THE BILLBOARD MUSIC awards were on last night and it was a big night for many artists, most notably Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. However, the speech of the night will go to Janet Jackson. Before she could even start speaking, the crowd started chanting her name showing just how well respected she is in the industry.
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
Janet was accepting the ‘Billboard Icon Prize’ becoming the first woman of colour to do so in the prize’s history. In her acceptance speech she referenced the #MeToo movement and said this was ‘a glorious moment in history’.
I believe that, for all of our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history. 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.’
Janet has never been afraid to tackle difficult issues having sung about domestic abuse before in songs such as ‘Lessons Learned’. Her third album ‘Control’ was about her breaking free of the Jackson 5 and becoming her own artist.
She is one of the most successful US artists of all time with 27 top 10 singles, 10 number ones and one of only 4 acts to have a number one album in each of the last four decades. As Bruno Mars described her in his introduction ‘She is an activist. She’s a humanitarian. She’s a powerful woman. She’s Janet Jackson.’
Her speech also touched on the current political climate in the US and urged people to go back to a sense of calm.
This is also a moment where our public discourse is loud and harsh. My prayer is that, weary of such noise we turn back to the source of all calmness. That source is God. Everything we lack God has in abundance; compassion, sensitivity, patience and a boundless love.’
Following her speech, Jackson went on to give her first televised performance in the US in nine years and it was a banger of a performance at that.
Musical royalty thy name is Janet Jackson.
