Crafted with the help of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson's propulsive mix of hip-hop, R&B, dance and pop made Jackson one of the biggest female artists of the '80s. She carried her audience with her through the '90s, as she dropped the mechanical rhythms of her first records for a softer, more soulful sound, and strong sales of her 2000s records affirmed her as one of modern pop's most enduring stars—though between a notorious Super Bowl mishap and the death of her brother Michael, that last decade was at times difficult. For her latest tour, Jackson abandons the big-production, high-spectacle format of her arena tours for an “up close and personal” set that will include performances of all 34 songs from her 2009 greatest-hits compilation Number Ones. “I am really enjoying myself on this tour,” Jackson said of the tour's more intimate format in an email interview with the Shepherd. “I get so much energy from the audience. It's great to be able to look out and see everyone's faces while I am performing.”
Janet Jackson
Tonight @ Milwaukee Theatre, 8 p.m.