The hot button title alone was enough to catch the attention of many. The thought of the once crowned “King of R&B” receiving a guilty verdict earlier this year, then releasing an album from a prison cell titled I Admit It is enough to spark the curiosity of many.
Though Kelly’s lawyer was quick to claim that the album was released without Kelly’s knowledge or approval, that didn’t stop the Internet from buzzing. I Admit It was on Apple Music and Spotify for a couple hours before being promptly removed by both platforms.
The news received much backlash, with many people claiming that anyone who listens to the album should be ashamed of themselves. That being said, the mass wave of virtue signaling on social media didn’t stop the album from reaching No. 2 on Apple Music during its short run.
The album, despite being more of a compilation of officially unreleased songs, was a display of why R Kelly had such a long reign as the king of R&B. Controversy aside, that “leaked” project sounds better and more soulful than almost every R&B album of the past 15 years. It has 90s R&B vibes, with way more love and soul in it than most current R&B of this new generation.
R. Kelly Delivering Raw Emotion on ‘I Admit It’
From the first song, you can tell his eyes and his fists are clenched shut while he’s singing.
The album opens with the first song, titled “air” which features a feel good flow and cadence that is hard to come by in current R&B. songs like “the weekend” by SZA, “The Take” by Tory Lanez ft. Chris Brown, and “Damage” by H.E.R, fail to have the soul and the “bop” that R Kelly and many R&B legends bring forth. I Admit It is one of the first albums since the early 2000s that you can legitimately feel the artist’s heart and his passion through the speakers.
So… Here’s an idea.
Why don’t we give R Kelly a state of the art studio in his prison cell, but whatever music he makes must be released for free. He has zero rights to any music he makes in prison. If and when he’s released from prison, he is not legally allowed to perform the songs. This way he can stay “canceled” and the world can still enjoy his music because let’s be honest, he has some of the best vocals we’ve ever heard.
Interestingly enough, the release sparks interesting reactions on social media:
Boosie was vibing to R Kelly new album I admit it 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Dc9wd3YB1V
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) December 9, 2022
Black people (especially black women) are still supporting R. Kelly… i am disgusted with y’all pic.twitter.com/gkmoerMviZ
— Nicole 🎄🎅🏾 (@UndisputedUsos) December 9, 2022
Everybody saying they ain’t listening to that new R Kelly album, yet it’s currently #2 in R&B on iTunes and #20 across ALL genres on the top 200🧐 pic.twitter.com/CkJ8bSW9TG
— I AM KIARA (@OriginalFox_) December 9, 2022
Nah brush we gotta cancel R KELLY
nahhh bro we gotta cancel you, R Kelly goated