The Velvet Rope

New Contract

From December 1995 to January 1996, Jackson was again at the center of a trade war between major labels, for the right to sign another contract with her. Chuck Philips of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the 29-year-old singer was again the target of a fierce trade war in the music industry when her dealings with the Virgin label came to an end: “Jackson is so much in demand that, according to some sources, the president of Walt Disney Co. Michael Ovits personally met with Jackson representatives in the hope of seducing her with an unprecedented profitability proposal, with an additional opportunity to develop her film career ” ^[2] . Disney's offer was a venture deal with PolyGram label. Alice Rustorn reported that Disney Managing Director Michael Eisner sought to sign a contract with the performer, hoping to expand the company's influence in the North American music market and subsequently bring other artists to collaborate. According to the proposed agreement, Jackson was to split her contract into two parts: in North America, Disney would be her label, and in the rest of the world, her interests should be represented by A&M, which became the PolyGram division and the former first label of the performer ^[3] . However, the singer refused the proposed deal and extended her agreement with Virgin Records, signing an unprecedented, at that time, contract for $ 80 million ^[4] . The new four-album arrangement was the second time Jackson set a record in the record industry; the first occurred in 1991, when she first entered into an agreement with Virgin in the amount of about $ 32-50 million ^[4] . The extension of the deal also broke previous records when the singer’s brother, Michael Jackson , and Madonna were able to enter into super-profitable contracts worth $ 60 million ^{[5] [6]} . The Guardian’s Jan Kats noted that she signed “the most lucrative contract in history, unceremoniously removing her troubled brother as a monarch from pop music” ^[7] .

Concept

For two years from the end of the Janet tour. World Tour in 1995 and before the release of the new album in 1997, Jackson tried to cope with the protracted depression ^[9] . The singer admitted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that “it happened that I could cry all day” ^[9] . Depression had a major impact on Jackson. The concept of the new album was expressed through its name, The Velvet Rope ( Rus. “Velvet Lace” ), which, on the one hand, was used literally and denoted a barrage structure with a velvet lace fixed on poles, which usually separates the crowd of fans, spectators and workers Media from celebrities. On the other hand, Jackson used this name in a metaphorical sense: she talked about the velvet cord that exists in the soul of every person and helps to keep his true feelings secret from others ^[10] . All in all, the album became Jackson's introspective look at the depression she experienced. Michael Sanders of The Boston Globe described the record as “a deep introspection and an audio journal of one woman’s journey for self-knowledge” ^[11] . Despite the fact that Jackson often said that she uses themes from her personal life in albums that inspire her to create new music, she admitted that she considers The Velvet Rope to be her most successful and frank work ^[11] . The songs on the album were dedicated to social responsibility and filled with morality, in particular: “Together Again”, which the singer dedicated to her friends who died of AIDS, “What About”, written about domestic violence and “Free Xone”, directed against homophobia . Thus, the album reflected the two-year period of “digging” Jackson and the revaluation of values ​​performer ^[11] . She said that over time she learned to push pain into the background, but at that moment she could not cope with herself and felt herself useless ^[11] .

In an interview with Ebony magazine , the singer admitted that she was deceiving everyone - fans, friends and herself, - portraying a self-confident woman who can control her life ^[12] . Jackson, at some point, decided not to hide from her feelings and figure out the cause of her depression. She said that she had never thought about her reasons before: “I never thought deeply about the pain that comes from my past ... I never tried to understand what was her reason and deal with it” ^[12] . When Jackson began to “understand herself,” the first result of this was her reconciliation with her sister La Toya Jackson , with whom she had not communicated for five years ^[12] . The singer also admitted that she was a victim of domestic violence. According to her, one of her longtime lovers, whose name she refused to disclose, used both emotional and physical violence against her. Jackson said: “I wanted to run away, but I could not, because I was afraid ... But I got to the point where I said:“ You know what? I don’t care what happens “” ^[12] . The singer noted that many of her fears come from her early years, especially due to the fact that she did not have a normal childhood. Once her father said that she didn’t want her to call him dad: “I will never forget this moment,” admitted the performer, who, since then, called her father only by name - “I was very small, I was where 6 or 7 years old, just a child, and it was very painful ” ^[12] . As a result, Jackson conceived the recording of the album as a way to deal with his “demons", as an exam for endurance for himself ^[12] .

Jackson noted that the very initial stage of the recording of the disc took place in 1995 and the artist’s depression affected it at that moment. Studio sessions were difficult and she constantly took breaks to cope with her emotions. Breaks between sessions could last several weeks ^[13] . Janet worked on her album with her longtime partners Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The husband of the singer Rene Elisondo also made a great contribution to the creation of songs and was noted as a co-author of all the tracks on the record ^[14] . Rene previously participated in recording previous Jackson albums, but, as noted in The Washington Post , only this time was marked as an author and producer ^[15] . The main studio sessions were in January - July 1997 and were held at Flyte Tyme Productions Studio in Minneapolis , Minnesota . In total, the recording period took six and a half months and turned out to be twice as long as what the singer's earlier works occupied ^[13] .

Jimmy Jem said that when creating songs, the singer’s team changed the approach that they used earlier, when Jem and Lewis created the track, and Jackson wrote the lyrics for him. Jem noted that the performer first wrote the lyrics and when he first read “Empty” and “What About”, he was surprised by their depth. Therefore, this time, Jackson wrote the lyrics, and music was created for them ^[15] . Elysondo said that when he wrote with Jackson, they tried to reflect in the texts only what they themselves went through ^[15] . When recording used a large number of samples . Tonya Pendleton of the Daily News considered that although the singer could have been blamed for their excess, they were used in interesting ways: they supplemented the rhythmic pattern or were used as a refrain ^[16] .

