Lady Gaga, R. Kelly song removed from streaming services

Singer Lady Gagas collaboration with rapper R. Kelly has been removed from streaming services.

The song, "Do What U Want (With My Body)", was removed approximately 18 hours after Gaga tweeted her apology for working with Kelly, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, as featured in last week's Lifetime documentary "Surviving R. Kelly," reports variety.com.

Official videos for the 2013 song have been removed from YouTube as well, although the provocative American Music Awards performance that year, which nodded to Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe's sexual relations with President John F. Kennedy, remains. That clip is the property of ABC, which broadcast the show, and not Gaga's label, Interscope Records.

"I stand behind these women 1000 per cent, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously," Gaga wrote.

She added: "What I am hearing about the allegations against R Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible. 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."

"Do What U Want" entered the Top 20 on iTunes in the time between Gaga's tweet and the song's removal, although download sales have plummeted in the wake of streaming's rise and a song can climb the chart swiftly; streaming data was not available at press time.

--IANS

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