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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 24 July 2018

R. Kelly sings about troubles in revealing 19-minute song

By MESFIN FEKADU song Monday with the
Associated Press caption: “Today is the day
NEW YORK (AP) — R. Kelly you’ve been waiting for.”
sings about his troubles and Despite having a plethora
battles in a new 19-minute of hit songs, he says he had
song, addressing sexual to borrow money from his
abuse claims against him record label to “put food
that have put a screeching on the table.”
halt on his career. “I was told I had to sell my
The song, “I Admit,” was cars, I was told I couldn’t
posted to Soundcloud on get a loan/Said I owed 20
Monday. The track begins million to the IRS and they
with the lyrics, “I admit I were coming to get my
have made some mistakes/ home,” he sings.
And I have some imperfect “Now the truth in this mes-
ways.” sage is I’m a broke (exple-
R. Kelly gets personal tive) legend/The only rea-
throughout the track, sing- son I stay on tour is ‘cause
ing that he likes “all the I gotta pay my rent,” he
ladies, that’s both older sings on the new track.
and young ladies,” follow- In May, a woman filed a
ing it up with: “But tell me lawsuit against R. Kelly, ac-
how they call it pedophile cusing the singer of sexual
because that (expletive) is battery, knowingly infect-
crazy.” ing her with herpes and
The embattled entertainer locking her in rooms for
has long been accused of punishment.
behavior that has ranged In this June 30, 2013 file photo, R. Kelly performs at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. “They’re brainwashed, re-
from questionable to crimi- Associated Press ally?/Kidnapped, really?/
nal. He was accused of don me ‘cause of what you Yo Booty,” ‘’Your Body’s and revealing he was “so Can’t eat, really?/Real talk,
child pornography after a heard.” Calling Me,” ‘’Sex Me” and scared to say something, so that (expletive) sound silly,”
widely circulated video- R. Kelly is one of pop mu- even more explicit fare. I just put the blame on me.” he sings.
tape appeared to show sic’s best-selling artists and In 2002, R. Kelly released a He also says that he does R. Kelly says in the song he
him having sex with, and his hits include “Ignition,” song about his troubles in not own his music, that he had a recent conversation
urinating on, a teenage ‘’I Believe I Can Fly,” ‘’Step similar fashion with “Heav- dropped out of school and with talk show host Wendy
girl. He was acquitted of all in the Name of Love” and en I Need a Hug,” a re- that he “couldn’t read the Williams, who asked him
charges in 2008 and con- “Bump N’ Grind.” He has sponse to his critics at the teleprompter when the about the late singer Aali-
tinued to rack up hits and also written hits for artists time. “Media, do your job/ Grammy’s asked me to yah, who was 15 when she
sell out stadiums around ranging from Celine Dion But please just don’t make present (an award).” married a 27-year-old R.
the country. to Michael Jackson to my job so hard,” he sang “I Admit” was not released Kelly in 1994. The marriage
On “I Admit,” he sings that Lady Gaga. While he’s writ- on the song. on Sony’s RCA Records, was later annulled.
he’s “not convicted, not ar- ten classic love songs and On the new song, he says where R. Kelly is signed. The “(Wendy) said, ‘What
rested, dragged my name even gospel music, he is he was sexually abused label said it had no com- about Aaliyah said?,’ R.
in the dirt/All this work to be defined by sexually explicit as a child, singing “a fam- ment about the song. R. Kelly sings, responding with:
successful, when you aban- songs such as “Feelin’ on ily member touched me” Kelly posted a link to the “Love.”q

Lori McKenna has become a must-hear songwriter

By SCOTT STROUD writer. Working with producer
Associated Press On “The Tree,” she match- Dave Cobb, a master at
Lori McKenna “The Tree” es melody and mood to getting the most out of
(CN Records via Thirty Ti- simple imagery that lets lis- well-crafted songs, McKen-
gers) teners see the picture she’s na builds on her reputation
It’s rare to read about Lori creating. A mother who as a songwriter that other
McKenna without hearing can’t sit still, for example, songwriters notice. Her sing-
that she got married at 19 is a hummingbird in a liv- ing is straight-ahead hon-
and had the first of her five ing room. A father’s billfold est, her eyes fixed on the
children at 20. in church conveys greater word-portrait she’s paint-
And since her latest al- significance than the sim- ing.
bum, “The Tree,” is a canon ple image suggests. In the album’s first single,
of songs about family, it The new album follows “People Get Old,” a heart-
would be easy to pigeon- closely on “The Bird and rending masterpiece about
hole her as a mom singing the Rifle,” McKenna’s 2016 aging and the passing of
sweetly about a world she gem that netted three time, the heat is in the lyrics.
knows well. Grammy nominations and “Every line on your face tells
That would all be true, but widespread acclaim. a story somebody knows,”
it shouldn’t diminish her im- The praise was well-de- she sings.
pact. McKenna also hap- served, but this might be a In McKenna’s hands, the This cover image released by CN Records via Thirty Tigers shows
pens to be a brilliant song- better album. story aches with beauty.q “The Tree,” a release by Lori McKenna.
Associated Press