All For You Tour - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Reviewing the All for You Tour's premier concert at the Rose Garden Arena, Jennifer Van Evra of The Vancouver Sun reported that "the Janet Jackson that crowds are catching on this tour is distinctly different from the one they might have seen in years past. Gone is the 'girl next door' version of Janet—the coy, cutesy, smiling little girl who managed to avoid the glare of the tabloids. Now 35, recently divorced, and with a her new album 'All For You' in tow, Jackson is showing off a much sassier, sexier, more confident self." Pop music critic Kevin C. Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave a negative review, believing the concert had too many similarities to The Velvet Rope World Tour. He remarked: "Jackson remains one of this generation's most exciting performers in concert, easily triumphing over the likes of young upstarts Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child. But the new 'All for You' tour, which made one of its earliest stops in St. Louis, revisited her previous tour a few too many times." Buffalo News critic Craig Seymour praised Jackson's concert at the HSBC Arena, stating that "her 'All for You' tour marked another milestone for the veteran artist, who proved to be more comfortable with own ability to command an audience than ever before." According to Seymour the best segment of the night was the "Asian-influenced set for the still-rousing 'Rhythm Nation'." He adds, "She doesn't fight against her image like Madonna, who plays almost none of her early hits during this summer's 'Drowned World' tour. Rather, she attacks her classics with such vigor that the experience is less nostalgic than vitally in-the-moment. But most of all, by embracing her well-liked hits, Jackson does precisely what a superstar is supposed to do: She lets the crowd love her."

Jim Farber of the New York Daily News wrote: "In the splashy two-hour event, which made its New York bow at Madison Square Garden last night, the suspiciously sculpted star ripped through nine costume changes, gyrated around a host of ever-changing stage sets and offered no fewer than 26 songs plucked from more than a decade's worth of hits." He criticized similarities to her previous tour, saying: "Unfortunately, the evening also recycled some Janet stunts from the past. A segment that centered on frothy cartoon characters (with Jackson appearing as a sugar plum fairy) mimicked her 1998 tour's equally infantile circus fantasia. An S&M segment, in which she strapped an audience member to a gurney and straddled him, also repeated a similar NC-17 episode from the last go-round." Sonia Murry of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution offered a positive review of Jackson's performance at the Philips Arena in comparison to other artists who were also touring at the time. She comments that while "'N Sync had some sharp moves on occasion, it was as if Jackson was plugged in she moved so much, and so well ... While Madonna offered a true visual feast, the 19,000-plus seemed to be satiated with just the art that was Jackson's sculptured body ... And where Sade may offer instant intimacy with one well-placed and throaty high note, well, Jackson did fine just to flex her thin pipes on 'Again', part of her medley of ballads ('Come Back to Me', and 'Let's Wait Awhile' included)."

Los Angeles Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn gave a negative review, comparing Jackson's concert unfavorably to Madonna's. He reported that "ike Madonna's, Jackson's 'All for You' concert is tightly scripted and executed with the precision of a Broadway show—complete with flashy sets, video footage (including a probably inadvertent glimpse of the World Trade Center in one), eight dancers and even more costume changes. Jackson is personable, but there's an unsettling, almost adolescent quality about the show. At 35, Jackson is only eight years younger than Madonna, but her presentation feels more akin to Britney Spears'. Madonna knows how to dig beneath the surface; Jackson lives on it." Los Angeles Daily News critic Sandra Barrera observed "lthough her latest album, 'All for You' fueled the concert, Jackson embraced her past. As the video for 'Let's Wait Awhile' played on a giant screen, revealing a plumper Jackson falling in love amid the New York skyline, wild cheers came from the audience. She flashed back to her Marilyn Monroe-esque phase for 'Love Will Never Do', and vamped with grotesque creatures for 'Trust A Try'. She performed a medley of 'What Have You Done For Me Lately', 'Control' and 'Nasty'. And she sang 'Miss You Much', 'When I Think of You' and 'Escapade' while dressed as a whimsical insect in a "Bug's Life" sort of fantasy land."

Neva Chonin of the San Francisco Chronicle gave a positive review, stating "Janet Jackson has been performing soul, R&B and pop onstage for more than 28 years, but she's not slowing down. On the contrary, Jackson's tour supporting her sultry album 'All for You' is a whirling extravaganza of ever-transforming stage sets, amped-up dancing and music strong enough to rise above the furor. There are other attractions, too, such as Jackson donning dominatrix drag to simulate rites of masochistic love with a lucky audience member while singing 'Would You Mind', whose lyrics alone could make the coldest fish sweat. Have we mentioned her fabulous voice? She has a fabulous voice." Gina Vivinetto of the St. Petersburg Times, who reviewed Jackson's concert at the Ice Palace, compared it favorably to Madonna's, as "both megastars have taken wildly different paths." She comments that Madonna's "lengthy show contained precious few hits. Madonna was out to share her most recent artistic vision, whether or not you liked it" and in contrast, Jackson "sweats and shimmies and dishes out every hit she's had over a 15-year career that's bursting with them. Jackson even bunches several together in medleys so you don't go home feeling cheated." Jodi Duckett of The Morning Call stated: "Michael's little sister and the reigning star of the first family of pop kept the sold-out crowd at the First Union Center on their feet for two hours while she sang, danced, vamped, acted and posed, supported by eight dancers and a five-member band, a wardrobe that clung to every nook of her chiseled body and a fluid stage set.