The Velvet Rope

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. From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vel...) under Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)