Janet Jackson is back in action and performing at a caliber above pop stars many years her junior. The 51-year-old icon kicked off her State of the World Tour on September 7th with a stop in Lafayette, Louisiana, and she brought an impressive, career-spanning setlist and some of her fiercest choreography in years. The tour is a continuation of 2015’s Unbreakable World Tour, which was postponed after Janet announced that she was pregnant. The show received a new name and an updated setlist that includes many fan favorites as well as cuts from her 11th LP, 2015’s Unbreakable.
The living legend opened the evening with a video that boldly condemned racism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism in America and paid tribute to several unarmed black men who lost their lives after police shootings. The video transitioned into an opening performance of her Rhythm Nation call to action, “The Knowledge.” Janet entered the stage from behind a screen that proclaimed “Justice For All” and delivered strong vocals. From there, she moved through a collection of 35 hit tracks including “Feedback,” “Nasty,” “If,” and “Rhythm Nation.” It was a welcome return to form for the hitmaker, and fans took to Twitter to rave and share footage from the new debut.