R&B singer R. is a convicted felon. Since the publication of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly in 2019 and his following trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, Kelly has fallen rapidly from prominence. However, after his conviction on September 27, the 54-year-sales old’s and streaming have skyrocketed.
Kelly’s record sales have increased 517 percent since last month, according to Rolling Stone, a questionable claim given that many of the singer’s songs are about his victims.
The rise in album sales corresponds to the rise in streaming statistics. Kelly’s library experienced a 22 percent increase in “on-demand streaming” and a 23 percent increase in “video streams” from September 27 to October 3 compared to the previous seven days.
The rise in album sales corresponds to the rise in streaming statistics. Kelly’s catalog experienced an increase in sales from September 27 to October 3, the day of the guilty verdict. “on-demand streams by 22 percent and his“video streams were up 23 percent compared to the previous seven days.”
The repertoire of the disgraced artist is still available on Apple Songs, Spotify, and Tidal, where listeners listened his music more in 2021 than in 2017. Kelly was averaging approximately 5.4 million on-demand audio streams per week in 2017, and he’s averaging around 6.4 million this year, according to RS.
Kelly’s surge in streaming is reminiscent of the reaction in 2018 when Spotify banned him from its owned and controlled playlists for breaking its Hate Content and Hateful Conduct policies.
Despite an increase in streaming and vocal backing from celebrities such as Bill Cosby and Akon, Google has taken a stand against Kelly. Kelly’s two video accounts with a total 5 million subscribers were taken down by YouTube on October 6.
On May 4, 2022, the singer will be sentenced in court. He might be sentenced to ten years to life in jail. He also has two additional sex-related cases pending, one in Minnesota and the other in his birthplace of Chicago.
