R. Kelly Reveals New Sound on ‘When a Woman Loves’

R. Kelly -- known for cranking out sensual, often times risqué tunes ('Feelin' on Yo Booty' ring a bell?) -- leaves the eye-raising anthems to the wayside and turns up the soul factor on his new single, 'When a Woman Loves.' The Pied Piper of R&B channels his inner Percy Sledge on the track, belting out lyrics like "She took me back/ After I broke her heart about 1,000 times/ She gave her life to me/ With no regrets she fell on me."

The Grammy-winning balladeer called on the vocal spirit of artists like Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye when recording the new release, which can be heard on his forthcoming album, 'Love Letter.' "I wanted to change up my sound and challenge myself a bit," he revealed in a statement. The black-and-white video for 'When a Woman Loves' showcases that, where Kelly -- accompanied only by a plethora of microphones -- allows his lyrics to take center stage.

"I've had the concept for the video since I wrote and recorded the song," the singer shared. "I wanted it to have a feeling of being both old and new: old for the people that remember Sam Cooke and Motown and all of those great records."