It has been a weekend of powerful, beautiful black excellence. Black girl magic left everyone in awe at the Royal Wedding (probably the most Caucasian of all places) and now, at the Billboard Music Awards, and we are totally here for it.
Just days after celebrating her 52nd birthday, the legendary musician that is Janet Jackson, not only delivered the performance of a lifetime at the event, she was also be honored with the Billboard Icon Award making it the first time a Black woman would ever be presented with this award. Dressed in a gold ensemble, thigh-high boots and adorned with South African tribe Zulu beads, she was already paying homage to her heritage before she even opened her mouth to speak.
She may not be a millennial but mennnn she has opened the doors for all the female, millenial artists we have all come to love.
Jackson whose career has spanned a lengthy period of nearly 4 decades, earning her 35 awards and more than 100 million records sold, has earned her throne. In her speech, Jackson paid homage to the feminist movement and the fight against discrimination and prejudice against women.
“I’m deeply humbled and grateful for this award. I believe that for all the challenges, for all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history,” Jackson said. “It’s a moment when, 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.”
“This is also a moment when our public discourse is loud and harsh,” she continued. “My prayer is that, weary of such noise, we turn back to the source of all calmness. That source, that source is God. Everything we lack, God has in abundance: compassion, sensitivity, patience, and a boundless love. So, again, I want to thank all of you for this honor, and I thank God for giving me the precious energy that lets me live my life as an artist who every single day seeks to expand my capacity to love. Thank you so much.”
Just like her speech, Jackson delivered a stellar performance looking as though she had never left the stage. She began her performance saying the three words that have come to be synonymous with her stage career: ‘Gimme a beat’. You knew it was bound to be an amazing performance when she said those words! She did not disappoint, as the mother of one showed up and showed out as she had the A-list audience getting out of their seats and in the groove.
The superstar left the stage amidst the audience still chanting her name.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Instagram