Genre and style

The Velvet Rope songs are recorded in the genres of pop music and rhythm and blues ^[1] . The component of pop music was that mostly pop tunes were used; rhythm and blues was represented through complex rhythms ^[18] . Critics noted that the disc also used elements of jazz , folk and techno ^[18] . Various elements of a wide range of musical styles were reflected in the compositions of the album: funk, industrial, soul, drum and bass, hard rock, country, hip hop and jazz. The songs were presented in a range from energetic dance tracks to sentimental pop ballads ^{[1] [19] [20] [21] [22]} . Jay Ar Reynolds from Billboard magazine described the disc as a collection of well-produced songs based on genuine melodies framed by contagious rhythms and beats ^[23] . It was noted that Jackson’s collaboration with Jem and Lewis helped her to reproduce Motown’s sound in sophisticated orchestras , disco hyper-optimism and postmodern rhythm and blues cold rhythms, both with the help of ingenious quoting and more practical synthesizing ^[24] .

John Pareles of The New York Times wrote that Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis did not try to make the songs " hit ", but instead tried to choose the most organic arrangements for them: "... there are either cross-energetic rhythms or lush refrains backed up by samples , which create texture and historical context. The album skips from soul to rhythm and blues. ” He also compared music to the work of Curtis Mayfield and The Supremes , James Brown and Chic, P-Funk and A Tribe Called Quest , Prince and Michael Jackson ^[19] . BBC Music's Daryl Isley found in The Velvet Rope parallels with the sound of Massive Attack and noted that many see the influence of trip-hop on this album ^[20] .

Album Theme

Thematically and emotionally, the album’s songs covered a wide range of topics and feelings, reflecting the artist’s emotional state, which was previously unknown to the general public ^[23] . It was noted that being a reflection of a certain period of Jackson's life, as was the case with all her previous recordings, The Velvet Rope described the problems of adulthood and approached the themes of the works of artists such as Fiona Apple and Tori Emos ^[25] . The album touched on the problems of low self-esteem , self- confidence , self-realization , interpersonal relationships, loneliness and vulnerability ^{[18] [19]} . Eliza Garner wrote that after listening to the record, a lot of questions may arise about Jackson’s personal life, although, in fact, the most provocative gestures are lost against the background of the album’s main message - the promotion of label-free and spirit-free relationships between people ^[18] .

Many critics noted that the album touches on many aspects of sex, and therefore compared it with Madonna Erotica 's disc. Jonathan Bernstein of The New Your Orserver wrote that The Velvet Rope makes it seem as though Jackson was recording it while thinking about Madonna’s album, but the results of touching on such frank themes became completely different for the two singers ^[26] . They agreed with him in the publication SF Weekly , where they noted that “her [Jackson] venture to flirt with transgressive sexuality turned out to be, in fact, sincere, unlike prudent PR of Erotica Madonna or sexual fraud by Lil Kim and Foxy Brown ” ^[25] . Journalists wrote that in terms of sex on the disk, such aspects as sadomasochism , lesbianism , homosexuality , bisexuality and promiscuity were affected ^{[19] [22]} . However, the press noted that Jackson wrote about sex, just as part of her life, and the recording did not make the impression that the performer was singing about perversions ^[25] . John Everson of The Star Newspapers He said that the album touches on adult themes, but instead of exploiting sexual themes (as Madonna did), Jackson examined it wisely and tactfully. The result was an album that after listening leaves a feeling of a personal diary ^[27] .

In addition to the personal problems raised, sex and the fight against depression, Jackson formulated the central theme of the album as “the need to feel special.” Vince Aletti of The Village Voice noted that all the stars sooner or later approach this topic when they begin to “teach and preach” in a “professorial tone”. The author found another central theme in The Velvet Rope and wrote that in addition to “sex and death”, “there is another facet in it that accompanies the dark side of pop music - it can be called fame ” ^[24] . Aletti wrote that in fact, Jackson was unable to develop his idea of ​​a “velvet cord” separating people, and in its interpretation it turned out that “on that side of this cord there was no paradise for everyone on earth; there was some fucking VIP-room ” ^[24] . However, he noted that a difficult relationship with fame had a positive effect on the album and where Jackson sounded “like crazy” (in the songs “You” and “What About”), there were better recording moments. He said that in the song "Rope Rurn" the performer suggested "to enter her velvet room." The critic suggested that this metaphor not be taken too seriously, but found it more understandable than "velvet lace". He considered that the main desire of Jackson was to make listeners feel comfortable, to realize their personal “uniqueness” ^[24] .

Songs

• Velvet Rope

The album is preceded by the recited interlude “Twisted Elegance” ( Rus. “Deceptive elegance” ), in which Janet Jackson says that the need to be special became the reason for the creation of The Velvet Rope album. After the introduction, the song “Velvet Rope” sounds - an industrial / funk song with a “ looped ” sample, which has become a kind of table of contents for the album ^[21] . One of the music critics noted that the title track of the disc “sounds like an invitation to the world of inner passions [Janet Jackson]” ^[28] . The song was based on two samples : part of the song "Mosquito (Aka Hobo Scratch)" by West Street Mob and an introduction from Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. Vanessa May performed the violin solo and critics wrote that her contribution perfectly complemented the metaphorical text of the composition, and the violin sounded like “an electric guitar using a double-note game” ^{[25] [29]} .

In textual terms, “Velvet Rope” reflects the main meaning of the album, which contains Jackson’s desire to show that you don’t need to be afraid of your fears and desires ^[30] . The composition contains the lines: “Follow the passion / That's within you / Living the truth / Will set yo free” ( Rus. “Follow the desire / Inside yourself / Only true life / Free you” ) ^[30] . In an interview with Daniel Smith from Vibe magazine, the singer explained that they were written about internal release. She said: “We are all born special, but somewhere along the way, we forget about it. And we want to feel special again. When you experience this feeling, you do not need gear for self-affirmation. You already know who you are. ” ^[30]

• "You"

“You” is a trip-hop composition that combines pulsating bass parts and the basis of the sample from the song “The Cisco Kid” (1973) by War ^[23] . Jackson performed the vocals in an unusual way for her, in a very low range with raucous intonations ^[23] . John Pareles described her vocals as an "exhausted growl" ^[19] . Critic Craig Es Simon wrote that the song recalls the works of Diane Ross , until the moment he moves to the refrain and “growl in the style of Michael Jackson” ^[28] . Gary Graf from Rolling Stone noted that the line “Unleash this sacred child you've grown into” ( Rus. “Unleash this holy child that you raised inside” ) accurately revealed Jackson’s desire to change his life and autobiography of the album. The journalist added that “when this child was given freedom, he started singing about everything: from interpersonal relationships, to blatant sexuality and further, in the best moment“ Together Again, “about the loss of friends who died due to AIDS” ^[31] .

