The Velvet Rope
Studio album by Janet Jackson
Released	October 7, 1997 (1997-10-07)
Recorded	January–July 1997
Studio	Flyte Tyme (Edina, Minnesota) The Hit Factory (New York City) Record Plant (Los Angeles)
Genre	R&B pop
Length	75:32
Label	Virgin
Producer	Janet Jackson Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Janet Jackson chronology
Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995) The Velvet Rope (1997) All for You (2001)
Singles from The Velvet Rope
"Got 'til It's Gone" Released: September 22, 1997 "Together Again" Released: December 1, 1997 "I Get Lonely" Released: February 24, 1998 "Every Time" Released: March 25, 1998 "Go Deep" Released: June 15, 1998 "You" Released: September 3, 1998

The Velvet Rope is the sixth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. It was released on October 7, 1997, through Virgin Records. Prior to its release, Jackson renegotiated her contract with Virgin for US $80 million, marking this as the largest recording contract in history at that time.

Upon experiencing an emotional breakdown, Jackson began facing a long-term case of depression. She developed her new record as a concept album, 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, social networking, and domestic violence. It also encompasses themes of sexuality, including BDSM, sexual orientation, and same-sex relationships. Due to its sexually explicit content, the album reinforced Jackson's public image as a sex symbol 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, for which she received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music.

The record was co-written and co-produced by Jackson, alongside Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The songs on the album also include British violinist Vanessa-Mae and American rapper Q-Tip as featured artists, along with samples from Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi". Its composition fuses various genres, including R&B, pop, trip hop, folk, jazz, rock, and techno 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.^[1]

The Velvet Rope became Jackson's fourth consecutive album to top the US Billboard 200. It also reached the top of the 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 (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, "Together Again" became an international number-one hit, and "I Get Lonely" 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, in support of the album, drew critical acclaim for its theatricality, as well as controversy for its depictions of domestic violence and bondage.