Today marks the 16th anniversary of the release of Janet's most critically-praised album--the introspective, dark "The Velvet Rope". Widely considered her masterpiece, topics covered on the album ranged from sexual bondage, domestic violence, bisexuality and homophobia to the examination of self-worth, depression and the celebration of loved ones who've passed away. Janet stated that she was exploring the need she feels we all have to feel special--that we belong--and likening it to the velvet ropes that seperate the "VIPs" at a club from everyone else.

The album came after a renegotiation of her Virgin Records contract (after a bidding war that included everyone from Walt Disney Co. to Polygram Records)--resulting in an historic $80 million deal, making her, for the second time in five years, the highest-paid recording artist in history. "The Velvet Rope" is listed on several All-Time Greatest Albums lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album was banned in Singapore for its lyrical content depicting homosexuality--the first of Janet's albums to be banned there. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, charted in the top 5 of many other countries, was Janet's fourth consecutive #1 album in the US, and went on to triple-platinum status in the US, with total worldwide sales of over 10 million copies.

"If Janet Jackson made much ado of janet being the Let's Get It On to Rhythm Nation's What's Going On, then 1997's The Velvet Rope is clearly her I Want You, respectively Jackson's and Gaye's best and least-heralded albums...The Velvet Rope is a richly dark masterwork that illustrates that, amid the whips and chains, there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness."--SLANT magazine--****1/2

Rolling Stone magazine--***1/2

"The Velvet Rope picks up where janet. left off, in both its themes and its textures; this new collection of songs and "interludes" addresses the social, emotional and sexual politics of relationships, peppering the wistful, spirited pop melodies and sinuous R&B rhythms that are fundamental elements of the Jackson-Jam-Lewis sound with compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances."--Los Angeles Times

"In the end, the most daring thing about The Velvet Rope isn't its sex talk but its honesty. Tempting as it may be to compare the album to similarly sultry stuff like Madonna's Erotica, it's much closer in spirit to the unabashed emotionalism of Joni Mitchell's Blue. That's because the most revealing moments here have to do with loneliness and vulnerability, not sexual preference."--Entertainment Weekly

"...her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album"--New York Times

"Jackson shows once again that she can compete against any of the lightweight, mega-selling pop divas and hang them out to dry".--Craig S. Semon of Telegram & Gazette

"Twisted Elegance" was Janet's mantra about the need we all have to feel special...

The atmospheric first song on the album, "Velvet Rope", which thematically encompasses the examination of self-worth and the need to belong, sampled Malcolm McLaren's "Hobo (Scratch)" and Mike Oldfield's eerie "Tubular Bells", and features Vanessa-Mae on violin and the United Children's Choir in the background

"You", the second song on the album, samples War's "The Cisco Kid" and was widely rumored to be about Janet's brother Michael. She debunked the rumor in an interveiw with MTV's John Norris, saying "Is he the only man with a mirror?...'You' is about me." It's a tale about introspection set to a funky beat

The third song is the somber lament "Got 'til It's Gone". It was a US radio-only single, and in it, Janet sings woefully about wanting her lover back, set against a Joni Mitchell sample and a dope verse by rapper Q-Tip (someone Janet would later be rumored to have dated). Some controversy came with the track when the late rapper J-Dilla claimed to have actually produced it with the hip-hop trio The Ummah, and singer Des'Ree would later win royalty and credit rights, claiming the track sampled her own song "Feel So High". The iconically artistic video, set in South Africa during Apartheid, was helmed by music video auteur Mark Romanek, and won several awards, including a Grammy for Best Music Video-Short Form and a VH-1 Fashion award for Most Stylish Music Video, beating out the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Madonna and Brian Setzer Orchestra. Joni Mitchell said that the video was "full of humanity...Janet herself was lovely [in it]..."

