Streamline/Interscope RecordsEarlier this year, Lady Gaga removed her R. Kelly duet “Do What U Want” from streaming platforms, in response to the controversial Lifetime docuseries that detailed the years of sexual misconduct allegations against the R&B singer. Now it seems she might have also removed the song from physical copies of the album it originally appeared on, 2013’s ARTPOP.
Billboard notes that the website of the British music store HMV is offering new CD and vinyl versions of ARTPOP for pre-order, with a release date of November 11, and the song “Do What U Want” is missing from the track lists.
However, on her U.S. store, a vinyl version of ARTPOP with the track is still listed, though it’s sold out.
While other artists such as Chance the Rapper have pulled their collaborations with R. Kelly from streaming, Billboard says these new physical versions of ARTPOP “appear to mark the first time an artist has fully re-released an album to cut out Kelly’s involvement.”
After Gaga pulled “Do What U Want” from streaming platforms, she tweeted, “As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the songs and video at a dark time in my life, my intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn’t processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life.”
She also apologized for collaborating with Kelly, noting, “I’m sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner. I love you.”
Kelly is currently awaiting trial on sex abuse charges.
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