| "Do What U Want" | ||||
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| Single by Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly | ||||
| from the album Artpop | ||||
| Released | October 21, 2013 | |||
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| Length | 3:47 | |||
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| Lady Gaga singles chronology | ||||
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| R. Kelly singles chronology | ||||
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| Christina Aguilera version cover | ||||
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| "Do What U Want" feat. Christina Aguilera on YouTube | ||||
"Do What U Want" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, featuring R. Kelly. The song was released on October 21, 2013, as the second single from Gaga's third studio album Artpop (2013). The singers wrote the song with DJ White Shadow, Martin Bresso, and William Grigahcine. DJ White Shadow first presented Gaga with the song's initial concept two years prior to its release. Production on "Do What U Want" was completed in 2013, with Kelly's vocals added soon after. Its sudden popularity upon premiering led to the song becoming the album's second single.
It is a synth-pop, electropop and R&B song featuring 1980s-style synthesizers and an electronic instrumental track. The song's lyrics discuss the media's appetite for publishing opinion and critique, with Gaga telling detractors that her thoughts, dreams, and feelings are her own, no matter what one does with her body. Critics praised the song's simplicity and production. The single cover for "Do What U Want", a close-up of Gaga's buttocks in a floral thong, was photographed by Terry Richardson who had also directed the song's music video. The clip was planned to be released through BitTorrent in December 2013 but was cancelled for unknown reasons.
"Do What U Want" reached number one in Greece and Hungary while peaking within the top 10 in Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Norway, Scotland, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom as well as the top 20 in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Live performances of the song were televised on the 2013 American Music Awards, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, Saturday Night Live, America's The Voice, and Britain's The X Factor. Several remixes of the song were released, including ones with vocals from Christina Aguilera and Rick Ross.
On January 10, 2019, Gaga decided to have the single removed from music streaming services after the airing of a television documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, exposed new allegations of sexual misconduct and assault by Kelly, who had previously been charged regarding similar accusations in 2002 but was acquitted in 2008. The song was removed from new vinyl and CD pressings of the album in November 2019.