“When I was younger I was in a dance group. We were called the Smooth Dancers, and we were straight up Janet Jackson. We did 'Rhythm Nation,' we did 'Escapade,' we did it all. We would win up everything at the competitions because we learned it all from Ms. Janet,” recalled Beyoncé during an MTV tribute to Janet. Bey later recreated Janet’s iconic 'Rhythm Nation' costume for Halloween along with her little Michael, daughter Blue Ivy.Photo: Instagram
Britney Spears has long credited Janet Jackson as a major influence, saying, “She has this presence. You're just so drawn to her; you can't keep your eyes off of her.” The princess of pop has paid homage to Janet through music and dance, drawing from the "Miss You Much" music video for a choreography sequence in "Stronger," and again on her most recent album, Britney Jean. “I wanted to recreate some of Janet’s greatest moments. 'Escapade' and that whole era, that’s what I wanted to do,” Britney told Ryan Seacrest at iHeartRadio.Photo: Universal Music