Lady Gaga's "Do What U Want" Sales Rise After R. Kelly Apology

However, the song’s surge in sales will be brief: The Kelly collaboration has been removed from the iTunes Store, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Lady Gaga in NYC
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Image via Getty/Mike Coppola

Lady Gaga in NYC

Lady Gaga’s 2013 song “Do What U Want,” featuring R. Kelly, saw a 13,720 percent boost in the U.S. sales following her statement about working with the singer, according to Billboard.

Nielsen Music reports that the song sold 2,000 downloads on Jan. 10. That’s a surge from the song’s inconsequential figure from the day before.

On Jan. 9, Gaga broke her silence, days after the series finale of Lifetime's docu-series Surviving R. Kelly. In a note posted on Twitter, Gaga apologized and said she would be removing “Do What U What” from streaming platforms, explaining that she was at a “dark time” in her life when she went through with the collaboration.

However, the song’s surge in sales will be brief: The Kelly collaboration had been removed from the iTunes Store, Apple Music, and Spotify.

“Do What U Want” was the second single released from Gaga’s 2013 studio album ARTPOP. The song peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Pop Songs airplay chart.

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