Janet Jackson appeared at the Billboard Music Awards over the weekend where she made her first live television performance in nine years.
She performed live renditions of her hits ‘Nasty‘, ‘If‘ and ‘Throb‘ and received the ICON Award which is reserved for artists “whose body of work has made a profound influence over pop music on a global level.” Other artists who have received the ICON Award include Cher, Celine Dion, and Prince. Watch her powerful performance below.
Edges snatched courtesy of @JanetJackson! #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/zVnrW1VW7W
— ESSENCE Festival (@essencefest) May 21, 2018
After rocking the stage with her incredible performance, @JanetJackson accepts the 2018 #BBMAs Icon Award! #ICON_JANET pic.twitter.com/S7nDbrGJQI
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) May 21, 2018
“I’m deeply humbled and grateful for this award,” she said before her surprise appearance. “I believe that for all the challenges, for all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history. It’s a moment when at long last women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated, or abused. I stand with those women and with those men equally outraged by discrimination who support us in heart and mind.”
During the Billboard Music Awards Kelly Clarkson also delivered a heartfelt plea calling for gun control. Watch that here.
