Spotify removes R. Kelly from its curated playlists

By Katie Reeves

R Kelly’s management have released a statement in response to the recent removal of his music from curated playlists on Spotify. They claim that he is “innocent” and that it is purely a result of “ongoing smear campaign against him, waged by enemies seeking a payoff”.

Spotify made the decision to remove R Kelly’s music from their playlists as part of its new “Hate content and Hateful conduct” policy. Whilst users will still be able to access his music through search, and still add it to their own personal playlists, it has been taken out of all recommendations and playlists created by Spotify, such as “Discover Weekly”.

Spotify’s decision to remove the music from their playlists is in response to years of historical allegations made against the star of sexual harassment. Kelly has most recently been alleged to have been part of a “sex cult” in which he is said to control women’s lives and holds them against their will. Spotify note that such harmful and hateful actions “affect the ways we work with or support that artist or creator.”

The singer has denied all claims made against him. However, hashtags such as #MuteRKelly, backed by many and endorsed by the #TimesUp movement, see a plethora of support for the decision. Although Kelly’s management have spoken out against the move from the popular music streaming giant, many are suggesting that it is in fact not enough and remarking that his music should be removed from the service altogether.