Entertainment

Janet Jackson performs hit-laden set at Glastonbury

The pop superstar entertained fans at the Pyramid Stage.
The pop superstar entertained fans at the Pyramid Stage. The pop superstar entertained fans at the Pyramid Stage.

Janet Jackson drew on her storied career in pop music during a hit-laden performance at Glastonbury.

The R&B superstar, who attracted headlines after an edited poster promoting her to headliner appeared on her Twitter feed earlier this year, took to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday evening.

Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 4
Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 4 Janet Jackson performs on the Pyramid Stage on the fourth day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset.

While her success is often overlooked due to being the younger sister of the King Of Pop, Jackson’s impact in the 1980s and 90s was significant and many say she laid the groundwork for female stars who came after her, including Beyonce and Rihanna.

Jackson, 53, wasted no time at Glastonbury and performed at a dizzying pace. According to the official set list, there were 22 songs in under an hour on stage.

At one point during the breathless performance, Jackson, wearing a heavy coat in defiance of the hot weather, said: “I could learn to like this, Glastonbury”.

Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 4
Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 4 Janet Jackson performs on the Pyramid Stage on the fourth day of the Glastonbury Festival (Aaron Chown/PA)

The crowd sang along to hits including The Best Things In Life Are Free, Control and That’s The Way Love Goes.

Jackson finished with the socially conscious Rhythm Nation.

The performance has been well-received by critics, however some viewers watching at home seemed to be less than impressed.

Complaints centred on the sound quality, especially during the earlier portion of the set, while others accused Jackson of miming.