Legend Series: Janet Jackson, State of the World Tour Live

State of the World Tour: Charlotte

It’s not everyday that music royalty comes to your town to perform for you. Friday night saw the Queen of Pop do just that in Charlotte. Janet, Miss Jackson if you will, brought her State Of The World Tour to the open air PNC Music Pavilion. The diverse crowd braved the rain showers and humid summer night to see one of music’s most famous artist bring her elaborate show to the Queen City.

Kicking off the show, the screens flashed signs of gun violence, immigration, human rights, and flashes of symbols of white supremacy – topics of discussion as of late, or so it seems. Janet appeared in silhouette behind the screens then appeared as the crowd went crazy. She worked her three-foot ponytail as she made her way across the stage singing “The Knowledge”. Some things are always going to be relevant until the end of time. “Prejudice, No! Ignorance, No! Bigotry, No! Illiteracy, No!”

Janet did her best to play all the hits during her show in Charlotte. Having said that, the set was a little disjointed as the songs were broken up into a medley style presentation or a combination of prerecorded and instrumental versions that had the crowd singing the lyrics during costume changes. It was a moment that bonded the crowd with Jackson.

Even though I may not have gotten the full version of my favorite songs, Janet is so engaging that I quickly forgot about that and stayed right with her all night. The same thing that made everyone love her from the time she was a little girl still holds true to this day.

Her charisma and personality is so strong that it is impossible to not love her and her show. Bringing hearts to her chest and making that connection with the crowd along with that perfect Jackson smile pulls you right in. Even from my seat, she made me feel like we were friends forever.

It’s no secret Jackson is a dance fiend, and she hasn’t slowed down one bit. She has compiled a team that has moves better than Jagger. Janet worked the stage, swaying her hips, punching the air, swinging her ponytail round and round, and she hardly broke a sweat. I did see a few beads on her brow, but if it were anyone else, they would have been soaked. Her dance style is an efficiency of motion. Effortless but powerful. It runs in the family, obviously, but just watching her is hypnotic. Then she will flash her smile again, break that trance before locking you back in. The team at one point did a mini dance battle that made them all laugh at one another. If you are living and working together 24 hours a day, I am sure those comic moments are a needed break from the day to day seriousness. The crowd looked like they were trying out to audition for the team as they did their best to follow along with the moves.

Janet has put together a beautiful show with a great supporting cast. She has found a way to showcase most of her blockbuster hits, and spotlight her personality as well. She is on the tail end of her tour so there are not many dates left to see her, but if you are a fan, you better get out there and check it out. She is an artist that lays it all out there for you. Being nearly the same age, I can appreciate the work it takes to put on a show like this day in and day out from a physical standpoint, and it is more than impressive. The added value is, she clearly appreciates the people who come out to see her as she makes sure to interact with each one of them. To me, the sign of a good show is that you never get bored, and Janet’s State Of The World Tour was the fastest hour and a half I have seen in a long time.. Loved it!!

The tour is wrapping up with just 4 dates left – if you didn’t attend this go around make sure you do next time.

Gallery of the Night:

Remaining Tour Dates:

https://www.janetjackson.com/