Video footage of concerts invariably feature fans with tears streaming down their faces. I've always looked at said fans thinking, "How sad must your life be?" Famous last words.
Janet Jackson's concert at the Yas Arena, Abu Dhabi proved her mastery. And yes, she had many members of the audience in tears, including yours truly.
On a simplistic set, with no visual trickery, Jackson went about her craft, live singing her songs that have gone to the top of the charts and took her audience on an emotional ride with her.
She did it all, from ballads like Let's Wait A While, which followed a video montage of Jackson's work on the small and big screen, to dance numbers like Feedback off her last album, Discipline.
The song that stood out for most, however, was Together Again, which followed closely on Scream, the only duet Janet did with her late brother Michael Jackson.
The song was rendered more poignant by the ongoing trial against Dr Conrad Murray, and seeing Janet perform with Michael had many in the audience openly shedding tears.
The best part of the concert was that Janet had no costume changes, apart from ditching the white jacket she was wearing over a black T-shirt and grey jeans with punk-enfused chains and a beautiful crystal-encrusted skull buckle belt.
Jackson opened the show with the video to That's the Way Love Goes, the song she dedicated to Abu Dhabi on this, her Number Ones Up Close and Personal Tour, and when she sang the song later in the concert many felt like they had been up close and personal with the multi-Grammy Award winner.
"Abu Dhabi, this is my first time performing in the Middle East," Jackson said as she was wrapping up her concert. "You have no idea how much I love you. Thank you for your support. You know my brother was crazy about this part of the world.
"Thank you, not just for me, but for my entire family. I love you so much."
Judging by the reaction of the crowd, the feeling was mutual.
