The Velvet Rope
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''The Velvet Rope'' is the sixth studio album by American singer
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
. The album was released on October 7, 1997, through
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
. Prior to its release, she renegotiated her contract with Virgin for US$80 million, the largest recording contract in history at that time. Upon experiencing an
emotional breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
, Jackson began facing a long-term case of depression. She in turn developed her new record as a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
, using introspection as its theme. Its title is a metaphor for emotional boundaries, as well as an allusion to an individual's need to feel special. Its lyrics address subject matter such as depression,
self-worth Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
,
social networking A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
, and
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
. It also encompasses themes of sexuality, including
BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...
,
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
and
same-sex relationships A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries w ...
. Due to its sexually explicit content, the album reinforced Jackson's public image as a
sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive.Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to ...
and as one of the most erotic vocalists of the 1990s. Its incorporation of social issues regarding sexual orientation and combating homophobia also established her reputation as a
gay icon A gay icon is a public figure who is regarded as a cultural icon of some members of the LGBT community. The most widely recognized gay icons are often actresses and singers who garnered large LGBT fanbases, such as Judy Garland, Madonna, Diana Ros ...
and received the
GLAAD Media Award The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their live ...
for Outstanding Music. The record was co-written and co-produced by Jackson, her then-husband
René Elizondo Jr. René Elizondo Jr. (born July 16, 1962) is a Mexican dancer, songwriter and music video director. He was married to American singer Janet Jackson from 1991 to 2003. Early life and career Born in Durango, Mexico, Elizondo and Jackson met in th ...
,
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...
, with additional contributions by various songwriters. Songs on the album also include British violinist
Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae (陈美 Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978) also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a Singaporean-born British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the Uni ...
, Canadian singer-songwriter
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
and American rapper Q-Tip as featured artists. Its composition fuses various genres, including pop, R&B,
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
music. Considered to be Jackson's most mature recording, it is regarded as a template for pop artists transitioning to a darker or rebellious sound and as a precursor to the development of
alternative R&B Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, hipster R&B, dark R&B, emo R&B and left-field R&B) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and came to pro ...
. ''The Velvet Rope'' became Jackson's fourth consecutive album to top the ''Billboard'' 200. It also reached the top of charts in Denmark and the top five in major markets such as Australia, Canada, France, and Germany. The album was certified triple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) and has sold an estimated eight million copies worldwide. Of the six singles released from the project, " Got 'til It's Gone" won the 1998
Grammy Award for Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...
, " Together Again" became an international number-one hit, and "
I Get Lonely "I Get Lonely" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jackson's then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. It was released on February 2 ...
" became Jackson's 18th consecutive top-ten single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making her the only female artist in history to achieve that feat.
The Velvet Rope Tour The Velvet Rope Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997), the tour visited Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Austral ...
, in support of the album, drew critical acclaim for its theatricality, as well as controversy for its depictions of domestic violence and bondage.


Background

Jackson's first compilation album, '' Design of a Decade: 1986–1996'', was released in 1995. It peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200. The lead single, " Runaway", became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot 100, reaching number three. ''Design of a Decade 1986/1996'' was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold ten million copies worldwide. The release marked the fulfillment of Jackson's contractual obligations to Virgin Records. As a result, she became subject to an industry bidding war between various parties, including Virgin,
Bertelsmann Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA () is a German private multinational conglomerate corporation based in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of the world's largest media conglomerates, and is also active in the service sector and ...
,
DreamWorks DreamWorks may refer to: * DreamWorks Pictures, an American film production company of Amblin ** DreamWorks Television, an American television production company and division of the film studio ** DreamWorks Records, an American record label and f ...
,
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
,
Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...
, and
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, who attempted to sign her jointly with
PolyGram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
. She ultimately renewed her contract with Virgin for $80 million—the largest recording contract in history at that time and a breakthrough she achieved for the second time in her career. The contract surpassed the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million contracts earned by Michael Jackson and Madonna.


