50 years in, Janet Jackson captivates on Fort Worth stage, whether she’s singing live or not
Few artists, if any, to play Dickies Arena in Fort Worth have been a star longer than Janet Jackson.
The youngest of 10 siblings of the legendary family that spawned the Jackson Five has been performing since she was 7, a mind-bending revelation she touched on during her nearly two-hour set in front of a packed arena on Thursday.
The 58-year-old pop princess who ruled the charts in the late 1980s and ‘90s, crammed nearly 40 songs from her 11-record career into the evening, which was a blessing and a curse.
On one hand, the extensive set allowed her to hit multiple eras of her career, including seven tracks from her 1989 landmark album “Rhythm Nation 1814.” However, squeezing so many songs into 105 minutes left little time for much depth or emphasis. Instead, Jackson, her four male dancers, and her five-piece band bounced from one song to the next, often shortened versions and turning many standout, stand-alone Jackson classics into mere moments of a medley.
There were plenty of exceptions to this, of course, including “Take Care,” one of three songs performed from her 2006 album “20 Y.O.,” “Let’s Wait A While,” and “Again,” slowed the pace for a section of R&B balladry, and ostensibly gave Jackson a chance to let her live voice shine, but, alas, it still sounded canned.
Most of Jackson’s fans know that she often performs to prerecorded vocals. That was especially apparent during heavily choreographed dance sequences with her dancers. Her band, which was set up at the back of the wide-open stage, alternately moved up to center stage for some songs. Drummer Mike Reid, guitarist Errol Cooney, bass guitarist Eric Smith, keyboardist Daniel Jones, and DJ Aktive sounded like a band that has played the same material together for more than two years: Exceedingly tight but also maybe a little bored.
This was Jackson’s second North Texas stop on her two-year Together Again Tour. She played Dos Equis Pavillion on June 2, 2023, during the first leg.
Fort Worth is the 32nd of 35 North American stops before she takes the tour to South Africa and Europe in the fall.
Before “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” from her 1986 breakthrough album Control, Jackson’s prerecorded voiceover put her extraordinary career into proper perspective.
“Fifty-one years in this business,” she said. “I’ve been so fortunate and so blessed to have the career that I continue to enjoy every day. I was just a small child the first time I stood on a stage before an audience. I still feel just as excited today as I did all those years ago. All of you here tonight have always been a huge part in my journey. I wouldn’t be where I am today without God and you. I love you all so much.”
At 58, Jackson can still flawlessly move her body in precision choreographed moments with her dancers, including one especially impressive sequence during “You Want This,” from her blockbuster 1993 album “janet.”
Her devoted, longtime fans danced with her throughout the night and, with her urging, helped sing the songs. That felt awkward, however, when it was clear we were the only ones singing live.
Janet Jackson setlist, Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas, July 25, 2024
“Night”
“2nite”
“Slolove”
“Rock With U”
“Throb”
“All Nite (Don’t Stop)“
“No Sleeep”
“Got ‘til It’s Gone”
“That’s the Way Love Goes”
“Love Will Never Do (Without You)“
“What Have You Done for Me Lately”
“Nasty”
“The Pleasure Principle”
“You Want This”
“When I Think of You”
“Diamonds”
“The Best Things in Life Are Free”
“Control”
“Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)“
“Take Care”
“Let’s Wait Awhile”
:Again”
“Any Time, Any Place”
“I Get Lonely”
“With U”
“Make Me”
“All for You”
“Alright”
“Escapade”
“Miss You Much”
“Feedback”
“So Excited”
“State of the World”
“The Knowledge”
“If”
“Scream”
“Rhythm Nation”
“Someone to Call My Lover”
“Together Again”