As previously rumoured, BET confirmed yesterday that Janet Jackson will indeed appear at Sunday’s BET Awards and she’ll be the first recipient of the Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award with a tribute featuring Tinashe, Jason Derulo, and Ciara.
"This is Janet Jackson, people! We are excited beyond belief to present her with our inaugural ULTIMATE ICON: Music Dance Visual award and we are thrilled that she chose the BET Awards as the first step on her new road," said Stephen G. Hill, BET's President of Programming. "An inspiration to many other artists, 'Ms. Jackson' ('cause I'm nasty) blends music, dance and visuals in unique and groundbreaking ways and we look forward to celebrating her storied history... as well as giving the BET Awards audience a peek into her Unbreakable future."
This is Janet Jackson, people!
I love that that’s how they begin their official statement. Because, yes, this IS JANET JACKSON, people! I feel like I’ve been shouting at the wind here. Don’t you people care????? As BET points out, Janet is “the first African-American female artist to have hit singles in each of the last four decades”. And now she wants to take over the second half of 2015. I’m down with that plan. We were talking this morning about No Sleeep, and how some people wanted it to be … harder. Like a big breakout dance song.
I disagree. I LOVE that she decided to come first with a slow jam. I love that she wanted to remind us of a certain sound, of a certain time, of a certain sexiness. The beats can come later – it’s not like we don’t know she can throw down some crazy choreography. And I’ll wait to see it on tour.
Here’s Janet arriving at LAX yesterday ahead of her big comeback.
