Way Back Wednesday: Janet’s Deep-Cut Rock Zinger Still Hits Thee Spot
Way Back Wednesday: Janet Jackson’s deep cut “Trust A Try.” Live from thee opening night of the All for You Tour, with VH1 there to catch the launch.
This Janet number is one of Janet’s rock zingers, incorporating operatic and theatrical production — something we always find pleasure in sonically. We adore this track! Now let’s transport back to thee very early days of the Y2K 2000s.
“Trust A Try” landed on Janet’s 2001 All for You album as one of its sharpest left turns. The song throws dramatic strings, hard-rock guitar and rapid-fire pop-R&B delivery into the same room, then lets the whole thing flare up. The Recording Academy has described the track as a headbanging fusion of opera, rap and hard rock, while its studio credits include Rockwilder in the production mix and Lee Blaske on string arrangements.
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Janet’s Rock-Zinger Era
‘Trust A Try’ takes the All for You era into opera, hard rock and full theatrical Janet mode.
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The All for You Tour Opened With Janet in Full Theatrical Mode
The All for You Tour officially kicked off in Portland, Oregon, on July 7, 2001. VH1 carried opening-night coverage under the title Janet Jackson: Opening Night Live, turning the start of Janet’s new tour into a television event while the album was still fresh in the culture.
And “Trust A Try” made perfect sense inside that world. Janet has always known when to let the guitars out — from “Black Cat” onward — but this one pushes the drama further, wrapping the rock attack in cinematic strings and almost operatic tension. It is theatrical without losing its bite, and twenty-five years later, that collision still sounds gloriously Janet.
So transport back with us to opening night, when the All for You era was brand new and one of Janet’s best deep cuts was already built to explode onstage.
Janet Jackson — “Trust A Try” Live at the All for You Tour Opening Night
INYIM Media’s archival reel revisits Janet Jackson performing “Trust A Try” during the July 7, 2001 opening night of the All for You Tour in Portland, with VH1 covering the launch.
Source: Apple Music; GRAMMY.com; VH1 opening-night broadcast records. Video: INYIM Media / Instagram.