Writing and development

During her
Janet World Tour Janet World Tour (stylized as janet. World Tour and known as Summer Escapade during the summer of 1994) was the second concert tour by American singer, performer, songwriter and dancer Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fifth studio ...
, Jackson experienced an
emotional breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
, stemming from self-hatred, childhood humiliation,
self-harm Self-harm is intentional behavior that is considered harmful to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues usually without a suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-injury and self-mutilatio ...
, and distorted body image. She stated, "I was very, very sad. Very down. I couldn't get up sometimes. There were times when I felt very hopeless and helpless, and I felt like walls were kind of closing in on me...like you can't escape". She questioned her career path, feeling pressured by the demands of the entertainment industry, saying, "People look at you differently, as if you're not human." Abbie Kearse of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
responded, "You're creating a person who might not really be you, but you've created this fantasy woman, so when it's time to get back to business, it's like 'I've got to go back to that world'". Jackson expressed concern for how she could portray an object of fantasy, feeling as if she could no longer fulfill her own desires. In self-analysis, Jackson uncovered vital details regarding her past, saying, "Certain things may happen, and you just dismiss them instead of stopping and saying, "Why am I feeling this way? Why am I acting out in this way?" She had suppressed various traumas throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, using evasion tactics to prevent thoughts from surfacing. She also recalled feeling unaccepted and ostracized for her skin color. She was persistently haunted by a memory of a school teacher intensely scolding her, causing her classmates to erupt in laughter. "Oh, God, it sounds so stupid. But being a kid you're just so frightened... I never talked about it, so it stayed with me all those years. I felt not deserving, not good enough... that's still the way I feel about myself sometimes", she declared. As a child, she managed discomfort by speaking to her animals, later turning to overeating as an
anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...
, causing fluctuations in weight. Jackson said, "I began to realize that whenever something really painful was going on, I would eat, and that's how I would run away from it. But I would just be creating another problem in another area instead of just dealing with that pain". Jackson developed body dysmorphia as a response to ridicule, stating, "I'd look in the mirror and hate myself. I'd sit and cry. It was so hard for me to look at myself and find something that I liked. Not just physically, but something that was good in me". She also inflicted self-harm, banging her head against the wall when feeling unattractive. She traced her fragility to her abusive marriage to recording artist
James DeBarge James Curtis DeBarge (born August 22, 1963) is an American R&B/soul singer. He was one of the members of the singing family vocal group DeBarge who became famous with their mid-1980s songs " All This Love", " Love Me in a Special Way", " Rhyth ...
when she was 16 years old. Jackson recalled, "It all has to do with very low self esteem. Especially going into a relationship like that very young... someone telling you things like, 'no one is ever going to want you again, you should be happy here with me.'" Attempting to alter his behavior and
drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...
, she explained, "I learned the hard way that you can't change a person." Recalling her divorce, she revealed, "There came a point when I finally said, 'You know what? I just don't care what happens.' I had to do what I wanted to but had been too afraid to. And at that point I didn't care if I got my brains beat out. I just went ahead and did it. And I got my ass kicked for it. But I'm happy that I did it, or I don't think I would be here today". Her self-hatred accelerated into raging cycles of
bulimia Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eate ...
and
anorexia Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
, repressing the issue until questioned. Jackson said, "people say to me: `Okay, you've got to start eating more. You're too thin.' But when you look in the mirror, you see something totally different." She continued, "I had swung so far in one direction, I never thought I could swing so far in the other. You're losing weight and getting smaller, and I'd still say to myself I could afford to lose a little more". However, she refused professional guidance, reluctant to examination. She briefly saw a
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
before an encounter with a spiritual guru, who aided her emotional recovery. Jackson recounted, "we went to this very spiritual place in the desert... That's where I met him, this cowboy. He's in his fifties, and he's full of wisdom. He's an older man who has experienced a great deal, and he used to be in the music industry, on a smaller scale. He even understood that side of my life". She also began using coffee
enema An enema, also known as a clyster, is an injection of fluid into the lower bowel by way of the rectum.Cullingworth, ''A Manual of Nursing, Medical and Surgical'':155 The word enema can also refer to the liquid injected, as well as to a device ...
s to remove "sad cells", leading to media scrutiny. The trauma lead to a brief duration of sexual questioning, saying "Am I curious? I think every girl has wondered". Jackson culminated the experiences into the album's subject matter, recording over two years.


Recording

The album was produced by Jackson with
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...
, as well as
René Elizondo Jr. René Elizondo Jr. (born July 16, 1962) is a Mexican dancer, songwriter and music video director. He was married to American singer Janet Jackson from 1991 to 2003. Early life and career Born in Durango, Mexico, Elizondo and Jackson met in th ...
Its initial stages began following her Janet World Tour, recording intermittently over two years. The process stalled due to various issues facing Jackson, including depression, body dysmorphia,
anorexia Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
, and
self-hatred Self-hatred is personal self-loathing or hatred of oneself, or low self-esteem which may lead to self-harm. In psychology and psychiatry The term "self-hatred" is used infrequently by psychologists and psychiatrists, who would usually descri ...
. As a result, Jackson spontaneously canceled sessions, appearing constantly troubled, as Jam commented, "That was a tough album to make for her. There were times when she would not show up at the studio for five or six days in a row". She returned to the studio in January 1997, embarking on a six-and-a-half month recording process. Its production was adjusted towards Jackson's lyrics and vocal suggestions, using an altered technique from prior sessions. Attempting to push
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
in an alternate direction, the record was described as "a triumph of the spirit, a declaration of joy and healing that comes from examining the past while energizing the present, ..exploring the mysteries of sexuality even as it addresses the problems of prejudice". Explaining the concept and the writing of ''The Velvet Rope'', she stated:
Singing these songs has meant digging up pain that I buried a long time ago. It's been hard and sometimes confusing, but I've had to do it. I've been burying pain my whole life. It's like kicking dirt under the carpet. At some point there's so much dirt you start to choke. Well, I've been choking. My therapy came in writing these songs. Then I had to find the courage to sing them or else suffer the consequences — a permanent case of
the blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the African- ...
.


Music and lyrics

''The Velvet Rope'' consists of sixteen songs and seven interludes; experimenting with various genres and darker themes. The album fused pop with various genres, including R&B,
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
,
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
. Jackson stated: Jackson described the release as her most personal work, developed throughout her entire lifetime. She explained, "I never looked deeply at the pain from my past, never tried to understand that pain and work it through. It was a journey I had avoided. But one I now had to face."
Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the wor ...
added, "Jackson found a universal symbol to use in exploring issues of insecurity and self-worth. At some point, everyone is on the wrong side of the velvet rope, excluded because of race, social status, age or some other division." Jackson regarded commercial success as a secondary consideration, commenting, "I needed to express who I was and what I'd learned. I found out who I really was... If that can inspire people who hear this album to do the same, I'd rather have that than the biggest selling album in the world."