Some journalists felt that the song was dedicated to the singer’s brother, Michael Jackson . In particular, Daniel Smith wrote that the composition traces references to " Man in the Mirror ". “She [Jackson] even sounds as self-willed as Michael approximately did in 1987 in the song“ Leave Me Alone, ”Smith said ^[30] . However, the performer denied these conjectures and told MTV in an interview that the song was written about her: “I should have called her“ Me ”[“ I ”], and not“ You ”[“ You ”]. Simply, she about the whole The Velvet Rope : don't blame anyone else " ^[32] . In an interview with Vibe magazine, Jackson admitted that the song has a different meaning. When asked if she was afraid that she would someday become uninteresting to the public, she replied that this could very well happen with this album: “Applause will die, so it happens with everyone in this business. It’s like in my song “You”. Does what they think of you determine your value? Getting applause are you valuable? And without applause - are you worthless? This is a problem for many artists. ” ^[30]

• " Got 'til It's Gone "

“Got 'til It's Gone” is a mid-tempo rhythm and blues composition, with great influence from hip-hop ^{[18] [23]} . The song is based on a sample from the composition “Big Yellow Taxi” Joni Mitchell , who first appeared on her Ladies of the Canyon album 1970 year. Jackson contacted Mitchell on her own to ask her for permission to use the sample. The singer said: “everyone said that nothing would work out, but if [Mitchell] told me not, I would like to hear it from her personally ... I called her and said that I want her to listen to what happened before how to make a decision. And everyone was surprised when, after a couple of days, she replied “yes” ^[33] . Jackson said that she was always a fan of Mitchell (her brother Randy constantly listened to the recordings of the Canadian singer), but the idea to use part of the composition was proposed by Jimmy Jem ^[23] . The rapper Q-Tip was also invited to record the song, whose contribution was positively evaluated by critics ^[18] . The meaning of the song was that people should “take nothing for granted” ^[23] .

Although the producers of the composition were Jackson, Jem and Lewis, later members of the hip-hop band The Ummah (composed of Q-Tip, J Dilla and Ali Shahid Muhhamet) claimed that they are the producers of the song ^[34] . In a Pitchfork article, journalist Nate Petrin wrote about the sound-producing song, noting that “Got 'til It's Gone” “has all the hallmarks of The Ummah's style: a neo-Soul electronic piano, a muffled barrel combined with sharp snare drums, and bass recessed so deep that it seems that it flows instead of sounding abruptly ” ^[34] .

• "My Need"

Before the sixth song of the album, the interlude “Speaker Phone” ( Rus. “Speakerphone” ), in which Jackson talks to the girl on the phone, sounds. In Rolling Stone magazine they wrote that in “Speaker Phone” “it seems that she [Jackson] masturbates while talking with a girlfriend” ^[22] . Next is “My Need”. Two samples were used in the composition: excerpts from the songs “Love Hangover” Diane Ross and “You're All I Need to Get By” Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell. One critic described the song as a “softer, slower” version of “You Want This” from Jackson's previous album ^[29] .

Jonathan Bernstein of The New York Observer wrote that “My Need” was a reflection of “Miss Jackson's masturbation fantasy world” ^[26] . John Pareles also felt that the song was written about sex and described it as an ode to "unbridled lust" ^[19] . JD Considine from Entertainment Weekly had the opposite point of view and wrote that “even if she [Jackson] feels completely comfortable as a lecher, but I’m sure, obviously, the song“ My Need ”contains a slightly lecherous text about what Jackson needs is ultimately more about love than about sex. ” ^[1]

• "Go Deep"

The eighth song of the record was preceded by the interlude “Fasten Your Seatbelts” ( Russian “Fasten your seat belts” ). The next after “Go Deep” is a dance pop composition with funk influence, saturated percussion and syncopated rhythm ^[23] . Larry Flick wrote that the “pop taste” of this composition made him one of the most “groovy” on the album ^[35] . Other critics had a different opinion and called the song “tiring”, noting that it did not have enough energy to make it a great club track ^[29] .

In the textual plan, the song describes Jackson’s desire to go to the club, “to find a guy there, drag him home and have sex with him” ^[26] . JD Considin felt that the text “Go Deep” reflected a more frank theme that the performer addressed, even compared to her previous album: “It's one thing when she sang with aspirations in“ Throb ”“ Your body / Clings to my body ", And quite another in Go Deep, where she announces," I have to take him home / Where I use him alone / I will make him scream and moan "" ^[1] . However, he set forth a different point of view. The critic considered that the whole album rather reflected the emotional component of sex and, in this aspect, “Go Deep” could be more correctly called a “hymn to hedonism ”, as the song sang the pride “in which Jackson and her friends find joy not from sex, but from confidence in themselves, which allows them to feel sexy when they have a suitable mood ” ^[1] .

• "Free Xone"

One of the critically acclaimed songs on the album was “Free Xone,” a funky song described as “an overt anthem directed against homophobia” ^{[18] [29]} . When recording the composition, three samples were used: part of the music from the songs “Think (About It)” » Lin Collins and “Joyous” by Pleasure as well as a vocal excerpt from “Tighten Up” Archie Bell & the Drells ^[21] . In Rolling Stone magazine, the song was named the best on the album and described as “an anti-homophobic track subtly changing tones and rhythms, moving from Prince jam to a perfectly selected sample from the Archie Bell and the Drells' Tighten Up composition” ^[22] . The song had an eclectic sound, as a result of which it was defined as “a multi-textured novel with an attractive bohemian frenzy” ^[29] .

The lyrics are presented as a homologue to Jackson’s monologue, where she remakes the standard scenario “a guy meets a girl” with the words “Girl meets a guy / Girl loses a guy / Girl returns a cool girl back” and sums it up with the phrase “Don't be afraid to be that / Who you really are ” ^[1] . Craig Es Simon wrote that despite the complexity of the claimed theme of the composition, it turned out to be “not moralizing and politicized, but only passionate and“ beating to the very point “” ^[28] .

