R. Kelly’s Greatest Hits See Resurgence Following Guilty Verdict

After the courts found him guilty of multiple crimes, many thought the illustrious career of one of R&B’s biggest sensations would come to an end; on the contrary, it didn’t. R. Kelly, the convicted sex offender, may be awaiting his sentence, but R. Kelly, the performer is witnessing a resurgence.  

According to Rolling Stone, many of Kelly’s biggest singles have been climbing the ranks of popularity ever since he was handed down conviction last month. The 54-year-old was convicted for multiple sex crimes by a New York jury on September 27. 

He faces punishment on account of sex trafficking, racketeering, bribery, and sexual exploitation – and is expected to be handed down a lengthy prison sentence on May 4. 

The report states that Kelly’s albums have seen a massive 517% surge in sales since his conviction. This is in addition to the unprecedented surge in popularity seen for his audio streams, which went up 22% during a seven-day period (Sept. 27-Oct. 3). 

It is worth mentioning that Kelly’s music has remained a popular choice for listeners in 2021. In fact, more people have streamed his hits in 2021 compared to the number of streams recorded in 2017. “In 2017, Kelly was averaging around 5.4 million on-demand audio streams per week, and this year he’s averaged around 6.4 million,” Rolling Stone spoke of the development. 

While Kelly’s songs can be found on streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, YouTube has already deleted two of the disgraced singer’s official channels citing violations on part of the creator.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments!