With Alicia Keys’s “Girl on Fire” playing in the background, Mrs. Obama strutted onstage in a drapey black pantsuit accented on one side with crystals.

Inside the arena, Michelle Obama’s personal playlist was blasting — Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Alessia Cara, Mary J. Blige

Inside the arena, Michelle Obama’s personal playlist was blasting — Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Alessia Cara, Mary J. Blige — while photos of her through the years flashed across the big screens.

Inside the arena, Michelle Obama’s personal playlist was blasting — Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Alessia Cara, Mary J. Blige — while photos of her through the years flashed across the big screens.