Performing, and by transference, working, is what the Jackson’s do best;
Janet Jackson herself has been working since she was ten years old on a lengthy and lucrative career that has stamped out an imprint on the world’s consciousness and ensured that her 100 million albums sold to date place her firmly in the ‘music icon’ camp. And yet, she’s always been in the shadow of her brother, always slightly underrated as an artist in her own right. However, arriving at the Opera House in Sydney for her #1s tour to an upstanding audience that turned the Concert Hall into a dance party a full 20 minutes before Jackson even arrived on stage, showed that for this audience, on this night, that was clearly not the case.
The dull roar escalated to a deafening wave of adulation as Janet opened her set with a screening of her
Runaway clip stating: ‘Tonight, I dedicate the Runaway video to the beautiful people of Sydney.’ Opening the set with her 1987 hit
The Pleasure Principle from her breakthrough third album
Control, Janet ran through an overwhelming setlist of smash hits in medley form. It was immediately clear that this had nothing to do with stamina or vocal ability – it was simply because there were so many songs to get through that there was barely enough time for more than a couple of bars of each chorus.
In fact, for a woman in her mid 40s, her stamina was a force to be reckoned with: there was barely time for a breath between choruses as she commanded the attention of the entire audience with her ease of movement (putting her young backup dancers to shame) and striking resembelance to her brother’s iconic swagger.
If you are sitting there thinking that you’re not sure how many
Janet Jackson hits you could name, then conjure up an image of a setlist including
What Have You Done For Me Lately, Nasty, Control, Miss You Much, Escapade, That’s The Way Love Goes, and a video duet with her late brother on
Scream. Hit after hit after hit: And following a full 90 minute set she still couldn’t find enough time to fit in
Black Cat, Whoops Now or
The Best Things In Life Are Free. Still sitting there thinking you don’t know many Janet songs?
Following a full 90 mins on our feet dancing with abandon, we were treated to an epic closer in
Rhythm Nation (my personal favourite), complete with backup dance troupe mirroring the 1989 clip’s military choreography. I loved Janet’s ‘Michael’ phase.
A roaring crowd ensured we were satiated with a quick encore, the touching tribute to her late brother complete with some snaps from their childhood in
Together Again (there were a few misty eyes when she sang ‘What I’d give just to hold you close as on earth / in heaven we will be together baby’), and a track dedicated to Janet’s Australian fans in
All For You.
It is in performers like
Janet Jackson that you appreciate phenomenal, unrivalled talent. Hopefully in retrospect she will no longer be underrated, but instead appreciated as a successful pop superstar in her own right, regardless of her iconic surname.
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