Janet Jackson review: The good, the bad of her Acrisure Arena concert

Janet Jackson transformed Acrisure Arena into a desert discotheque on Tuesday night while kicking off the second leg of her Together Again tour.

Ever since her debut tour in 1990, Jackson has astounded audiences with her captivating musical performances and has solidified her reputation as a trailblazing visionary and masterful storyteller. At 58 years old, she continues to amaze audiences with her music presented in unparalleled and innovative ways.

Nelly delivered an outstanding performance as the opening act

There's a good reason why Nelly is opening for Jackson — he brings an incredible amount of energy to the stage.

The "Country Grammar" rapper took the crowd back to the party rap songs of the 2000s backed by his half-brother City Spud, DJ Trife and four baseball jacket-clad backup dancers. He had no problems hyping up the crowd with his classic songs such as "E.I.," "Lil Bit," "Ride Wit Me" and many more.

As the crowd continued to enter the arena and head to their seats, Nelly repeatedly thanked the audience in-between songs throughout the 45-minute set for supporting him over the past 25 years.

"I love each and every one of y'all the same, no matter why it is you started supporting Nelly, no matter when it was you started rocking Nelly, no matter how the hell it came to be that you started bumping Nelly, no matter who it was that might have turned you on to Nelly, I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart," Nelly said.

Janet Jackson opened with a song she hasn't played live since 2016

As five male dancers in stylish gray suits appeared on stage, a large cylinder-shaped curtain lifted, revealing Jackson on a raised platform wearing an oversized jacket resembling a ball gown. This marked the start of the dance club-themed first act of the performance, with her rendition of "Night" from her 2015 album "Unbreakable." She also followed this up with the live debut of "2nite" from her 2008 album "Discipline."

Full setlist What Janet Jackson played at her concert at Acrisure

The first act was minimal on visual production but Jackson, who wore a slightly modified variation of a suit matching the dancers, flourished on stage as each song flowed into another and told the crowd, "I can go all night." One of the highlights before the transition into the next phase was "That's The Way Love Goes."

To kick off the next part of the performance, Jackson performed some of her early hits such as "What Have You Done for Me Lately" and "Nasty." The songs mostly revolved around themes of love and heartbreak, with Jackson delivering seductive, sentimental, or heartbroken romance tunes. Although there was a pleasant surprise with the performance of the ballad "Again" from her 1993 album "Janet," it felt a little disappointing. The band played the song, but Jackson asked the crowd to sing it while intermittently singing a line or two herself.

Janet Jackson's Palm Desert show closed with a stunning second half

There were many changes on the stage throughout the show with various visuals, the large curtain going up and coming back down and the band was hidden behind the screens. But the second half revealed more effects such as a large sphere featuring video production (including animated storms and other colorful patterns), and the band being moved out from the back to play the most musically energized portion of the show, featuring songs such as "All For You," "Escapade" and "Miss You Much."

Jackson, who has not been overly political throughout her career, brought out those themes from the "Rhythm Nation" era with the dancers wearing military uniforms and leather garrison caps. She also performed the electrifying 1995 song "Scream," a collaboration with her late brother Michael. The song was made as a vehicle for the siblings' rage against the tabloids and the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations made against Michael.

The encore featured "Someone To Call My Lover" and "Together Again."

There are many sides to Jackson, from the New Jack Swing-produced bad girl anthems of the '80s and '90s, the vulnerable and sentimental motifs of longing for true romance and the refined sensual and erotic songs. The Together Again Tour explores Jackson's entire career and presents the highlights musically and visually.

The costumes, including suits, plaid, military uniforms, all-white shirts and pants, may not have been overly flashy, but they seamlessly complemented each act of the show without causing any significant delays during transitions. Additionally, the choreography was outstanding.

Next stops: Janet Jackson tour in San Diego, LA, Sacramento, San Francisco

Jackson's tour will continue through Southern California:

• June 6: North Island Credit Union in Chula Vista, Calif.

• June 8: Kia Forum in Los Angeles

• June 9: Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

• June 11: Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.

• June 12: Chase Center in San Francisco

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Janet Jackson review: The good, the bad of her Palm Springs area show