Warning: This article addresses instances of sexual misconduct involving minors. Please read at your own discretion.Even the biggest stars in the world of pop are forced to reevaluate their previous work, normally due to a mix of artistic growth, societal shifts, and public response. For Lady Gaga, one of the most brilliant performers of our time, known for both reshaping boundaries and navigating controversies, a former fan favorite and high-profile collaboration from the 2010s simply had to go.

While artists will often rework, remix, and re-release pieces of their catalog, the complete removal of a successful track is rare - as that idea typically disowns an entire moment and argues it should no longer exist in the public sphere. Gaga's insightful statement and the quiet banishment of this provocative offering generated a debate that ran much deeper than just a beloved song lost forever. As a cultural conversation continued to unfold, fans and critics alike were left to weigh the power of reflection within pop culture.

Lady Gaga Had "Do What U Want" Removed From Streaming Platforms In 2019

After The Surviving R. Kelly Documentary Came Out

On Jan. 10, 2019, following the release of the Surviving R. Kelly documentary, Gaga took to X/Twitter and addressed her 2013 collaboration with the R&B singer on “Do What U Want” as a mistake, despite it reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. With accusations of sexual abuse and the exploitation of young women and girls, across decades, piling up against Kelly (s Gaga labeled “horrifying and indefensible”), many artists began reconsidering how to frame their past associations with him.

Gaga has long been an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and has openly shared her experiences, in this instance citing 2013 as a “dark time” while she struggled to understand and process trauma. Thus, the song was removed to align action with advocacy and take a stand.

During a tsunami of renewed scrutiny towards Kelly, Gaga made it clear that, regardless of impending legal outcomes, she believed the women who had spoken out. By any , the mounting evidence and testimonies were impossible to overlook. In 2021, Kelly was found guilty on federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking in New York before later receiving additional convictions in Chicago for child pornography and enticement of minors.

Gaga has long been an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and has openly shared her experiences, in this instance citing 2013 as a “dark time” while she struggled to understand and process trauma.

A federal appeals court in Manhattan upheld his 30-year prison sentence earlier this year. “Enabled by a constellation of managers, assistants, and other staff for over twenty-five years, Kelly exploited his fame to lure girls and young women into his grasp,” the appeals court stated (PBS).

Another Version Of "Do What U Want" Can Still Be Streamed

The One That Features Christina Aguilera

Gaga decided to reissue her entire ARTPOP (2013) album in 2019, replacing the original “Do What U Want” recording with a version featuring Christina Aguilera, which can still be streamed. This allowed fans to own a copy of ARTPOP without any association to the controversial feature, while also reclaiming the song’s narrative through Aguilera’s powerhouse vocals. “If anything, the message of this song remains that although you may have had my body, you will never have my heart, my voice, my life, or my mind,” Aguilera wrote on X/Twitter in 2019.

As the cultural landscape changes, so do personal and public identities. Lady Gaga’s response here highlights the evolving relationship between artists and their legacies, especially when confronting the uncomfortable.