Janet Jackson. TD Garden/Boston. November 5, 2017

It is a rarified air in the upper echelons of pop performers. It is a world of million dollar tours, loads of dancers, full (or nearly full in some cases) arenas, and often literally a couple hundred songs to choose from. The past couple of years have seen many of these artists troop through Boston with varying degrees of success. Some sing. Some dance. Some do both and some do neither. But they certainly bring the spectacle because what is contemporary pop but spectacle? There can be no denying that Janet Jackson is a singer, a dancer, and a bit of a spectacle. We expect no less from her given her illustrious recording career (not to mention her sideline as an actor) and her (arguably) more famous brother Michael (RIP).

Recently she has been in the news for both becoming a new mom (hence the postponement of this tour back in the spring of 2016) and her recent separation from her husband, Wissam Al Mana. It is now, as she enters her 50s and her fourth decade as a recording artist, that Janet re-embarks on her "State of the World" tour (formerly known as the "Unbreakable" tour after the title of her most recent release). Renaming the tour signifies Janet's desire to posit this tour and the songs chosen to be reflective of the more socially conscious themes that have run throughout her music, arguably beginning with her huge hit record "Rhythm Nation: 1814."

The songs selected for the set list are those that deal with racism, homophobia, fascism, police brutality, and domestic violence. These particular themes are accompanied by corresponding imagery and, at times, performance pieces using her (unbelievably talented) group of dancers. The result is a bit of a hodge-podge of greatest hits but not quite. I say this not as a detriment because the show felt very cohesive and driven by this theme. It never seemed to wander off on a tangent (looking at you Rihanna). However, if you didn't know that this was the point of the show then you probably wouldn't get it (at least until we get to the song where we watch a couple devolve into a violent dispute. Then it got pretty obvious!).

The one thing to get out of the way is that we all know that Janet isn't a powerhouse singer. Much of her voice is well aided by production. She is, however, a supremely talented dancer. So for me this puts her up a notch above Mariah (although we know MC has NEVER danced. She just shimmys around on her Louboutin's) but not quite in the Gaga territory (that gurl did everything on stage and then some). So as a straight-up pop/R&B performer Janet killed it.

The staging, the dancing, the costumes (with the exception of a mis-guided tour into the grunge era. Janet, honey, no) were what one would expect from this kind of tour. It was beautiful to watch. Sadly, her voice, when she did sing or speak live, was so far down in the mix it was non-existent. I'll give this to her, she is probably the best lip-syncer in the world. She really is seamless. And again, I don't say this as a detriment. She was all over the stage and dancing up a storm and there is no way one can do that and sing (except for Lady Gaga. Props to her again).

Ultimately who cares? The performance was spot on and she definitely responded and played to the crowd (unlike Rihanna who couldn't muster the slightest attempt at interest in her audience beyond whether or not their checks cleared).

It is easy enough in this day and age to feel jaded about wealthy performers and whether or not they "care" about the causes they weave into their personas. But I have to say, watching Janet perform and really seeing the earnestness behind her message I couldn't help but think that she genuinely meant it. Much like her brother Michael, who wove personal causes into his music (perhaps a little too much at times) Janet's music is very much a statement of who she is and what she believes. I was impressed and a little sad that I'd never get to see Michael perform live as I'm sure it would have been mindblowing (when he was actually on). Seeing Janet live is perhaps a way to catch a glimpse of what her brother could accomplish if he hadn't spiraled down. This is by no means a comparison. Janet is clearly a stand out and stand alone star. She proved it last night at the Garden. It was well worth the wait.

For more on Janet Jackson and upcoming dates on her tour, visit her website.