Spotify has joined the #MuteRKelly movement.
The music streaming service told Billboard on Thursday that R. Kelly's music would no longer be included on any playlists, in an effort to "reflect our values."
Kelly has been accused of sexually assaulting and abusing several women and teenage girls over the span of multiple decades, and the allegations have inspired many in the industry to launch a campaign called #MuteRKelly. The campaign is encouraging industry leaders to cut ties with the R&B singer, and it has picked up momentum on social media. Kelly has denied all allegations against him.
Spotify has removed R. Kelly's music from all curated playlists as well as algorithmic playlists, which pull music for a user based on their listening history. "His music will still be available on the service, but Spotify will not actively promote it," Spotify told Billboard in a statement. "When an artist or creator does something that is especially harmful or hateful, it may affect the ways we work with or support that artist or creator." The new policy was reportedly designed to disassociate from artists who engage in "egregious" conduct, but will leave music on the service to avoid "censoring content."
So far, Kelly is the only artist specifically cited by the company as being affected by the policy. Read more at Billboard.