L.A. Times Grades 2009 American Music Awards Performances + Show Photo Links

Rihanna. Ne-Yo told us that the "R" in her "Rated R" stands for either "remarkable" or "really, really sexy." Not quite sure if it completely hit both of those notes, but it was definitely over too soon. Performing in a sort of sci-fi junkyard, Rihanna came onstage in what could have been a torture device. Like Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna is definitely tapping into the cyborg pop mentality that's all the rage at the moment (nice spikes on the shoulders). She gave us snippets of two songs from "Rated R" -- "Wait Your Turn" and "Hard" -- but it would have been better to just stick with one. To her credit, she sounded sharp, metallic and owned the songs. The night's best performance thus far. A-



The Black Eyed Peas. The Los Angeles popsters received a showcase performance, getting to offer live takes of "Meet Me Halfway" and "Boom Boom Pow," two of the most ubiquitous songs of the year. Viewers were reminded of this fact repeatedly, with their sales constantly hyped, and the Black Eyed Peas declaring themselves "the new kings" at the end of their performance. On record, "Meet Me Halfway" is all electronic futurism. Live, it was a bit messier, but there was plenty of eye candy in this extended performance. Crazy wigs and stereo outfits and some crowd-pleasing samples of C+C Music Factory and Nirvana. It was all pop-culture nonsense, and that's what the Black Eyed Peas excel at. B+



Alicia Keys. Getting a chance to redeem herself for her earlier performance, Keys drops her new single, "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," in her second performance of the evening, touching on a bit of '70s R&B vibe. Her gold-draped jacket will dominate the gossip sites Monday, and the single's good too. Keys doesn't belt at the top of her lungs here, and though I prefer her when she's at the piano (she sat down and played in the song's final moments), she's softly restrained for much of the song. The background dancers, copping some vintage "West Side Story" Broadway moves, were cute to boot. B+



Mary J. Blige. Her "I Am" isn't a knock-out on par with "I Can See in Color," but it's the type of ballad Blige can perfectly deliver in her sleep. On a night were futuristic flash and bare skin were all the rage, Blige kept it lovingly old school. B



Janet Jackson. So, supposedly the American Music Awards were going to open with a performance from Janet, and that's technically what happened. Except Janet's performance was largely a commercial for her "Number Ones," in which the singer, in a tan outfit that looked like it was ripped straight from the racks at REI, performed a medley of her hits. Imagine going to Amazon.com and clicking on a bunch of song samples from her two-disc set. That's largely what this performance was -- it's "Miss You Much"! and now it's "What Have You Done for Me Lately"! -- and if you were a Janet fan, you surely enjoyed this swift little medley. It was a safe and solid opening, and it gets a slight bonus for focusing entirely on Janet and not becoming another Michael tribute, so B-.

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Los Angeles Times - 2009 American Music Awards: Grading the performances

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Janet Jackson To Release #1's

Janet Jackson #1's 2 CD Package which features the brand-new single 'Make Me' in stores November 17

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Janet Jackson has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and is one of the best-selling artists in contemporary music. For the first time ever, 33 of Janet's global #1 hits, plus the newly recorded single, "Make Me," will be available on one album--NUMBER ONES. Made possible by a partnership between Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and EMI Music, the two-disc set, to be released November 17, 2009, in the USA (November 23, worldwide titled JANET JACKSON: THE BEST), celebrates the career and artistry of one of the most successful and influential artists in music history.

Among the album's many highlights is new single "Make Me," which was produced by Janet and Rodney Jerkins. Along with "Make Me," #1's spans more than 20 years of chart-toppers, every #1 track spun off from Janet's original albums, from her 1986 blockbuster breakthrough CONTROL to her most recent, 2008's DISCIPLINE. CONTROL sold more than 14 million copies worldwide, with five #1 singles. The best-selling album of 1990, RHYTHM NATION 1814 sold more than 14 million copies worldwide, making Janet the first and only artist in history to produce seven top 5 hits from one album. JANET, sold 20 million albums worldwide, with six hit singles and a nomination for an Academy Award® for Best Original Song, "Again." THE VELVET ROPE has sold more than 10 million worldwide, with six hit singles. ALL FOR YOU was Janet's fifth consecutive album to debut at #1, with more than seven million in worldwide sales. For Janet's seventh consecutive platinum album, DAMITA JO, Janet took its title from her middle name.

Janet's eighth consecutive platinum album, 20 Y.O., acknowledged her love affair with her fans. Janet encouraged her fans around the world to design the 20 Y.O. cover artwork and she chose her favorites for the U.S. pressings. DISCIPLINE was Janet's 6th number one album and 10th studio album.

The track listing for #1's is as follows:

Disc 1
1. What Have You Done For Me Lately (Control, #1 R&B)
2. Nasty (Control, #1 Dance & R&B)
3. When I Think Of You (Control, #1 Pop & Dance)
4. Control (Control, #1 Dance & R&B)
5. Let's Wait Awhile (Control, #1 R&B)
6. The Pleasure Principle (Control, #1 Dance & R&B)
7. Diamonds ft. Herb Alpert with Janet Jackson
(Keep Your Eye on Me, #1 Dance & R&B)
8. Miss You Much (Rhythm Nation 1814, #1 Pop, Dance & R&B)
9. Rhythm Nation (Rhythm Nation 1814, #1 Dance & R&B)
10. Escapade (Rhythm Nation 1814, #1 Pop, Dance & R&B)
11. Alright (Rhythm Nation 1814, #1 Dance)
12. Come Back To Me (Rhythm Nation 1814, #1 AC)
13. Black Cat (Rhythm Nation 1814, #1 Pop)
14. Love Will Never Do (Without You) (Rhythm Nation 1814,#1 Pop)
15. The Best Things In Life Are Free
ft. Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson
16. That's The Way Love Goes (janet, #1 Pop, Dance & R&B)

Disc 2
1. If (janet, #1 Pop, Dance & R&B)
2. Again (janet, #1 Pop)
3. Because Of Love
4. Any Time, Any Place (janet, #1 R&B)
5. Scream ft. Michael Jackson and Janet
(History - Past, Present, and Future Book 1, #1 Dance)
6. Runaway
7. Got 'Til Its Gone ft. Joni Mitchell and Q-Tip
(The Velvet Rope, #1 Japan and South Africa)
8. Together Again (The Velvet Rope, #1 Pop and Dance)
9. Get Lonely ft. BLACKstreet (The Velvet Rope, #1 R&B)
10. Go Deep (The Velvet Rope, #1 Dance)
11. What's It Gonna Be---Busta Rhymes and Janet
(Extinction Level Event, #1 R&B)
12. Doesn't Really Matter (All For You, #1 Pop)
13. All For You (All For You, #1 Pop, Dance, R&B)
14. Someone To Call My Lover (All For You, #1 Dance)
15. All Nite (Don't Stop) (Damita Jo), #1 Dance)
16. Call On Me ft. Nelly (20 Y.O., #1 R&B)
17. Feedback (Discipline, #1 Dance)
18. Make Me

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Janet Jackson

Jackson Family pays tribute to Michael at 2009 BET Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Top black performers paid high tribute to fallen pop star Michael Jackson at Sunday's BET Awards where his sister Janet Jackson and father Joe Jackson made their first public appearances since the singer's death.

The show's most moving moment came in a final tribute when Janet, a pop star in her own right, took the stage to thank the audience for turning out to honor her dead brother.

"To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts," said Jackson, her voice choking as she held back tears. "On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love. Thank you for all of your support, we miss him so much."

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(article courtesy of Reuters)