25 Years Ago - 1997 Janet Jackson released her sixth album The Velvet Rope.
Before its release, she renegotiated her contract with Virgin Records for $80 million, the largest recording contract in history at that time.
Six singles were released, "Got 'til It's Gone" won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Music Video and with no commercial single it didn't chart Hot 100 (#36 Radio Songs #6 Club #3 R&B #12 Rhythmic.)
"Together Again" was written as a tribute from Jackson to a friend who had recently died of AIDS as well as AIDS victims and their families worldwide. It went #1 Hot 100 and Club, #8 R&B and Rhythmic, #5 Mainstream Top 40.
"I Get Lonely" became her eighteenth consecutive top-ten single setting a record as the only female artist in history to do that. (#3 #10 Club #1 R&B #5 Rhythmic.)
"Go Deep" (no commercial single...and you did that why?? could have been nineteen top-tens...stupid record labels) (#28 Radio #1 Club #12 Mainstream Top 40 #11 R&B #8 Rhythmic.)
"You" released only in Japan
and "Every Time" (#25 bubbling under Hot 100 and Rhythmic.)