Still like R.Kelly? Why revelations about artists can BOOST popularity,
It’s a debate that has swirled for decades – can you separate the art from the artist?
Now, a study has revealed that when it comes to music, the answer is yes.
Experts from Cornell University have revealed how grim revelations about artists do not put fans off listening to their music.
In fact, in some cases, they can actually boost their popularity.
The clearest example in the study is R. Kelly, the 59–year–old disgraced singer who is in the midst of serving a combined 31–year prison sentence for child pornography, sex trafficking and racketeering convictions.
While Spotify removed his songs from its official playlists and recommendations in 2018, his music remained popular on the platform.
‘For songs that were not removed from Spotify–curated playlists, we found no evidence of a comparable pullback in intentional listening,’ said Professor Jura Liaukonyte, who led the study.
‘In other words, consumption dropped not because listener preferences suddenly changed, but because the platform’s discovery tools made it harder for listeners to encounter R. Kelly’s music.’
The clearest example in the study is R. Kelly , the 59–year–old disgraced singer who is in the midst of serving a combined 31–year prison sentence for child pornography, sex trafficking and racketeering convictions
Whether or not you should separate the art from the artist has been heavily debated for years.
On Reddit, a thread on the topic has left people divided.
‘For me, if they are not singing about their negative beliefs or crimes then its okay,’ one user wrote.
Another added: ‘It can be useful to know who’s responsible for music sometimes, but it’s not necessary for enjoying it…the music deserves to be enjoyed just for what it is, without attachments.’
And one said: ‘It has to be decided on a case by case basis. I don’t seek out information on artists. I assume most successful artists are assholes. But if I know one did really bad things or is really, really stupid, then I probably don’t want to listen to them anymore.’
To get to the bottom of it, the scientists analysed several recent cases, including R. Kelly, Morgan Wallen, and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Diddy was jailed in July for four years on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, after being acquitted for more serious offenses including sex trafficking.
Wallen, meanwhile, was caught using the N–word in a video that hit the internet in February 2021.
Diddy was jailed in July for four years on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, after being acquitted for more serious offenses including sex trafficking
The researchers’ analysis showed after these controversies emerged, social media condemnation and media coverage were widespread.
However, there was no evidence that the backlash led to sustained declines in streaming demand.
And in several cases, the scandals even coincided with short–term increases in streams.
Declines only appeared when streaming platforms reduced visibility by changing their playlists and recommendations.
‘Our findings underscore the growing power of streaming platforms as cultural intermediaries,’ said Professor Liaukonyte.
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‘While fans and activists may frame cancellation as a consumer–driven boycott, the economic consequences in our setting hinged on a specific set of editorial and algorithmic decisions by Spotify – highlighting more broadly how much power streaming platforms can wield over an artist’s visibility and income.’
According to the researchers, this dynamic complicates popular narratives about ‘cancel culture’.
‘We hope our analysis offers an initial step toward better understanding how platforms and social movements together shape the conditions under which listeners separate the artist from the art, a question that future work can continue to explore in broader settings,’ Professor Liaukonyte added.
