Janet Jackson performs “Someone to Call My Lover” and “All for You” at the American Music Awards and reminds hoes

Janet Jackson was awarded the Icon Award at the American Music Awards. But before collecting her much deserved award, she took a few minutes to remind everybody why she was that bitch, is still that bitch and will be that bitch in perpetuity.

Performing in a bomber jacket is crazy though. I was sweating just watching this performance. But Janet is the queen of dancing through a whole set in layers of clothing, where-as many of us would collapse from overheating after the first 8 count. I’m like Whitney. My body runs hot. Any minor activity or more than two layers of clothing and I be sweating and needing a fan.

“Someone to Call My Lover” has blown up on TikTok, so shout-outs to Janet for being responsive to that and performing it.

“Someone to Call My Lover” was one of my favourite songs on All for You, and I always thought it was such a shame that it wasn’t pushed more as a single, that it got such a shitty music video and that Janet barely performed it. So it’s great to see the song get its moment all of these years later. Janet may have been misinformed about Kamala Harris’ race, but she was well informed when it came to which song to perform for her first televised performance in 7 years.

Janet has still got it y’all. This performance was so good. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that damn Janet sign. Because it doesn’t look like it spells Janet. It looks like it says J. Anet.

I’m sure that on some corners of the Internet folk are going to compare this performance to The Mimi Sessions and comment on that — especially in light of the inclusion of Mariah’s “Shake It Off”. But I ain’t gonna be doing that here. I’m a big fan of both Mariah and Janet — so it was a nice surprise to hear one of my favourite songs on The Emancipation of Mimi used in a mix for one of Janet’s performances. Somebody really shoulda cut to Jennifer Lopez’s face at that moment.

Janet Jackson at the American Music Awards | Dick Clark Productions

I can acknowledge that some of the backlash over tittygate was to be expected and even a bit warranted, it was fully blown out of proportion. Even back then, we could feel that it was, and how much the media was sensationalising it all for the sake of a story. But what later surfaced was far more troubling. In 2018, Yashar Ali did a piece for the Huffington Post on the whole tittygate fallout, where it came to light that Les Moonves — the then CEO and chairman of CBS — went out of his way to derail Janet Jackson’s career. That man sought a type of vengeance on Janet like he was a MCU villain. Les was the one responsible for having all Viacom properties — VH1, MTV and a number of radio stations — blackball Janet. This wasn’t because of some policy. This wasn’t a form of legal action which had to be taken in light of tittygate. It was Les’ enforcing his own personal punishment upon Janet, because he didn’t deem her apology satisfactory enough. This is some Mr. Drummond and Milchick type bullshit. And Janet’s career was never the same after it. And to think that since then, Les Moonves had been made to resign from CBS after allegations of sexual misconduct from 6 women.

Again — Janet is better than me. Because I would have called that man out and dragged him in my acceptance speech. CBS woulda had to cut my mic off, play the instrumental of “All for You” and run a commercial.