A hush fell over the crowd at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion as the intro piano chords from “Again” drifted into the night sky. As the chords rose in volume Janet Jackson stood center stage but quickly took a seat and looked  out over the crowd as concert attendees pulled out their phones, turned on their flashlights and began to sing the ballad from her fifth studio album, Janet.

“Sing it with me Houston!” yelled the singer as the audience swayed back and forth during the chorus.

The Janet Jackson: Together Again Tour touched down at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Saturday night as the twenty seventh stop of a 36 city North American showcase highlighting the music icon’s five plus decades in the entertainment industry. The show also commemorates the 30th anniversary of Janet, the mega selling fifth studio album which produced the hits “That’s The Way Love Goes,” “Any Time, Any Place” and “Again,” and went on to sell more than 14 million copies worldwide.

Her next album, The Velvet Rope, helped to continue her dominance in the industry and produced the single for which this current tour is named after. Together Again was announced by Janet via Instagram back in December and will be running through the end of June, and while Janet hadn’t toured in six years the response from fans was immediate and overwhelming. Her Madison Square Garden show is, so far, her highest grossing arena-concert of all-time with the multi-faceted entertainer pulling in almost $2 million for that one day alone.

With fans clamoring for all things Janet, the singer doesn’t disappoint offering a four act, two-hour show that gives fans as much as she can of her extensive catalog. While Act One is a mixture of hits and obvious chart toppers like “Got ‘til ITs Gone” and a DJ Premier Remix of “Together Again,” Act Two is more of a deep dive into the past with singles like “When I Think of You,” “The Pleasure Principle,” “Control” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately.” And while Act One and Two could leave a Janet fan satisfied there are still two more sections full of hits.

Janet Jackson is a singer, songwriter, actress and dancer who was able to do the impossible. She rose to the level of icon while being related to one of the most genre-defining icons the world has seen in her late brother Michael Jackson. She did this at the height of the MTV era with stunning video visuals, intricate stage shows, and pop hits that influenced generations to come. Her talents should be more than evident given she is headlining a sold-out tour during the same summer as artists like Lizzo, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift.


For today’s pop artists the blueprint is Janet Jackson, and her creative DNA can be seen with acts like Brittney Spears, Rihanna, Ciara and Jennifer Lopez. Artists that once emulated the “Control” singer’s style are continuing to reach their heights while Janet remains an ever-present mainstay in music. The show recognizes her place in music’s past, present, and future with video interludes projected on giant screens hung across the stage highlighting Janet’s 50 years in the industry. With four acts, 40 songs, and multiple outfit changes, she left nothing on the table. For fans like Kita McCray the show was everything she wanted and more.

“My favorite part about all of this is that Janet still has it,” exclaimed McCray during a break between Act Three and Four. “She is ageless. She is timeless. She is like a fine wine. She still sounds the same and she is still so energetic, and I am so glad to see her back in Houston.”