Themes

The album gained media attention for its explicit themes and exploration of homosexuality, suggested as a "queer-studies thesis."
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
law officials banned the album due to its lyrics supporting homosexuality. "Free Xone" speaks of gay, lesbian and bisexual pairings, as Jackson protests discrimination. " Together Again" recalls a departed friend lost to
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
. Her cover of
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
's " Tonight's the Night" suggests losing her virginity to another woman, also alluding to bisexuality. Media attention led Stewart to announce "that's an original song by Janet Jackson" when performed in concerts. In response to criticism, Jackson said, "I have a lot of gay friends, men and women, and that's why I did it. I knew people would say I was gay, and I didn't care." She also stated, "I caught a lot of hell for that... religious groups have been upset with me for certain songs on the album, but it’s not going to stop me from writing what I feel inside." Media reports of Jackson involved in intimate relationships with dancers
Tina Landon Tina Landon (born January 6, 1963) is an American choreographer based in Los Angeles who has worked with Prince, Anastacia, Mýa, Pink, Jay-Z, Marc Anthony, Kristi Yamaguchi, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Janet Jack ...
and Shawnette Heard surfaced following its release, although denied. The album's "most startling" song was considered "What About", in which Jackson violently confronts domestic abuse. Jackson stated, "I think it's important to let others know that certain things that you may have experienced in your life, and that they're not alone, and that you understand what they're going through, and that they can make it through." Joel Lyans included it among "The New Soundtrack of Social Consciousness", writing, "Here, Janet does what she does best: demonstrates a coy and shy demeanor before ripping into a confident and empowered voice for those who are afraid to speak up and speak out about a situation that plagues millions of women." Several media reports related its theme with President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's infidelity to
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
with
Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...
. Jackson clarified it to be about her own experience, saying, "President Clinton? People have said that to me. They say 'this is his song'," comparing the situation with her song "This Time" inaccurately related to O. J. Simpson and
Nicole Brown Simpson Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the ex-wife of the former professional American football player, O. J. Simpson, to whom she was married from 1985 to 1992. She was the mother of their two children, Sydney an ...
due to its subject matter. Jackson's progression into advanced erotic content was criticized, though she defended her material. J. D. Considine praised Jackson's focus on intercourse "as if it were simply a fact of life", noting her concern with "the emotional component of sex, rather than the act itself."


Songs

In "Twisted Elegance", Jackson speaks over piano and
white noise In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used, with this or similar meanings, in many scientific and technical disciplines, ...
. Its composition addressed the "emotional and sexual politics of relationships", restraints of depression,
self-esteem Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
,
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
,
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
,
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
, and
sadomasochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
. It transitions into the title track, progressing from rapid electronica into a mid-tempo
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
structure. It incorporates ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty W ...
'' theme "
Tubular Bells Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
" as Jackson explains "a velvet rope we have inside us, keeping others from knowing our feelings", closing with a violin solo by
Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae (陈美 Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978) also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a Singaporean-born British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the Uni ...
. "You" incorporates "deep-down
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
" and
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
, as Jackson distorts her voice in a low range during a challenge of self-scrutiny. " Got 'til It's Gone" is an R&B,
alternative pop Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
and
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
song, featuring folk singer
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
and rapper Q-Tip. Jackson speaks of vulnerability and regret in a "depressive sobriety". Interlude "Speakerphone" consists of Jackson beginning to
masturbate Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combination ...
before a phone conversation with ex-sister-in-law
Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a career ...
, who was still romantically involved with Jackson's brother
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
at the time despite being the two being divorced. "My Need" is a mid-tempo hip hop song tackling self-obsession and unbridled lust. Interlude "Fasten Your Seatbelts" portrays Jackson and her dancers mimicking
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
in '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' and ''
All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does ...
''. "
Go Deep "Go Deep" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written and produced by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Jackson's husband René Elizondo Jr collaborating on the lyri ...
" combines
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
G-funk G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic. Characte ...
, performed in a "girlish breathiness". "Free Xone" incorporates "slamming funk" with
drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
, derived from "scratching, sampling, honey rapping, break beats and electronic accents." Jackson described it "about homophobia and the pain it causes." " Together Again" is an uptempo
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and dance-pop song; considered a "modern
post-disco Post-disco (also called boogie, synth-funk, or electro-funk) is a term to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1985, imprecisely beginning with an unprecedented backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to c ...
meditation on the beauty of dance and eternal grace of romantic bonding." Interlude "Online" features Jackson typing as a dial-up internet connection is heard. "Empty" is an electronic ballad incorporating trip hop, propelled by a "jittery, mellowed-out jungly beat". Its lyrics speak of the void felt through
social network A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
relationships, empathizing with those searching for acceptance via the internet. "What About" confronts Jackson's experiences with
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
. Over
flamenco guitar A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar but with thinner tops and less internal bracing. It usually has nylon strings, like the classical guitar, but it generally possesses a livelier, more gritty sound compared to the clas ...
s, she recalls a former companion proposing before violently transitioning into
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
. " Every Time" is a piano ballad documenting Jackson's fear of love, examining an apprehensive side of romance. " Tonight's the Night" alludes to sexual anticipation, suggesting a lesbian encounter and potential
threesome In human sexuality, a threesome is commonly understood as "a sexual interaction between three people whereby at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both the other individuals". Though ''threesome'' most commonly refers to sexua ...
during its finale. Jackson stated, "The record company tried to talk me out of it because it's directed toward a girl. I love the song the way it is, and it's reality for a lot of people." "
I Get Lonely "I Get Lonely" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jackson's then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. It was released on February 2 ...
" evokes lush sensuality as Jackson speaks of abandonment over a sparse backing. "Rope Burn" evokes bondage and
sadomasochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
, as Jackson requests to be tied down and pleasured with candle wax. It was declared "the first R&B trip-hop ballad, retro-fitted with a lazy, jazzy beat and a spare, slap bass-heavy backing track." Jackson regarded it as a "soft instrument of extended pleasure", saying, "The expression of sexual fantasies can be beautiful if there's trust, love and understanding." "Anything" is a ballad invoking "feverish dimensions" of satisfaction. In piano ballad "Special", Jackson speaks to her inner child, spreading the message that "pain is not permanent", but rather, transformed. Jackson said, "Getting back to that child, and giving the child what the child may have missed—the reassurance of a nourishing and accepting a love, a love that says you're special—is hard work. It can be scary but, like the song says, we have to deal with the past to live completely—and freely—in the present." "Can't Be Stopped" speaks of youth victimization,
bigotry Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, rel ...
, and racial unity, "directed at young people who are discouraged or discriminated against... I want them to know that their inner-strength is stronger than the forces against them."


