Its incorporation of social issues regarding sexual orientation and combating homophobia, also established her reputation as a gay icon and received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music.

The record was co-written and co-produced by Jackson, alongside her then-husband René Elizondo Jr., Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis, with additional contributions by various songwriters.

The songs on the album also include British violinist Vanessa-Mae, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, and American rapper Q-Tip as featured artists.

Considered to be Jackson's most mature recording, it is regarded as a template for pop artists transitioning to a darker or rebellious sound and as a precursor to the development of alternative R&B.

As a result, she became subject to an industry bidding war between various parties, including Virgin, Bertelsmann, DreamWorks, Sony Music, Time Warner, and The Walt Disney Company, who attempted to sign her jointly with PolyGram.

During her Janet World Tour, Jackson experienced an emotional breakdown, stemming from self-hatred, childhood humiliation, self-harm, and distorted body image.

[12] The album was produced by Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as René Elizondo Jr. Its initial stages began following her Janet World Tour, recording intermittently over two years.

[26] Attempting to push pop music in an alternate direction, the record was described as "a triumph of the spirit, a declaration of joy and healing that comes from examining the past while energizing the present, [...] exploring the mysteries of sexuality even as it addresses the problems of prejudice".

[27] Explaining the concept and the writing of The Velvet Rope, she stated: Singing these songs has meant digging up pain that I buried a long time ago.

[49] It incorporates The Exorcist theme "Tubular Bells" as Jackson explains "a velvet rope we have inside us, keeping others from knowing our feelings", closing with a violin solo by Vanessa-Mae.

[42][54] "Free Xone" incorporates "slamming funk" with drum and bass, derived from "scratching, sampling, honey rapping, break beats and electronic accents.

[16][67] Upon its release, Jackson unveiled an edgier image, flaunting hennaed red hair and tattoos on her neck, wrist, foot, back, and lower thigh; also acquiring nipple, septum, and labia piercings.

[71] The day before, an album listening party was held in New York City at the Chrysler Building's Art Deco Cloud Room, reopened after sixty-five years for the event.

[72] Entertainers in attendance included Marilyn Manson, Beck, Billy Corgan, Sheryl Crow, Meredith Brooks, Diddy, Naomi Campbell, Michael Douglas and Lisa Marie Presley.

[89] "Janet's concerts are the pop equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, with all the explosions, special effects, ersatz sentimentality, gratuitous cleavage and emphasis on spectacle over coherence that the term implies."

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Jon Pareles declared it "her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album", observing songs to "transform themselves as they go, leaping from sharply etched cross-rhythms to lush choruses.

"[42] Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune regarded it a "soundtrack to a therapy session", while the Los Angeles Times commended its content; addressing "the social, emotional and sexual politics of relationships, peppering the wistful, spirited pop melodies and sinuous R&B rhythms with compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances.

"[23][29] Elysa Gardner added, "provocative gestures ultimately blend in with the album's larger agenda, which is to encourage more open-minded, free-spirited relationships of all kinds... with hooks this strong and grooves this delicious, Jackson's authority should be of question to no one.

[124] In his review for The Village Voice, Vince Aletti praised its "unusu-ally busy, electronica- spiked soundscape", revealing "the process of psychic reconstruction".

[36] Roger Catlin of The Courant noted its aura "washes away her sometimes strident political messages or her attempt to shock with sexuality", adding, "the album shimmers with sensuality, openness and thirst for new adventures, musically and otherwise.

Alluded to "an eroticon of cybersex, queer positivity, and mild bondage", Dark regarded its production "a sexy motherfucker... abstractly electro tones come and go with sharp attack and sharper decay, appearing out of--and vanishing into--aggressively blank spaces".

"[181] Kyra Phillips of CNN declared it "difficult and very intimate", exploring "Jackson's darker side, her emotional break down and the secret that shocked the world.

"[183] City Pages called it a "gem" which foresaw "damn near every rhythmic trend of the decade: Timbaland's drum 'n' stutter, quick-stepping house, and walloping slabs of techno.

[46] Eve Barlow of NME included it among seven albums considered "Perfect from Start to Finish", stating: "Jackson had already begun pushing the boundaries of sexually explicit pop but it’s The Velvet Rope that cemented her as a free, liberal voice for experimentation."

"[189][190] Sal Cinquemani declared it "Janet's richest work to date", while Brannon Smith heralded it to reveal "her battle with depression, and saw her continue to empower through her pain.

[192] Rihanna's Rated R drew comparisons for its production and "nakedly autobiographical vibe"; the theme of single "Te Amo" also likened to Jackson's "Tonight's the Night".

[197] Drew Millard of Vice stated the album "inadvertently predicts most of the cooler trends in contemporary indie music," saying, "Dam-Funk's bedroom-keyb attack?

[199] How to Dress Well cites its "schizophrenic diversity" as the inspiration for the album Total Loss, saying, "She set such an example for trusting yourself, and following that intuition wherever it takes you... she made a fucking sprawling masterpiece with a song from every genre, and it works.

[207] FKA Twigs' single "Water Me" and Laura Welsh's "Unravel" were likened to the album, considered to evoke Jackson's "mellower work" at her "most delicate".

[228][212] Psychologist Alan Downs' book The Velvet Rage was titled after the album and its homosexual content; demonstrating "how to heal the trauma of being a gay man in an uncompromisingly straight world.