Alanis Morissette Kicks Off 30-Song Vegas Residency: ‘I Have to Admit That I’m Terrified’

Alanis Morissette is the latest artist to add her name to the ever-growing list of Las Vegas residency acts. 

On Wednesday, the “You Oughta Know” singer kicked off her Alanis Morissette: Las Vegas 2025 show at Caesars Palace, diving straight into “Reckoning.” The remainder of the show had a very Broadway-esque feel that blended skits (many of them personal), stories and music. There was even an intermission — something unheard of in Vegas.

The seven-time Grammy winner, 51, admitted to being scared of the moment. 

“I have to admit that I’m terrified. Even if I look calm and collected on the outside, [it’s] pure agitation,” Morissette told the crowd. “Even though I’ve been on stage most of my life, I’ve also been hiding a little bit. I’ve been hiding behind my guitars and my bandmates, the sound, the lights, the sweat. I’ve been hiding behind my hair.”

For over two hours, the Canadian singer explored the progression of her life, touching on things that made her happy — such as her three kids and her late songwriting partner and co-producer Tim Thorney — and things that affected her negatively, like her one-time affection for morning tequila, postpartum depression and even multiple rapes, which she initially alleged and spoke about in her 2021 Jagged documentary.

She then performed “Hands Clean” while newspaper headlines about sexual assault flashed on the oversized screen behind her. “Dear Alanis Morissette, Sorry We Normalized Your Rape,” a headline screamed on the screen. Others said, “She Asked for It” and “Did It Happen?”

At several times throughout the show, the Jagged Little Pill creator rolled out a whiteboard to explain her personality, indicating to those in attendance that she’s an introvert and a “highly sensitive person.”

“We can’t even speak when we smell the perfume with nuanced layers. We live for complexity. We’re the artists, the healers, the empaths. Without us, this world would be sad,” she told the crowd. “Even though many [highly sensitive persons] are introverted and the idea of leadership might not sound appealing to some of us, one of my main goals is to support those of us who are HSP to be in positions of leadership.”

Morissette continued, “What’s been normalized in our planetary leadership is sociopathy, psychopathic and malignant narcissism. Of these personality disorders, none of them have access to empathy, but they can fake it, which is terrifying. I don’t know about you, but I’m not following anyone into a towering inferno if they don’t have empathy. It takes multiple tests to get a driver’s license, but not one to become a world leader.”

Still, the “Thank You” singer rattled off 30 songs during the show, including several deep cuts that pertained to her upbringing and hits such as “Ironic,” “Hand in My Pocket” and, of course, “You Oughta Know.”

All in all, the show is an evolution of Morissette’s life — the good, the bad and the ugly.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.