• " Together Again "

Together Again combines the influences of pop, disco and house . Powerful bass parts were recorded in the song, and its arrangement created the atmosphere of the works of girl soul groups of the 1960s ^[22] . Larry Flick from Billboard called the song one of the best dance recordings of the year and considered that the singer took a risky step with her, presenting to the public an atypical track that had a serious house influence ^[37] . He described the composition as “an intense and emotional journey connecting a tearful text with a muscular but completely justified bit here” ^[37] .

Together Again was dedicated to friend Jackson, who died of AIDS, as well as to all victims of the disease and their relatives around the world. According to reports, Jackson decided to write this song, both because of her own life experience, and because she once received an email from a fan who turned out to be a little boy from England who recently lost his father ^[36] .

As Jimmy Jem said, “For her it was of great importance, because the song was about her friend, whom she lost due to AIDS, but as with her other songs, she tried to make it understandable for every person. The idea was to convey joyful feelings through the music of the song ” ^[38] . The arrangement of the song was written in 30 minutes by Jem, Lewis and Jackson in a recording studio ^[38] . When the singer came up with a melody, she wrote the lyrics for the song ^[38] . Jam and Lewis produced three versions of the song: the original dance version, “Deep Remix” in the R&B and hip-hop genres, and “Deeper Remix” in the R&B and soul genres. The original version was created under the inspiration of the composition “Last Dance” Donna Summer ^[38] .

• "Empty"

Before the thirteenth song, the “Online” interlude sounds, in which the sounds of typing on the keyboard and connecting the modem are recorded ^[29] . "Empty" was a pop composition with a pulsating electronic beat, stylistic drum and bass elements in an arrangement and staccato rhythms ^{[18] [22]} . Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis created “luxurious textures” for the song, which contrasted with “air vocal harmonies” performed by Jackson. The basis of "Empty" were looped samples with sequentially increasing synthesizer pulsation ^[1] . The New York Observer wrote that in the song “[Jackson's thoughts] were supplemented by a decorative keyboard loop , after which, in order to create tension, [in the song] light and fast, but slightly insane programmed percussion and swirling sound effects began to sound” ^{[ 26]} . The instruments used in the recording reminded critics of the traditional Indonesian gamelan orchestras ^[19] .

The text tells about the relationships carried out via the Internet, and the resulting dependence . Critics interpreted the lyrics differently. Some wrote that it reflects the state when a person falls in love through chatting ^[19] . Others felt that the composition was written about cybersex ^{[1] [39]} .

• "What About"

“What About” was about domestic violence. The song began with the sound of an acoustic guitar , the sounds of ocean waves and the cries of birds, which created an atmosphere close to the sound of ballads by Babyface ^[19] . Jackson begins to sing about a walk along the beach, during which her boyfriend swears eternal devotion and makes an offer to marry him ^{[19] [22]} . However, instead of moving to a happy end, the music changes its tone dramatically, moving on to fierce, impetuous rock, in the spirit of the most “angry” songs of Michael Jackson ^[19] . At this point, Jackson begins to ask himself mentally the questions reflected in the text: “What about the times you hit my face? / What about the times you kept on when I said“ No more please “?” ( Russian “What about those cases when you hit me in the face? / What about the fact that you continued when I said “Stop please?” ) ^{[19] [22]} .

The song received high marks from journalists and was described as one of the most candid on the album. Craig Es Simon wrote that in her, Jackson “roared over a growling rock beat and gave odds to her brother Michael in his most malicious vocal etudes [and] showed her stamina, repelling her rapist lover, revealing all the hell through which he forced pass it ” ^[28] . “What About” had a similar theme to “This Time” from janet's album . , but was performed in a manner similar to the works of Alanis Morissette ^[29] . It was noted that the song used obscene language and touched on the topic of oral sex . Nevertheless, Eric Henderson wrote that for many it may come as a surprise that she does not use the word “fuck” in this composition in relation to herself ^[39] . In fact, Jackson sang: "What about the times you said you didn't fuck her; she only gave you head? ”( rus. “ How about the fact that you said you didn’t fuck her; did she just give you a blowjob? ” ) ^[22] . Due to obscene content, the song was excluded from the Philippine version of the album ^[29] .

• "Every Time"

“Every Time” is a piano pop ballad similar in theme and performance to the Jackson single “Again” ^{[20] [29]} . In the song, the performer describes her fear of loving someone, as a break always follows. The choruses in the song are recorded in a different manner from the verses and go on to melancholy when Jackson sings the lines: “every time I fall in love / It seems to never last” ( Rus. “Every time I fall in love / It seems like forever” ) ^[1] .

• Tonight's The Night

For the album, Jackson recorded a cover version of Rod Stewart ’s song “Tonight's The Night” (1976), updated with modern percussion ^[23] . According to critics, the processing turned out to be delicate. However, the original text of the song was not changed and it turned out that Jackson sang it in relation to the woman ^[18] .

• "I Get Lonely"

“I Get Lonely” was a neo-soul composition in which a chorus filled with chorus was combined with a modern mid-tempo beat ^[23] . The song was compared with the work of the American group Dru Hill "In My Bed." “I Get Lonely” begins with a vocally-harmonized chorus in the style of Gladys Knight & the Pips and the words: “I get so lonely / Can't let / Just anybody hold me / You are the one / Who lives in me my dear / Want no one but you ”(Russian“ I felt so lonely / I can’t let anyone / Just hug me / You are the only one / Who lives in me, my dear / No one is needed except you ”) ^[30] . In Vibe magazine, the song was called more convincing than everyone else on the album, because its theme of loneliness may have reflected Jackson’s real condition ^[30] .

• "Rope Burn"

“Rope Burn” is a jazz composition with trip-hop elements. Some critics felt that the song traces the performer’s interest in the topic of bondage ^[25] . In 1997, TheDailyBeast published an article in which the song was mentioned in connection with the popularization, at that time, of sadomasochism as an advertising ploy for selling various goods and described the composition as “bondage fantasies” ^[40] . Jackson herself denied these conjectures and said that for her they were ridiculous ^[32] . In an interview, she said: “Someone told me:“ This is a song about sadomasochism. ” But it says “soft lace is lit” - nothing that can hurt a person. I just frankly plunged into my fantasies, that I love and that I do not like is another side of this album ” ^[30] .

