Black Velveteen

The song Black Velveteen, released as the final single from the album 5, invites us to reflect on the relationship between humanity and technology. Lenny Kravitz, in a 2000 conversation, shared that the inspiration behind this piece stemmed from the growing dependence on computers and technology in everyday life. He observed how people, and even children, spent hours in front of screens, which he felt was affecting human connections. This idea led him to think about how far technology could go, even to the possibility of "playing God" with cloning and the synthetic creation of human beings. The lyrics suggest a vision where, if relationships become complicated or difficult to maintain, the option of "creating" an ideal partner and then "turning them off" or storing them like an appliance could become a reality, an idea he considered worrying. The song incorporates sound effects that evoke everyday machines, such as a vacuum cleaner or a drill, adding a sensory layer to this theme.

This single, which went on sale on November 29, 1999, also served to promote Kravitz's compilation album Greatest Hits. The album 5, from which Black Velveteen is taken, was largely recorded in the studio that Kravitz himself had at his home in New York, starting in October 1997. During those sessions, the studio was visited by figures such as Madonna, Chris Rock, Bobby Brown, Marilyn Manson, and Gwen Stefani. Part of the recording also took place at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas, under the engineering and mixing of Terry Manning. The album 5, released by Virgin Records, was characterized by mixing 1970s funk and soul influences with Kravitz's rock style, incorporating digital technology such as synthesizers and tape loops to create a modern sound. The duration of Black Velveteen is 4:48.