When the singer returned from a second costume change, the concert took a darker turn with "What About," accompanied by a harrowing interpretive dance portraying domestic abuse. Cole via video, the Joni Mitchell-sampling "Got 'Til It's Gone" and "Island Life" before bringing that part of the show to a climax with the aptly titled "Throb" and "Together Again." She stood for "Spending Time With You" but the vibe stayed fairly mellow through the steamy funk of "Sleeep," which featured J. And Jackson, whose vocals were lost in the mix on occasion in that first part, sounded great on such obvious highlights as "Again," "Come Back to Me" and "The Body That Loves You," a seductive highlight of the "janet." album. If the focus of the first part of the night was on the dancing, this was more about the singing. Returning in a casual look – denim jacket and sweatpants – she pulled up a stool to share some tender ballads. REVIEW: Unbreakable Janet Jackson proves timeless in PhoenixĪfter bringing the opening portion of her show to a close with "Love Will Never Do (Without You)," Jackson left the stage for her first costume change.
She's still got the moves and the presence, in total command of the stage and the room from the moment she hit the stage, her sex appeal in full effect. These were all accompanied, of course, by the slick choreography people have come to expect from Jackson and her dancers. Two more medleys followed, bringing career-defining classics "Control," "What Have You Done for Me Lately," a very sexy version of "The Pleasure Principle," "Escapade," "When I Think of You" and "All For You." Well, it was partly about politics, but Jackson also touched on all those other issues in an energetic set that featured many of her biggest singles, often in the form of medleys, while reflecting on the way she views the world around her.Īfter following "State of the World" with "Burnitup!," an "Unbreakable" track that featured Missy Elliott rapping along via video, Jackson and her band settled into the undeniable New Jack Swing of "Nasty," the synth-driven opening shot of a medley that also featured "Feedback," "Miss You Much," "Alright" and "You Want This."
It's about people, the world, relationships, and just love." In announcing the State of the World tour, a continuation of the Unbreakable tour that was cut short due to her pregnancy in 2016, Jackson said, "I decided to change the name of the tour: State of the World tour. That was followed by "State of the World" with its chorus of "Drugs and crime spreadin' on the streets / People can't find enough to eat / Now our kids can't go out and play / That's the state of the world today."Īnd yes, those songs are both from 1989, but Jackson's goal was clearly not a cheap nostalgia fix, aside from which it's the state of the world today as well. The song built to a spirited climax as Jackson led the fans in a fiery call and response of "Prejudice: No! Ignorance: No! Bigotry: No! Illiteracy: No!"
With that, the stage was set, and Jackson made her entrance, rocking a cane and long black coat while performing "The Knowledge," a "Rhythm Nation" highlight that found her reminding the fans that "information keeps us strong" and "if you want to be in control, you gotta get yourself in the know." Then, a giant portrait of the singer filled the screen, her image partly covered by the slogans, "We will not be silent. Her reasons were made perfectly clear in the opening video, a blood-red clip that flashed the names of unarmed black men shot and killed by police, including Eric Garner, Jonathan Ferrell and Michael Brown, denouncing white supremacy and ending in a chant of "We Want Justice." 21 after "State of the World," a track from "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814?" So why did she title the tour that made its way to Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sept. Janet Jackson's latest album, released is 2015, is called "Unbreakable." It topped the Billboard album charts, was well-received and spawned a very sexy single in "No Sleeep."
View Gallery: Janet Jackson's State of the World Tour 2017