Janet Jackson continued to slay on Super Bowl Sunday. Or should we say, Janet Jackson Appreciation Day
Janet Jackson, a flawless and untroubled queen. (Instagram)
Janet Jackson thanked fans for their support on Janet Jackson Appreciation Day, formerly known as Super Bowl Sunday.
Jackson spoke out after fans dedicated February 2 to celebrating her honour and protesting her treatment at the hands of NFL and its affiliates.
The five-time Grammy winner infamously saw her career nosedive after co-headlining the 2004 Super Bowl half time show with Justin Timberlake.
During their performance Timberlake tore a panel off from Jackson’s costume, revealing her bare breast.
She was subsequently black-listed by MTV, CBS and a number of radio stations, and had a planned performance at the Grammy cancelled.
Timberlake meanwhile escaped any blowback and was invited back to perform at the Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018 – which became the first-ever Janet Jackson Appreciation Day.
This year’s festivities were led by celebrities including NFL player turned filmmaker Matthew A Cherry, who invented the holiday in 2018.
What’s your favorite Janet Jackson song of all time?
This is mine:
(Remember to respond with the hashtag #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay with your answer too so we can keep it trending) pic.twitter.com/68DQGRdZo3
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) February 2, 2020
Actor Yvette Nicole Brown also joined in, tweeting: ‘This is the only important thing happening today.’
Yasssss! Let’s do this! This is the ONLY important thing happening today for me! #02022020 #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay https://t.co/MEeaeGeFqp pic.twitter.com/bc2vLynlLr
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) February 2, 2020
Artist and activist Bree Newsome Bass was one others to join in, with celebrations of Janet Jackson continuing throughout Super Bowl Sunday.
I don’t observe the Super Bowl but Happy #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) February 2, 2020
Who was suppose to tell me about this & forgot? Somebody is getting fired. #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/2Dq2fmxO9X
— Stephen aka Rev. Zeal✨ ???;???? (@StephenBright) February 2, 2020
The gays fight for Janet and uplift her spirit on this day and all of the days because Janet has uplifted us! -signed the gays #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay https://t.co/gLxEwNqmkR
— Stephen Lane (@Naptownasaurus) February 2, 2020
I don’t know why but this right here gets me. The casual slayage of it all. Just murdering choreo with a smile. #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Awlw7bqDYC
— JanetJacksonPodcast (@JanetJacksonPod) February 2, 2020
The Velvet Rope was my first gay friend. Thanks @JanetJackson #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/hVIuOptXl8
— Maria von Clapp (@rosexandercamp) February 3, 2019
Walking into #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay like ??✨ pic.twitter.com/riAx5cuVVP
— Imani. (@ThatsJustImani_) February 2, 2020
Janet Jackson later took to Instagram in gratitude for ‘all the love and appreciation’.
“Means so much to me,” she wrote, teasing: “I want to show my love and appreciation back to U. So stay tuned.”
This year’s Super Bowl half time show was headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, the first Latina women to land the gig in more than two decades.
It was a historic night on several fronts: San Francisco 49ers coach Katie Sowers became the first woman and the first lesbian to coach a Super Bowl team, Lil Nas X led a “rainbow wave” of LGBT-inclusive commercials and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos tweeted what is perhaps the singularly most embarrassing photo caption in humankind’s existence.
