Janaki, apart from being a prolific singer, is also a good lyricist and a very good music composer. Seeing her caliber, producer Ramoji Rao chose her as music director for his Telugu film Mouna Poraatam, in the year 1988. She is the third lady music director in Telugu Cinema field, after Bhanumati and P. Leela. She has also written lyrics for a number of songs in Tamil and Telugu. Janaki sang a sensational Tamil song for a small girl of 3 or 4 years old in a child's voice that paved the way for a variety of “child songs” in different languages in her voice. Her voice did wonders when she sang for a sixteen-year-old boy, a grown up lady, a very old woman, and some rustic songs. Her magical voice represents that of a baby, an adolescent, and even of a man's. She let her voice strolled to get consorted with great instrumentalists like

Bismillah Khan (on Shehnai for a Kannada film),
M.S. Gopalakrishnan (on Violin for a Kannada film),
Karaikuruchi Arunachalam (on Nadaswaram for a Tamil film),
Naamagiri Pettai Krishnan (on Nadaswaram for a Malayalam film) and
Hari Prasad Chaurasia (on Flute for Malayalam & Telugu films).

She moulds her voice according to the artiste for whom she renders a song. Sometimes she even adds certain breathtaking special effects into her songs. In the Malayalam song “Nadha Nee Varum…,” for the film Chamaram, she included a soft laughter that leaves the listener with goosebumps. She laughs melodiously for the Telugu song “Sirimalle Puvvalle Navvu…” in the film Jyothi, which was released in 1976 under the music direction of Chakravarthi. She brought out a typical child's voice for the Telugu songs “Gunnamaamidi Komma Meeda…” in the film Baalamithrula Katha, in 1973, and “Govullu Thellana Gopayya Nallana…” in the film Saptapadi, in 1981. Her Malayalam song, “Kokkaamandi Konanirachi…,” with the voice of a baby girl, left listeners awestruck. She even imitated a drunkard's voice in the song “Paapa Peru Malli… Ooru Kotta Dhilli…” in the film Mouna Geetham.

According to Janaki, her voice is God's gift. She neither practices nor does anything to maintain or improve her voice. She believes that God maintains it for her. All she does is avoid ice cream and cold drinks. She just goes to the recording room or the stage and sings, leaving everything to God. Janaki normally gets not much of a notice before she has to sing at a recording. The music directors usually call her up on the phone and ask her to go for recording of the song the next day.

Compared to singing at a studio recording, Janaki likes to perform live on stage. She opines that the enjoyment of the audience is what makes any singer happy. She thanks God for whatever she is and whatever she has been able to do. Janaki says that she will keep singing as long as her fans want her to. She thanks all her fans for supporting her.

Janaki’s favorite singers are Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhonsle. One of Janaki’s most memorable moments was her meeting with Lata Mangeshkar in Hyderabad at a function to honor Ghantasala. They met each other on the stage, and spontaneously hugged each other. Janaki recalls that as a very memorable event in her life.

Janaki has also released quite a few albums of her songs on various subjects, including one with love songs. She has also brought out an album with patriotic songs, in which her son has sung the title song with her.

Thousands of songs that Janaki has rendered as a playback singer have left a lasting impression in the hearts of her fans, with hardly anyone who could match her pitch and talent.

The Telugu songs

“Nee Aasaa Adiasaa Lambodolla Ramadasa…”
“Nenoka Poola Mokka Kada Nilichi…”
“Nee Leela Paadedha deva…” (Muripinche Muvvalu)
“Pagale Vennela…” and
“Ye Divilo Virisina Parijathamo…”

are still as captivating as they were when they first came out.

She gave her voice to dance numbers like "Naravaraa O Kuruvaraa" (NartanaSaala, 1963 – Susarla Dakshinamurthy),
"O VannekaaDaa Ninnu ChooDa" (PaanDava Vanavaasamu, 1965 - Ghantasala),
"NaruDa O NaruDa Emi KOrika" (award winner) (Bhairava Dweepam, 1994 – Madhavapeddi Suresh),
"AaDadaani Ora ChoopulO" (Aaradhana, 1962 – S. Rajeswara Rao),
"MuttemanTi Chinadaanni MogalirEkupoovu Danni" (AakaSaraamanna, 1965 – Rajan-Nagendra)
are some of the popular ones.

She sang for five generations of heroines:
Jamuna   – PagalE Vennela JagamE Ooyala (Poojaaphalam, 1964 – S.Rajeswara Rao),
Janaki   – OhO OhO Paavuramaa,
Vanisree – PagalaitE DoravEraa Raatiri Naa Raajuvura (Bangaaru Panjaram, 1968 – S. Rajeswara Rao),
Vijayashanthi – Bujji PiTTa Bulli PiTTa GooTilOni GuvvapiTTa (ChinaraayuDu, 1992 – Ilayaraja),
Amala    – Sarasaalu Chaalu Sreevaaru VELa Kaadu (Shiva, 1990 – Ilayaraja),
Rambha   – NaruDa O NaruDa Emi KOrika (Bhairava Dweepam, 1994 – Madhavapeddi Suresh).

She always sang so very naturally that one feels that the heroine is singing the song herself. She excelled in all type of combinations:
with Ghanatasala – NaDi REyi E JaamulO (Rangula RaaTnam, 1967 – S. Rajeswara Rao–Gopalam),
with Balamurali Krishna - Vasanta Gaaliki Valapulu REga (KarNa - Pendyala Nageswara Rao),
with Susheela – SarilEru Neekevvaru Narapaala Sudhaakara (KanchukOTa, 1967 – K.V. Mahadevan)
are only some of the many examples.

In Malayalam, among her evergreen songs are

“Thaliritta Kinaakkal…”
“Sooryakanti…”
“Sandhye Kannerithenthe…”
“Mathalappoo Poloru…” and
“Anjana Kannezhuthi…”