Janet Jackson joins Cardi B on “Principal,” earning her first hit in seven years and becoming one of only three women to debut songs on the Hot 100 in five decades. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 17: Singer Janet Jackson attends her residency debut “Metamorphosis” after party at On The Record Speakeasy and Club at Park MGM on May 17, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Park MGM)
Getty Images for Park MGM
Janet Jackson has a hit song in America once more. The legendary pop, R&B, and dance superstar joined Cardi B on the song “Principal,” featured on her long-awaited sophomore set Am I the Drama? “Principal” becomes a Hot 100 hit this week, and as it arrives, Cardi scores another win — one of more than a dozen new smashes added to her discography this frame — while Jackson manages to make history and join two of the most successful women in the history of pop music.
Janet Jackson Ties Madonna and Cher on the Hot 100
“Principal” debuts on the Hot 100 this week at No. 92. The tune earns Jackson her forty-second placement on the list of the most consumed songs in the United States. That’s not one of the greatest accumulations of all time, but the longevity of the singer’s career is what’s notable this time around.
Billboard notes that as “Principal” reaches the tally, Jackson joins both Cher and Madonna as the only women to debut songs on the Hot 100 in five different decades. Jackson first appeared on the tally on her own in the 1980s, and her run now continues into the 2020s. Madonna managed the same feat and is still hard at work. Her song could climb again as well, as she has a new album, purportedly a sequel to her Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor, coming soon.
Cher beats both Jackson and Madonna, as she is the only female musician to chart new smashes on the Hot 100 across six different decades.
How “Principal” Ends Janet Jackson’s Seven-Year Chart Hiatus
“Principal” marks Jackson’s first new appearance on the Hot 100 since 2018. That year, she teamed up with Daddy Yankee for the tune “Made for Now.” The cut blended pop and Afrobeats, and while it was never connected to an album, it did manage to place at No. 88 on the Hot 100 for a short time.
How “Principal” Revives Janet Jackson’s Hit “The Pleasure Principle”
While Jackson scores a new Hot 100 win with “Principal,” she did not record new vocals for the tune. Instead, the cut borrows from Jackson’s 1987 single “The Pleasure Principle,” and she earns a credit as a featured act, which is not always the case when it comes to samples.
“The Pleasure Principle” was part of the singer’s breakthrough full-length Control, which turned her into a superstar apart from her famous family. The song climbed to No. 14 on the Hot 100, where the singer has racked up 27 top 10 hits and a milestone 10 No. 1s.
Janet Jackson and Cardi B’s “Principal” Debuts on Multiple Billboard Charts
In addition to the Hot 100, “Principal” debuts on three other Billboard charts this week. It opens highest, at No. 15 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales tally. The collaboration comes in just beneath the top 20 on both the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs lists, launching at Nos. 21 and 26, respectively.
How “Principal” Strengthens Cardi B’s Hot 100 Takeover
“Principal” is one of many Hot 100 hits that come from Cardi’s second full-length Am I the Drama? That set — which opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week and performs well on several other rankings — was released after a seven-year wait between her only other project.
Cardi’s debut Invasion of Privacy arrived in April 2018 and also became a No. 1 album in America. That blockbuster produced several massive hits, including “Bodak Yellow,” “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, and “Be Careful.”
Cardi went on to make history as just the second woman to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album and earned a nod for Album of the Year. Since then, she has released quite a few standalone songs, as well as a handful of cuts that ended up being featured on this new project.
Cardi B Floods the Hot 100 With New Smashes
“Principal” is one of 16 songs by Cardi that appear on the Hot 100 this week. Most of those are debuts from the set, although two tunes recently pushed as singles also appear. “Imaginary Playerz” rebounds to No. 66, hitting a new high point in just its second week on the tally.
“Outside,” which appeared weeks prior, surges from No. 93 to No. 42. That cut doesn’t make it to a new high point, as it previously topped out at No. 10, adding to Cardi’s list of big wins.
Janet Jackson, Lizzo, and Kehlani Boost Cardi B’s Am I the Drama?
Jackson is one of several collaborators who score a new Hot 100 hit thanks to their involvement on Am I the Drama? A number of other high-profile female acts — such as Kehlani, Lizzo, Summer Walker, and Selena Gomez — also reach the competitive list at the same time as Jackson.