R. Kelly
R. Kelly's songs generated 4.3 million on-demand streams in the U.S. after the Lifetime docuseries exploring his sexual abuse allegations aired.
R. Kelly's music streaming numbers have surged since the airing of Surviving R. Kelly— the Lifetime docu-series that chronicles the singer‘s life and career, exploring decades of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and statutory rape allegations with interviews from survivors and peers.
According to Billboard, R. Kelly's songs jumped from 1.9 million on-demand streams in the U.S. to 4.3 million on Jan. 5— a 116 percent increase from Jan. 2, the day before Lifetime's three-day docuseries aired.
After the Jan. 3-5 airing of the six-part docuseries, Kelly's on-demand music streams soared and his Wikipedia page views jumped, while his radio airplay has plunged.
READ: R. Kelly Is Now Under Criminal Investigation Following Lifetime Docu-Series
The most-streamed songs for R. Kelly during this period have been "Ignition", "Trapped in the Closet", "Bump N' Grind", "Same Girl", and "I Believe I Can Fly."
Consumers have also been searching for more information on the controversial artist. According to a Next Big Sound report in Billboard, on Jan. 2, the day before the premiere, he drew in Wikipedia page views. On Jan. 3, the number doubled to 6,000, then jumped to 41,000 on Jan. 4.
Radio airplay for R. Kelly has been on the decline all year. Two prominent Dallas stations, Smooth R&B 105.7 [KRNB] and K104 [KKDA], have banned Kelly's music since the series aired.
READ: Common Speaking About R. Kelly's Allegations: "We Failed as a Community"
Earlier this week, Surviving R. Kelly spurred a surge in calls to one of the nation’s top sexual-assault hotlines. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network reportedly saw a 27 percent increase on Thursday (Jan. 3rd), the night the first part of the docu-series aired.
Source: Billboard
