Janet Jackson's 'Velvet Rope' Era: A Deep Dive into Pop Subversion and Artistry
A look back at Janet Jackson's 1998, a pivotal year marked by the release of 'The Velvet Rope,' an album that saw her diverge from mainstream pop and explore deeper, more personal themes.
Our Janet Jackson Vintage Pop Stardom Week continues in 1998, with a post-'Janet.' Janet feeling two ways about her pop stardom and looking to try something a little different.
In honor of her upcoming 60th birthday this Saturday (May 16), we’re doing a full week of Vintage Pop Stardom deep dives into the all-time greatness of Janet Jackson on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast. Each day this week (May 11-15), we’ll look at a different peak year in Janet Jackson’s singular career — 1986, 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2001 — and hit on all the albums, singles, videos, dance routines, tours, performances, fashion statements, social and political statements, and other big moments that made Ms. Jackson’s contributions to the music and culture of those years absolutely unforgettable.
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Today, we get off the escalator with Janet Jackson in 1998, where she’d decided she’d had enough of the bigger-bigger-bigger trajectory she’d been on for nearly the past decade, and decided to swerve a little with the most musically and personally open album of her career. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Lina Morgan of the Song vs. Song podcast to remember Janet no longer necessarily trying to be the biggest pop star in the world, but ending up with one of her richest and most rewarding eras to date — and the album that continues to perhaps be her most celebrated today.
Along the way, we ask all the most pressing questions about ’98 Janet Jackson: Was this her actively deciding to be less popular than she was on the janet. album and accompanying World Tour? Are we underrating just what a bold statement “Got Til Its Gone” was as a lead single? Is “Together Again” actually her best pop song? How the hell did the “I Get Lonely” video end up being so expensive? Was Janet secretly a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan? How the hell did she turn Rod Stewart’s most basic sex ballad into something so subversive? What’s the deal with all the circus shit on the Velvet Rope tour? How did Colin Powell and Rudy Giuliani get involved? And perhaps most importantly: Has this now become Janet’s most beloved and influential era?
Check it out above, along with a YouTube playlist of Janet Jackson’s biggest 1998 moments — all of which are discussed in the episode — and check back for one more Janet discussion on Greatest Pop Stars, with 2001 closing us out tomorrow! Also, subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!
And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:
Transgender Law Center
Trans Lifeline
Destination Tomorrow
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
Human Rights Campaign – In Your Area
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