• "Anything"

The subsequent track “Anything”, which was also influenced by jazz, Jackson wrote as an expression of the fact that the album as a whole is not “rude”, but “elegant”. She said the song was written about how to please another person. “There are people who like to give pleasure to others, and there are people who like to have fun. One night you perform on one side; the other night on the opposite. Giving someone pleasure and seeing the joy of this person, you yourself are very excited, ”the performer explained the meaning of the song ^[30] .

• "Special"

The last composition is preceded by the interlude “Sad”, in which Jackson pronounces one of the main phrases of the album: “There is nothing more depressing than having everything and continuing to feel depressed” ^[22] . The ballad “Special” reflected the main theme of the album, which is expressed in the need of each person to feel “special” ^[27] . The song was recorded with a children's choir to the accompaniment of a guitar and piano and was described in the press as overly sentimental ^{[16] [23]} .

Before the release of the album, Billboard magazine reported that a massive advertising campaign was organized to promote the album. Nancy Berry, who at that time was vice president of the international branch of Virgin Music Group Worldwide, said that preparations for the release of The Velvet Rope became the largest for the company at that time, and although the label planned to bring information about Jackson's new album to a larger number consumers, its leaders did not want her to be too intrusive ^[23] . Black Doll was founded to manage the rights to music by Janet Jackson (publishing) ^[23] . Bob Varkho, the owner of a chain of music stores, said that the singer’s new release was a priority for wholesale buyers, as it was expected to be actively sold in the pre-holiday season. At the time of the release of the record, the climate in the music industry had changed dramatically and music in the style of modern rhythm and blues, but with a greater share of hip-hop, became mainstream . Radio managers thought the first single, “Got 'til It's Gone,” fit perfectly into this wave ^[23] .

Virgin has counted on promoting songs on the radio and video clips on television. The premiere of the video “Got 'til It's Gone” was held a little earlier than the MTV Video Music Awards. Album commercials were also broadcast on MTV, and billboards and billboards were placed on the subway and on the streets ^[23] . Jackson has given numerous interviews to various publications, including People , Vibe , Vogue , Ebony, and Rolling Stone . In mid-September 1997, Jackson went on a promotion tour of European countries ^[23] . One of the new ways to promote the plate was the use of the Internet. In collaboration with MTV, an online chat was organized with the performer ^[23] . During the advertising campaign, Jackson's image also changed. As they wrote in Jet magazine, she appeared in a more athletic form, she got tattoos and piercings . The singer explained that the tattoos were real and symbolized for her important things from her past. She described her new style as South African ^[41] . In the photo shoots for the album, the performer appeared in tight dresses, with a piercing on her nipple, with red curly hair that often covered her face, and with thickly mascara-eyed eyes. As noted by journalists, she rarely smiled in these photos ^[42] .

Singles

On September 22, 1997, the first international single “Got 'til It's Gone” was released. In the US, the song was not released for sale on physical media. The single became very successful in Europe, reaching the top 10 on the charts of Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK ^{[43] [44] [45]} . He also made it to the top 20 in Norway, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France and Finland ^{[46] [47] [48] [49]} . In the rest of the world, Got 'til It's Gone performed well in Australia (10th place) and New Zealand (4th place) ^[49] . The single has been certified as gold in Australia and silver in France and the UK ^{[50] [51] [52]} . Besides commercial success, “Got 'til It's Gone” has also become one of Jackson’s most highly regarded professional critics. After several auditions, Larry Flick from Billboard found in him “a luxuriously textured record that has every chance of being remembered for a much longer time than a fast-burning pop song” ^[53] . “Got 'til It's Gone” took the highest places in the ratings of the best songs of the year around the world: 17th in the ranking of the best singles of the year by Spin magazine , 22nd in the similar rating of English Mixmag , 14th in the rating of the Swedish magazine Pop , first place in German Spex , 26th in the Spanish Rock de Lux, and entered the list of singles of the year of the French edition of Les Inrockuptibles ^[54] .

Released by the second single, “Together Again” was one of Janet Jackson's most successful hits. The song topped the American Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and reached number 8 on Hot R & B / Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks ^{[55] [36]} . Together Again also spent a record 46 weeks in the top 100 singles of Hot 100 ^[36] . In January 1998, the single received gold certification in the United States ^[56] . The song received similar success around the world. In Australia, the song became the most successful single of the singer, reaching 4 positions on the national chart and was certified as double-platinum for 140 thousand copies sold ^{[57] [58]} . In Canada, the single reached 2 positions and hit the top 5 charts of most European countries ^{[59] [60]} . He received a platinum certificate in the UK, France and Germany, double-platinum in New Zealand and gold in Switzerland ^{[61] [62] [63] [64]} . Thus, Together Again was sold in more than 6 million copies worldwide, became the most commercially successful for Jackson and entered the list of the best-selling singles in the world ^[65] .

"I Get Lonely" was released as the third single. The song entered the rotation in a remix version recorded with the Blackstreet band . It was noted that the single was the last big hit from the album ^[66] . Jose E Promice of Allmusic described the single as one of Jackson’s most successful career and noted that several remixes of the song included on the CD were really interesting ^[66] . The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and on June 30, 1998 was certified as Gold ^{[56] [59]} . The remaining singles from The Velvet Rope did not have the same success in the USA. “Go Deep” got on the first line of the Hot Dance Club Play dance chart and the 12th line of the Pop Songs chart ^[59] . In other countries, the song was more successful and reached the top 20 charts in the UK, Canada and New Zealand ^{[45] [59] [67]} . Released later, “You” could not get to any world chart, and the ballad “Every Time”, on which the clip was shot, reached only the 46th place on the UK chart ^[45] .

The Velvet Rope Tour

In 1998, Jackson went on a world tour of The Velvet Rope Tour, with concerts in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia ^[68] . Robert Hilburn of The Lqos Angeles Times wrote: “Janet Jackson's tour of The Velvet Rope turned out to be so grandiose and filled with the charm of Broadway musicals that it is appropriate that she appears in the concert program as“ creator and director of the show ”" ^[69] . Not all reviews on the show were positive, and JD Considin from The Baltimore Sun wrote that Jackson “got lost in the crowd” at his own concert, but backing vocalists and dancers helped make the performance more lively ^[70] . The special version of the concert from The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden tour, shown by HBO on October 11, 1998, was watched by more than 15 million viewers. The two-hour concert beat the ratings of all four major television networks in the houses that were signed to HBO ^[71] .

