Janet Jackson review – glitz, glamour and a very quick run-through of the hits
O2 Arena, London
She lets eight songs go by before she breaks out the old favourites – but when she does, it reminds you why she ruled the charts
Janet Jackson arrives in London with the glow of her Together Again world tour overshadowed by controversy. Buried deep in a Guardian interview were her thoughts on the coming US election. Alas, she chose to repeat a lie perpetuated by Donald Trump about Kamala Harris’s racial identity, with inevitable results. Events then took a turn for the weird, as is the wont of events in the Jackson family. A retraction was subsequently issued, then the retraction was retracted – the “manager” who issued it apparently having nothing to do with Jackson. Within 48 hours the US press was talking about a “PR nightmare”.
It’s not a situation that seems to be bothering tonight’s audience – largely, but not exclusively, old enough to recall Jackson’s 1980s and 90s purple patch first-hand – but it’s a little unfortunate nonetheless, because her tour is presumably supposed to be about reframing a career held to have slumped because you couldn’t hear her music over the noise of controversy, following her infamous appearance at the 2004 Super Bowl. Whether her subsequent commercial decline might also have had something to do with a dip in the quality and consistency of her albums in the 00s is an interesting question, but Jackson herself clearly thinks they’re worth reassessing. The opening of her show is daringly light on hits and heavy on tracks from the 21st century: one house-influenced track segues into another, as if a DJ were mixing a set of tunes you can’t quite place.
Continue reading...Date: |
Topics
-
Sports - ESPN
Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase carves through Panthers' D for 63-yard catch-and-run TD
Chase caught a crossing route over the middle and then kicked into an extra gear.24 minutes ago - NFL -
Tech - Wired
The 14 Best Office Chairs in 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.6 hours ago -
Tech - Wired
16 Best Coffee Grinders, Tested and Reviewed (2024)
Get more joy from your java. These conical-burr, flat-burr, and bladed machines let you enjoy freshly ground beans in every cup.9 hours ago -
Sports - CBS Sports
Ravens vs. Bills player props, AI prediction, Sunday Night Football picks: Lamar Jackson over 200.5 yards
Sunday Night Football prop picks for Buffalo vs. Baltimore for sites like PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, DraftKings, Pick6, and more4 hours ago - NFL -
Tech - Wired
14 Best WIRED Tested and Reviewed Espresso Machines (2024)
Turning your kitchen into a café is a great way to learn (or hone) the art of making the perfect shot.8 hours ago -
Top stories - NBC News
Trump and Harris compete for the Latino vote in very different ways
TUCSON, Ariz. — Vice President Kamala Harris’ West Coast swing, aimed at ginning up support among Latino voters, is a sign of the larger emphasis Harris and former President Donald Trump have ...3 hours ago - Donald Trump -
Top stories - CBS News
Stanley McChrystal says he is backing Harris because "character is very important"
Ret. Gen. Stanley McChrystal has backed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, telling "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that "character is very important, and so I'm ...2 hours ago -
World - The Guardian
Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter review – the ego has landed, just not on Mars
New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac paint a damning portrait of the billionaire who turned the social media platform into a smaller business and a larger cesspool. If Elon Musk is a ...3 hours ago - Elon Musk -
World - Financial Times
Killing of Hassan Nasrallah hits at heart of Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’
Islamic republic hesitates after Israel’s assassination of Hizbollah leader deals heavy blow to its regional strategy5 hours ago - Iran
More from The Guardian
-
World - The Guardian
Middle East crisis live: strikes by Israeli air force hit Yemen; more than 50 killed in Lebanon
IDF confirms dozens of aircraft involved in attacking what it said were ‘military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime’. Lebanon’s information minister, Ziad Makary , has said during a ...19 minutes ago - Israel -
World - The Guardian
Far-right Freedom party to come first in Austrian election, first results suggest
Party projected to beat centre-right People’s party by three points, surpassing expectations. The far right won the most votes in an Austrian election for the first time since the Nazi era on ...1 hour ago -
World - The Guardian
Search resumes in what may be deadliest migrant boat sinking off Canaries
At least nine dead and 48 missing after vessel carrying 87 people sinks off Spanish island of El Hierro. Rescuers renewed their search on Sunday for about 48 people missing after their migrant ...6 hours ago -
World - The Guardian
Harris and Trump to speak in swing states as running mates prep ahead of VP debate
Republican nominee heads to Erie, Pennsylvania, as Democratic vice-president holds rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ron DeSantis is making a concerted effort to maintain draconian limits on abortion ...16 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
World - The Guardian
Tottenham humiliate Manchester United as Bruno Fernandes sent off
This is the nadir of Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United tenure. A slipshod shambolic mess that Tottenham exploited gleefully, pinging the ball about and punching through their storied hosts as if in ...1 hour ago - Premier League