TORONTO - Her infamous wardrobe malfunction may be a thing of the past but Janet Jackson, the dance-pop diva who stopped at the Air Canada last night on her first tour in seven years, continues to court controversy.

She just announced she was leaving her current record label, apparently upset about the lack of promotion for her poorly-selling latest disc, Discipline, and this weekend postponed a Detroit show on Saturday night due to "production constraints."

There's also news that Jay-Z would like to sign Jackson to a new mega-label that might also include his wife, Beyonce, and 50 Cent.

In other words, never a dull moment for the veteran performer who on top of everything else only managed to draw about 9,000 people to the ACC -- a venue that can normally hold double that amount for a superstar act.

MAKES AN ENTRANCE

The good new is that Jackson still knows how to make an entrance and move her 42-year-old frame even if there's some serious pacing problems with her so-called "Rock Witchu" show.

Two large moving golden J's, billowing smoke and fireworks heralded her arrival on an enormous stage dressed in a skin-tight, futuristic-looking gold and silver jumpsuit and a sky-high mohawk hairdo that would make Cher proud, even if it looked dated.

Backed by nine dancers and a three-piece band -- the latter set up in the stands next to the audience -- Jackson opened at a breakneck pace with the lively trio of Pleasure Principle, Control, and What Have You Done For Me Lately, before seguing nicely into the first Discipline single, Feedback.

Unfortunately, the outfit changes -- everything from sailor duds to a sequined red evening gown to a burgundy-and-jewel-laden jumpsuit and black hair extensions -- kept coming, which either meant the stage was in complete darkness or the backup dancers killed some time.

And the new ballad, Never Letchu Go, performed on a glittering staircase before Jackson wandered around her square-shaped catwalk, only slowed the proceedings down further as did other older slow tunes like Come Back to Me, Let's Wait Awhile, and Again.

The audience didn't seem to mind though as they lapped Jackson up in all her glamorous glory in the eye-catching gown.

Other new songs like So Much Betta and Rock With U, didn't add that much either to the mix in terms of memorable dynamic so it was left to older dance material like Nasty, All Nite (Don't Stop), and Together Again to really wow the crowd.

Let's just say it was a dance-heavy, costumed spectacle without much in the way of organic soul.

It took a good hour into the two-hour, 35-song-plus concert before it seemed that Jackson had really made a connection with the crowd as she hi-fived audience members and got them to sing and clap along during Together Again, which was followed by a long standing ovation, and rarities like Young Love and Say You Do from her 1982 self-titled debut album.

Jackson finally kept the momentum going with such old school dance workouts as Doesn't Really Matter, Escapade, Love Will Never Do (Without You), When I Think of You, and All For You but slowed it down again with Got til It's Gone and Call On Me, the latter featuring Nelly doing his duet part of the song on the video screen backdrop.

BONDAGE DONE BETTER

Also good was That's the Way Love Goes, with the audience chiming in again, the fireworks-and-firebursts-laden rocker, Black Cat, If, Rhythm Nation, the new song Luv and the show ending Runaway.

Otherwise, the bondage-themed Any Time, Any Place and the title track from Discipline, which featured a male audience member being plucked out of the crowd and strapped into a harness that lifted him off the ground while Jackson writhed around, touched and kissed him, seemed to please the crowd even if Madonna and the Spice Girls have executed similar themes much better in their shows.

Opening act and veteran rapper LL Cool J -- known more these days for his acting in movies like Deep Blue Sea, S.W.A.T and Last Holiday than his music (his latest album, Exit 13, will be his last for Def Jam) -- did non-stop laps around Jackson's catwalk and, backed by two deejays, expertly worked the microphone.

The 40-year-old performer also handed out roses to assorted ladies in the crowd and eventually dragged five of them up on stage but his "put your hands in the air and scream" schtick got pretty tired after 35 minutes no matter how impressive his physique.

He drew catcalls when he finally got rid of his jewelled red T-shirt and stripped down to a white tank top, which he would later rip off at one shoulder.

WHAT JANET SANG AT THE ACC LAST NIGHT
- Pleasure Principle
- Control
- What Have You Done For Me Lately
- Feedback
- You Want This
- Alright
- Miss You Much
- Never Letchu Go
- Come Back to Me
- Let's Wait Awhile
- Again
- So Excited
- So Much Betta
- Nasty
- All Nite (Don't Stop)
- Rock With U
- Together Again
- Young Love
- Say You Do
- Don't Stand Another Chance
- Doesn't Really Matter
- Escapade
- Love Will Never Do (Without You)
- When I Think Of You
- All For You
- Got 'til It's Gone
- Call On Me
- That's the Way Love Goes
- I Get Lonely
- Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)
- Any Time, Any Place
- Discipline
- Black Cat
- If
- Rhythm Nation

ENCORE
- Luv
- Runaway