The nasty (no pun intended) "Speaker Phone Interlude" brought about the most analyzing of all the album's interludes (including a witty story from comedienne Sandra Bernhard in her act "I'm Still Here...Dammit!"). In the interlude, Janet appears to be masturbating while speaking with a friend on speaker phone. The friend in question has been rumored to be either Shawnette Heard (a former Janet dancer that Janet was once romantically linked to) or Janet's former sister-in-law, Lisa Marie Presley. You decide...

The sultry "My Need" samples Diana Ross's "Love Hangover" and Marvin and Tammi's "You're All I Need to Get By"

The funny "Fasten Your Seatbelts" interlude mimicks two iconic Bette Davis quotes..."But ya are, Blanche, ya are!" from "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night..." from "All About Eve"

"Go Deep" came with a quirky video helmed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris--known for directing The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" and "1979" videos--and sampled One Way's "Cutie Pie"

The funky, jazzy "Free Xone" weaves a story of homophobia and lyrics that make a play on the saying "boy meets girl, boy loses girl..." with a beat that sampled Lyn Collins's "Think (About It)" and Archie Bell & The Drells's "Tighten Up"

Janet's biggest-selling single worldwide, "Together Again" was the second single released from "The Velvet Rope". It was a #1 US hit on both the Hot 100 and Dance charts, and was top 5 hit in most European countries. The song, compared by Vibe magazine to 70s'-era Donna Summer, is a joyous celebration of friends Janet has lost to AIDS, and was originally written as a ballad. In recent years, with the passing of her brother Michael, the song has taken on new meaning, and Janet uses it to close out her latest shows with images of herself and her brother on the screen behind her. A video shot by French photographer Seb Janiak featured Janet on an expansive African plane, surrounded by many exotic animals and cultures. One brief moment in the video shows two Janets embracing, an image inspired by a Frida Kahlo painting. The single remains one of the bestselling singles of all time, with over 6 millions copies sold worldwide.

A video was also shot for the "Deeper Remix" of the song, helmed by Janet's ex-husband Rene Elizondo. In the clip, Janet is apparently arriving home from a funeral, and throughout the video a caterpillar emerges from its cocoon as a butterfly--a symbol of new life

The futuristic "Empty" was ahead of its time in several ways, with its use of Electronica and lyrics touching on the way the World Wide Web is utilized in current everyday life. In the song, Janet rushes home everyday to log on to her computer and connect with a person she's fallen for over the internet

The powerful "What About" continues the themes of the janet. album's "This Time", but takes things a step further. Thematically touching on domestic abuse and rape, Janet's vocals explode over a pulsating track as she uses profanity and oftentimes crude language to express the rage caused at the hands of a less-than savory lover. The track takes on an almost schizophrenic tone as segments of it are calm and serene with sound effects of crashing waves and chirping seagulls, while the other segments contain full-on bass and guitar with Janet telling her man off in no uncertain terms. Janet performed "What About" at the 1998 VH-1 Fashion Awards, moving the entire audience to a raucous standing ovation. VH-1 had initially wanted Janet to perform her current single, "Go Deep," but she refused to do so, saying it was either "What About" or nothing at all. They relented, and the result was arguably one of her most emotionally-stirring performances to date...

"Every Time", a tender ballad about Janet's fears of falling in love, was the final single released from the album. The only known time Janet has performed the song live was during the Japanese leg of the "Velvet Rope" tour. The accompanying music video was shot during the "Velvet Rope" Tour at Switzerland's Therme Vals Spa, by director Matthew Rolston. In the clip, a toned and blue-eyed Janet stalks dark, watery corridors and swims through deep waters. A body double was reportedly used for the underwater sequences.

Janet's remake of Rod Stewart's bedroom classic "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" set tongues wagging as she sings the lyrics exactly as they were written, without changing the sex of the person she's singing to. Indeed, the "loosen up the back of your pretty French gown" line held a different meaning coming from a female perspective. Further dissection of the track surmises that Janet is singing about a threesome. As the song opens, she says "This is just between me and you...and you." And later, she sings "'Cause I love you girl..." and "'Cause I love you boy..." It's hot stuff...

