Janet Jackson @ Utilita Arena, 27th September 2024
The Janet Jackson show does not arrive in town without a big name support act who is going to get the audience prepped and ready for the pop legend, and this tour she has chosen Wyclef Jean. Formerly of The Fugees, Wyclef takes to the stage as a lone figure with a DJ off to the side and gives around 30 minutes of upbeat, well-known hits to get the ever-increasing audience moving, starting with the Fugees cover of the Bob Marley classic No Woman, No Cry. The slow introduction to Ready Or Not is welcomed with people standing up and ready to start moving as the beat kicks in and Wyclef’s laid back vocals take over the arena. He then flows into Killing Me Softly With His Song which increases the level of audience appreciation further. The rest of the set includes a number of songs that Wyclef has been involved with such as Maria Maria and 911 and ending the set with the Shakira classic Hips Don’t Lie which is the perfect ending to a support slot. Wyclef Jean has played a consistently high energy half an hour that has entertained those awaiting Janet’s arrival.
Prompt as ever, Ms Jackson’s show begins at 8.30 and within a second you appreciate that this is going to be an elaborate affair. As Jus Dance plays, a number of dancers take to the stage preparing the audience for the arrival of Janet and when it’s time for the big reveal, she is on top of glass blocks wearing an oversized, quilt coat and she is holding court. She begins this 39 song set with Night, taken from her 2015 Unbreakable album, a house track that was never released as a single but lays down the intention for the first act. Removing the coat, Janet reveals a sparkling catsuit that allows for her to engage in various parts of the well-choreographed performance. This is one slick, well-rehearsed operation with no space for error. This segment of the show is dedicated to more recent tracks until the hip hop beat of Got Til It’s Gone kicks in much to the delight of the audience. I am sure Joni Mitchell would love to hear the whole arena singing the sample from Big Yellow Taxi and just as we are settling into the groove, the track segues into it That’s The Way Love Goes, a sensual number that continues the easy-going hip hop vibe. This run of some of Janet’s most popular tracks completes with Love Will Never Do (Without You), a classic hit from Jackson’s long time collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, that is played in its near entirety. At this point, the band are revealed as they have been performing on either side of the stage behind veils covering a cage like construction. Needless to say, every one of the musicians are phenomenally talented and are producing a rich sound that fills the arena. The original video for Love Will Never Do is projected on screens overhead as the stage, and towards the end of the track the stage plunges into darkness as Janet and the dancers get prepared for the next act.
The next act sees the performers’ outfits appear resplendent in shiny tartan kilts and for Ms Jackson, she wears a tartan catsuit underneath with military style boots that are suitable for dancing in and Control is the dominant theme for this segment of the show. The 1986 pop track What Have You Done For Me Lately kicks off this second act with a bang of female independence followed by the hard funk track Nasty continuing the theme of empowerment. Both of these see Janet Jackson’s signature shoulder dance moves play a part, the subtlety of gestures which are so impactful and came to a crescendo during the choreography for the Rhythm Nation album. For Let’s Wait A While, Janet Jackson loses her entourage of dancers and delivers a solo rendition with precision and grace. The change of tempo lingers with Again that sees the arena bathed in lights from the audience’s phones as a sign of their appreciation. This act draws to a close with a song that Jackson has never played live before, With U.
Between each act, recorded speeches are played detailing aspects of the last 50 years of Janet Jackson’s life as a performer and member of the most famous pop family in the world. All clad in white, the next act starts with the slow groove and Middle Eastern influences of Runaway before augmenting into the 2001 dance hit, All For You. We are then treated to a trio of tracks from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album, Alright, the jaunty Escapade with its sweet introduction that is overruled by its industrial drum beat and then the awesome Miss You Much. Miss You Much is not only musically pure brilliance with its repetitive drum beat and change of expression for the middle eight but it is accompanied by an iconic dance routine that is fabulously executed in front of us. As with every song that has gone before, there isn’t enough time given over to some of these masterpieces but Jackson has a large and varied back catalogue and this is her way of presenting as much as she can.
Act three ends with So Excited with its cheeky sample of Herbie Hancock’s Rockit. The stage evolves and as large fans are projected over the band, the message of the album Rhythm Nation 1814 is delivered and the anticipation around the arena rises. Jackson appears all dressed in black with a hint of the military about her and begins act four with the socially conscious track, State Of The World proceeded by The Knowledge.
This segment includes the video footage of Scream, which sees Janet singing her part of the duet as Michael’s vocals are left as the original and not filled by an alternative vocalist. A much shorter section of the show is completed with the song Rhythm Nation, with its distinctive guitar riff and funk tempo, it again relays a message of awareness and understanding of what is happening in society. As with Miss you Much, Rhythm Nation came with an influential dance routine that is so precise and sees Janet carefully select which elements she is going to participate in, it makes for a fitting close to the main set.
The encore starts with Jackson being filmed in her dressing room, topping up her lipstick before returning to the stage for the quirky Whoops Now and the title song of the tour, Together Again. This has been one hell of a show, that is well constructed, rehearsed and extravagant, even credits are displayed making sure that every person who has been involved in the production is noted. It is such a tight and fast paced moving performance that it means there is no time for any impromptu banter with the audience or elongating of songs that are clearly crowd favourites, which is a minor disappointment but then again we did get a whistle stop tour of 39 songs from her 50 year career in under 2 hours which is some going; there are very few pop artists that could compete with Janet’s longevity and performance.
Review: Toni Woodward
Tour photographs: Solaiman Fazel
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