Janet Jackson Says Being A Mama 'Is Her Number One Job,' Hints At New Music

Singer Janet Jackson is one iconic artist who has a catalog of noteworthy music that has remained relevant over the years.

Jackson still has a lot of music left in her to give to her fans, but the pop legend currently has other priorities that have made her stall a bit on releasing new material.

The iconic singer recently spoke about her dedication to motherhood and how it's her major focus now over anything else.

Read on to learn more about her intimate and deeply personal Essence magazine interview.

The singer recently appeared on the June/July cover of Essence, where she opened up about why her fans haven't gotten another album since the last one seven years ago. She also hinted at the release of a new album in the interview, stating that it might take a while before it gets released.

The singer-songwriter, who shares a five-year-old son with ex-husband Wissam Al is devoting all her time and energy to her child before she heads back to the studio.

"Sometimes things happen that you don't expect to happen, and you have to figure things out — or you're in a space in your life when you have to take a step back and take a break for a minute," the "Go Deep" crooner explained. "Even though it's something that I absolutely love, it still is my work, my job. There will be music at some point. Exactly when? I can't say just yet, but there will be. I love it too much not to do it. This is all I know. There's so much that I want to do — but my number one job is being a mama."

Although Jackson may have been a high-profile artist for decades, she still keeps the happenings in her personal life as private as possible. 

Since she welcomed her son in 2017, she has managed to keep him out of the spotlight and only shared minor details about his life.

However, earlier this year, the singer-songwriter took to her Instagram to celebrate her son's fifth birthday, writing, "You're growing up so fast. Such an intelligent, beautiful boy. Wishing you a life full of magical moments."

She continued, per People, "you're Mama's Luv. Happy 5th Birthday, baby!" adding a series of celebratory emojis, including a kissy face, a balloon, and several others.

Jackson also previously shared that her son loves music and has been recently drawn to drums, practicing her skills on a kit given by Questlove.

In the same Essence interview, Jackson shared that fame didn't mean so much to her. 

For her, fame didn't mean the amount of Grammy awards she won. Instead, it meant spending time with her son or recognizing her sporadic development from child star to the iconic woman "she is today."

"That's not important to me, whether I did or didn't, to be quite honest," she explained. "It's really the body of music touching people and how it impacts their lives that matters to me. It's not the accolades. I honestly don't think about that stuff."

She also added that despite being largely out of the spotlight, there were several misconceptions the public still had about her.

"When it comes to my personal life, I think it is mistaking my kindness for weakness," she began. "When it comes to my professional life, I would say it would have to be not liking to hear the word 'no.' Especially being a woman, and someone telling you, 'No, you can't because…'"

The singer has largely remained low-key since she birthed her son five years ago. However, a source told People that motherhood has given the "Together Again" singer a new outlook on life.

"While a career entertainer and workhorse, she has taken to being a parent with the same passion," said the inside source at the time. "She is so happy and has found new meaning in her life."