Pop royal Janet Jackson is currently over here in London for the latest leg of her ‘Number Ones: Up, Close, & Personal Tour’. Taking a brief break from her 3-day residency at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, the diva stopped by ITV1’s Paul O’Grady Show.
There, the 45 year old (still hard to believe) plugged the trek, her new book ‘True You’, movies, and the like. She also reveals that the tour will be heading to Africa, Asia, as well as returning to the States – keeping her on the road into 2012.
Check out the interview (and my two pence below) …
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While it’s great to see Janet in such high demand, I’m hoping she and her team are keeping their eye on (what should be) the prize – a return to the charts. Reliable sources confirm to That Grape Juice that this current trek was mounted to restore faith in promoters and label execs after the abrupt cancellation of 2008’s ‘Rock Witchu Tour’. As some may remember, that jaunt was brought to a halt when the singer cited ill-health. Whatever the case, it didn’t bode well for her as an insurable / bankable act. Hence, this tour – with its ‘no-frills, just the hits’ gimmick – is very much a case of rebuilding corporate relationships – ahead of a bigger tour later down the road. One, it is hoped, is backed by a bevy of new hits.
(It also may explain why Janet, while still ripe in all her fierceness, isn’t dancing as hard as she used to. At 45, as great as she looks, it’s not about getting fatigued from uber intense choreography day-in, day-out. Save that for the award shows, no?)
In any case, here’s hoping her new material is the business. For, as the likes of ‘Feedback’, ‘LUV’, and ‘Rock With You’ show, Ms. Jackson is very much a viable force. All she needs is the right backing.
Randomness: Now that’s our kind of audience!