Janet Jackson breaks down in tears on stage in Houston during emotional break-up song

Janet Jackson broke down on stage during her concert in Houston after performing an emotional song about a break-up.

The pop icon held her head in her hands and sobbed in front of the crowd on Saturday night before straightening up and telling the crowd: “This is me.”

The singer, 50, was performing hit song What About from her 1997 album The Velvet Rope, which deals with a destructive relationship.

Jackson is currently in the process of divorcing long-time partner Wissam Al Mana following five years of marriage.

The pair, who were together for seven years and wed back in 2012, welcomed first child, Eissa, in January this year.

Jackson put her world tour, previously called Unbreakable, on hold last year when she discovered that she was pregnant.

She has since resumed the tour, renamed State of the World, just a few months after giving birth and ending her relationship.

“I decided to change the name of the tour," she said at the time. “It's not about politics. It's about people, the world, relationships and just love”

Talking about her split from Al Mana, she added: “We are in court and the rest is in God's hands.”

Ahead of her show in Houston on Saturday, Jackson met with mayor Sylvester Turner and a number of survivors following the devastating Hurricane Harvey.

She dedicated Saturday’s show to all those affected by the hurricane and offered her support to charities aiding relief efforts.