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Lady Gaga pulls her song with R. Kelly from iTunes, Apple Music
In a somewhat unprecedented move, Lady Gaga has removed a single song from her 2013 album Artpop on iTunes and Apple Music. The song in question, "Do What U Want," features a performance from disgraced hip-hop performer / monster R. Kelly and can no longer be streamed or purchased from Apple's music services. Artpop is still available on both, but the album just moves from track six to track eight, as if the song never existed. The only clue is the missing track seven.
Apple Music has also unplugged R. Kelly from its playlists
Spotify and Pandora publicly banned R. Kelly's music from their own playlists while he faces allegations of sexual misconduct and assault, but Apple Music had already quietly done the same, according to Rolling Stone. While you can still find the artist's tunes on all three services, the trio has prohibited his songs from company-curated collections, including the popular RapCaviar.
Pandora stops promoting R. Kelly’s music
Yesterday, Spotify pulled R. Kelly from its curated playlists, which include RapCaviar, Discover Weekly and New Music Friday, saying the allegations of sexual assault that have followed R. Kelly for years go against its new policy on hateful conduct. Now, Pandora is following suit. The company told The Blast that while users can still create an R. Kelly radio station or search for him, it will no longer promote his music.
Spotify pulls R. Kelly from playlists as part of new conduct policy
Spotify has implemented a new policy that drops promotion of musicians involved "hateful conduct," and there's already one artist in the crosshairs. The streaming service told Billboard that it has pulled R. Kelly's music from its own playlists (including the influential RapCaviar and automatic playlists) in light of long-running (and mounting) allegations of sexual assault, coercion and similar crimes. The company isn't removing R. Kelly's music, but it doesn't want to endorse artists whose behavior is "particularly out of line with our values."
Apple Music redesign will put video in the spotlight
We know all about Apple's plans for Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke, but it looks like the company has bigger things in mind for its music-focused series. Bloomberg reports an Apple Music redesign will accompany the next version of iOS we're likely to hear about at WWDC in June. The new look is said to do a better job of showing off video, a format Apple has big plans for moving forward.
