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Not many artists so far removed from a hit record can fill up a venue as large as Radio City Music Hall. Nearly a decade has passed since Janet Jackson last topped the Billboard hot 100 singles chart (“All For You,” 2001). But there she was Friday night—hair short and slicked—in a sexy, tight gray jumpsuit singing to a packed house on the first of three nights of her Number Ones tour at the famed New York venue.
Oh, how easily we forget. Or perhaps it was just me… Janet’s got hits! Obviously, it’s called Number Ones for a reason. She has ten that have reached the No. 1 spot on the hot 100 during her career, 26 altogether in the top 20, and of those smashes several have ranked above all in their respective R&B and dance charts.
Jackson opened with her 1987 R&B chart topper “Pleasure Principle” and continued with a blitz of classics. Somehow I remembered the words to them all. As did my fellow fans, pausing from reciting lyrics only to squeal or hoot. “Alright,” “Miss You Much,” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately” all came partnered with the crisp choreography from there ’80s videos. Her voice, both feathery and gruff at times, was strong all evening. There appeared to be no lip-syncing, which she’s often accused of.
In true Janet fashion, the show was sexually charged. READ FULL STORY »