Packaging and title

''The Velvet Rope'' was titled as a metaphor for the emotional barricade preventing others from revealing their innermost thoughts; in comparison to the velvet rope used at film premieres and award shows, prohibiting access from spectators. It also served as a metaphor for the barriers separating different classes of society. It was based on various events throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, resurfacing after attempted escapism. The album's artwork was photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, with additional photos by
Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in magazines such as ''Vogue, V Magazine,'' '' Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also cre ...
. The cover depicts Jackson lowering her head amidst a crimson backdrop, symbolizing remorse. "Janet" is faintly embossed in a
pixelated Pixelization (British English, pixelisation) or mosaic processing is any technique used in editing images or video, whereby an image is blurred by displaying part or all of it at a markedly lower resolution. It is primarily used for censorship ...
block formation. Jackson stated, "The shot we used on the cover shows me just looking down, and that's what the album was about, looking inward".
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
regarded the artwork as iconic and an influence on various artists. Its internal artwork depicts Jackson's piercings and tattoos, also displaying her hands tied in bondage and latex attire, exhibiting
fetishism A fetish (derived from the French , which comes from the Portuguese , and this in turn from Latin , 'artificial' and , 'to make') is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over oth ...
. A particular photo of Jackson wearing a latex ensemble with her nipple piercing peering through an opening gained notoriety for its explicit nature. The photo also shows Jackson pricking her body with an
ice pick The ice pick is a pointed metal tool used from the 1800s to the 1900s to break, pick or chip at ice. The design consists of a sharp metal spike attached to a wooden handle. The tool's design has been relatively unchanged since its creation. The ...
. Upon its release, Jackson unveiled an edgier image, flaunting hennaed red hair and tattoos on her neck, wrist, foot, back, and lower thigh; also acquiring nipple, septum, and
labia The labia are part of the female genitalia; they are the major externally visible portions of the vulva. In humans, there are two pairs of labia: the ''labia majora'' (or the outer labia) are larger and thicker, while the ''labia minora'' are fol ...
piercings. The transition was considered to risk alienation, though she was commended as "a master at surprising and shocking her public". Jackson used a variation of the
Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan language, a language spoken by the Akan people *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan * Central Tano languages, a language group ...
Sankofa (pronounced ''SAHN''-koh-fah) is a word in the Twi language of Ghana meaning “to retrieve" (literally "go back and get"; - to return; - to go; - to fetch, to seek and take) and also refers to the Bono people, Bono Adinkra symbols, Adinkra ...
symbol throughout its artwork and imagery; representing the motif "You cannot move into the future until you learn from your past". She tattooed the symbol onto her wrist. Jackson's tattoo artist later stated, "I have a lot of people who fly in from all over the world to get something that has to do with Janet’s sacred tattoos... She's an inspiration to a lot of people, and when they see something on Janet that helps her be strong, they want that strength as well".


