This week R. Kelly surprised viewers as he performed alongside Melanie Amaro, one of the three remaining finalists on The X-Factor. The three time Grammy Award winner has been in the news more recently than he has in the past few years. Could this mean a comeback?
On Wednesday night’s episode of The X-Factor R.Kelly performed his most recognizable hit, “I Believe I Can Fly,” as a duet with for the first time in his career.
Earlier this week R.Kelly made headlines after announcing that he is planning 32 new chapters of his hip-opera Trapped in the Closet, which was released between 2005 to 2007. Currently he is looking for money to back his new music project.
“It costs a lot of money to do… so we’re actually looking for investors,” R.Kelly said in statement to TMZ.
Also this month, the singer’s whose real name Robert Kelly, took to Twitter to inform his followers that nearly a year from now, in October 2012, he will be embarking on his first ever Love Letter Cruise.
The cruise boasts five days in the Caribbean sea with on-board entertainment including live performances, salsa lessons and fashion shows.
R. Kelly has a significant collection of hits which include “Bump n’ Grind,” “Your Body’s Callin,” “Gotham City,” and “Ignition (Remix).” But it’s R.Kelly’s legal scandal from 2002, that has plagued his public image, and overshadowed his career accomplishments.
In 2002, a video allegedly showing having sex and urinating on and underaged girl hit the internet. The R&B singer subsequently faced intense media scrutiny and battled through a grueling court trial. Six years later R.Kelly was acquitted of all charges in his child pornography case.
Since his trial the “I’m a Flirt” singer released three albums, Untitled in 2009 and Epic and Love Letter in 2010, none of which reached the acclaim of his albums prior to his controversial trial.
In September R. Kelly announced that he will be naming his upcoming album Black Panites and said that the album is the new 12 Play. He also revealed the the first single from the new album will be called “10 Minutes.” No word yet on when the new album is expected to arrive, or what it will sound like.
Fans of R.Kelly may be in for a treat in 2012, and hopefully the R&B singer that once made up “Step in the Name of love,” can make us dance again.
WATCH R.KELLY’S SURPISE PERFORMANCE ON ‘THE X-FACTOR’
[youtubevid http://youtube.com/watch?v=LJNDhXlzbvY]