Missy Elliott, Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Bun B Party at Houston Concert

Houston, the last two weeks have been very busy. And Missy Elliott was grateful that we were still in the mood to party.

“I know some of you have a lot on your plate and are dealing with some challenges related to the storm,” she told the crowd Saturday night at Toyota Center. “I love you all and I want you to know that I don’t take anything for granted.”

PRIDE AND JOY: A conversation with the South African cast of the musical “The Lion King” currently in Houston

Maybe it was our need to break free amidst so many challenges. Or the fact that this is Elliott’s first headlining tour, and we finally get to hear “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It” live. Maybe it’s three shows in one, with Busta Rhymes and Ciara on the bill. Or the show’s neon-colored, sci-fi rap carnival theme.

Whatever the reason, Elliott’s Out of This World tour was the perfect cure for our damaged souls. It was joyful and intentional, a celebration of some of the best hip-hop, pop, and R&B of the last three decades. The crowd never stopped dancing, and the smile rarely left Elliott’s face.

Houston was well represented throughout the four-hour show. Busta Rhymes surprised the crowd with Bun B, who performed “Get Throwed” and “Big Pimpin’.”

“Pimp C, we love you. Bun B, we love you. We will never stop honoring the legacy these brothers built together,” Busta said.

Timbaland’s opening set included a snippet of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love.” Elliott mixed his own songs with snippets of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Big Ole Freak” and Beyoncé’s “Cuff It.” Ciara, who was born in Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) and has lived in Austin, enlisted Chamillionaire, her duet partner on the 2006 single “Get Up.”

One narrator dubbed Elliott’s hourlong show the “Met Gala of space.” It was the perfect description. There were glitzy outfits, including a Devo-inspired orange and silver tracksuit and a billowing black jacket and cape. There were Broadway-inspired interludes, including a “Singin’ in the Rain” tap dance. The space theme was woven throughout the songs and displayed on a giant LED backdrop.

As a performer, Elliott is in her own league. Even the sexiest songs — “Beep Me 911,” “Hot Boyz” — were vibrant and lively, an extension of her playful personality. She was accompanied by more than a dozen dancers and kept up with them with ease. During “She’s a Bitch,” she was joined by two others on a platform that rose above the crowd. Later, as the crowd rapped to “Work It,” Elliott ran around the room and down several aisles. She belted out “Get Ur Freak On” in a Mad Max-esque setting.

It was a treat to hear him perform “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” his 1997 debut single, even if the track was woefully short. Earlier this month, NASA’s Deep Space Network broadcast the song 160 million miles from Elliott’s favorite planet, Venus. “Get Ur Freak On.” During a quick outfit change, a DJ kept the energy up with a set of Elliott-produced songs featuring Aaliyah, 702, Keyshia Cole, and Monica.

Ciara, another longtime Elliott collaborator, brought a touch of superstardom to her own set. Her catalog of elegant hits still feels fresh even though some of them are two decades old. “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step,” and “Body Party” are timeless hits, y’all. And her dancing is as effortless and confident as ever. Busta Rhymes displayed lightning-fast rapping and an engaging sense of humor. He told the audience to “shut up” when he was speaking, only to flash a goofy grin seconds later. He also, for some reason, danced to Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” It was highly entertaining.

Timbaland’s first set had the feel of an office karaoke party. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As a producer, he’s created a massive catalog of happy-hour classics for other artists and has sung on tracks by Nelly Furtado (“Promiscuous”), Aaliyah (“Try Again,” “Are You That Somebody?”) and Justin Timberlake (“Cry Me a River,” “My Love”).

The entire cast joined Elliott for a full-throttle finale: Timbaland on “Up Jumps Da Boogie,” Busta during “Touch It,” and Ciara for the always spectacular “Lose Control.” Let’s hope this is the first of many Elliott trips around (and beyond) the planet.