The scorching R&B track "I Get Lonely" (described by Vibe magazine's Danyel Smith as being vocally like "Honey butter") was another Top 5 Hot 100 hit for Janet (and her 12th R&B #1), and came with an equally sexy video of a red-haired, mega-cleavaged Janet walking a runway, caressing a male mannequin and performing in a futuristic airplane hangar with several female dancers. She performed the track at the 1998 Soul Train Awards--a performance that was recently paid homage to by Kelly Rowland at the 2011 BET Awards. Janet also sang a stripped-down version of the track on The Rosie O'Donnell show that same year. The talk show host presented Janet with her Grammy Award, and Janet let her know that she skipped out on the Grammys just so she could appear on her show.

BLACKstreet version

"Rope Burn" is a bondage-themed bedroom groove--another in the long line of Janet's self-described "baby-making" songs. In the track, she instructs her lover to "tie me up, tie me down--make me moan real loud..." to great effect. Her performance of the titillating track on the "Velvet Rope" tour is still being emulated today by the likes of Britney Spears and Rihanna, and was captured for her 1998 HBO special. The guy in the video is more than elated at being this close to the Queen...

The album's bedroom suite of songs is continued with the mellow "Anything".

The following interlude "Sad", in which Janet states that "There's nothing more depressing than having everything and still feeling sad," along with the disc's last track "Special", touch on Janet's struggles with self-esteem and depression, which culminated during the making of the album. In "Special", Janet sings about making peace with her sometimes painful past in order to heal, feel worthy and, most importantly, move forward. She performed the song on the "Velvet Rope" tour while images of herself as a child floated on a screen in the background.

A hidden track called "Can't Be Stopped" sampled Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" and spoke on self-pride

The Japanese release of the "You" single contained the B-Side "Accept Me", a track about a woman asking for acceptance from the people in her life.

Janet took her show on the road in the spring of 1998, opening in Europe before coming back to the States (a first for her). The "Velvet Rope" concert was a 9-month trek that touched down on 5 continents, and sold out shows from Europe and Africa to Japan and Australia, amassing a worldwide audience of approximately 1.6 million attendees in total. It grossed $78 million worldwide, and garnered praise from critics and fans alike for its Broadway themes and high-tech special effects. Opening acts for the tour included N'Sync, Usher, Boys II Men and 98 Degrees. The tour was filmed live at Madison Square Garden, and shown on HBO to the tune of over 15 million viewers, ultimately winning an Emmy Award. The last show was held at Hawaii's Aloha Stadium in January of 1999. The capacity of the stadium had to be expanded to accomodate ticket demand. This made Janet the only artist in the stadium's history to fill the venue over its intended capacity-- a record she still holds today.

Janet promoted the album on MTV's Total Request Live the day before its release, and signed autographs for a massive crowd the following day across the street at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square

Describing the album on MTV after the world premiere of "Got 'til It's Gone"

Maya Angelou presenting the Lena Horne Award to Janet at the 1997 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards

Janet's image had evolved yet again with this new era. In the past, she'd been a big-haired young woman in "Control", a military garb-wearing leader of her very own "Rhythm Nation", a sleek, bronze sexpot with "janet.", and she'd even channeled Dorothy Dandridge during the Best-of "Design of a Decade" era. WIth "The Velvet Rope", she'd become a crimson-haired "Earth Mother" of sorts, sporting '70s African-style attire, multiple tattoos and piercings that decorated various body parts from her septum to her nipple.

[Edited 10/8/13 16:33pm]

Waiting for my vinyl copy I bought last week...

^^Cool. That's one I actually don't have the vinyl for.

Listened to it the other day, still so amazing!!!

Wow time flies.

This album has some real gems on it that do stand the test of time, even that somewhat... unconventional Rod Stewart cover is pretty funky after all these years.

I'd totally be down for a deluxe edition. There were a GANG of remixes and alternate versions.

Great intropective of it SEANMAN! My favorite Janet album after RN. Janet has always been honest in her work. She did a lot of exploring on this one in EVERYWAY..