Release and promotion

Prior to the album's release, ''Billboard'' reported that a large-scale marketing campaign had been organized to promote the album. Nancy Berry, then-executive vice president of
Virgin Music Group Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...
Worldwide, stated that promotion for ''The Velvet Rope''s release were the company's largest until then, and although the record company had planned to bring Jackson's new album to the highest number of consumers, they did not want the campaign to be too intrusive. To handle the publishing rights to the music of Janet Jackson, company Black Doll was founded. The music industry scene had changed since Jackson's last release, with hip-hop-flavored R&B taking over mainstream music. However, Virgin executives were still confident that lead single "Got 'til It's Gone" would be successful. The recording company opted for a more urban promotion, using billboards and spaces in subways, as well as TV commercials. The music video for "Got 'til It's Gone" premiered during the opening of the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
on September 4, 1997, where Jackson presented an award to
Mark Romanek Mark Romanek (; born September 18, 1959) is an American filmmaker whose directing work includes feature films, television, music videos and commercials. Romanek wrote and directed the 2002 film ''One Hour Photo'' and directed the 2010 film '' Neve ...
. The day before, an album listening party was held in New York City at the
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
's Art Deco Cloud Room, reopened after sixty-five years for the event. Entertainers in attendance included
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
,
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
,
Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band the ...
,
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
,
Meredith Brooks Meredith Ann Brooks (born June 12, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. Career Brooks started her music career in 1976 as a member of ...
, Diddy,
Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
,
Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
and
Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a career ...
. On September 9, a release party for the album was set up at
Sony Pictures Studios The Sony Pictures Studios is an American television and film studio complex located in Culver City, California at 10202 West Washington Boulevard and bounded by Culver Boulevard (south), Washington Boulevard (north), Overland Avenue (west) and ...
in Culver City, California. In mid-September, Jackson went to Europe to promote the album. She performed "Got 'til It's Gone" on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
's ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' show and on ''Graines de Star'' in France. Upon her return to the United States to release the album, she was interviewed on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'', performing "Got 'til It's Gone" and "Together Again". One of the new ways to promote the album was the use of the Internet. In a collaboration with
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, an online chat with the singer was set up. The event happened through '' MTV Live'' on October 6, 1997, the day before the album's release. A day later, she signed copies at an album signing held at the
Virgin Megastore Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street. In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenha ...
in New York City, Jackson also promoted the album in Oceania and Asia, performing on ''
Hey Hey It's Saturday ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...
'' in Australia e ''
Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ ''Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ'' was a Japanese music variety show on Fuji Television hosted by the comedy duo Downtown, which consists of Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada. It is a very popular show with comical hosts who like to pick on the ...
'' in Japan. Upon returning to her promotional tour in Europe, she performed "Got 'til It's Gone" on French TV programs ''Les Années Tubes'', '' Hit Machine'' along with "Together Again", and Spanish television on TV show '' Música Sí''. while also singing on Spanish TV on the shows '' Música Sí'' and ''Turrón y... cuenta nueva''. In January, Jackson opened the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
, performing the
DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo ...
remix of "Together Again". She performed the following single "
I Get Lonely "I Get Lonely" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jackson's then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. It was released on February 2 ...
" at the
Soul Train Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the ...
, with an acoustic rendition performed on the ''
Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002. This talk sh ...
''. Jackson performed a controversial rendition of "What About" at the VH1 Fashion Awards, displaying vignettes of domestic violence. Jackson also gave numerous interviews to several publications, including ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'', ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'', ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', ''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...
'' and ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. On October 7, 2022, exactly 25 years after the release of the album, a deluxe version was released digitally, adding the songs "Accept Me" (B-side of "You" and "Every Time" singles) and "God's Stepchild" (Japanese bonus track), as well as finally having the song "Can't Be Stopped" as its own stand-alone track instead of being hidden. It also comes with a second "component" including 13 remixes.


Tour

Jackson embarked on
The Velvet Rope Tour The Velvet Rope Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997), the tour visited Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Austral ...
, visiting Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Australia. It used an autobiographical theme derived from elements of
Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the List of ...
. She stated, "To me, being onstage is about entertaining. I know there are people who just walk onstage and give you a show by just doing their music, but I always wanted something extra". She added, "I knew what I wanted everyone to look like, especially for the opening number. I knew what I wanted everyone to wear. I visualized the whole thing". Among the first tours to use
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
technology,
Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 – 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsm ...
stated, "She wanted to have a book opening and herself come out of it. So I finessed that book into the video screen". Jackson's showmanship was commended by critics, who also praised the show's theatrics and
pyrotechnic Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
s.
Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the wor ...
regarded it to help Jackson "finally get the credit she deserves as an artist", with the show also called "the must-see concert of the year". The tour was controversial for its sexuality and portrayal of domestic violence, most notably within performances of "Rope Burn" and "What About". Its advertisements, depicting Jackson in a transparent outfit with her nipple piercing and bikini partially visible, also drew media attention. Several publications refused to publish the ad, while billboards of the image caused traffic accidents in Europe. The tour's
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
broadcast received over 15 million viewers, surpassing the ratings of all four major networks. It won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for "Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Special". The final date at Hawaii's Aloha Stadium became the most attended concert in the venue's history. The tour was reported to receive a worldwide attendance of ten million in total. Jackson donated a portion of the tour's sales to
America's Promise America's Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest cross-sector alliance of nonprofit, community organizations, businesses, and government organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people. The organization was founded on the idea ...
, an organization founded by
Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...
to assist disenfranchised youth.


Singles

" Got 'til It's Gone" peaked at number 36 on
Hot 100 Airplay The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout ...
, twelve on
Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
and three on
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
. It was ineligible to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 due to not having a commercial single released. Internationally, it reached the top five in Denmark and New Zealand; top ten in Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, and United Kingdom and top twenty in various countries. " Together Again" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, spending a record of 46 weeks on the chart. It was certified
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. It reached the top two within Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, and Switzerland, and top five in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. "Together Again" is among the biggest selling global singles in history and her highest selling single to date, exceeding six million copies. "
I Get Lonely "I Get Lonely" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jackson's then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. It was released on February 2 ...
" reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number one on
Hot Dance Single Sales In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
and
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
, five in the United Kingdom, and fourteen on the European Hot 100. It set a record as her eighteenth consecutive top ten hit on the Hot 100, surpassed only by
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
and
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
. "
Go Deep "Go Deep" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written and produced by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Jackson's husband René Elizondo Jr collaborating on the lyri ...
" was ineligible to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, though peaked at number twelve on
Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
, eight on
Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
, and number one on
Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
. Final release " Every Time" reached the top forty within the Netherlands and New Zealand. The success of collaborations " Luv Me, Luv Me" and " What's It Gonna Be?!" each affected the latter two singles' performances. "
You In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
" was a promotional single in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, being ineligible to chart. "What About" was initially planned for release, while an edit of the title track received limited test airplay. In April 2012, "Rope Burn" charted on Korea's
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
.