The Velvet Rope received positive reviews from music critics, most of whom called the album an undoubted achievement in Jackson’s career ^{[1] [19] [39]} . Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine wrote that he was very impressed with the work and called the album the best in the career of the singer. The author noted that “if Janet Jackson made a lot of noise because janet. compared with Let's Get It On , and Rhythm Nation with What's Going On , then The 1997 Velvet Rope is definitely her version of I Want You , respectively, the best and least “crowned” albums of Jackson and Gay " ^[39] . Henderson called the disc “the most“ adult “album of her career” and added that “ The Velvet Rope is a gloomy teeming masterpiece that can be considered as an illustration of the fact that there is nothing underneath all these whips and chains sexier than emotional nudity ” ^[39] . In Rolling Stone magazine, the album received a score of 3½ out of 5, where it was criticized for the large number of interludes included in the disc: “Janet Jackson says too much. Seven of the 22 tracks on The Velvet Rope are the so-called interludes - recitative mini-recordings that should add drama, but the recording is already full of moral instructions. It seems that Jackson is not quite sure of the convincingness of her music. " Nevertheless, the publication positively described the album as a whole: “ The Velvet Rope is like a focused tremendous exercise in honesty” ^[22] . The critic of the popular music of the Los Angeles Times, Eliza Garner, was also very impressed with the album and comparing it to the previous disc of singer janet. wrote: “ The Velvet Rope picks up speed where janet. at one time slowed down, in particular in topics and the general atmosphere; this is a new collection of songs and “interludes” filled with social, emotional and sexual politics of interpersonal relationships, intertwined with thoughtful and energetic pop melodies and inventive R&B rhythms (which are the cornerstones of Jackson-Jam-Lewis sounding), which are seasoned with compelling jazz, folk and techno-nuances ” ^[18] . Гарнер также положительно отозвалась о звучании диска: «Конечно, как музыкант Джексон никогда ещё не была такой самоуверенной и амбициозной, как сейчас, плавно переходя от модного, свежего хип-хопа в сингле „Got 'til It's Gone“, который гармонично сочетает семпл из песни Джонни Митчелл и соблазнительный дополнительный рэп-вокал от Q-Tip, к ритмичному фанку песни „Freexone“ и далее к мерцающему электронному попу в „Empty“; Как правило, певица не так риторична и метафорична в том, что она хочет сказать аудитории, как это делают некоторые другие артисты; но, с такими сильными хуками и столь разнообразными настроениями, сильна ли Джексон по прежнему — это вопрос в пустоту» ^[18] .

Entertainment Weekly JD Sonsidin praised Jackson's determination to sing about sex as if “it’s just a part of life” and argued that “it would be a mistake to evaluate this album solely from its lyrics” ^[1] . The critic also praised the production work of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who "clearly articulated the emotional essence of Jackson's songs" and concluded the review with the words: "In the end, the most daring in The Velvet Rope is not talking about sex, but its honesty. It is funny that the album can be compared with the same sultry thing as Erotica Madonna , while it is much closer in spirit to the disarming emotionality of Blue Joni Mitchell . The reason for the latter is that in the most revealing moments on the album we will meet with loneliness and vulnerability, and not with preferences in sex ” ^[1] . Robert Christgau praised the record “A-”, writing: “Why do I think that these light quirks and playful bisexuality — which — no one — will believe this self-made object are as pure as a baby’s tear?” And all because sex is really a pleasure for her, not an animal passion (or even, with the exception of a couple of moments, love). Because her sex songs sound chic, while her love songs are a complete cliche, and of course the fact that her criticized timbre of a little girl whispers so innocently even when she takes off a pretty French dress from her new girlfriend . Thus, even with the loss of any individuality, I really believe that it can retain the ability to inspire delight, fooling itself as well as everyone else ” ^[74] .

John Pareles of The New York Times called the disc “her boldest, most complex and perfect album” and wrote: “Obviously, Miss Jackson calculated the ideal ratio, as Madonna once tried to do. But her, similar to Madonna’s work, that self-realization is able to stop the pain, seems really honest, especially when it turned out to be emphasized by beautiful small mini-passages with recitative. What turned out to be even more important was that Miss Jackson was able to reinforce her message with ambitious music. Pedantic, like the album itself, Miss Jackson is clearly not going to play by the rules ” ^[19] . Allmusic columnist Stephen Thomas Erlevine gave the album 2½ points out of five and criticized the work for "semi-pornographic" material and its "flirting with topics such as bondage , piercing and bisexuality " ^[72] . He argued that “Jackson’s attempts to broaden his horizons regarding sex sound tortured, whether it be references to the piercer or her reworking of Rod Steward ’s song “ Tonight's the Night “in into a lesbian anthem. In addition, the album sounds too long, which is why its best moments are lost in the general background ” ^[72] . Martin Johnson from SF Weekly called the disc "refreshingly free from" hanging noodles on the ears. " The Velvet Rope , he is of course about those internal forces that help a person maintain high self-esteem and the risks that such self-confidence can fail at one point; Instead of hunting for cheap popularity, Jackson portrays her sexuality and desires, just as part of his being; and in the process, she destroys the stereotype of a black woman convinced of her sexuality ” ^[25] . JB from The Daily Vault praised the album. Noting that some of the songs on the album became “sequels” to compositions from the singer’s previous studio work, the critic, nevertheless, found many positive aspects in the album: interlude records that carried additional meaning, new sound and general mood album. The reviewer concluded that The Velvet Rope perfectly demonstrated Jackson's professional and emotional growth ^[29] .

