In addition, “That’s the Way Love Goes” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Song.

Jackson’s sixth album, The Velvet Rope (1997), brought her sexually suggestive style to a whole new level, generating some impressive buzz from critics but failing to reach the sales records of her three previous blockbusters. On a more personal level, Jackson made headlines in when it was revealed that she had been secretly married to her manager and longtime boyfriend, Rene Elizondo, for eight years. Jackson announced their separation in 1999, but the fact of their marriage (which Jackson’s sisters LaToya and Rebbie had earlier alleged to the press) became public when Elizondo filed for divorce in May of 2000. Jackson continued her acting career with a costarring role opposite Eddie Murphy in the blockbuster comedy The Nutty Professor II (summer 2000). A year later, she released another smash hit album, All For You, which like The Velvet Rope was more sexually explicit than her early albums. The success of All For You and her subsequent world tour, along with a reported $80 million recording deal with Virgin, put Jackson squarely back on top of the pop world. As if to confirm her success, Jackson won an American Music Award for favorite female pop/rock artist in January 2002.