Love Will Never Do Without You, Janet Jackson

So, Melissa and I saw Janet on Sunday, April 30 and because so much time has elapsed since that show, I was left wondering if I should even post about the concert at all, but once I started to think about all the ways in which Janet’s music has propelled me through my life, I realized, I did need to post this, just not as it was originally written…

The song that ignited my love for Janet Jackson was her spring 2000 hit, “Doesn’t Really Matter” from the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack. This was the same year that Britney Spears was ruling the world with her diamond-selling album, Oops!… I Did It Again, and pop music was more prevalent than perhaps any other time in history. For me, this was easily the golden era of music, every song from that turn of the new millennium era is as much of a jam to me now as it was to me then.

“Doesn’t Really Matter” in particular though is arguably Janet at her most poppiest, which makes total sense why I fell so hard for it. I remember so vividly a couple years later when I was in high school, I would babysit my neighbor’s daughter from the time she was just six months old till she was four. Every single night, like clockwork, after I put her down to sleep, I would go sit in their lavender living room and watch the music video channel, MTV Hits, till the wee hours of the morning. That station played “Doesn’t Really Matter” every single night I feel, or at least that’s how I remember it, and I would always get so pumped when it came on. Good music never goes bad and good music tied to a great video will live on forever, especially in this brain of mine.

Several years later when I was working at Macy’s St. Clair Square, we played some pretty jammin’ songs there and one of them being Janet’s “When I Think Of You.” Well, after seemingly always being around my peer and friend, Lauren, when this song would come on and both of us loving it, we deemed this our song, so any time it would play, one of us would call the other on our instore work phones and celebrate “our song” being on. This jam will forever remind me of Lauren and my days at Macy’s St. Clair Square in all the best of ways. When Janet performed it that night at her concert I couldn’t snap this song fast enough to Lauren and I do the same now no matter where I am hearing this jam.

Now I understand that what I’m about to say will be an instantly controversial and polarizing point of view to many, but I actually prefer Janet Jackson to Michael Jackson. I know that it’s honestly completely unfair and unwarranted to even compare these two superstar siblings, BUT because people always do, ESPECIALLY when I was telling everyone I was seeing Janet I feel that the statement is a necessary one for me to make. Now please don’t get me wrong, I LOVE me some Michael Jackson, he has some of THE BEST and most iconic songs of all time, BUT his music is always so lyrically heavy. I mean, “Billie Jean,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Black or White,” those are some heavy songs! Of course their all some jams, but they’re also really heavy! Michael doesn’t have too much lighthearted and carefree music whereas Janet has much more of that and more often than not, that’s what I love, so for me, it’s Janet Jackson all the way.

Bring us to last month, on the eve of my 29th birthday, from section B29, Melissa and I saw Janet for our third time and let me tell you what, this was THE BEST time yet! At nearly 57 years old, her birthday is May 16, which makes her a Taurus like me, Janet was up there performing as though she were half her own age! The backup dancers, which were definitely in their 20’s, were competing to keep up with her! It was every bit as outstanding as it was impressive. Navigating through a setlist packed with forty songs, Janet took us on a tour-de-force through every era of her legendary catalogue, performing nonstop for some two hours and playing all the songs one would expect to hear at a Janet Jackson show.

This concert even gave us a pair of new Janet memories. While waiting in line to get in the Enterprise Center, we were standing by a group of fun-loving ladies, one of which kept constantly hollering, “CONTROL!” Much like Janet in her hit song of the same name and then she would follow her holler up with the best cackle I’ve ever heard while her friends kept heckling her. I was loving every single second of it. You best believe a big smile was spread across my face this entire time and later when Janet did perform “Control” I knew somewhere in that Enterprise Center our friend was living her best life!

Then when I went to the restroom just before Janet coming on, I ran into my friend and STL Vlogger, Braden of BradEnSTL. It was wild enough seeing him there as we were both washing our hands, but then to discover that he was seated exactly two rows behind us was even crazier! As one might say, “it’s a small world after all.” It’s always great seeing him and it was awesome being able to catch up before the show.