Craig Es Simon from Telegram & Gazette noted, “Jackson once again proved that she can easily compete with any of today's hyper-selling pop divs and, in addition, send them all down for knockdown” ^[28] . Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph condemned Jackson's attempts to express his pain from depression through the album and wrote: “Janet confused banality with wisdom, especially in the place where the suffering singer tells us that there is nothing more depressing than“ having everything and continuing to feel depressed oneself. " She should have known more. A couple of weeks of living in a semi-ruined residential complex in Bradford, when you have eight children on your shoulders and living on state benefits, will undoubtedly force her to quickly climb up the sanitary cordon around Beverly Hills, where she can calmly pour her troubles on expensive psychoanalysts ” ^[76] . However, McCormick praised the album’s “solid structure and arrangements” and described The Velvet Rope as “a diverse and entertaining rhythm and blues pop experiment” ^[76] . Greg Cat of the Chicago Tribune also gave a mixed score to the album. The author criticized the lyrics, which he considered commonplace and too sentimental, however, he suggested instead paying attention to the inventive rhythms of the plate. The cat came to the conclusion: “When Jackson catches the right mood, the album“ breaks the tower ”. She decides on a torn and ethereal sound, for example, when she half-sings half-speaks in “You” or offers our attention outlandish, unison chants in “Freexone”. Even despite the fact that these songs touch upon difficult topics, such as self-realization and discrimination, they cause a storm of emotions, because they sound great: heady, tearing and very timely ” ^[21] . John Everson of The Star Newspapers called The Velvet Rope Jackson's deepest and most intriguing work at that time. ^[27]

BBC Music's Deril Isley gave the album a positive rating. The author considered that the disc was the most unusual in the singer’s career, and the singles released from it were one of her most successful. Noting the general tightness of the record, Isley believed that The Velvet Rope was, to some extent, a reflection of the UK dance scene in the US market, "reproducing the dense groove Massive Attack " ^[20] . Browser of the German magazine Telepolis Armin Medoich compared Jackson to the Icelandic singer Björk , and The Velvet Rope to the Homogenic album. He wrote that “indeed, despite the framework in which [she] was due to the planned mega success on the charts - and this is clearly heard in The Velvet Rope - some musical passages are at least unconventional, and the lyrics convey views and ideas that go beyond the consensus established in the middle class . ” As a result, the critic came to the conclusion that the album was another proof of the singer’s ability to balance between mass pop music and hipster art pop. “In addition, the album is, in general, a typical work of the cultural-liberal 90s. Once again, Jackson proved her ability to be a “pop seismograph” by catching the currents of time and generalizing so that a large audience can perceive it, ”wrote Medoich ^[75] .

Haakon Moslet from the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet wrote that “first of all, Janet Jackson is a very talented artist. And this, as never before, can be seen on The Velvet Rope's album. ” The critic noted that the most striking thing about The Velvet Rope was that Jam, Lewis and Jackson were able to do such a complex and varied production: “... and it makes everything else that I heard this year in commercial pop products just disappear. Each song here has a unique sound. This, combined with Jackson’s deep topics, makes this record ideal for audio maniacs, demanding connoisseurs and indiscriminately hits the rest of the wide audience ” ^[77] . In the Italian newspaper Il Tirreno the disc received a mixed assessment, as it was considered "a very ambitious work, perhaps the most mature in terms of vocals and themes (often very intimate), but too eclectic in terms of style and too programmed, which limited its spontaneity." The most convincing songs on the album were named “I Get Lonely” and the hidden track “Can't Be Stopped” ^[78] . Stephanie Daviet from the French Le Monde gave the album a positive rating. She wrote that Jackson always expected music “for aerobics”, but at The Velvet Rope she was able to open up as a full-fledged artist. “Here [on the album] the question of the title of“ Queen of Pop ”is not raised, it is simply thrown aside. Thousands of kilometers away from the cliché of modern rhythm and blues, this recording appeared as a dark silky universe, which for me was surprisingly intriguing and inspiring, ”Daviet noted ^[73] .

In a 1997 Pazz & Jop poll by American critics, The Velvet Rope ranked 24th in the ranking of best albums, and Got 'till It's Gone ranked 16th in the ranking of best singles ^[79] . In his own ranking of Robert Kristgau, the disk took the 48th line ^[80] . In his annual review of the state of affairs in American music, the critic wrote that in 1997, “Janet Jackson produced better material than superstars with tinned sips” ^[81] . Spin Magazine placed the disc at number 15 on the 1997 best album ranking. Jonathan Bernstein wrote: many felt that the album was written about sex, but in reality “each [of his] piece sounded like a frank admission of vulnerability and loneliness, in which the singer’s heart found the hardest work for herself” ^[82] . Music critic Larry Flick from Billboard magazine ranked The Velvet Rope in second place on his list of best albums of the year and described him as “the best American album of the year and the most frank and strong for her in the last five years” ^[83] . The French edition of Libération made the album one of the major international releases of 1997 ^[84] .

Rewards

For The Velvet Rope , the singles from this album and related projects Jackson received several awards and nominations. At the MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony, the singer took the award in the nomination "Best Performer" ^[85] . At the Soul Train Music Awards 1997, Jackson was awarded the special Lena Horne Award - Lady of Soul Recipient award for her contribution to the fight for human rights and outstanding career achievements ^[86] . The American Association of Music Video Manufacturers Awarded the Got 'til It's Gone video in four categories at its 1997 MVPA Award: Pop Video of the Year, Best Performance, Director of the Year (Mark Romanek) and Video of the Year ^{[87] [88]} . The clip could not win in any of the nominations, although, as Carla Hay of Billboard wrote, was the favorite of the year ^[89] .

1998 brought Jackson victory at the Grammy Awards ; the video for her single “Got 'til It's Gone” won the nomination “Best Short Music Video” ^[90] . At the 1998 VH-1 Fashion Awards, the clip received the award as “The Most Stylish Music Video” ^[91] . In the same year, the singer was awarded the nomination "Best Women's Album of the Year" at the American Soul Train Music Awards ^[92] . Jackson received three nominations at the Lady of Soul Awards 1998: R & B / Soul Album of the Year, Best R & B / Soul Solo Single (I Get Lonely), Best R & B / Soul Music Video or rap "(" I Get Lonely ") ^[93] . The video for the song “Together Again” was nominated for the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards in the category “Best Dance Video” ^[94] .