Critical reception

''The Velvet Rope'' has received acclaim amongst some criticism since its release. In a contemporary review for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', critic
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
from ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' regarded it a "soundtrack to a therapy session", while the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' commended its content; addressing "the social, emotional and sexual politics of relationships, peppering the wistful, spirited pop melodies and sinuous R&B rhythms with compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances." Elysa Gardner added, "provocative gestures ultimately blend in with the album's larger agenda, which is to encourage more open-minded, free-spirited relationships of all kinds... with hooks this strong and grooves this delicious, Jackson's authority should be of question to no one."
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
declared it an "interesting step in a new direction" and "long, sometimes strange trip into Jackson's sensual world".
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
called it "a richly dark masterwork", illustrating "there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness".
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
noted Jackson's vocal cadence, retaining "her magical ability to feign delight". Keith Harris stated it "plumbed introspective depths with intriguing results". In his review for ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'',
Vince Aletti Vince Aletti (born 1945) is a curator, writer, and photography critic. Career Music industry Aletti was a contributing writer for ''Rolling Stone'' from 1970 to 1989. He was the first person to write about disco in an article published by the m ...
praised its "unusu-ally busy, electronica- spiked soundscape", revealing "the process of psychic reconstruction". Aletti added, "she combines a pure pop sensibility with ambition, vulnerability, freakishness, and extraordinary savvy. She's--in her inadequate word--special". However, Jackson's "isolating control" was regarded as its "more bracing" material. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' observed its subject matter of "computer liaisons to bondage and bisexuality", finding the most pervasive theme to be love. Roger Catlin of '' The Courant'' noted its aura "washes away her sometimes strident political messages or her attempt to shock with sexuality", adding, "the album shimmers with sensuality, openness and thirst for new adventures, musically and otherwise." Len Righi of ''
The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...
'' called it "compelling, as she tackled almost every imaginable social ill and personal problem while still leaving room for freakiness and fun." Jane Dark of '' City Pages'' stated it "eludes genre-fication", leaving Jackson "in a genre of her own". Alluded to "an eroticon of cybersex, queer positivity, and mild bondage", Dark regarded its production "a sexy motherfucker... abstractly electro tones come and go with sharp attack and sharper decay, appearing out of--and vanishing into--aggressively blank spaces". Jackson's "flawed sweetness" was also acclaimed; concluding, "She's the principle that organizes the noise, and the particle around which songs become pearlescent". ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' praised her usage of "edgier beats and rawer emotions". The length of ''The Velvet Rope'' drew criticism from certain music critics. In a less enthusiastic mixed review,
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
observed a "hardened, sexually experimental Janet"; however, its writer claimed that "the best moments sink into the murk", and that "there are good moments on ''The Velvet Rope'', but at its running time ..it's hard to work up the patience to find them". In a retrospective review,
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
stated that " 's far too long. It does feel like you've given over a considerable chunk of your life to it by its end, an unfortunate by-product of the CD era with its overriding desire to fill up every last second of each disc". However, a positive review of the record was given on the whole, with its author calling it " ture and experimental... Possibly the great lost 90s trip hop album". In October 2022, ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' reviewed the deluxe edition of the album with a rating of 9.4 out of 10


Accolades

Jackson was awarded at the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
and nominated for "Top Pop Artist" at the
Billboard Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of t ...
, with "I Get Lonely" receiving a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination and "Together Again" nominated at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
. Internationally, Jackson was nominated for "Best International Female" at the
BRIT Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
, winning "Best Foreign Artist" and "Best Foreign Album" at the
Danish Music Awards The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called ''IFPI-prisen'' ("IFPI-Award") until 1991, when it changed its name to ''Dansk Grammy'' ("Danish Grammy"). It was chang ...
, "Best International Female" at the Norwegian Hit-Awards, "Best Female" at the
MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...
, and "Best International Female" for three consecutive years at the
TMF Awards The TMF Awards were an annual television awards show broadcast live on TMF (The Music Factory). The first Dutch TMF Awards were held in 1995, as a brand extension to the recently launched local Dutch music channel TMF. The show was very small an ...
. Jackson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Pop Music by Prince Albert at the
World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...
. She was also presented the
Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...
Lifetime Achievement Award by
Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...
at the Lady Soul Train Awards. APLA awarded Jackson for her involvement in
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
organizations, also receiving a
GLAAD Award The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their l ...
for "Outstanding Music". VH1 ranked her among "Hollywood's 16 Hottest Celesbians" due to the album's homoerotic content. ''The Velvet Rope'' was later included among ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
's'' "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".


Commercial performance

''The Velvet Rope'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 202,000 copies in its first week. It fell to number two in its second week. It sold four million copies globally within its first several months of release, and 1.6 million copies in the US in 1998. On November 11, the album was certified gold and platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), denoting 1,000,000 units sold. It was certified double platinum the following year, and triple platinum on January 15, 1999. It sold an additional 420,000 copies through
BMG Music Club Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music co ...
. According to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
, the album has sold 3,229,000 copies domestically as of March 2009. Internationally, the album charted within the top five of numerous countries, including Australia, France, Norway, Sweden, and at number six in the UK. In Germany the album debuted at number five and charted for 46 weeks. In Japan, it debuted within the top ten, selling 34,910 copies in its first week. In Australia, the album was certified double platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA). It was certified triple platinum in Canada and platinum in Japan, Europe, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; also receiving a gold certification in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Taiwan. ''The Velvet Rope'' has sold an estimated eight million copies worldwide.


