While Janet Jackson’s 1998 Velvet Rope Tour shared the introspective (“You”; “Special”) and the provocative (“Anytime, Anyplace”; “Rope Burn”), Miss Jackson also made room for retrospective: her attitude-rich ‘80s tracks and lighthearted ‘90s dance-pop jams. The “Control Medley” and the “Escapade Medley” are impressive reminders of the impact she had already made in a (design of a) decade. Both sections include phenomenal period moves from her corps of dancers, in particular Tyce Diorio during “Nasty,” “Throb” and “Love Will Never Do Without You.”

Yet after all the set dressing and costume undressing, it’s the simplified four-song encore that reveals Janet at her most authentic and most comfortable, from the soothing “That’s the Way Loves Goes” and the soulful folk sound of “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” to the heartwarming “Together Again.”