"Sometimes I go to an awards show with a girlfriend... and people assume that we're lovers. But no, I am not gay."

Why?
[her voice goes really quiet and suddenly she sounds like her brother] "Since I was a kid, I have always found a way to push my pain aside, and find escapisms [sic] of some sort. It always worked for me and I never had to deal with pain. And then one day, it just wasn't working anymore. It's that simple. The pain was there and I couldn't get away from it, and all these questions came up. Why this, why that, why do I feel this way when I have all that I ever wanted? There were times when I cried all day long - the first thing I'd do in the morning would be start to cry, and the next day would be the same. But then I'd have good days, and it would be like nothing had happened. The answers were within me all the time and I didn't know it. It was therapeutic to write this album and get it all out."

These sound like the symptoms of clinical depression. Did you go to the doctor? "Maybe I should have. I didn't. There was a man I met, though, just by chance. I was in the desert and he lives there. He's a cowboy, he's in his mid-50s, very tall, and the minute I met him he read me like a book. He had me in tears in minutes. It was as if he knew me all of my life. Aside from Rene [Janet's long-time lover], he was there for me more than anyone. To anyone else, that shit was too difficult. But for me, he was like an Obi-Wan Kenobi. And I was very depressed and down - I might have had all of these material things but happiness is not about that. Happiness comes from within. And I am still learning."

Parts of the record are very vengeful, especially 'What About', with the lyrics "What about the times you yelled at me?/What about the times you said that no one would ever want me?" Who is that aimed at? "I can't tell you that. They know. On the last album I did 'This Time' and now I did 'What About', and it made me realise that I am still not over that. I was in a relationship when I was afraid to make a move, or voice an opinion, or speak period, because I thought I was going to get my ass kicked. It is such a horrible place to be. And there were a lot of women who came to me, even on the last tour, who said that 'This Time' was so important to them. Hopefully this song can help some women too." 'The Velvet Rope' is far and away the most varied record you've yet made - it has big glitterball house tunes, hip hop, trip hop and even some tracks that sound like good old British big beat. How did it get to be so sonically peculiar?

"Erm, it's just experimentation. I like to try different things, to see what works. The crazy violin part on the song 'The Velvet Rope', where it goes completely wild and it sounds like a sample? That's Vanessa Mae ['Classical Spice' violin prodigy]. She is awesome. She got a lot of criticism for taking the violin somewhere different, for plugging it into an amp and rocking it out, but the sound is incredible and she's so young. She's only 22. But I was listening to all kinds of new things, from stuff that had nothing to do with the record to music that fed right into it. Brazilian jazz. Genuwine. Lil' Kim. D'Angelo. Way Out West. The Chemical Brothers."
Hang on, that's not what we expect from one of the Jacksons. The Chemicals make mad, noise-twisting college-rock dance music. How did you manage to come across them? "It was Rene. I can't remember where he heard them first but he told me, You have to hear this CD. And I listened to it, and it was funky as shit, I thought. I just could not stop listening to it. They are very talented, those two guys, and I love stuff like that - I love the experimentation of it, putting together sounds that are not the norm and seeing what comes of it. Sometimes, when you go for those cheap and cheesy sounds, that's when you get the best stuff."
Tell us about Q Tip.

"The last time I saw him was on tour, and the time before that was when we did the film Poetic Justice together. We said we'd keep in touch and we didn't, which made me sad because he is so polite and such a nice guy. But I knew I wanted a rapper on this album, and after finishing 'Got Til It's Gone' I knew that this was the one - I could totally hear Q Tip on it. Vocally it's laid-back, even though it's funky, and his voice is so recognisable. He called me after hearing the track and we finished it about two days later. We talk a lot now. When I go to New York we hang out. We go to jazz clubs. Tip is wonderful, he's a very smart guy and he has such a peacefulness about him. He is a good-hearted guy." Do you know why he's called Q Tip? "No."

It's one of those Little John things. Apparently he is extremely well-endowed. "Whaat? Are you serious? Oh, that's hilarious. Really? I'm gonna tell him about that. He'll be so embarrassed I know. Hee hee! You know, Tip gets real embarrassed. He tried to get me to rap in the studio. He says, 'You can do it, you just kinda rhyme like you're talking,' so he starts the rhyme for me, but I'm being silly with him and for my line I say, 'Ooh, I wanna sip on your tip...' And Tip says, 'Nooo! You can't say that!' Why not? It's a rhyme! 'No it isn't!' Yes it is! Haa haa!"

Janet's new album, 'The Velvet Rope', is out now on Virgin.

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