The Velvet Rope cover

The Velvet Rope

Released

Wearing a brave heart on her sleeve, Janet Jackson entered a ’90s R&B climate heavily influenced by hip-hop (Jodeci, Mary J. Blige) with The Velvet Rope — a 100 percent Janet Jackson classic. Her mastery of pop perfection shines through on “We Go Deep” and all over tracks like “Got ’Til It’s Gone” (featuring Q-Tip) and the AIDS-inspired celebration of life, “Together Again.” Thunderstorms and fingersnaps in a Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis-produced ballad always denote danger; “Anything” proved that her previous album janet.’s sexual liberation was no one-night stand.

Miles Marshall Lewis

Recommended by

Suggestions
Lemonade cover

Lemonade

Beyoncé
Music of My Mind cover

Music of My Mind

Stevie Wonder
Smooth Talk cover

Smooth Talk

Evelyn "Champagne" King
Street Songs cover

Street Songs

Rick James
Steppin’ cover

Steppin’

The Pointer Sisters
Diamonds and Pearls cover

Diamonds and Pearls

Prince & the New Power Generation
Curtis cover

Curtis

Curtis Mayfield
Natural Wonder cover

Natural Wonder

Stevie Wonder
The Tour cover

The Tour

Mary J. Blige