The Velvet Rope was honored by the US National Forum for the Superiority of Black Lesbians and Gays and received an award for an outstanding music album at the 9th annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony ^[95] . In 1999, Janet Jackson received another Grammy nomination: her single “I Get Lonely” was nominated in the category “Best Female Vocal Performance in R&B Style” ^[96] . For the album, the performer received the 1999 American Music Award in the category "Best R & B / Soul Performer" ^[86] . At the 1999 Emmy Award, a special concert show from the tour of the performer Janet: The Velvet Rope live on HBO received four nominations: “Outstanding Filming / Editing / Video for a Special Show”, “Outstanding Choreography”, “Outstanding Lighting for Drama, TV Series, mini-series, film or special screening ”,“ Outstanding musical direction ”. The special show won the award in the first nomination ^[97] .

The Velvet Rope made its debut in first place on the Billboard 200 and second in Top R & B / Hip-Hop Albums , with sales of 202 thousand copies in the first week ^[98] . Jeff Mayfield of Billboard wrote that according to the publication’s forecasts, the album should have sold over a range of 250 to 300 thousand copies, but it was still some disappointment after the very successful debut of janet., Which sold 350 thousand copies for the first week ^[99] . In the second week, sales of the album in the USA fell by 39% and it dropped to the second position on the chart, losing the lead to You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs Lianne Rimes ^{[100] [101]} . In the third week, the disk dropped to 5th place ^[102] . In the fourth week, the album left the Top 10, dropping to 11th place ^[103] . Soon, on November 11, 1997, the disc was certified in the USA as gold, for 500 thousand copies shipped to stores and, on the same day, as platinum, for 1 million copies ^[104] . The disc was accompanied by commercial success around the world: it debuted in the top 5 national charts of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK ^{[45] [59] [105] [105] [105] [105] [106]} . In Japan, the album debuted in tenth place with sales of 34,910 copies in its first week ^[107] .

Disc sales were not as successful as with janet. . By the summer of 1998 in America, The Velvet Rope spent only three weeks in the top 10 of the chart and 2 million copies of the record were sold, while janet. led the hit parade for 6 consecutive weeks and stayed in the top 10 for eight months, with a print run of 5 million ^[15] . Despite the fact that the album showed the worst start of sales in Jackson’s career since Control , the singer herself said that she did not care about the indicators of commercial success, since it was more important for her to record exactly the album that she wanted ^[15] . Later, an article was published in Rolling Stone , which said that album sales were average at the start, but retained positive momentum and The Velvet Rope became Jackson's fifth multi-platinum release ^[108] . In the fall of the same year, disc sales in the United States jumped after showing a concert from Jackson's HBO tour ^[109] . March 26, 1998 The Velvet Rope became double platinum, and January 15, 1999 - three times ^[104] . By January 1999, the album sold 2.71 million copies in America ^[110] . In Australia, it became double-platinum in 1998 ^[111] .

According to Nielsen SoundScan estimates, by March 2009, 3,229,000 copies were sold in America ^[112] . Disc sales worldwide exceeded 10 million copies ^[113] .

After the release of The Velvet Rope , Janet Jackson was talked about as a new gay icon. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph wrote in a review of the album that Jackson made a serious claim to the status of a gay icon, recording the “Together Again” diva style, singing the homosexuality hymn in the jazz “Free Xone” and culminating in a lesbian interpretation “Tonight's the Night” by Rod Stewart ^[76] . After the release of the album, there were rumors about Jackson's gay orientation (as a result of the song “Tonight's the Night”), but the performer herself denied them and said she had never had sex with women ^[114] . During the release of the album, the singer also conducted a social program to combat AIDS. The singer donated part of the proceeds from the sale of the single “Together Again”, which Jackson devoted to all the victims of this disease and their relatives, to the American AIDS Foundation ^[38] . On November 17, 1997, Janet Jackson was recognized by the American National Forum for the Superiority of Black Lesbians and Gays for her activism in protecting the rights of the LGBT community ^[115] . The song “Free Xone”, which advocated same-sex relationships, was described by sociologist Shane Lee as “a rare case in which a famous black vocalist broadcasts romantic or sexual energies outside the canon of heteronormativity , which made [the song] an important milestone in the sexual politics of black people” ^{[ 116]} .

The Velvet Rope was widely recognized among professional critics and in 2003 entered the rating of “ 500 greatest albums of all time ” according to Rolling Stone magazine , where it originally took the 256th line and, at the moment (after updating the rating in 2012), takes the 259th line ^{[117] [118]} . The magazine wrote that with this album Jackson forever said goodbye to his former image of a “girl from a neighboring yard” ^[118] . Matt Palmer of PerfectSoundForever, an online magazine in Jackson's career retrospective, noted that the record is along with Control , Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet. , - was one of its most thematically connected and impressive in terms of musical component. The journalist noted that The Velvet Rope to this day remains musically Jackson's most impressive album ^[42] . In 2011, the online edition of Slant Magazine put the record in the rating for “The Best Albums of the 1990s”, placing it on the 95th line ^[119] .

The Velvet Rope influenced many contemporary artists, including Britney Spears , Justin Timberlake , Ciara , Beyoncé , Kelly Rowland and Rihanna , who, as noted by journalists, voluntarily or involuntarily borrowed many of its aspects ^{[42] [120]} . The artists copied Jackson's style for the period of the album's release, her performances, manner of performance and vocal arrangements ^[120] . Modern artist Drake constantly uses samples from the album in his songs ^[120] . The most famous was the comparison by critics of The Velvet Rope and Rihanna's Rated R album (2009). Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine wrote that the records were actively compared in the press and wrote in his review: “Both albums undoubtedly create a completely autobiographical atmosphere, but, in the end, leave more questions than answers” ^[121] . Henderson noted that the difference between the albums was that The Velvet Rope was truly bold and made him empathize with the singer, while Rated R was recorded in such a way that left a feeling of indifference to what you think about him ^[121] . Pitchfork also wrote that Rihanna’s album was simply a repetition of The Velvet Rope ^[122] .

The list of participants in the recording of The Velvet Rope from the Allmusic website ^[14] .

Musicians

Responsible for release and decorators

Annual Charts

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Ratings and Lists