Released October 7, 1997, The Velvet Rope was pop icon Janet Jackson’s latest release and well into her living legend career, another iconic era had commenced.
This album means so much to her fanbase, and that includes me. It was the first Janet album I asked for from the record store, and the following year, I attended my first concert ever at The Velvet Rope Tour when it came to town with my mother and sister.
And Usher was the opening act!
This was during his peak My Way era, so I was in music heaven.
A time was truly had and my only regret is that we didn’t get any merch and or saved our ticket stubs. (I kept this in mind when I attended my second concert, TLC FanMail‘s Tour and I got a bootleg t-shirt outside the venue and I still have my ticket stub from January 2000).
But my memories remain so fondly of having been at The Velvet Rope.
Also, in 1998, Janet performed at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards and against type and the original wishes of the producers, she chose to perform “What About” from The Velvet Rope instead of fellow disc track, “Go Deep.”
The performance was electric, groundbreaking, and incredibly moving for its graphic portrayal of domestic violence and survival.
On what is the 28th anniversary of The Velvet Rope this year, I revisited this performance and it’s as powerful as ever.
Though I was only 11-years-old when I originally watched this, I’ve never forgotten it. I felt the anger, ferocity, the fed-up-ness of it all, and the need to get the message across. You can also sense from the audience that they were watching something extremely special and unexpected.
Re-watching as an adult, it’s a rallying cry with a megaphone.
Brava to Janet for insisting on performing “What About” on cable television and to her team for this performance.
We walked along the beach, what a moonlit night
He held my hands in his, he kissed me, and he said
“I wanna spend my life with you, I want you for my wife”
Just then, I thought
What about the times you lied to me?
What about the times you said no one would want me?
What about all the shit you’ve done to me?
What about that, what about that?
What about the times you yelled at me?
What about the times I cried? You wouldn’t even hold me
What about those things?
What about that, what about that?What about the times you hit my face?
What about the times you kept on when I said: “No more, please”
What about those things?
What about that, what about that?
What about the times you were ashamed me?
What about the times when you said you didn’t fuck her?
She only gave you head, uh
What about that, what about that?“What About” by Janet Jackson
Lavish Rebellion [DOT COM] 
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