R Kelly hits back and reveals sexual abuse in 19-minute song
US singer R. Kelly, the target of a boycott campaign over his treatment of women, hit back on Monday in a 19-minute song in which he reveals he was abused himself.
Entitled I Admit, the marathon song nonetheless is heavier on denials than acknowledgement as he vents frustration over the stream of allegations against him.
"I never thought it would come to this, to be the most disrespected artist," the 51-year-old sings over a mid-tempo R&B beat.
"So I had to write a song about this, 'cause they always take my words and twist it."
Halfway through the song, Kelly says that a family member touched him sexually from a young age until he was 14.
"So scared to say something / So I just put the blame on me / Now here I am, and I'm trying my best to be honest."
The Time's Up movement for gender equality has urged the music industry to part ways with Kelly in the wake of Bill Cosby's conviction, calling for a world in which women "can pursue their dreams free from sexual assault, abuse and predatory behaviour".
Kelly was acquitted in 2008 of charges of child pornography after a video allegedly showed him in sexual acts with an underage girl.
In the song, he suggests racial bias and draws a contrast with positive portrayals of late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, known for his multiple relationships with younger women.- AFP
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