Legacy

''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' commended it as "her most personal and intimate work to date", confronting "domestic abuse, AIDS, and homophobia with her most sexually explicit songs ever." Jackson stated, "That was a crossroads for me: sharing what I'd been going through personally and how I felt about what was happening in the world." Kyra Phillips of
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
declared it "difficult and very intimate", exploring "Jackson's darker side, her emotional break down and the secret that shocked the world." Regarding its content, Jackson said, "I’m sure it did alienate a lot of people, but that’s what I was feeling, and I wanted to write about it, so" I did." Jackson later stated: Ryam Dombal of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' considered it a pioneer of "the 'dark' and/or 'mature" pop album, saying, "the rebel record is now a ''de rigueur'' coming-of-age manoeuvre." '' City Pages'' called it a "gem" which foresaw "damn near every rhythmic trend of the decade:
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
's drum 'n' stutter, quick-stepping house, and walloping slabs of techno." Its innovation was cited as fusing "compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances" with
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
and contemporary pop.
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
also noted its "number of stylistic twists you might never associate with such a mainstream diva." In particular, "Empty" was commended for its theme of relationships via
social networking A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
, considered a prediction of subsequent technology. Eve Barlow of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' included it among seven albums considered "Perfect from Start to Finish", stating: "Jackson had already begun pushing the boundaries of sexually explicit pop but it’s ''The Velvet Rope'' that cemented her as a free, liberal voice for experimentation." Its blend of "new electro" and trip-hop was thought to "meld seamlessly"; its lyrical content also thought to push society's "judgment calls", breaking free from "the American sweetheart of past LPs." Shayne Lee, author of ''Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture'' (2010), wrote that the album and its predecessor "brand dher as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s." Jessica Skolnik of ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'' stated, "I am of the Madonna generation, the Janet generation... ''The Velvet Rope'' was an absolute milestone and, in my mid-thirties, is increasingly meaningful to me." ''
Telegram & Gazette The ''Telegram & Gazette'' (and ''Sunday Telegram'') is the only daily newspaper of Worcester, Massachusetts. The paper, headquartered at 100 Front Street and known locally as ''the Telegram'' or the ''T & G'', offers coverage of all of Worceste ...
'' stated, "Jackson shows once again that she can compete against any of the lightweight, mega-selling pop divas and hang them out to dry." According to the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', the album became "more eagerly anticipated" than
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's output; taking her "once and for all out of the shadow." Sal Cinquemani declared it "Janet's richest work to date", while Brannon Smith heralded it to reveal "her battle with depression, and saw her continue to empower through her pain."


Influence

Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
cited it as the inspiration for her second album.
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's ''Rated R'' drew comparisons for its production and "nakedly autobiographical vibe"; the theme of single " Te Amo" also likened to Jackson's " Tonight's the Night". The "burbly electro hooks" and "curled-lip sass" of Rihanna's ''
Talk that Talk ''Talk That Talk'' is the sixth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna, released on November 18, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded while traveling for the Loud Tour between February and November 2011, and was origin ...
'' was also regarded as "warmed-over ''Velvet Rope''-era Janet Jackson".
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
noted Patrick Stump's ''
Soul Punk ''Soul Punk'' is the debut solo studio album by American musician Patrick Stump, the lead vocalist, guitarist and composer of Fall Out Boy. It was released in the United States on October 18, 2011 through Island Records. Stump's solo project wa ...
'' to incorporate the album's "musical stylings". The packaging of Usher's ''8701'' was also thought to recall its imagery. French singer Piu Piu also called it a primary influence. Drew Millard of ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'' stated the album "inadvertently predicts most of the cooler trends in contemporary
indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, DIY ethic, do-it-yourself approach to r ...
," saying, " Dam-Funk's bedroom-keyb attack? "
Go Deep "Go Deep" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written and produced by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Jackson's husband René Elizondo Jr collaborating on the lyri ...
" did it. " Together Again" is basically the song Disclosure (band), Disclosure has been shooting for this entire time, and How to Dress Well, Tom Krell would wrestle an alligator with his bare hands to create a song as chillingly beautiful as "Empty". How to Dress Well cites its "schizophrenic diversity" as the inspiration for the album ''Total Loss'', saying, "She set such an example for trusting yourself, and following that intuition wherever it takes you... she made a fucking sprawling masterpiece with a song from every genre, and it works." Merchandise sold at Well's shows feature a quote from interlude "Memory". Indie rock band Wheat (band), Wheat used the album as a reference for their second album ''Hope and Adams'', also emulating its production techniques within lead single "Don't I Hold You". Folk rock singer Melissa Ferrick called it "a huge record" which inspired her song "Drive", saying, "Janet Jackson was making these sexual noises on that record and I cannot even describe. ..I was like "This is unbelievable. Janet Jackson is so ballsy to do this. This is amazing." Cassie Ramone of Vivian Girls and folk singer Seth Glier regarded the album as an important life memoir. Swedish singer Beatrice Eli stated it "defined her teenage years". ''Art Nouveau Magazine, Art Nouvea'' considered Fiona Apple's ''When the Pawn...'' to be influenced by the record. FKA Twigs' single "Water Me" and Laura Welsh's "Unravel" were likened to the album, considered to evoke Jackson's "mellower work" at her "most delicate". Kingdom's "Bank Head", featuring Kelela, was thought to be influenced by "Empty", while Kelela and Tink's "Want It" was likened to the album's "most tuneful deep cuts". British singer Jai Paul's "Str8 Outta Mumbai" was regarded to fuse "vintage Bollywood pop" with "''Velvet Rope''-era Janet". The Weeknd's ''Thursday (mixtape), Thursday'' was likened to an attempted "male equivalent" of the record. Kelly Rowland's ''Talk a Good Game'' drew comparisons for its revealing theme and production. Rowland's single "Dirty Laundry (Kelly Rowland song), Dirty Laundry" was influenced by "What About", while single "Gone (Kelly Rowland song), Gone", featuring Wiz Khalifa, was inspired by "Got 'til It's Gone". TLC (group), TLC's "I'm Good at Being Bad" was inspired by the production and content of Jackson's "What About". Solange Knowles, Solange's ''True (EP), True EP'' was compared within its production from Dev Hynes. The composition of single "Losing You (Solange Knowles song), Losing You" was also likened to "Together Again" for its melancholy theme within an "uplifting" dance song. Illangelo's "Clockwork" was also thought to recall the album. In Hip hop music, hip hop, Odd Future collective The Internet (band), The Internet were compared to "'‘''Velvet Rope''-era Janet" for their single "Purple Naked Ladies, Cocaine". Kanye West's ''808s & Heartbreak'' was also likened to the album. Jay-Z compared his song "The Black Album (Jay-Z album), December 4th" to "Got 'til It's Gone" in his memoir, ''Decoded (memoir), Decoded''. Joe Budden sampled the title track in the song "Velvet Rope". In jazz, its singles have been covered by Boney James and Gene Dunlap, with the title track covered by Undercover (Paul Taylor album), Paul Taylor and "Anything" by Will Downing. The album is considered to have influenced the development of
alternative R&B Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, hipster R&B, dark R&B, emo R&B and left-field R&B) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and came to pro ...
, associated with acts such as Frank Ocean, Miguel (singer), Miguel and others. Psychologist Alan Downs' book ''The Velvet Rage'' was titled after the album and its homosexual content; demonstrating "how to heal the trauma of being a gay man in an uncompromisingly straight world." Transgender activist Janet Mock named herself after Jackson and the album's themes of sexual orientation, stating, "she was so open and raw. She was talking about her sexual fluidity. She was talking about access and elitism with the velvet rope, who gets to come in, who doesn’t. She was talking about domestic violence. All of these things within this album... my mind was blown. I couldn’t believe someone was talking about all of these issues that were paralleling my own life." "Speaker Phone" was referenced by comedian Sandra Bernhard during a monologue in "I'm Still Here... Damn It!". The album was also mentioned in the ''Family Guy'' episode, "And the Wiener Is..."


