"I Get Lonely" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth album The Velvet Rope (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jackson's then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. It was released on February 26, 1998 by Virgin Records as the album's third single. The track is a departure from Jackson's signature brand of crossover dance-pop and R&B into a pure R&B and soul vibe. Lyrically, it expresses loneliness and the desire for an estranged lover. A remixed version of the song featured American R&B group Blackstreet. "I Get Lonely" became Jackson's eighteenth consecutive top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, setting a record as the only artist in history to achieve that feat. The song received a BMI Pop Award for "Most Played Song" and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and was later included on Janet's second greatest hits album Number Ones (2009). Its music video, directed by Paul Hunter, received positive reception for its abounding sex appeal.