S Poddar
No one can ignore the symbolism of Janet Jackson’s new tour, titled Together Again after one of her biggest hits, about mourning. The emotional depth behind this title was compounded when her even-older brother, Tito Jackson, died just two weeks before her sold-out gig at London’s O2 Arena. Many performers would have opted to step away from the stage after such a tragic moment for a personal voice. But in true Janet style, she chose to push forward, dishing out an electrifying performance as if nothing was wrong. At 58 years old, Jackson didn’t let age or grief work against her.
Five decades and no one else can surpass her energy stage on stage. But she tackled songs from her legendary catalogue with such vigor to prove that even the oldest tracks like When I Think of You and What Have You Done For Me Lately are as alive today as they were at the time of their chart-topping reign. While it might seem odd that Janet navigates decades of smashes and yet has often been overlooked by the music industry, there is little argument as to the talent and impact she has had. Many still talk about the Milli Vanilli scandal as one of pop music’s greatest injustices, but the treatment of Janet Jackson feels all the worse for her staying the course and maximizing on an epoch of amazement.
The infamous Nipplegate incident that derailed her 2004 Super Bowl broadcast career would never have had such significant and prolonged effects on it-the enormous contribution Janet made to music-had she not been linked forever to the famous brother, Michael Jackson. Still, she remains a trailblazer, breaking countless records and being consistently the giant stepping out of the shadow of Michael Jackson himself throughout it all. Indeed, through it all, Janet has reminded the world of the truth: that she is an icon in her own right. That was just the case for Saturday when Janet took the packed crowds at the London O2 Arena to their knees with an electrifying nostalgic pop and R&B run through three decades.
From the 80s till the early 2000s, she showed her reign with the amount of hits performed; these songs were an epitaph to show how she dominated those years. Even a night was turned into a full-on party by tracks such as Nasty, All For You, Escapade, and Rhythm Nation. In fact, even the slow ballads such as I Get Lonely, That’s The Way Love Goes, and Any Time, Any Place were equally haunting, begetting equal attention from the audience as the poppy ones did. It was not about the songs.
The choreography also seemed to be everything that one could ask for:. Thirteen years had passed since Janet’s last tour in the UK and yet her movements remain as sharp and precise as if she were 20 years younger. The fact that she still is able to perform such intricate dance routines at an age when most of us are nearing 60 speaks for itself. Sure, there were times when one felt she was lip-syncing, and well, who could blame her? Alone, the energy she puts into her dancing would leave anyone breathless; it’s obvious her performance abilities remain unrivaled. What sets Janet apart from most of her peers, though, is her versatility.
She is not just a singer or a dancer, but a true entertainer. Over the years, she has proved herself capable of doing it all: acting, singing, and dancing, all this with a sense of humble simplicity that is seldom possessed by artists of such stature. At such massive popularity, there’s something so intrinsically relatable in Janet Jackson. Even in some of the night’s most emotionally charged moments- like when the crowd sang along with her to Again, or when she took on Scream, her Michael-less duet end. Poignantly, the most poignant moment of the night came during her final tribute when Janet paid tribute to late brothers Tito and Michael as well as their father Joe Jackson. Black and white photos of her family were flashed on the screen as Janet fought back tears and reminded everyone in the audience that, even at superstar status, she’s a human. It was a great reminder that icons can be vulnerable too.
In an industry where music often moves on too fast, it seems hard to remember those who helped shape it. It goes without saying that Janet Jackson is one of those. The music legacy of the Jackson family rests on her shoulders now, and she carries it well. Much as many of her peers are passing on or cannot still perform like they used to, she remains one of the few legends standing in this world.
This is probably the reason why it felt especially important to see the audience drowning her in love and adoration. Years of being ignored, and she finally gets the recognition she deserved. It’s very clear that Janet Jackson deserves all these accolades and on that London night, the promised flowers were finally given to her – it’s just better late than never, one would say.
