In the early days of MTV, the network had a limited arsenal of music videos, so they played them on repeat. It was a glorious, chaotic mix—Hall and Oates, Roxy Music, Run DMC, and then… Grace Jones. Her video for “Demolition Man,” a live cut from her 1981 One Man Show tour, was a jolt to the system: confusing, electrifying, and utterly unlike anything else. Who was this towering, androgynous Jamaican with razor-sharp cheekbones, a voice like thunder, stilettos, and a suit with no shirt? Was she male, female, or something extraterrestrial? Grace Jones wasn’t just ahead of her time—she was from another dimension entirely.
Fast forward to World Pride 2025 in Washington, DC, where Jones was one of many iconic performers. But her show at The Anthem that Thursday? Unquestionably legendary. Jones rarely tours in the US anymore, and this run—her first since 2023—felt like a cosmic event. That she chose to kick it off during World Pride made it all the more momentous. “This is a beautiful place… but it’s nothing without you in it,” she told the crowd. “Got some nice duckies (beauties), as Jamaicans would say.”
From model to disco diva to post-punk provocateur, Jones has been bending genres and gender norms for five decades. Long before “influencer” became a buzzword, she was the blueprint. “She’s the coolest fucking person in the world,” a friend whispered to me mid-show. “There is no one like her.” Facts.
Fashion has always been Jones’ artistic weapon of choice, and this night was no exception. She opted out of the topless tribal body paint of recent years; instead, she donned her signature dark suit, bustier, stilettos, and a rotating cast of hats and fascinators. She emerged in darkness, perched on a riser behind her band, two glowing red “eyes” gliding across the stage—revealed, when the lights came up, to be LEDs on a face-shielding hat.
During “Private Life,” she transformed that hat into a sequined red-and-black mask. By “Warm Leatherette,” she’d ditched the coat, swapped the mask for sunglasses, and was hammering cymbals with drumsticks like a glam rock Valkyrie. At one point, she whipped a long red poncho like a matador.
But the showstopper was the set-ending “Slave to the Rhythm.” Throwing back to the video of the same name, Jones came out barefoot, in a massive hoop skirt with Keith Haring-esque designs, a red fascinator, and a black bodysuit—and hula-hooped for nearly the entire 10-minute track while she sang. Forget Ozempic—maybe the secret to eternal youth is just being Grace Jones. At 77, she looks better than most people do at 22.
Despite broader safety concerns around Pride events this year, inside The Anthem, the vibe was pure joy. Jones has always had a deep connection with the LGBTQ+ community, and the love in the room was tangible. “I love you and I feel you,” she said more than once. Her voice remains a force—especially during the end of “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango),” where she let her voice boom over that tango-reggae fusion and left the crowd stunned and applauding for over a minute as she lay on the stage, spent.
The night’s big thrill came when Janelle Monáe—who opened the show—emerged from the crowd to join Jones for “Pull Up to the Bumper.” The two danced, laughed, and shared moments of mutual admiration. Monáe even dropped to her knees at one point, professing her love for Jones in front of a roaring crowd. It was a beautiful passing of the torch between two icons.
“Good night, Pride. We love you, Pride. Love yourself!” Jones shouted at the end of her 90-minute set. “You promise? You fucking promise? What you gonna do?” The crowd roared back: “Love yourself!”
And that was the heart of the night—love—love for your icons, your identity, your community, and most importantly, yourself. It was transcendent, unforgettable, and Grace Jones.
