Let’s get the formalities out of the way.

Monica opened the main stage at the Louisiana Superdome with a show full of her hits, showing why, at one point in her career, she was vying for the R&B crown.

Raphael Saadiq brought ’60s R&B back in all its white-suited, soulful glory.

Charlie Wilson made everyone’s mom and dad remember their first dates with a sexy stroll down memory lane.

And in one of the superlounges on the opening night of the Essence Music Festival, Chrisette Michele delivered a star-making performance, showing that she was destined to be on the main stage in no time.

But make no mistake; Friday night at Essence was about Janet Jackson. Almost a year to the day after her brother Michael’s passing, Ms. Janet stormed through her seemingly endless catalogue of hits – 34 number ones, she announced at one point. So you think she can’t dance anymore? She settled that debate by opening with an up-tempo rendition of her ’80s classic “The Pleasure Principle.” Though the song is 20 years old, Janet version 2010 looked just as fluid and sexy as the Janet that first appeared in the video in 1986.

Though Jackson has been through a lot in the past year (well, past few years as people sometimes forget the infamous Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction of 2004) and has been somber in public appearances as of late, it’s important not to forget that she is a provocative, sexy performer who doesn’t shy away from pushing the envelope.

This time, the envelope was shoved off of a cliff when Damita Jo donned a flesh-toned leotard and performed an S&M scene, complete with men in leather and leashes, to the tune of her lovemaking anthem “Any Time, Any Place.” Janet even snatched one man up from the crowd to give a jaw-dropping lap dance that would put Rick’s Cabaret out of business.

The show was nearly flawless, only coming to a lull when she opted to sing some of her ballads instead of dazzle with her moves.

Finally, the show ended on an emotional crescendo when she sang “Together Again” as a heart-felt ode to Michael Jackson, with two photos of of a young Janet and a teenaged Michael projected on the rear video screen. This was a riveting cap to a monumental show from one of music’s undeniable icons.