Throughout her 40-year career, Janet Jackson has connected generations while inspiring countless artists. She was a vital part of my college years, providing a fun and sexy soundtrack that drowned out the angry grunge music and the pouty boys who listened.
The Together Again tour marks Jackson’s first tour since 2019 and the first time I’ve seen her perform since the 2015 Unbreakable tour. She hasn’t lost a beat! Ms. Jackson traveled to Atlanta during the last week of April. Originally scheduled to perform two shows at State Farm Arena on consecutive nights, Jackson’s second show was postponed for an Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics playoff game.
But she returned on April 28 for a second sold-out show, taking on both an ever-changing pop-music landscape and a legion of Swifties next door seeing Taylor Swift performing. (BTW, there is no drama at all between the two superstars. Each has expressed respect for the other. Swift even namedrops Janet in a song from Midnights.)
The Together Again tour marks Jackson’s first tour since 2019 and the first time I’ve seen her perform since the 2015 Unbreakable tour. She hasn’t lost a beat! Ms. Jackson traveled to Atlanta during the last week of April. Originally scheduled to perform two shows at State Farm Arena on consecutive nights, Jackson’s second show was postponed for an Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics playoff game.
But she returned on April 28 for a second sold-out show, taking on both an ever-changing pop-music landscape and a legion of Swifties next door seeing Taylor Swift performing. (BTW, there is no drama at all between the two superstars. Each has expressed respect for the other. Swift even namedrops Janet in a song from Midnights.)
Jackson descended to the stage, clad in a long purple robe, singing selections such as “Damita Jo.” With male dancers behind her, she eventually disrobed and unveiled a sparking gold pants suit to sing hits like “Feedback,” “Got Til It’s Gone,” and “That’s The Way Love Goes.”
Jackson left the stage for the first of several fashion changes, returning wearing a slinky black and white dress. She rolled through hits from her 1986 album – “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” and the “Pleasure Principle.” This phase of the show concluded with her domineering girl power anthem, “Control.”
During the third act, she brought her live band closer to the stage for a more intimate vibe. It was the perfect launching point for Janet’s sweetest, sultry ballads. She performed “Come Back to Me,” “Let’s Wait a While,” “Any Time, Any Place,” and “I Get Lonely” in succession.
A much more vibrant set came in the fourth act as Jackson and her dancers returned to the stage wearing hot pink outfits for fan favorites “Come On Get Up” “Free Xone,” and “Girlfriend/Boyfriend.”
Jackson chose the final act to express her social and political leanings. Wearing all black, she ventured into more aggressive songs that boldly stated hot-button political issues. Jackson performed “New Agenda” while wearing a “Rhythm Nation” shirt, which includes the lyrics, “History hidden from me, To hide my identity, So I don’t feel like I am somebody.”
She closed the show with more energetic songs such as “Miss You Much,” “Love Will Never Do,” “Alright” and “Escapade.”
After such an energetic performance, she still had enough left in her for an encore set that included the Michael Jackson-collaboration “Scream,” rock-infused “Black Cat,” and the groundbreaking “Rhythm Nation.”
Janet Jackson became famous thanks to her provocative live shows, political activism, and for being a pioneer of the white-hot wave of female-led R&B-infused dance music of the 1980s. With her innovative music and choreography, she helped put MTV on the map and broke down glass ceilings for women and people of color in the music industry. Young people have, and continue to be, inspired by her socially conscious and personally revealing lyrics.
Jackson is one of the most successful musicians ever, having sold over 100 million records. She has 18 singles that reached the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her album Rhythm Nation 1814 has seven singles that reached the top five, setting a new record for a female artist.
At 57, Jackson proved on this tour that she can still perform at a high level and for nearly two hours non-stop. She continues to inspire a new generation of R&B and pop stars.
ATLANTA 2023 SETLIST
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Act I
1. “Damita Jo”
2. “Together Again”
3. “Feedback”
4. “So Much Betta”
5. “If”
6. “No Sleeep” / “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” / “That’s the Way Love Goes” / “Enjoy”
Act II
7. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” / “Nasty”
8. “The Pleasure Principle”
9. “Because of Love”
10. “When I Think of You” / “Diamonds”
11. “The Best Things In Life Are Free”
12. “Control”
Act III
13. “When We Oooo” (intermission interlude)
14. “Together Again” (Deeper Remix)
15. “Come Back to Me” / “Let’s Wait Awhile”
16. “Lonely” / “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)”
17. “Again”
18. “Any Time, Any Place”
19. “I Get Lonely” (TNT Remix)
Act IV
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20. “The Body That Loves You” (interlude) (contains elements of “Runaway”, “You Want This”, and “Spending Time With You”)
21. “Doesn’t Really Matter”
22. “All for You”
23. “Come On Get Up”
24. “Free Xone” / “Throb”
25. “Girlfriend/Boyfriend” / “Like You Don’t Love Me” / “Do It 2 Me”
26. “So Excited”
Act V
27. “New Agenda” / “The Knowledge”
28. “Miss You Much”
29. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)”
30. “Alright” / “Escapade”
31. “Scream”
32. “Black Cat”
33. “Rhythm Nation”
Act VI: Encore
34. “Together Again”
