Culture

Janet Jackson gets Nasty with first TV performance in almost a decade

By Daniel Megarry

21st May 2018

NBC

Janet Jackson was the indisputable queen of the Billboard Music Awards last night.

The 52-year-old pop music legend made her first TV performance in nine years (can you believe!?) at the annual awards ceremony last night, where she also picked up the prestigious Billboard Icon Award.

Janet kicked things off with a performance of iconic 1986 hit Nasty, from her album Control, before segueing into renditions of If and Throb, both taken from her number one self-titled fifth studio album Janet.

To say she slayed would be an understatement.

She was then presented with the Icon Award by Bruno Mars, making her the seventh ever person – and the first black woman – to receive the accolade. Previous honourees include Prince, Celine Dion, Cher and Jennifer Lopez.

“I’m deeply humbled and grateful for this award. I believe that for all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history. It’s a moment when, at long last, women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused,” she said.

“I stand with those women, and with those men [who are] equally outraged by discrimination, who support us in heart and mind.”

Watch her acceptance speech below.

Unsurprisingly, fans loved the performance and rushed to social media to share their love for Janet.