Janet Jackson and Missy have been industry friends and collaborators for years leading up to "BURNITUP!" When Missy was being honoured at the Essence Black Women in Music ceremony in 2018, Janet told the crowd, "Some rhyme, some rap; some act, some choreograph; some write hit songs; some create whole new sounds. Some women are able to make her mark in some of these fields; but there's only one woman who has made her mark in all of these fields."