Janet Jackson made her first live performance in two years Friday night at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, and by the looks of it, the 44-year-old pop icon worked her butt off.

A glistening Jackson wore a futuristic looking silver number at the event, which she headlined, and was accompanied by a bevy of backup dancers. In concertgoer videos, Jackson's voice sounds strong and the crowd certainly enjoyed the rare performance, her first since her brother Michael's death. It's also the singer's only scheduled concert for 2010, so if you missed it, too bad! Watch Ms. Jackson perform 'Let's Wait Awhile' and check out pics from the event, after the jump!