Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	A–
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Entertainment Weekly	A
Los Angeles Times
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Slant Magazine
USA Today

The Velvet Rope is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson. The album was released on October 7, 1997 through Virgin Records America. Following the release of her first greatest hits compilation Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995), Jackson's recording contract with Virgin was up for renewal, making her the subject of a high-profile bidding war among parties including Sony Music, The Walt Disney Company, and Time Warner. She ultimately chose to renew her contract with Virgin for an unprecedented $80 million, making her the world's highest paid musical act for the second time in her career. She unveiled a new image, flaunting vibrant red hair, multiple tattoos, and acquiring facial and body piercings. She also abandoned her surname, releasing material solely under her first name.

Upon experiencing an emotional breakdown, Jackson began facing a long-term case of depression, steaming from childhood and adolescent traumas, including body dysmorphia, anorexia and self-harm. She in turn 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, homophobia and domestic violence. It also encompasses themes of sexuality, including BDSM, masturbation, 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 and received a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music.

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Wikipedia