The year was 2013. R. Kelly, the man deemed the most successful R&B artist of past 25 years — Mr. Bump N' Grind himself — resurged onto the pop circuit. No, he was not itching for a comeback. Robert Sylvester Kelly was just getting started.
1. When a petition called for President Obama to legally change the national anthem to "Ignition (Remix)."
2. When his back-to-basics hit "My Story" shot straight to #1 on Billboard's R&B list.
3. When Kellz and Gaga teamed up to give us "Do What U Want," the body-rolling anthem of the year.
4. And its memorable performances which, uh, included more than a helping of body rolls.
5. For example, when he did this:
6. And this:
7. ...and this:
8. When he became the only person in the world who could turn "Cookies" into something NSFW.
9. When "President Kelly" and Gaga channeled JFK and Marilyn Monroe to give one of the best performances at the AMA's.
10. And the great “caption this!” moment of the night as he’s sandwiched in a conversation with these two.
11. When he literally rolled through the AMAs red carpet with a big fat cigar in tow.
12. When his sweet crooning "Genius" single was actually genius.
13. When he randomly jumped on a Justin Bieber track, proving pop culture still can’t get enough of Kelly.
14. When he released "Show Ya P***y" from his sooncoming Black Panties album (because, of course).
15. Speaking of Black Panties, watch him explain the inspiring backstory behind the album title.
"One pair of panties—I think it was a medium?—landed on my lap..."
16. When, in an effort to promote his upcoming album, he launched the first ever "Black Panties Hotline." (Yes, it's a real thing.)
17. When he announced a new episode of the Trapped In The Closet saga is only MONTHS away.
18. When he turned four random topics into sex ballads, proving he's still the undisputed king of freak.
19. Which all goes to prove that R. Kelly, in 2013, was having a moment. A big, crooning, sex-laced moment.
