I saw Janet Jackson remind everyone why she's a music icon with epic 39-song Manchester Co-op Live show

When you think of pop legends, you typically think of the likes of Madonna, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson and even Taylor Swift, yet despite her countless accolades and countless hits, Jackson remarkably flies under the radar somewhat. In this humble writer’s opinion it is time for Jackson and her legacy to be more appreciated.

Jackson has the skill, the repertoire, a CV that most musicians would dream of having, and a reputation as a performer that can put on a masterclass. And on Europe’s biggest stage she showed why she was still at the peak of her powers.

However, before I dive into how good Janet’s show was. How fun was it to see Wyclef Jean? It is not often that you see an opener with a CV as stacked as Jean, and needless to say the Fugees rapper didn’t disappoint. The Haitian rapper took us on a trip down memory lane as he performed classic Fugee hits such as ‘Ready or Not’ and ‘Fu-Gee-La’, showcased his riveting ability on the guitar and got the crowd waving their arms and dancing with iconic tunes such as Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘When It’s September’ and Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ before exiting the stage. A perfect opener indeed.

With the crowd thoroughly warmed up, not even a 30-minute wait could temper the excitement inside Co-op Live. Donning a sparkling suit that captured the eyes, Jackson got things off to an upbeat start as she belted out dance hits such as ‘Night’, ‘2nite’ and ‘Slolove’ in quick succession and while showcasing the choreography that we have come to love about Janet.

The pace never dropped from there, and despite the songs coming thick and fast, Jackson was never out of breath despite dancing for the entirety of the near two-hour set that contained 39 songs - a true testament to her conditioning and her stamina. Aside from the choreography, the other detail that stood out the most in Jackson’s set was her voice. It was in immaculate condition. It was sharp, smooth, silky and she sounded almost identical to her studio recordings - a credit to the acoustics inside Co-op Live and a credit to Jackson’s longevity.

With an unbelievably deep catalogue, iconic tracks such as ‘Doesn’t Really Matter’, ‘Someone to Call My Lover’, ‘Black Cat’ and ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ to name a few were absent from the lengthy setlist, and due to time constraints Jackson could only play snippets of songs in order to cram as many hits into the setlist. However, I think that worked to Jackson’s advantage as it helped her maintain the pace of the show, kept the audience hooked and took us through all of her eras.

It’s difficult to select one song that was the highlight. Watching Jackson perform ‘Scream’ whilst the music video and Michael’s vocals boomed out in the arena was a notable moment, Janet’s photo tribute to Tito Jackson in ‘Together Again’ during the encore was a heartfelt point and ‘Again’ which saw Jackson ask for the fans to light up the arena and sing the hearts out together was ‘biblical’ to quote Liam Gallagher.

If you get the chance to see Janet Jackson live, you should snap up the opportunity with open arms. Trust me, you won’t regret it.