Lady Gaga has kept her promise and removed her 2013 R. Kelly collaboration Do What U Want from popular download and streaming services.
On Wednesday night (09Jan19), the Poker Face singer issued a lengthy statement declaring her support for the women who have accused the Ignition (Remix) hitmaker of sexual abuse in recent docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.
She apologised for working with him on the song, taken from her album ARTPOP, and vowed to remove it from her back catalogue on all streaming and download platforms.
According to Billboard.com, the singer didn't waste any time following through on her promise, as the duet has been removed from the iTunes Store and is no longer part of the tracklisting for ARTPOP. The album is also currently unavailable to purchase from the store, although the other songs from it can be bought individually.
It is no longer available to stream on Apple Music in America, it is not playable on Gaga's official YouTube channel or on Spotify.
However, fans can still stream or buy an alternative version of Do What U Want featuring different lyrics and Christina Aguilera instead of R. Kelly on Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify.
By Thursday night, the song still remained on Amazon Music, Tidal, and Soundcloud in the U.S.
"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. What I am hearing about the allegations against R Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible," Gaga wrote in her statement.
"I can't go back, but I can go forward and continue to support... victims of sexual assault... I intend to remove this song off of iTunes and other streaming platforms and will not be working with him again. I'm sorry, both for my poor judgement when I was young and for not speaking out sooner. I love you."
