Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope

My second Hump Day post is another Suggestion from the Box. This time it's follower Ashley and her request for me to listen to this album - and most specifically Janet featuring Q Tip and 'Got Til It's Gone'. I'm 99% positive that I've heard this song in the past, but like I've stated before, I'm not exactly Janet's number one fan. I've always respected her music - mainly because she's so iconic, but it's just not something I personally groove to. But hey, anyone who can step out of the shadows of the King of Pop and make a huge splash in the industry - big props. In the grand scheme of Janet, this is her 6th studio album and it came out in 1997. The album is a modest 3x platinum for Janet. Just a note from listening to it a couple times - it's very up and down. There are songs - some of the beat-y and uptempo, then it's just some slow spoken word type things (rap music would call them "skits"). Janet calls them 'Interludes'. It's very odd. And I haven't heard the sound of connecting to the internet via dialup in years. If you wanted to hear it again, check out track 12. I had high speed internet in 1998, come on Janet. Get with the times. As a whole, I can see why the sales of this record dipped for her by comparison to earlier records. It doesn't really have that classic Janet dance jam. And the mood type tracks - frankly, aren't any good. They're not memorable and it's just vocal. Usually I'm more than okay with that, but Janet's voice isn't exactly angelic. In terms of just the song that Ashley asked about - it's a bit of a saving grace. There are literally three tracks on this album I might listen to, that being one. Q-Tip does a nice job on it, and it's a good twist on a classic track. Like the beat over the vocal, and it's a track you could hear on the radio today and it would sound current. That's always a plus. Anyways, I'd skip this. But you know my stance on the Jacksons.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Interlude: Twisted Elegance
2. Velvet Rope
3. You
4. Got 'Til It's Gone
5. Interlude: Speaker Phone
6. My Need
7. Interlude: Fasten Your Seatbelts
8. Go Deep
9. Free Xone
10. Interlude: Memory
11. Together Again
12. Interlude: Online
13. Empty
14. Interlude: Full
15. What About
16. Every Time
17. Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
18. I Get Lonely
19. Rope Burn
20. Anything
21. Interlude: Sad
22. Special

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Got Til It's Gone
2. What About
3. Every Time

FINAL RATING:
2.25 out of 5 stars