Janet Jackson's sexy, powerful Phoenix performance proves she's still the Queen of Pop

It’s been 37 years since Janet Jackson staked her claim as a pop icon in the making with “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” the first of six hit singles from “Control,” an aptly titled breakthrough album she released at 19 as the youngest member of the Jackson family.

Four years later, she became the only artist in the history of the Hot 100 to land seven singles from one album ("Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814") in the Top 5.

And the hits kept coming well into this century.

By any reasonable standard, she remains one of the most successful pop stars of her generation, a point made abundantly clear in the breathless journey Jackson took through many of the highlights of her catalog at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on Wednesday, June 7.

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It was immediately clear that Janet Jackson has still got the moves

The Together Again Tour, named for one of 10 songs Jackson took to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, drew a huge crowd to the outdoor venue, where she made her entrance in a hooded purple cloak and set the tone for her performance with “Damita Jo,” the title track to a triple-platinum triumph from 2004.

It wasn’t long before she lost the cloak to reveal a glittering gold catsuit with a purple bow around the waist as she moved quickly through the first of four acts flanked by four male dancers.

At 57, she’s still got the moves, leading her dancers through the sort of choreography she’s taught us to expect from a night out with Janet.

Or Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty.

And she sounded great, although her vocals did get overpowered in the mix at times — this despite the fact that she often appeared to be relying heavily on piped-in vocal tracks.

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Act II went heavy on 'Control,' including 'Nasty' and 'Let's Wait Awhile'

The second act went heavy on “Control,” from the hard-hitting digital R&B groove of “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” “When I Think of You” and “Nasty” to “Let’s Wait Awhile,” the soulful ballad for which Jackson took a seat.

By that point, the musicians in her touring band had emerged from the shadows, allowing the fans to see that she wasn’t just singing along to prerecorded tracks.

After letting the audience handle the vocals on “Again,” she brought the concert’s second act to a steamy conclusion by giving her dancers a chair dance while performing “I Get Lonely.”

Act III highlights ranged from two chart-topping singles released at the turn of the century, “Doesn’t Really Matter” and “All For You,” to a suitably erotic “So Excited,” which she prefaced by her telling her fans “Y’all got me so excited up here.”

Janet Jackson rocked a Rhythm Nation T-shirt for the final act

For the fourth and final act, Jackson returned to the stage in a “Rhythm Nation” T-shirt and jacket and put the spotlight squarely on that classic album, from “The Knowledge” to all four singles that she took to No. 1 before bringing the set to a triumphant finish with the title track.

That last act also featured her iconic older brother, Michael Jackson, in the video to “Scream.”

She signed off with a one-song encore, singing “Together Again” one final time.

By that point, she’d done roughly 40 songs in a nearly two-hour performance, from giant hits to album tracks, including several songs she hadn’t performed before this tour.

Many songs were featured in abbreviated versions or medleys, the better to cover more ground, an approach that kept things moving like a halftime show while also serving as a breathtaking reminder of just what a cultural force she’s been for nearly 40 years.

And speaking of halftime show performances, it may be time the NFL considered having Jackson back to headline her own halftime show at next year’s Super Bowl. She’s clearly got the hits — and moves — to turn in one of the more memorable shows in recent memory.

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DJ Infamous Talk2Me got the party started, spinning classic tracks from Prince’s “Kiss” to the Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache” and the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”

He also called for a moment of silence to honor Tina Turner, whose death inspired a heartfelt tribute at the Lizzo show in Phoenix, where the singer shouted, "Without Tina Turner, there would be no rock 'n' roll," before leading her band in a raucous cover of "Proud Mary."

At the end of his set, DJ Infamous Talk2Me welcomed Ludacris to the stage for a wildly entertaining opening set that hit the ground running with “Southern Fried Intro.”

Two songs in, he greeted the crowd with “I go by the name of Ludacris and I just want to say, humbly speaking, I was born to be on this stage.” And with that, he was off on a fast-rapping trip through his catalog, from “Act a Fool” and “Southern Hospitality” to “What’s Your Fantasy” and “Stand Up.”

That last one found Ludacris prowling the stage in giant sneakers, saying, “Don’t act like y’all didn’t see these big-ass shoes.”

On “Ludaversal,” he shouted “I’m as hungry as the first day,” and that’s exactly how it felt as he delivered on his promise to “give you the show of a lifetime celebrating 23 years of platinum hits.”

Janet Jackson 2023 setlist

Act I

"Damita Jo"

"Together Again" (DJ Premier Remix)

"Feedback"

"So Much Betta"

"If" (Containing elements of the KAYTRANADA Remix)

"No Sleeep"

"Got 'til It's Gone"

"That's the Way Love Goes"

"Enjoy"

Act II

"What Have You Done for Me Lately" (containing elements of “BURNITUP!”)

"Nasty"

"The Pleasure Principle"

"Because of Love"

"When I Think of You"

"Diamonds"

"The Best Things in Life Are Free"

"Control"

"When We Oooo"

"Together Again" (Jimmy Jam Deeper Remix)

"Come Back to Me"

"Let's Wait Awhile" (containing elements of "Lonely” and “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)”)

"Again"

"Any Time, Any Place"

"I Get Lonely"

Act III

"Doesn't Really Matter"

"All for You"

"Come On Get Up"

"Throb" (containing elements of “Free Xone”)

"Girlfriend/Boyfriend"

"Like You Don't Love Me"

"Do It 2 Me"

"So Excited"

Act IV

"The Knowledge"

"Miss You Much"

"Love Will Never Do (Without You)"

"Alright"

"Escapade"

"Scream" (containing elements of “Black Cat”)

"Rhythm Nation"

Encore

"Together Again"

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Janet Jackson's Together Again Tour is a hit-filled celebration