As the season-nine finale of "American Idol" drew close to the finish line, the crowd gathered at the Nokia Theatre and the viewers at home waited nervously for either single mom Crystal Bowersox or paint salesman Lee DeWyze to be crowned the winner. But even as their fates hung in the air, the rest of the season's competitors flocked to the stage one last time to sing "Again," the 1993 single from Janet Jackson's fifth studio album, Janet.

The former "Idol" hopefuls' collective moment in the spotlight ended shortly as Jackson herself graced the stage for a moving rendition of her new song "Nothing," recorded for the soundtrack of Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?," which she also starred in. With her hair pulled back tight and her black dress flowing, Jackson proceeded to provide the audience with waves of heartfelt emotion as she sang: "And the truth is that I realize/ Love is fading from your eyes/ Don't know how it came to this/ But we can get it fixed tonight."

Jackson's sweet song didn't stay sweet for long. As she finished her version of "Nothing," the 44-year-old singer momentarily left the stage and was replaced by a host of male dancers wearing white shirts and black slacks. When she returned, Jackson's dress was gone and replaced by a skintight black bodysuit, signaling the transition from the mournful beauty of "Nothing" to the fast-paced nitty-gritty of "Nasty," Jackson's second single from her third studio album, Control (1986).

A light show of green lasers shot through the Nokia Theatre as Jackson moved aggressively against her fellow dancers, all of whom finished the performance sans shirts. Although significantly more clothed than her stagemates, Jackson was clearly just as thrilled as the dancers as she warmly waved and blew kisses to both the audience and the judges' table at the end of her performance.

Were you surprised by Janet's performance? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!

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