“Nasty” is the third single released from Control and was created in response to street harassment that she encountered from some “nasty boys”. The song is a funky dance track with some hard-hitting drums and became a signature song for Miss Jackson. The single is certified gold and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.

The music video was choreographed by Paula Abdul—who also appeared in the video herself—and the song won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single in 1987. The song was included on the Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs.

In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1993, Janet talked about being harassed by men in the streets of Minneapolis while recording Control:

“The danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street. They were emotionally abusive. Sexually threatening. Instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That’s how songs like ‘Nasty’ and ‘What Have You Done for Me Lately’ were born, out of a sense of self-defense. Control meant not only taking care of myself but living in a much less protected world. And doing that meant growing a tough skin. Getting attitude.”

Producer Jimmy Jam also recounted the song’s inspiration in a 2016 interview with Red Bull Music Academy:

We went to this club one time and there were some guys kind of bothering her. We left her by herself, and we figured she would be OK. We kept an eye on her. She figured it out on her own. She came back over to us and she asked, “Why didn’t you guys help me?” We responded, “Help you out? You’re here. You’re fine. Everything is good.” She said, “Yeah. I guess I am. I’m cool.” We replied, “Yeah. You’re good. You didn’t need us.” And then she said to us, “Those guys were saying nasty things to me. I don’t like nasty boys.” We were like, “OK! So let’s write about it.” This was the spirit of the record.