September 29th 2024.
Janet Jackson wowed the crowd with an almost flawless performance during her two-hour show at The O2. It was impossible to ignore the significance of her tour being named after the poignant song "Together Again", which speaks about grief, given what she has recently gone through. Just two weeks prior to the show, Janet's older brother, Tito Jackson, passed away. Many artists would understandably have postponed their show to mourn such a heartbreaking loss, but not Janet. She powered through with an incredible level of energy and professionalism that many younger artists could learn from.
Despite being in the fifth decade of her career, the 58-year-old pop icon performed with the vigor and vitality of someone half her age. Her extensive repertoire of hits, including classics from the 80s like "When I Think of You" and "What Have You Done For Me Lately", have stood the test of time. This, coupled with her natural talent as an entertainer, makes it frustrating to see that she still doesn't receive the recognition she deserves from the industry, despite being one of the greatest performers of our time.
Many people consider the Milli Vanilli scandal to be one of the biggest injustices in pop music, but in my opinion, it's the disregard of Janet that is truly unfair. She has faced numerous challenges in her career, from the infamous Nipplegate incident to constantly being compared to her late brother, the global superstar Michael. Yet, she continues to remind everyone that she is Janet, a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Saturday's sold-out show at The O2 felt like a well-deserved victory lap for the talented performer.
Her "Together Again" tour was a perfect dose of nostalgia, taking us back to the peak era of pop-infused R&B in the 80s, 90s, and 00s. As she belted out hits like "Nasty", "All For You", "Escapade", and "Rhythm Nation", the arena was transformed into one big party. Even the slower songs, such as "I Get Lonely" and "That's The Way Love Goes", didn't slow down the pace of the set, and in fact, received an even bigger response from the audience.
We sang along, danced, smiled, and watched in awe as this music icon finally received the recognition she deserved. I had the privilege of attending Janet's show at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011, and it's incredible to see that 13 years later, she can still perform with the same level of vitality and energy, even as she approaches 60. Her choreography was just as impressive as it was all those years ago, and her performance was flawless.
There aren't many artists who can match Janet's high standards of performance. It had been 13 years since she last performed in the UK, and she made up for lost time with a show that was near-perfect. Some may argue that she seemed to lip-sync in some parts, but let's face it, the woman needed to catch her breath, and she can still move better than most of us.
What makes Janet such a remarkable artist is her ability to do it all - dance, sing, act, and maintain a genuine and heartfelt connection with her audience, despite her mega-stardom. This was evident in the emotional moments of the show, such as the crowd-led singalong during "Again", her performance of "Scream" without Michael, and the final tribute to her late brother and father, Michael and Joe Jackson, with black and white photos at the end of the show. Janet was visibly fighting back tears, reminding us that even though musicians are often seen as unrelatable celebrities living on their own planet, they are still human after all.
When it comes to the musical dynasty of the Jackson family, Janet is pretty much all we have left, and she is carrying the torch with grace and talent. In fact, she is one of the few legends from her era who is still performing at such a high standard. Others have either passed away or can no longer perform due to declining health. It's important to give these incredible artists their flowers while they are still with us, and on this night, Janet finally received hers.
It may have been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Janet Jackson's "Together Again" tour continues tonight at The O2, with a special guest appearance by Wyclef Jean. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, get in touch with the entertainment team at The Agency by emailing us, calling us, or visiting our Submit Stuff page. We'd love to hear from you.
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