On Saturday night during Janet Jackson’s Houston stop on her State Of The World tour, the singer became overcome with emotion.
While performing the track “What About” off of her Velvet Rope album she knelt down, placed her hand over her face, and wept.
“This is me,” she cried out. The tearful moment on stage was captured by fans and posted on Twitter and Instagram.
Jackson’s Unbreakable tour was placed on hiatus after she announced her pregnancy in the fall of 2016. After giving birth to a son, Eissa Al Mana, in January of this year, she and husband Wissam Al Mana, parted ways in April. The two are currently in the midst of settling their divorce.
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Jan can barely get "This is me" out after #WhatAbout ? #JanetJackson #houston pic.twitter.com/ujZtEGnpKg
— moonchild ॐ (@mzshannon) September 10, 2017
Jackson has remained private about the reason behind their decision to split, despite rumors. “Yes, I separated from my husband. We are in court and the rest is in God's hands,” she said during a video posted to her Instagram account.
Like Jackson’s record-breaking ’86 album Control, in which she notably took more control over her career and image, Velvet Rope (1997) was critically acclaimed for its honesty. This was particularly true when it came to “What About,” in which Jackson’s lyrics recount her experiences with spousal abuse.
“What about all the shit you've done to me? / What about the times you hit my face? / What about the times you kept on when I said no more, please?"
On Thursday, Jackson also performed the track during the first stop on her relaunched tour. However, according to E News, although she appeared slightly pained on stage, it wasn't as emotional as her recent performance.
As noted by E News, this tour marks the first time Jackson has performed the track on stage since 1999.