Track listing




Sample credits * "Velvet Rope" samples "Hobo Scratch" by Malcolm McLaren and The World Famous Supreme Team and "
Tubular Bells Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
" by Mike Oldfield. * "You" samples "The Cisco Kid (song), The Cisco Kid" by War (U.S. band), War. * "Got 'til It's Gone" samples "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell. * "My Need" samples "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross and "You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. * "Free Xone" samples "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins, "Tighten Up (Archie Bell & the Drells song), Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & the Drells, and "Joyous" by Pleasure (American band), Pleasure.


Personnel

Credits adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
.[ Credits: ''The Velvet Rope''].
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
Musicians * David Barry – guitar * Lee Blaske – string arrangements * Jan Chong – violin * Carolyn Daws – violin * Hanley Daws – violin * Glen Donnellen – viola * Lynne Erickson – trumpet * Charles Gray – viola * Alyssa Hanson – vocals * Rayvaline Harrell – choir director * Shawnette Heard – vocals * Camilla Heller – cello * Joshua Koestenbaum – cello * Kelly Konno – vocals *
Tina Landon Tina Landon (born January 6, 1963) is an American choreographer based in Los Angeles who has worked with Prince, Anastacia, Mýa, Pink, Jay-Z, Marc Anthony, Kristi Yamaguchi, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Janet Jack ...
– vocals * Brenda Mickens – violin *
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
– performer * Debbie Morrison – vocals * Dale Newton – cello * Willie Norwood, Willie R. Norwood – choir director * Alice Preves – viola * Lo-Key?, Prof. T. – vocals * Q-Tip – rap, performer * Myrna Rain – viola * Nicholas Raths – guitar * Gary Raynor – bass * Trackmasters, Alexander Richbourg – vocals, drum programming, rhythm arrangements * Miko Salone – vocals * Mike Scott – guitar * Leslie Shank – violin * Daryl Skobba – cello * Liz Sobieski – violin * Mike Sobieski – violin * Daria Tedeschi – violin * United Children's Choir – choir, chorus *
Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae (陈美 Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978) also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a Singaporean-born British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the Uni ...
– violin, performer * Sounds of Blackness, James "Big Jim" Wright – organ, keyboards, vocals, rhythm arrangements Production * Flavia Cureteu – design * Steve Durkee – assistant engineer *
René Elizondo Jr. René Elizondo Jr. (born July 16, 1962) is a Mexican dancer, songwriter and music video director. He was married to American singer Janet Jackson from 1991 to 2003. Early life and career Born in Durango, Mexico, Elizondo and Jackson met in th ...
– executive producer * Brian Gardner – mastering * Steve Gerdes – design * Steve Hodge – engineer, mixing * Ken Holmen – clarinet, flute, saxophone *
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
– vocals, background vocals, producer, executive producer, vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangements * Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam – producer, vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangements * Tim Lauber – engineer, assistant engineer * Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Terry Lewis – producer, vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangements * Michael McCoy – assistant engineer * Mike Ozdozzi – mastering assistant * Len Peltier – art direction * Xavier Smith – assistant engineer *
Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in magazines such as ''Vogue, V Magazine,'' '' Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also cre ...
– photography * Ellen von Unwerth – photography * Bradley Yost – assistant engineer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


See also

*List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1997, List of ''Billboard'' 200 number-one albums of 1997


References


External links


''The Velvet Rope'' Infopage
at Janet Official Fanclub
''The Velvet Rope''
Archive at Janet-Jackson.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Velvet Rope, The 1997 albums Albums produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Concept albums Janet Jackson albums Virgin Records albums Trip hop albums by American artists Electronica albums by American artists