Celebrating the 25th anniversary of an enduring cultural touchstone, Janet Jackson has released a new Deluxe Edition of her queer classic The Velvet Rope, on the exact 25th revolution of the original 1997 release date.
Janet is one of the best-selling music artists of all-time. Five-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. She recently was the subject of an expansive, career-exploring documentary.
Back in ’97 Velvet Rope saw Janet explore themes in a way artists rarely do. It was personal, vulnerable and ultimately powerful.
On her cover of ‘Tonight’s The Night’ by Rod Stewart she played with pronouns and gender long before pop music was comfortable doing so. On ‘Free Xone’ she sang of homophobia and asked listeners to open their minds. The ‘Speakerphone’ interlude delved into phone sex, with the voice of a secret female partner (rumoured to be her brother’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley). On ‘Together Again’ she sang a dedication to loved ones who had died of AIDS. Unlike Mariah and Boyz II Men’s ‘One Sweet Day’, Janet wanted to sing of loved ones gone in a celebratory, joyful and uplifting way. The song hit #1 around the globe and remains an anthem to this day.
Janet’s vulnerable and poignant writing also confronted themes of female empowerment through a black woman’s lens as well as domestic violence and mental health.
As one of the most acclaimed legacies in Jackson’s storied history, The Velvet Rope is one of Rolling Stone magazine’s coveted 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, while Los Angeles Times asserted, “Certainly, as a musician Jackson has never seemed more confident or ambitious than she does here.”
With 10 new-to-platform bonus tracks available on streaming platforms for the first time, the Deluxe Edition includes sought-after B-sides and remixes including two rarities, “Accept Me” and “God’s Stepchild.”
The collection also houses multiple remixes – which were only available on CD singles prior. Remix collabs with Missy Elliott, Timbaland and Blackstreet, and club mixes from the likes of Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Tony Moran, Jason Nevins and Armand Van Helden.
In tandem with the Deluxe Edition, remastered versions of Jackson’s legendary music videos have been made available on YouTube for the first time in HD.
Go behind The Velvet Rope again.
