carl's choice to make the wait a mutual one, while both sing of their quiet yearning for one another, harkens to a more innocent time while showcasing their chemistry and connections as artists. Remember how Janet and Taimak, all alone except for one another, exchanged steamy glances and chaste embraces against the cosmopolitan NYC skyline? Brister and LaChardon's performances recall that sweet tension as well.
We're still years away from having the ability to go back in time, but projects like Brister's reimagining of "Let's Wait Awhile" are an enjoyable way to remember the time (pun intended) when we didn't swipe left for mates, looked into each other's eyes more than into the screens of cell phones and had conversations in person rather than by text. Waiting back then meant something, because there wasn't always an instant distraction, musically or otherwise, to fill up the space. It made consummation all the sweeter.
By Melody Charles