Staff Writer
Pop queen Janet Jackson performed at a tour stop in Los Angeles on a Saturday night, injecting some youth into her usually adult performance.
In a performance of classic songs, Jackson paused to sing her 1993 ballad “Again” at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles.
A 11-year-old percussionist who has only been a member of the orchestra for a year had a brief interaction with Jackson prior to the 16-member group’s performance with the five-time Grammy winner.
At the Super Bowl the previous year, YOLA sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with the gospel group Mary Mary.
Jackson gave the little percussionist a hug before inquiring how she learned about the program.
The percussionist stated, “My mom probably saw YOLA on Instagram or another social media platform, and she asked me if I was interested in a music program, and I answered “Sure, I’ll try it.” Jackson suggested to her, “Let’s do something a little special,” after their conversation in front of tens of thousands of concertgoers. It was, in fact.
As Jackson sang and the orchestra, under the direction of Thomas Wilkins, played the theme from “Again” from her fifth studio album “Janet,” several spectators took out their phones. Through the 1993 movie “Poetic Justice,” the ballad also received an Oscar nomination.
Jackson returned to her more mature material with “Any Time, Any Place” following her performance with YOLA, before transitioning into “I Get Lonely.” She put on an excellent performance during her hour-plus long set, playing a variety of her other classics like “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Nasty,” “Control,” and “Scream,” a song she co-wrote with her late brother, Michael Jackson.
Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Larenz Tate, and Lil Rel Howery, who are all part of the “Fast X” cast, were among the famous people who attended Jackson’s concert.
Rodriguez and Brewster supported Ludacris, a cast member who took the stage before Jackson as a guest performer. Tate danced in the aisle throughout the rapper’s 35-minute performance while other audience members stood up and recited the lyrics to his songs from “What’s Your Fantasy,” “Area Codes,” and “Welcome to Atlanta.”
in the start of Jackson’s show, Ludacris came out of the audience for a quick discussion with his “Fast X” crew and Howery separately in their box seats.
Overall, it was a memorable night for Jackson, who finished her performance with the Grammy-winning song “Rhythm Nation” from 1989, which sparked a large number of pyrotechnics within the venue. Her tour began in April and will end on June 21 in Seattle.
The Hollywood Bowl’s summer concerts, which run from June through September and feature performances by the Beach Boys, Gladys Knight, Jill Scott, Maxwell, and Quincy Jones’ 90th birthday tribute, began with a performance by Michael Jackson.