Ludacris opened for Janet and to be honest, I didn’t realize just how much I loved him! I knew nearly every single song he performed! I also laughed at how many collaborations he has and had forgotten about several till he did his verse and a chorus from each one. Definitely a showman in his own right and the perfect act to prelude to Miss Jackson.

Now I’m not going to run through Janet’s extensive setlist and breakdown each song that was delivered because she did so many and each one was more entertaining than the next. Her show was broken down into five acts and I’ll list the setlist as performed in each of these, so you can see what was played, but just understand, I loved it all. The entire show was jaw-droppingly incredible.

Act I: Damita Jo / Together Again (Remix Snippet) / Feedback / So Much Betta / If / No Sleeep / Got Til’ It’s Gone / That’s The Way Love Goes / Enjoy

Act II: What Have You Done For Me Lately / Nasty / Pleasure Principle / Because Of Love / When I Think Of You / Diamonds / The Best Things In Life Are Free / Control / When We Oooo / Together Again (Remix Snippet) / Come Back To Me / Let’s Wait Awhile / Again / Any Time, Any Place / I Get Lonely

Act III: Doesn’t Really Matter / All For You / Come On Get Up / Throb / Girlfriend/Boyfriend / Like You Don’t Love Me / Show Me / Do It 2 Me / So Excited

Act IV: The Knowledge / Miss You Much / Love Will Never Do (Without You) / Alright / Escapade / Scream (Featuring Michael Jackson) / Rhythm Nation

Encore: Together Again

Now Janet has a LOT of songs that I LOVE! I mean, A LOT, but I do want to share with you all my Top Five Favorites because you know, consistency with the other blogs like this!

Every Time – despite being a single off her critically acclaimed 1997 album, The Velvet Rope, it failed to make the same artistic and commercial impact as other releases from that era. Nonetheless, this is my jam! It’s a beautifully soaring ballad that I’m always down to hear. Definitely an underrated gem from her ever expanding catalogue.

When I Think Of You – of course this one was going to make the list! I can’t have all those terrific memories tied to this jam and NOT let it be in my Top Five Favorites! A lighthearted and fun song that is sure to always brighten one’s day.

Love Will Never Do (Without You) – From the subtle typewriting sounds in the intro to that thumping bass line, this song gets me pumped and just puts me in the best of moods. I love it so much and apparently so did a lot of other people back in 1991 because it made Janet the first AND STILL ONLY artist to have SEVEN TOP FIVE HITS off the same album, surpassing a record set by her own brother, Michael.

Together Again – now I realize I said earlier I like her fun songs and prefer them to her brother’s heavier ones, but this is a heavy song. Listening to it one might not get that on the surface because the beat is so uplifting and poppy, but these lyrics can hit hard. Depending on my mood they can make me either really hopeful, or really sad. Regardless of what mood I’m in though, this song is always a jam.

Doesn’t Really Matter – y’all saw this coming. There should be zero surprise this is my all-time favorite of hers. I find myself coming back to this song often and for good reason too, it still holds up all these years later. I don’t know about the movie it’s tied to, but this song will always remain an iconic piece in a discography full of nothing but iconic pieces. This jam DOES MATTER to me, always!

I don’t care how many more tours Janet Jackson goes on, you can count me and Melissa to be at every last one of them jammin’ out like everyone else there! She’s a queen, a legend, and an icon. She’s also the only artist I’ve spent over 1,000 minutes listening to in 2023 thus far and with so many incredible songs, it’s easy to understand why. Long live Janet Jackson!

As always, THANK YOU SO MUCH for viewing! I appreciate you greatly! Please feel free to leave me a comment below as I LOVE reading and responding to them! I’ll be back soon with another all-new post, so until then, I wish you all, all the best!