page_title: Number Ones, Up Close and Personal
section_title: Critical reception
hierarchical_section_title: Number Ones, Up Close and Personal / Critical reception
caption_attribution_description: English: Janet Jackson performing on Number Ones Tour.
context_page_description: Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It showcased her sophomore compilation album, Number Ones and visited Asia, North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Jackson traveled to thirty-five different cities selected by fans, one chosen for each of her number one hits. The tour took an organic and intimate approach, excluding the elaborate theatrics and pyrotechnics her concerts have become infamous for, focusing on her musicality and choreography. Jackson explained the tour to be "different from anything I have ever done", adding, "These concerts are not about special effects. This is a love affair between me and those of you who have supported me and my work for all these years." Jackson dedicated an individual song to the audience during every show to commemorate each city.
  The show's intimate aura was praised among critics, many commending Jackson's showmanship in contrast to her more recent contemporaries.
context_section_description: The tour was met with positive reviews. The Jakarta Post wrote Jackson put together "a well-crafted performance, peppered with cool and familiar choreographies combined with an impressive multimedia backdrop." Serene Goh of The Straits Times wrote, "She was theatrical before Lady Gaga, racy before Rihanna and bootylicious before Beyoncé ... Jackson, now 44, brought to the stage a different sensibility, a pared-down set, fewer back-up dancers and less distraction." Amy Verner of The Globe and Mail stated Jackson "proved that she no longer needs elaborate stage sets or pyrotechnics to captivate her fans." Verner concluded, "Seeing Jackson in concert is less about her vocal range than her command of countless choreographed moves to catchy songs that you find you know the words to. She's in her element performing live, transitioning smoothly from fierce and aggressive to sweet and giggly." Saeed Saeed of The National praised it as "a masterclass in how to deliver a pop performance", delivering a mixture of "fan favourites and new material." The "fast moving and slickly produced" show was thought to demonstrate her longevity, "reflecting her eclectic muse from pop, R&B to rock and dance."
  Joe Lawler of the DesMoines Register called the show "a Janet Jackson sampler", adding "Ms. Jackson clearly knows how to work a crowd, and they showered her with affection." Lawler emphasized, "A number of artists have been tagged with the honorific "Queen of Pop" title over the years, but Jackson's longevity and body of work make it clear that she is worthy of it." Vaughn Schoonmaker of MTV News stated "Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set... we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future." Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly praised Jackson's "crisp choreography" and vocals as "strong all evening", ranging from "both feathery and gruff." Wete added, "Statistically, the fact that she's one of the most successful artists of the last 25 years is unquestionable. She's in a class with Madonna, though not mentioned as much." Thomas Conner of Chicago Sun-Times observed the tour's set list suggested "a total that once again equals international megastar."
  Liz Tracy of Miami New Times called Jackson "as strong and feminine as ever", contrasting with her "soft-spoken, seemingly genteel" persona offstage, becoming "a sassy little powerhouse who is every straight (and gay) man's wet dream." Tracy concluded, "Jackson needn't prove herself. She is a 35-hit wonder who has stayed sexy yet powerful, smart yet vulnerable. Baby-faced, industry-perfect pop stars will grow old whether or not they grow up. Jackson is the example of how to do it with grace even when things go horribly wrong." Jane Stevenson of Winnipeg Sun called the show "a scaled-down, fast-paced, crowd-pleasing, wall-to-wall hits package", heralding its medleys, "sexy, glamorous costumes", and choreographed dance moves. Annabel Ross of Australia's The Age called the tour "a walloping reminder of just how many hits she's produced, jamming 30-odd chart-topping singles into two hours." Ross added, "Jackson's trailblazing talent – she still dances circles around Beyoncé and Britney – deserves to be celebrated in its own right." In a review for Sydney's Everguide, Ross praised the show as "one of the best pop performances I’ve ever seen", commending its "substance and stripped-back style." Jackson was noted to abandon her sex-driven image, performing with "agy-defying ease and energy." Jackson's voice was heralded as "nothing to sniff at – that pristine, unmistakable Jackson coo never faltered as she tore through hit after hit." In comparison to her recent contemporaries, Ross stated, "There was no hatching out of eggs, no fandangled props and light shows – just good old-fashioned song and dance from one of the best movers in the business. Rihanna, Beyoncé, Britney – they ain’t got nothin’ on Damita Jo." T
caption: Jackson performing on tour.
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