I Admit

"I Admit" is a 19-minute song by American singer R. Kelly. Released on SoundCloud on July 23, 2018, the song addresses the singer's sexual abuse scandals. Kelly wrote "I Admit" with Raphael Ramos Oliveira and produced it with Noc. In the recording, Kelly makes a number of confessions, including that he is dyslexic, that he has been sexually unfaithful, and that he was raped. Kelly does not make any criminal admissions, but instead denies allegations of domestic violence and pedophilia. The release of "I Admit" followed a 2017 BuzzFeed News investigative report by Jim DeRogatis which alleged that Kelly operated a "sex cult", and a 2018 boycott of Kelly backed by Time's Up. The lyrics rebuke DeRogatis and disavow the report's "sex cult" claims.

Critics reviewed "I Admit" unfavorably. Some reviewers contrasted the title with the lack of criminal admissions in the lyrics and described the song as an act of trolling. The song was compared to Kelly's rap opera Trapped in the Closet and O. J. Simpson's book If I Did It, which addressed Simpson's allegations of murder. Reviewers noted that Kelly's lyrics more closely resemble a self-defense than an admission or mea culpa. The release of "I Admit" led to a response from DeRogatis, who defended his journalism in two interviews. R. Kelly's ex-wife, Andrea Kelly, and brother, Carey "Killa" Kelly, individually released songs in response to "I Admit" that contain additional allegations against R. Kelly. The song also attracted criticism on social media.